Posted by Prue Eckett on July 15, 2002 at 21:08:58 from 210.86.38.164 user Prue_Eckett.
In Reply to: The things that AR did not tell us posted by Mike S on July 06, 2002 at 22:01:23:
Re: the bows & arrows, I wonder if AR had reservations about them too but had to include them because he could see no other way of progressing the stories.
You notice that when in S&A Nancy fires off the first arrow, it 'passed harmlessly over their heads'.If it passed over their heads it was harmless anyway so the word is superfluous, but he chose to use it.And in Swallowdale the arrow lands in the southern headland which is not clearly visible(from within the cove) rather than being aimed somewhere into the cove where the Swallows would be more likely to find it. Of course that could be because it's a visible target, but as she's using a crossbow rather than a bow and arrow her range would be far greater so it implies a certain sensitivity to make sure not to hit someone unseen.
And re: the crossbow, in S&A and Houseboat Bay battle, the description of the houseboat includes, 'the walls were hung once more with strange weapons and curiosities ...'. Earlier on when Captain Flint is clearing up after the burglery a number of the weapons are named: assengais, tomahawks and boomerangs. Maybe a crossbow was one of the weapons although the picture in my copy of Swallowdale(Australasian Publishing Co, 1949) shows what looks like a modified rifle butt with a bow on the end.