WABANAKI GAMES. 45 



to seven feet long and nearly round, both ends raised slightly and pointed, going with 

 great force and speed, it dives in and ont through the snow, causing much merriment and 

 noisy betting. Ee-dtipk'i's (the duck) is aboiit three feet, flat on toji, round underneath, 

 with an end like the head of a duck. Sometimes these fso-lie-ac are clever imitations the 

 coloring bring also effective. Though this game is not played as much as formerly, even 

 the young boys seem to und(^rstand whittling the sticks into a recognizable resemblance 

 to the duck. 



Fig. 4. — T'so-HE-.4c — (1) M'qiion (the Spoon); (2) At-ho-sis (the Snake) ; (3) Ske-gS-weis (the Wart); 

 (4) r'1'gukwbol-ûk ; (5) Be-dupk-t-s (the Duck). 



(2.) N'û-ta-sol-té-ben. — This is better adapted to children's play, yet the older squaws 

 enjoy it equally well. After counting out one to act as squaiv-oc-fmoos, they form into line 

 by each taking the one in front by the dress between the shoulders. Sometimes ten or 

 twelve will be in this line. The first one plays mother, protecting the numerous family 

 behind her from squaiv-oc-fmoos. The latter keeps crying Bo-wod-man wâ-ses-uk ( " I want 

 babies " ) and runs first one way then the other, trying to catch hold of one in his line. 

 To prevent this, the mother tries to keep her always in front, causing those furthest 

 from her to move very swiftly — like a spoke in the wheel, the end near the rim making a 

 larger circle than at the end of the hub, in the same time. As the excitement increases, 

 they lose equilibrium and go tumbling over the ground, scrambling to get out of the 

 way of squaio-oc-t'moos, as the one caught has to take her place. A person who has never 

 seen this game can little imagine the amount of noise of which female lungs are capable. 

 The counting out is not very different from that of white children. They all place two 

 fingers of each hand in a circle ; the one who repeats the doggrel, haAdng one hand free, 

 touches each finger in the circle, saying Hmy, kee-bee, Id-weis, fig'-les, hun-tip. Each finger 

 that the lutn-tip fails on is doubled under and this is repeated again and again until there 

 are but three finders left. The owners of these start to run and the one caught has to 

 play as squaw-oc-finoos. To the Indian mind, "counting out " has a signifiance, and even 

 the simple him-Hp is a magic word bringing good luck, as it lessens the chance of being 

 squaiv-oc-fnioos. 



(3.) E-bes-qua-mo' gan, or Game of Ball, seems to have been the most popular and 

 universal of the outdoor games, and played by all North American tribes. Their legends 

 are more or less indebted to it. Tradition gives it a prominent place in their wonderful 

 mythology. The Aurora Borealis is spposed to be Wa-ba-banal playing ball. Among the 

 Wabanaki it was played by women as well as men but, with few exceptions, never at 

 the same time and place, as hunters and warriors played ball to gain muscular power, 

 to stimulate their prowess and to augment their fleetness of foot. 



The players formed in a circle, proportionate to the number, engaged in the game. 



