Nobody said much about it.

But Carter knew he'd messed up again.

And it was worse than normal, for him at least, because he felt like he hadn't just let down the colonel and everyone else, but he'd failed his ancestors too.

Of course, this probably seems like a major overreaction. And it probably was. But Carter still felt sick to his stomach every time he remembered his failure.

He'd tried to use his skills with bow and arrow to blow up the truck with the new jet fuel that was being transported right past their camp. And he'd completely missed the mark, so Newkirk had to step in and save the day.

He could imagine his grandfather shaking his head at him in sad disappointment, saying, "I taught you better than that, Little Deer."

He could imagine Angry Rabbit smacking him around the back of the head (an image encouraged by how often Newkirk did it, come to think of it), and demanding, "What did we spend all that time hunting for, bonehead? It was not so you could miss one easy shot!"

He didn't have to imagine the looks that had been on Hogan and Newkirk's faces right after it happened-the annoyance, the disgust.

The disappointment.

The fact that nobody in camp was making a fuss or ribbing him for it somehow made it worse. It was like they just shrugged their shoulders and said, "Oh well, Carter messed up again. What else is new?"

He shouldn't have messed this up.

It was part of his heritage.

It was important to him, darn it.

So Carter began to practice. Whenever he got the chance, every day if he could get away with it, he would take his bow and arrow into the lab, and set up targets wherever he could, and just shoot. And to his relief, he began to improve.

Maybe it was too late for him to be doing this.

Colonel Hogan wasn't likely to ever ask him to use a bow and arrow again, and it didn't seem like anyone else would either.

But Carter decided he didn't care.

He just wanted to make sure if the need ever arose, he wouldn't be found lacking again.

This one is short, I know. It also has a lot more angst than the others. But it fits, at least to me. And yes, it takes place right after "Drums Along the Dusseldorf."

Sorry if there's any inconsistencies with the episode.

And no, I don't know yet if I'll write any where Carter's improved skills with bow and arrow will be needed, but I like to have the option open.