1877.] Gaming among the Utah Indians. 851 
GAMING AMONG THE UTAH INDIANS. 
BY EDWIN A. BARBER, 
p their indolent hours, gaming and horse-racing are extensively 
resorted to by the nomadic tribes of America. Having much 
unoccupied time on their hands, they turn to these exciting amuse- 
ments as a relief from the consuming ennui of idleness. 
During the summer of 1874, I had some opportunities for 
studying the habits of the Yampa branch of the Utah nation, 
located in the northwestern corner of Colorado. In strolling 
through their encampment, one was always attracted to several 
of the more prominent wick-e-ups, or canvas lodges, by the 
sound of subdued music, and on entering either of the tents, the 
visitor was rewarded for his trouble by the sight of several war- 
riors engaged in gambling. So great, indeed, is their earnest- 
ness when engaged in ‘this pastime that they do not observe the 
arrival of strangers, and as they progress they become so . 
deeply absorbed in the exciting reverses of the game that they 
can only be awakened to a consciousness of surrounding objects 
by the greatest exertion. They may commence by putting up 
small articles of apparel or ornament, such as moccasins, neck- 
laces, or strings of beads. Should these be lost, blankets, powder, 
‘lead, caps, flour, the highly prized wampum, and other miscel- 
laneous articles will be staked, and the unfortunate loser not 
infrequently comes out of the play-room without an object in the 
world that he can call his own or his wife’s. All is lost, inelud- 
= horses, his house, and even the very,rags he jhas on his 
k 
The manner of procedure is as follows: A row of players, 
consisting of five or six or a dozen men, is arranged on either 
side of the tent, facing each other. Before each man is placed a 
- bundle of small twigs or sticks, each six to eight inches in length 
and pointed at one end. Every tête-à-tête couple is provided with 
two cylindrical bone dice, carefully fashioned and highly pol- 
ished, which measure about two inches in length and half an inch 
in diameter, one being white and the other black, or sometimes 
ornamented with a black band. At the rear end of the apart- 
ment, opposite the entrance, several musicians beat time on 
tude parchment-covered drums. The whole assembly, sitting 
“ Turk fashion ” on the ground, then commence operations. The 
pledges are heaped up near the players, and each couple soon 
mes oblivious of all the rest. One of the gamblers incloses 
