cuttin] HIDDEN-BALL GAME: IOWA 365 
from him, indicating that the object is not concealed in that moccasin. ‘The 
counters are sticks [figure 485], sometimes used to play odd or even. 
Recently this game became so popular upon the Pine Ridge agency that it was 
necessary to prohibit it entirely. 
The moccasin player observes certain physiognomical signs which he regards 
as indicating which of the moccasins contains the bit of horn or “ bullet.” The 
Ogalala dialect contains a long list of words like our smile, sneer, squint, 
frown, ete., applied to the twitching of the muscles of the limbs as well as to 
those of the face. It is said that English will not express all or even the 
greater part of these terms. They seem to have arisen from the necessities 
of the game. 
Daxora (Santee). Minnesota. 
Mr Philander Prescott describes the game in Schoolcraft’ as 
follows: 
The play of moccasins is practised by the men, and large bets are made. In 
ihis game they take sides; one party playing against the other. One side will 
sing, whilst one man of the other party hides the ball in a moccasin. 
There are three moccasins used for the purpose. The man takes the ball or 
stick between his thumb and forefinger, and slips it from one moccasin to another 
several times, and leaves it in one of them and then stops, something like thim- 
ble-play. The party that have been singing have to guess in which moccasin the 
ball is; for which purpose one man is chosen. If he guesses where the ball is 
the first time, he loses. Should the ball not be in the moccasin that he guesses 
the first time, he can try again. He has now two moccasins for a choice. He 
has now to guess which one the ball is in. If he is successful, he wins: if not, 
he loses. So they have only one chance in two of winning. When one side 
loses, the other side give up the moccasins to the other party to try their luck 
awhile at hiding the ball. They have no high numbers in the games. 
Rev. E. D. Neill ® says: 
One of their games is like “ Hunt the Slipper; a_bullet or plum stone is 
placed by one party in one of four moccasins or mittens and sought for by the 
opposite. 
Riggs © gives the following definition: 
Han’/-pa-a-pe, ha7’pa-a-pe-Gon-pi—a game in which a bullet is hid in one of 
four moccasins or mittens, and sought for by the opposite party ; han’-pa, moc- 
easins, 
Towa. Missouri. 
George Catlin” describes the game as follows: 
Ing-kee-ko-kee (Game of the Moccasin). 
“Take care of yourself—shoot well, or you lose. 
You warned me, but see! I have defeated you! 
I am one of the Great Spirit’s children, 
Wa-konda Tam! Iam Wa-konda! 
This song is sung in this curious and most exciting, as well as fascinating 
game, which is played by two, or four, or six—seated on the ground in a circle, 
«Information respecting the History, Condition, and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of 
the United States, pt. 4, p. 64, Philadelphia, 1854. 
’ Dakota Land and Dakota Life (1853). Minnesota Historical Collections, v. 1, p. 280, 
St. Paul, 1872. 
¢ Dakota-English Dictionary. Contributions to North American Ethnology, y. 7, p. 124, 
Washington, 1890. 
4 The George Catlin Indian Gallery, p. 151, Washington, 1886. 
