Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/237

notch cut in one side admits a spring made of whalebone (Fig. 133). By pushing the spring back the short arrow shown in the illustration can be propelled quite a distance. If instead of the awkward whalebone spring a piece of elastic be used, Image missingFig. 134.Plunger Pistol a much neater gun can be made. Fig. 134 shows a pistol made with an elder barrel and a stock of pine. A plunger, similar in many respects to the one used in the squirt-gun, is made with an edge to catch in the trigger. An elastic band is bound to the barrel with string, and the loop fastened to the butt end of the plunger. When the latter is drawn back to the trigger it stretches the elastic. By pulling the trigger toward you it loosens the plunger, which flies back with a snap, sending the arrow out with considerable force. The barrel of the pistol may be fastened to the stock by two strips of tin or leather. The diagram shows the form of the Image missingFig. 135.Pistol without a Plunger. trigger, which should be made so as to move readily backward or forward upon the screw that fastens it to the stock. Fig. 135 shows how a pistol can be made to work without a plunger. In this case the barrel is partly cut off from A to B. The arrow should be made to fit in the groove, so that when the elastic is loosened it will strike the arrow in the same manner