600 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS  [ETH. ANN. 24 
of measuring out the ground, and erecting the “ byes,” or goals which were to 
guide the play. Hach party had their goal made with two upright posts, about 
25 feet high and 6 feet apart, set firm in the ground, with a pole across at the 
top. These goals were about 40 or 50 rods apart; and at a point just halfway 
between, was another small stake, driven down, where the ball was to be thrown 
up at the firing of a gun, to be struggled for by the players. All this preparation 
was made by some old men, who were, it seems, selected to be the judges of the 
play, who drew a line from one bye to the other; to which directly came from 
the woods, on both sides, a great concourse of women and old men, boys and 
girls, and dogs and horses, where bets were to be made on the play. The betting 
was all done across this line, and seemed to be chiefly left to the women, who 
seemed to have martialled out a little of everything that their houses and their 
fields possessed. Goods and chattels—knives—dresses—blankets—pots and ket- 
tles—dogs and horses, and guns; and all were placed in the possession of stake- 
holders, who sat by them, and watched 
fas Thione them on the ground all night, prepara- 
tory to the play. 
The sticks with which this tribe play, 
are bent into an oblong hoop at the end,- 
with a sort of slight web of small thongs 
tied across, to prevent the ball from 
passing through. The players hold one 
of these in each hand, and by leaping 
into the air, they catch the ball between 
the two nettings and throw it, without 
being allowed to strike it or catch it 
in their hands. 
The mode in which these sticks are 
constructed and used will be seen in 
the portrait of Tullock-chish-ko (he 
who drinks the juice of the stone), the 
most distinguished ball-player of the 
Choctaw nation [figure 770], repre- 
sented in his ball-play dress, with his 
ball-sticks in his hands. In every ball- 
play of these people, it is a rule of the 
FIG. 770. Choctaw dln layens indianemer play that no man shall wear moccasins 
ritory; from Catlin. on his feet, or any other dress than his 
breech-cloth around his waist, with a 
beautiful bead-belt, and a “tail,” made of white horsehair or quills, and a 
“mane” on the neck, of horsehair dyed of various colors. 
This game had been arranged and “ made up,” three or four months before the 
parties met to play it, and in the following manner :—The two champions who 
led the two parties, and had the alternate choosing of the players through the 
whole tribe, sent runners, with the ball-stiecks most fantastically ornamented 
with ribbons and red paint, to be touched by each one of the chosen players ; 
who thereby agreed to be on the spot at the appointed time and ready for the 
play. The ground having been all prepared and preliminaries of the game all 
settled, and the bettings all made, and goods all “ staked,” night came on without 
the appearance of any players on the ground. But soon after dark, a procession 
of lighted flambeaux was seen coming from each encampment, to the ground 
where the players assembled around their respective ‘byes; and at the beat of 
the drums and chants of the women each party of players commenced the “ ball- 
ay dance” [plate xvi]. Each party danced for a quarter of an hour around 
