688 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



of girls or women (never by men or boys), half on one side the line N S 

 and half on the other. The flat <^//// stone is placed in the middle of 

 the cloth, and the players kneel on the edge. The two awls are stuck 

 in the creek at 1 1. The player at A makes the first throw, and the 

 throwing goes around the circle in the direction of the hands of a 

 watch, each side counting the results of each throw on the "awl cloth" 

 by sticking its awl just beyond the mark called for by the results of 

 the throw. The moves are made in opposite directions, as indicated by 

 the arrows. 



If in counting any awl gets into the "creek" at N, that side must 

 forfeit a counter to the other side and be set back to the "creek" at S. 

 That side is then said to have fallen into the "creek," the object being 

 to "jump over." If in their passage around the circle the two "awls" 

 get in the same division, the last comer is said to whip or kill the 

 former, who forfeits a counter, and is set back to the beginning. The 

 counting continues until one gets back to the "creek" at S. The one 

 first at S receives a counter, and if there is more than enough to take 

 it to the "creek," the surplus is added to the next round; that is, the 

 "creek" is jumped, and the "awl" put beyond it as many points as 

 may be over. When one side wins all the counters, it conquers. If the 

 game should be broken up before this event, the side which has the 

 greater number of counters is the victor.' 



See account of game by Mr. James Mooney on page 731. 



This game wtis selected for exhibition from many similar games played 

 by different tribes in America as readily illustrating the i^robable 

 derivation of the four staves. Three of them will be seen to appear to 

 be marked on one face with the feathered shaftment of an arrow, while 

 the fourth probably represents the atlatl or " throwing stick." 



In the following pages a description is given of implements for Amer- 

 ican games of the preceding type contained in various museums of the 

 United States, together with accounts of the methods of play, arranged 

 alphabetically under linguistic families and tribes. For the purpose of 

 comparison all games in which objects are tossed to determine number 

 are included. Their relations one to another, whatever they may be, will 

 doubtless become apparent through this and subsequent collections. 



' Lieutenant Scott further states that the Kiowa have a custom of wetting the 

 fingers and slapping them several times on the stone before a throw, and calling out 

 "red, red," or ''white, white," according to the number they desire to count; or, if 

 but "one" should be required to throw the opposite party into the "creek," some- 

 one puts her linger into her mouth, and, drawing it carefully across the top of the 

 stone, calls out parko, parko ("one, one"). Often before the throw the thrower 

 will rub the four sticks in a vertical position backward and forward several times 

 between the palms of the hands, to insure good luck. 



"The Comanche have a similar game which they play with eight ahl sticks, and the 

 Cheyenne and Arapaho are said to have a game which they play with ahl sticks, 

 which are 2 feet or more long." (H. L. S.) 



