WABANAKI GAMES. 43 



the former has still several superior chances to wiu the game. If he has five sticks, he 

 has three chances, if seven or nine sticks he has five chances ; that is, he places the discs 

 in position, all one side up, for each of the tosses : the other contestant takes his turn at 

 playing, but cannot place the discs. Then, giving the dish a peculiar slide, which they 

 call la luk, or "running down hill like water," and at the same time striking it down on 

 the cushion, he may, unless the luck is sadly against him, win twice out of three times 

 trying. 



One of their legends tells of a game played by Youth against Old Age. The old 

 man had much m'ta-ou-lin (magic power). He had regained his youth several times 

 by inhaling the breath of youthful opponents. He had again grown old and sought 

 another victim. When he found one whom he thought suited to his purpose he invited 

 him to a game of All-tes-teg-enuk. The young man was also m'ta-ou-lin, and for a pô-he-gan 

 had K'che-bal-lock (spirit of the air) and consequently knew the old man's intention, yet he 

 consented to a game. The old man's to'd-tah-hd-mo'g'n was a skull and the ïtll-tes-teg-enuk 

 w^ere the eyes of former victims. The game was a long and exciting one ; but at each 

 toss off by the young man, the discs were carried a little higher by his po-he-gati until 

 they disappeared altogether. This broke up a game that has never been completed. The 

 legend says that the old man still waits and the young man still outwits him. 



(2.) Wy-pen-og-enak. — This game, like All-testeg-enuk, has long been a gambling game 

 The discs are very similar, but larger, and eight in number. The players stand opposite 

 each other with a blanket spread on the ground between them. The discs are held in 

 the palm of the hand and "chucked " on the blanket. This game is counted wùth sticks 

 — the contestants determining the number of points necessary to win before commencing 

 to play. 



(3.) Ko-ko-mig'n has a resemblance to the game of Checkers, but, though nearly all are 

 more or less proiicient at the latter game, there are only a few that understand Ko-ko- 

 na-g'n. This, unlike any other game, may be played by male and female opponents. It 

 is the least noisy, the skilful play requiring deliberation and undivided attention. A 

 smooth surface is marked off into different-sized spaces, and pieces of wood, round and 

 square, marked to qualify A^alue, are generally used, though sometimes carved bone is 

 substituted. 



(4.) T'wis. — This which is also an indoor game, is at present oftenest played for 

 amusement. The fiois is composed of an oblong piece of moose-hide, about four inches 

 in length, punctured with small holes, the centre one being slightly larger than the others. 

 This piece of hide is joined to a bundle of cedar {arbor vitœ) boughs, tightly wound round 

 with cord. To this, by about six inches of string, is attached a sharp-pointed stick, tied 

 near the centre and held between the thumb and finger like a pen-handle. The game 

 consists in giving the moose-hide a peculiar upward toss, and at the same time piercing 

 one of the holes with the point of the stick. The number of points necessary for winning 

 is usually set at one hundred. Each player can hold the t\vis until he misses a point. 



Another kind of Vivis was made of several pieces of bone strung loosely together, 

 each having a certain A'alue, and being counted by catching on the point of the stick, 

 similarly to the holes in the moose-hide. 



There is a tradition that the first t'lvis-i'ik w^ere made from that peculiar fungus 

 which grows out from the bark of trees and is known to the Indian as 'wn-he-la-wen or 



