Pulling a Curve

When you select a curve with the Pull tool, the direction of the extrusion is determined by the plane of the curve.

The default direction to pull a curve is along the Z axis.
If a curve lies on the Z axis, the pull arrow points in the Y direction.
If you select two curves on the same plane, the pull arrow points in the direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the curves.
If you select a curve that touches another curve, the pull arrow points in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the two curves.