128 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



the prairie," with which the loser may again commence 

 operations with another player. 



The game of "hand" is played by two persons. 

 One, who commences, places a plum or cherry-stone in 

 the hollow formed by joining the concaved palms of the 

 hands together, then shaking the stone for a few 

 moments, the hands are suddenly separated, and the 

 other player must guess which hand now contains the 

 stone. 



Large bets are often wagered on the result of this 

 favourite game, which is also often played by the 

 squaws, the men standing round encouraging them to 

 bet, and laughing loudly at their grotesque excitement. 



A Burnt-wood Sioux, Tah-tunganisha, one of the 

 bravest chiefs of his tribe, was out, when a young man, 

 on a solitary war expedition against the Crows. One 

 evening he drew near a certain "medicine" spring, 

 where to his astonishment he encountered a Crow warrior 

 in the act of quenching his thirst. He was on the 

 point of drawing his bow upon him, when he remembered 

 the sacred nature of the spot, and making the sign of 

 peace, he fearlessly drew near his foe, and proceeded 

 likewise to slake his thirst. A pipe of kinnik-kinnik 

 being produced, it was proposed to pass away the early 

 part of the night in a game of "hand." They accordingly 

 sat down beside the spring and commenced the game. 



Fortune favoured the Crow. He won arrow after 

 arrow from the Burnt-wood brave ; then his bow, his 

 club, his knife, his robe, all followed, and the Sioux sat 

 naked on the plain. Still he proposed another stake 



