Undoubtedly George Bent was proud of the great shot which is depicted in the previous drawing, and he may have bragged about it when he brought his turkey home. It is likely that Arrow was a cousin of Bent, and therefore a Nisson relative. Arrow duly portrayed Bent's feat, but primarily so that he might contrast it with his own achievement depicted here: with a single shot he kills TWO turkeys, the second one also by striking it in the neck.

Arrow is using the 1873 model Winchester carbine with which he killed the bobcat in Plate 76. It is likely that most of the firearms depicted in this ledger---the Ballard, the Remington, the 1866 and 1873 Winchester carbines---were being traded around among relatives, according to the situation where they were most needed. As Col. Richard Dodge noted:

"...Every man having to procure his own arms when and how he can, there is no uniformity of make or caliber---a fortunate circumstance for his enemies, but extremely annoying to the Indian..." (Dodge, 1882: 422).

The red and blue striped, silk shirt worn with brass armbands is the same one shown in Plate 100, where it was argued that the figure represented Arrow's comrade. However, Arrow here is wearing the same partly-beaded moccasins with yellow-painted tops and heel fringe. It might reasonably be argued, therefore, that Plate 100 actually shows Arrow participating in an antelope drive, having borrowed his comrade's signature hat. Either is possible, for both alternatives merely reflect the closeness inherent in the Nisson bond---see the ca. 1895 photograph of Southern Cheyenne Nisson male relatives, in Cowdrey, 1999: Fig. 44.

Here, Arrow wears the red wool leggings seen in Plates 32, 80 & 86; combined with the red breechcloth that has four stripes of blue silk ribbon, worn also in Plates 94 & 130. A dark blue (black) trade cloth blanket is around his waist, cinched with a cartridge belt. The rich strips of otter fur wrapping his hair are painted yellow on the flesh side, reflective of his membership in the Elk Society. He wears his usual dentalium-shell choker; has painted his face a light red color; and has a yellow straw hat with upturned brim. For a ca. 1885 photograph of Brave Bear, a Southern Cheyenne man holding precisely such a straw hat, see Cowdrey, 1999: Fig. 45.

In a remarkably successful attempt at full-frontal perspective, Arrow represents his white horse with the iron-grey legs, harnessed with his commercial halter, silver-mounted bridle, and yellow vaquero saddle. A new, yellow leather rifle scabbard hangs from the saddle horn. Compare Plate 154, for a clear side view of the same horse, and the rigging.

In some quarters it has been argued that frontal perspective was learned by the prisoners at Fort Marion during their 1875-1878 sojourn in Florida---see Petersen, 1971: Plate 45, for example; or Szabo, 1994b: 78. Here, we see that Southern Cheyenne artists were alreading experimenting with perspective shifts prior to 1875. Such virtuosity developed directly from the Cheyennes' own tradition and abilities, and was absolutely NOT inculcated by White influence or drawing teachers. Numerous Cheyenne war shields depicted figures in frontal perspective (Powell, 1981: 121, 347, 365, 367 & 965). The "Scalp Sun" painted tipi design, which belongs to the Sacred Buffalo Hat, and which Cheyennes say is the oldest of all Cheyenne painted lodge designs, was imparted by the Suhtaio no later than the mid-18th century. This design features four, full-frontal-perspective depictions of Maheono, the Spitits of the four, semi-cardinal directions. For a ca. 1870 photo of this tipi design see Powell, 1969: 30; and also Coleman, 1998b: 29. And there are petroglyph examples of frontal perspective as well, though not all might concur in their Cheyenne origin.