cuLIN] - HAND GAME: CHEYENNE 269 
Buackreer. Fort Mackenzie, Montana. 
Maximilian, Prince of Wied,* says: 
They have invented many games for their amusement. At one of them they 
sit in a circle, and several little heaps of beads, or other things, are piled up, for 
which they play. One takes some pebbles in his hand, moving it backward and 
forward in measured time, and singing, while another endeavors to guess the 
number of pebbles. In this manner considerable sums are lost and won. 
Montana. 
Dr George Bird Grinnell ” says: 
Another popular game was what with more southern tribes is called * hands ;” 
it is like “ Button, button, who’s got the button?” Two small oblong bones 
were used, one of which had a black ring around it. Those who participated in 
this game, numbering from two to a dozen, were divided into two equal parties, 
ranged on either side of the lodge. Wagers were made, each person betting with 
the one directly opposite him. Then a man took the bones, and, by skillfully 
moving his hands and changing the objects from one to the other, sought to make 
it impossible for the person opposite him to decide which hand held the marked 
one. Ten points were the game, counted by sticks, and the side which first got 
the number took the stakes. A song always accompanied this game, a weird, 
unearthly air—if it can be so called—but, when heard at a little distance, very 
pleasant and soothing. At first a scarcely audible murmur, like the gentle 
soughing of an evening breeze, it gradually increased in volume and reached a 
very high pitch, sank quickly to a low bass sound, rose and fell, and gradually 
died away, to be again repeated. The person concealing the bones swayed his 
body, arms, and hands in time to the air, and went through all manner of grace- 
ful and intricate movements for the purpose of confusing the guesser. The 
stakes were sometimes very high, two or three horses or more, and men have 
been known to lose everything they possessed, even to their clothing. 
Southern Alberta. 
Rey. John Maclean ° says: 
Sometimes the boys and young men of the camp form themselves into a group 
and play a game of guessing. Two or more persons are opposed, each to each, 
or one side against the other. A small article is selected, and one of them, 
passing it from one hand to the other, holds out both hands for his opponent to 
guess the hand containing the article, which he tries to do by placing in the 
closed hand, which he supposes is the right one, a small piece of wood. If he 
has guessed rightly, it becomes his turn to use the article to be sought. The 
small sticks are kept as a record of the game, until one of the contestants has 
won them all from his opponent. During the whole time of playing the one who 
holds the thing to be guessed sways his body, singing and praying for success. 
CueyenNeE. Montana. 
It appears from Dr Grinnell’s@ account that the game' of hand, as 
played by the Pawnee, is played also by the Cheyenne. 
«Travels in the Interior of North America, translated by H. Evans Lloyd, p. 254, 
London, 1843. 
> Blackfoot Lodge Tales, p. 184, New York, 1892. 
¢ Canadian Savage Folk, p. 56, Toronto, 1896. 
4 The Story of the Indian, p, 28, New York, 1890. 
