122 WINNEBAGO ARCHEOLOGY [bth. ann. 37 



tacle, generally a moccasin, in which a small object was secreted. 

 The sides in turn guessed in which moccasin it was secreted. The 

 guesser pointed in turn with a long stick to each moccasin, all the 

 time carefully scrutinizing the expression on the face of each man 

 whose moccasin he touched. The bystanders and the other playeis 

 on his side meanwhile sang songs and made all sorts of remarks and 

 allusions in an attempt to catch off his guard the man in whose 

 moccasin the object was secreted, so that he might disclose the fact 

 by some gesture or expression. The person guessing had the right 

 lo touch each moccasin without forfeiting his chance. As soon as 

 he wished to guess he overturned with his stick the moccasin in 

 which he thought the object was hidden. The seriousness with 

 which a player scrutinized his opponents is well shown in plate 39. 



Women's dice game. — The women's dice game (k^'ansu) was played 

 with either bone or wooden dice. Eight of these are used. After 

 being shaken, they are allowed to fall into a wooden bowl. The dice 

 are white on one side and black or blue on the other. One of the 

 dice has a mark on each side. The count is as follows: 1 dai'k, 7 

 white, count 2 ; 2 dark, 6 white, 1 ; all dark, white, 4 ; 3 dark, 5 

 white, 0; 4 dark, 4 white, 0; marked dice dark, 7 white, 10; marked 

 dice white, 7 dark, 10; marked dice white, 1 other white, the rest 

 dark, 2 ; all dice white, 4 ; 2 white, 6 dark, 1 ; 1 white, 7 dark, 2. 



The side gaining all the counters, which consist of small sticks, 

 wins. 



Cup-and-haU game. — "A cup-and-ball game is composed of eight 

 worked phalangeal bones of the Virginia deer (Odocoilcus virginiana). 

 It differs from those seen by the wTiter among the Cree and Ojibway 

 in that the topmost phalangeal unit of the game as played among 

 those people does not have the joint removed, whereas in the Win- 

 nebago specimens all the bones are cut into conical form. The top 

 is generally surmounted by a bunch of leather thongs with many 

 perforations. The striking pin is of bone. The count is one for 

 each unit, five for catching the tails or thongs at the top, and the 

 same if all the units are caught together, which occasionally happens. 

 The bottom unit nearest the striking pin has four small perforations 

 set at equal distances about the lower edge. Above these holes are 

 two, three, foiu-, and sLx dots, respectively, cut in the bone. The 

 count gained by catching this bone through any one of the holes 

 varies according to the nvunber of these dots. The striking pin may 

 be of bone or wood. Sometimes these games are stained with dye or 

 paint. The string and pins are short, so that the game is much 

 more difficult and clumsy than in the Cree and Ojibway forms."' 



• A. Skinner, op. cit., pp. 295-296. 



