cULIN] DICE GAMES: PASSAMAQUODDY 83 
in succession he stands a big stick up—equal to 16 small ones from the oppo- 
nent—the notched one to be the last taken of the small ones it being equal to 3. 
When all the small sticks are drawn and there are large ones left in the pile— 
instead of taking 3 from the opponent, the players lay one out to show that the 
other owes 3 sticks, and so on until the large ones are won. ‘Then, unless the 
game is a draw, the second and more interesting stage begins, and the sticks 
have different value. Turning all the disks but one, the player lays 1 out—equal 
to 4 from an opponent. Turning all the disks but one twice 
in succession, he lays 3 out—equal to 12 from the other—three 
times in succession—stands 1 up, equal to 1 large or 16 small S le 
ones. Turning all alike, he sets up 1 large one twice in suc- 
cession; then 3 large ones, or lacking these, 8 small ones for 
each large one. This would end the game if the opponent had 
none standing, as there would be no sticks to pay the points. F1e.72—Bonedie, 
But a run of three times of one kind in succession is unusual. Pass#™maduoddy 
a z Indians, Maine; 
When one has not enough sticks to pay points won by the som Mrs Ww.W. 
other comes the real test of skill, although the former has Brown. 
still several superior chances to win the game. If he has 5 
sticks, he has 3 chances; if 7 or 9 sticks he has 5 chances; that is, he places the 
disks in position, all one side up, for each of the tosses; the other contestant 
takes his turn at playing, but he can not place the disks. Then, giving the dish a 
peculiar slide, which they call la luk, or running downhill like water, and at the 
same time striking it down on the cushion, he may, unless, the luck is sadly 
against him, win twice out of three times trying. 
To this day it is played with great animation, with incantations for good luck 
and exorcising of evil spirits, by waving of hands and crying yon-tel-eg-wa- 
wuch. At arun of ill luck there are 
_—_—_—_— || peculiar passes made over the dish 
and a muttering of Mic-mac-squs 
| l) tik n’me ha-ook (“I know there 
is a Miemac squaw around”). 
One of their legends tells of a 
cS ZZ i i Old Age. The old man had much 
Fic. 73—Counting sticks for dice game; length, 6} to a li aoa 7er) He 
6; inches; Passamaquoddy Indians, Maine; from UES i (magic power). : 
Mrs W. W. Brown. had regained his youth several 
times by inhaling the breath of 
youthful opponents. He had again grown old and sought another victim. 
When he found one whom he thought suited to his purpose he inyited 
him to a game of fll-tes-teg-entik. The young man was also m’ta-ou-lin, 
and for a po-he-gan had K’che-bal-lock (spirit of the air), and consequently 
knew the old man’s intention, yet he consented to a game. The old man’s 
wal-tah-ha-mo’g’n was a skull, and the all-tes-teg-enik were the eyes of former 
victims. The game was a long and exciting one, but at each toss off by the 
young man the disks were carried a little higher by his po-he-gan until they 
disappeared altogether. This broke up a game that has never been com- 
pleted. The legend says that the old man still waits and the young man still 
outwits him. 
Another Passamaquoddy game is described by Mrs Brown under 
the name of wypenogenuk: 
This game, like all-tes-teg-entik, has long been a gambling game. The disks 
are very similar, but larger, and eight in number. The players stand opposite 
each other with a blanket spread on the ground between them. The disks are 
held in the palm of the hand, and chucked on the blanket. This game is counted 
