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 The Apache Medicine Game. 



Albert B. Reagan. 



The medicine game is usually played for the benefit of the sick. A 

 medicine man plays to drive "sick" away; an Indian, as the representative 

 of "sick," plays against him. If the representative of the good spirits 

 wins, it is believed that the sick one will get well; if the representative 

 of evil gains the victory, he will die. The medicine man so plays the 

 game that if he believes the patient will die he loses, and if he believes he 

 will get well he wins; he must keep up his reputation as a medicine man. 

 The game is also occasionally played to pass the time away. When played 

 for that purpose four persons usually play, two playing as partners. 



In many respects this game resembles the "Setdilth Game," described 

 in the Indiana Academy of Science for 1903. The tally counts are 40 in 

 number, as in that game: but pebbles instead of cobble stones are used. 

 Furthermore, instead of being picked up on the spot, as the cobble stones 

 are, each family carries a "set" with them wherever they go. Like the 

 Setdilth tallies, when used in playing they are arranged in a circle; but 

 in groups of fives instead of tens. A wide space on opposite sides of the 

 circle, designated "water," separates the four west groups from the four 

 east groups. As in the Setdilth game a center or bouncing rock is used. 

 Also as in that game bouncing sticks are used, but the number is four 

 instead of three. The sticks also are very different. The Setdilth sticks 

 are about a foot in length, are the halves of green willows, and are thick 

 and heavy. The ^Medicine sticks are two feet in length, are dry. seasoned 

 material, are usually yucca lath, and are light and thin. Besides being 

 variously carved, three of them have one face each painted red; the 

 other face unpainted, or painted white. The other stick has one face 

 painted black, the other green. As in the Setdilth game these sticks are 

 struck endwise on the bouncing rock, and are then let fall as chance 

 may direct. In this game, as in the Setdilth game, small sticks are 

 placed between the last rock tally and the next pebble in the direction 

 the player is moving his tally stick to mark the number of points he has 

 gained. Unlike the Setdilth game, 41 points instead of 40 constitute a 

 game-count; the players begin at the south wide space and in order to get 



