MOCCASIN GAME 



243 



the bullet is believed to be bidden. When the game is commenced, the 

 players are paired oft' by two's, who take their places on each of the four 

 sides of the outspread blanket (plate xv). The winner of the toss 

 takes the moccasins before him and lays them upside down and about 

 C inches apart with the toes pointing' forward. The object now is for the 

 player to lift, with his left hand, each moccasin, in succession, and put a 

 bullet under it, making many pretenses of hiding and removing the 

 bullets, in order to confuse the opponents, who are eagerly watching for 

 some slip of the performer whereby they may obtain a clue of the moc- 

 casin under which the marked bullet may be placed. While this is going 

 on, the drummer is doing his duty by singing and drumming, to which 

 the others are noisily keeping time. When the bullets are all hidden, 



Fig. 30— Tambourine drum. 



the player will suddenly call out, " Ho ! " in a high-note, when the sing- 

 ing drops to a mere murmur, and the striker of the opposing side raises 

 the stick threateningly over the several moccasins, as if to strike them, 

 but each time withdraws as if in doubt. Finally, he will place the 

 end of a long stick under a moccasin and turn it over. Should the 

 marked bullet be disclosed, he is regarded as successful; if he fails the 

 first time he has another trial, but if the bullet is found only at the 

 second trial, the counters to which he is entitled will be fewer than if 

 he finds the bullet the first time. 



In event of the opponent making a successful guess of the moccasin 

 under which the marked bullet has been placed, the former player 



