190 THE GUALALA. 
would be covered as above, and so on until they deemed the stake large 
enough to be worth their while. It consisted of $8 in silver coin, a large 
hatfull of strings of shell-money, and an immense heap of clothing and 
blankets, some of them new and very good, and it was worth at least $150. 
They gamble with four cylinders of bone about two inches long, two 
of which are plain and two marked with rings and strings tied around the 
middle. The game is conducted by four old and experienced men, fre- 
quently gray-heads, two for each party, squatting on their knees on oppo- 
site sides of the fire. They have before them a quantity of fine dry grass, 
and, with their hands in rapid and juggling motion before and behind them, 
they roll up each piece of bone in a little bale, and the opposite party pres- 
ently guess in which hand is the marked bone. Generally only one guesses 
at a time, which he does with the word ‘‘tep” (marked one), ‘‘w7” (plain 
one). Ifhe guesses right for both the players, they simply toss the bones 
over to him and his partner, and nothing is scored on either side. If he 
guesses right for one and wrong for the other, the one for whom he guessed 
right is “out”, but his partner rolls up the bones for another trial, and the 
cuesser forfeits to them one of the twelve counters. If he guesses wrong 
for both, they still keep on, and he forfeits two counters. 
There are only twelve counters, and when they have been all won 
over to one side or the other the game is ended. Each Indian then takes 
out of the stake the article which he or she deposited, together with that 
placed on it, so that every one of the winning party comes out with double 
the amount he staked. 
All this is extremely simple, but it took me a long time to penetrate 
into the whole mystery of it, such a wonderful amount of jugglery, mum- 
mery, and manipulation do the Indians encompass it with. As soon 
as they commence rolling up the bones in the hay they fall to whip- 
ping their arms to and fro, before and behind them, swaying their bodies 
backward and forward, and chanting ‘“Ha-man’, ha-man’, ha-man'!” or “Kai- 
yai, kai-yai', kai-yai'!” or something similar, each chanting an independent 
refrain, but keeping perfect time the while with his companion. Then 
presently they bring up their hands to their breasts, with elbows akimbo, 
twist their bodies as if in mortal agony, and reduce the chant to a mere 
fo) 
