his pursuer as fast as possible. The more players the more complicated the
game, for each horse is threatened alike by foes that chase from behind and
charge from before, and the most skilful player is liable to be sent back
to the starting point several times before the game is finished, which is
as soon as one horse has made the complete circuit. Sometimes the players,
when very young or unskilled, agree there shall be no killing; but unless
there is an explicit arrangement to that effect, killing is understood, and
it adds greatly to the interest of the game."



II

PLUM STONE GAME


This game belongs to the second and non-ceremonial class of the games of
hazard and is generally played by women. The Omaha type is here given, but
it is similar to the game as played by kindred tribes.

_Properties_.--Five plum stones; a basket or wooden bowl; one hundred
counters. The Omaha used stalks of the blue joint grass as counters, but
small twigs or sticks will serve.

The plum stones should be carefully cleaned and dried. Two of the stones
are burned black on both sides with a hot iron; on one side of each of
these stones a crescent is marked, and between the lines of the figure the
black is carefully scraped so as to leave a clear design of a new moon on a
background of black. On the other side of these two stones a star, four or
five pointed, is drawn and all the black within the lines is scraped off,