ooaaBi.] RIDDLES — PROVERBS — GAMES. 335 



dots or lines, and two of them are marked on both sides; they are, how- 

 ever, sometimes made of bone of a rounded or flattened form, somewhat 

 like an orbicular button-mold, the dots in this case being impressed- 

 A wide dish and a certain number of small sticks by the way of coun- 

 ters are also provided. Any number of persons may play this game 

 and agreeably to the number engaged in it, is the quantity of sticks or 

 counters. The plumstones or bones are placed in a dish, and a throw 

 is made by simply jolting the vessel against the ground to make the 

 seeds or bones rebound, and they are counted as they lie when they fall. 

 The party plays around for the first throw. Whoever gains all the sticks 

 in the course of the game wins the stake. The throws succeed each 

 other with so much rapidity that we vainly endeavored to observe their 

 laws of computation, which it was the sole business of an assistant to 

 attend to." 



The seeds used in this game are called qa^-si ge. Their number va- 

 ries. Among the Ponkas and Omahas, only five are used, while the Otos 

 play with six. Sometimes four are marked alike, and the fifth is black 

 or white (unmarked). Generally three are black on one side, and white 

 or unmarked on the other, while two have each a star on one side and 

 a moon on the other. 



The players must always be of the same sex and class; that is, men 

 must play with men, youths with youths, and women with women. 



There must always be an even number of players, not more than two 

 on each side. There are about twenty sticks used as counters. These 

 are made of deska or of some other grass. 



The seed are put in a bowl, which is hit against a pillow, and not on 

 the bare ground, lest it should break the bowl. 



When three seeds show black, and two have the moon on the upper 

 side, it is a winning throw ; but when one is white, one black, a third 

 black (or white), the fourth showing a moon, and the fifth a star, it is a 

 losing throw. The game is played for small stakes, such as rings and 

 necklaces. 



§ 229. Banan'ge-kide, Shooting at the bauange or rolling wheel. — This 

 is played by two men. Each one has in his hand two sticks about as 

 thick as one's little finger, which are connected in the middle by a thong 

 not over four inches in length. The sticks measure about three feet 

 and a half in length. Those of one player are red, and those of the 

 other are black. The wheel which is rolled is about two feet and a 

 half in diameter, its rim is half an inch thick, and it extends about an 

 inch from the circumference towards the center. On this side of the 

 rim that measures an inch are four figures. The first is called " Maxu," 

 Marked with a knife, or " Mag^eze," Gut in stripes with a knife. The 

 second is " Sabe t6," The black one. The third is "Aktyitg," Crossing 

 each other. The fourth is " Jifiga tog," The little one, or " Maxu jinga 

 tc6," The little one marked with a knife. The players agree which one 



