INDIAN GAMES. 137 



prayers and incantations, the tubes were deposited on two 

 mock mountains of sand, either side of the 'grand plaza.' 

 A crowd began to gather. Larger and noisier it grew, 

 until it became a surging, clamorous, black mass. Grad- 

 ually two piles of fabrics, vessels, silver ornaments, neck- 

 laces, embroideries, and symbols representing horses, 

 cattle and sheep grew to large proportions. Women 

 gathered on the roofs around, wildly stretching forth arti- 

 cles for betting, until one of the presiding priests called 

 out a brief message. The crowd became silent. A booth 

 was raised, under which two of the players retired ; and 

 when it was removed the four tubes were standing on the 

 mound of sand. A song and dance began. One by one 

 three of the four opposing players were summoned to 

 guess under which tube the ball was hidden. At each 

 guess the cries of the opposing party became deafening, 

 and the mock struggles approached the violence of com- 

 bat. The last guesser found the ball ; and as he victo- 

 riously carried the latter and the tubes across to his own 

 mound, his side scored ten. The process was repeated. 

 The second guesser found the ball ; his side scored fifteen 

 setting: the others back five. The counts numbered one 



O 



hundred ; but so complicated were the winnings and los- 

 ings on both sides, with each guess of either, that hour 

 after hour the game went on, and night closed in. Fires 

 were built in the plaza, cigarettes were lighted, but still 

 the game continued. Noisier and noisier grew the dan- 

 cers ; more and more insulting and defiant their songs and 

 epithets to the opposing crowd, until they fairly gnashed 

 their teeth at one another, but no blows. Day dawned 

 upon the still uncertain contest ; nor was it until the sun 

 again touched the western horizon, that the hoarse, still 

 defiant voices died away, and the victorious party boro off 

 their 'mountains of gifts from the gods. ' 



ESSEX LN8T. BULLETIN, VOL. XVH. 18 



