2492 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS _ [e7Hu. ann. 24 
side of the straws on the rug are the seeds with which the players have made 
their bets. It should be noted that more is bet on the nine than all the others. 
When the players have made their bets, he who has been lucky handles the 
straws often, turning them end for end in his hands, and as he places them on 
the rug says chank, which means nine, and the other player, who has the alaine 
or little pointed bone in his hand, plunges it among the straws and, as said 
before, takes as many as he pleases. The other player takes the rest. If the 
latter wishes to leave some of them, his opponent must take them, and, both 
counting by tens, he who has the odd number wins and takes the stakes. But 
if it happens that the winner is ahead by only one straw he wins only the seeds 
that belong to that straw; for example, three are more powerful than two, five 
than three, and seven than five, but nine than all. If several persons play and 
one of them finds that he holds five, they play four at a time, two against two, 
or less if there are not four players. Some win the seeds bet on five straws 
and the others those bet for three and one. When no one holds the odd number 
of those that remain—that is to say, of one and three—after having carefully 
counted the straws by tens, when he has not nine, the player must increase his , 
bet, even when he holds five or seven straws, and the deal does not count. He is 
also obliged to make two other piles; in one he puts five and in the other seven 
straws, with as many seeds as he pleases. His adversaries draw in their turn 
when he has done this, and then he takes the rest. Some will be fortunate, 
but each player takes only the number of seeds belonging to the number of 
straws, and he who has nine takes only the seeds bet on the nine. When 
another holds seven he draws what remains, for three and one are the same 
thing, but not those numbers which are higher. If a player loses everything 
that he has with him, the game is continued on credit, if the player gives assur- 
ance that he has other property elsewhere, but when he continues to lose the 
winner may refuse him seeds to the extent asked and oblige him to produce 
his effects, not wishing to continue the game till he has seen that his opponent 
still has property to risk. To this there is but one reply, and the loser will ask 
one of his friends to bring to him what remains of his goods. If he continues 
unlucky, he will continue playing till he loses all that he owns, and one of his 
comrades will take his place, announcing what he is willing to risk and taking 
seeds according to its value. 
This game sometimes lasts three or four days. When a loser wins back every- 
thing and the former winner loses his all, a comrade takes his place and the 
game goes on till one side or the other has nothing left with which to play, it 
being the rule of the savages not to leave the game until one side or the other 
has lost everything. This is why they are compelled to give revenge to all 
members of a side, one after the other, as I have just stated. They are at 
liberty to have anyone they wish play for them, and if disputes arise—I mean 
between winners and losers, each being backed by his side—they may go to such 
extremes that blood may be shed and the quarrel ended with difficulty. If the 
winner takes losses calmly, pretending not to notice the sharp practice and 
cheating which occur frequently in the game, he is praised and esteemed by all; 
but the cheater is blamed by everyone and can find no one to play with him, at 
least not until he has returned his ill-gotten gains. 
The game is usually played in the large cabins of the chiefs, which might 
also be called the savages’ academy, for here are seen all the young people mak- 
ing up different sides, with older men acting as spectators of the games. If a 
player thinks he has divided the straws well and that he has drawn an odd 
number, he holds them in one hand and strikes them with the other, and when 
he has counted them by tens, without saying anything, he lets the others know 
