Note 3 — Chapter XLIII · THE MANCHURIAN FRONTIER.

Three straw men of life-size are placed in a straight line, at distances of 20 or 30 paces the one from the other. The mounted archer is on a line with them about 15 feet from the first figure, his bow bent, and his shaft upon the string. The signal being given, he puts his horse to a gallop, and discharges his arrow at the first figure; without checking his horse’s speed, he then takes a second arrow from his quiver, places it to the bow, and discharges it at the second figure, and so with the third; and all this while the horse is going at full speed. From the first figure to the second the archer has barely time for drawing his arrow, fixing, and discharging it; so that when he shoots he has generally to turn somewhat on his saddle, and as to the third shot he discharges it altogether in the old Parthian fashion. Yet for a competitor to be deemed a good archer, says M. Huc, it is essential that he should fire an arrow into every one of the three figures.