stands near it. The rest then in turn throw their stones so as to try to knock off the duck-stone. When one succeeds, there is a general stampede for "home"; but if "It" can replace his stone and then touch any one before passing the home line, the latter becomes "It" and then places his stone upon the rock for the rest to aim at. Occasionally a very fleet runner, so touched, will manage to run back, place his stone upon the rock and touch the former "It" before he has had time to get his stone and get "home." If all the stones fail to dislodge the "duck" their owners cannot touch them. They are forfeit to "It" and must make terms with him to recover their stones and carry them home. One may be allowed to "jump" home-which means hold the stone between the feet and, so loaded, hop home. Another may ask the privilege of "kicking." The stone is worked onto the foot and kicked homeward. Or "heeling" may be accorded-upon demand. This consists in a backward kick of the stone towards home, effected with the heel. While the test is going on no other player must go home. The privilege of trying these various feats is eagerly sought, and the first one who fails in getting his stone home must become "It." PRISONER'S BASE Two captains are chosen-who select a player alternately until all belong to one side or the other. They then proceed to mark out two bases or homes, opposite and at some distance from one another, and near to each a smaller base, called the "Prison." They toss for bases. The game begins by one side's sending out a player, who goes as near as he dares toward the base of the opponents, until one of the enemy starts out in pursuit of him, when he makes for home. If he is touched before he gets there he becomes a prisoner to the side which captured him, and must stand in their prison. He goes alone to take his punishment, for the pursuing player is himself the object of pursuit by another player of the opposite side, detailed to make reprisals. A player may touch only an opponent who has left home before himself, and can be touched only by the one who left home after he did. When a player has made a prisoner he may return home untouched-and is subject to capture only after making a fresh sally. One of the exciting points of the game is when a player runs the gauntlet of the enemy and delivers out of prison one of his own side who has been made captive. A prisoner is only obliged to keep part of his body in durance. If but one foot be within the prison line, he may reach out as far as he can in the direction of homewhich facilitates his deliverance by a comrade. When there are several prisoners, all that is required is that one of them shall touch the prison, while the rest may join hands in a line stretching homeward. But one prisoner, however, may be delivered at a time. The game continues until all the players on one side or the other are in the prison. WARNING One of the players, having been chosen "Warner," takes his stand at the place marked off as "home," the rest remaining at a little distance from it. The Warner then calls "Warning!" three times, and sallies forth with his hands clasped in front of him. In this position he must try to touch one of the other players, who strive to make him unclasp them by pulling his arms, drawing temptingly near, etc. If they succeed in making him loose his clasp, or if he does so by inadvertence, he must run home as fast as possible. If he is caught before reaching there he loses his place as Warner. If he succeeds in touching any one without unclasping his hands the captive becomes his ally and they both run home as fast as they can. Once home, they are safe-and they then start out hand in hand, after calling the three warnings, and try to capture another, without loosing their hold. Every captured player is added to their ranks, but every one must be taken home first before he is admitted to a share in the fight. The line of Warners thus increasing, the difficulty of evading capture grows greater at every accession to their ranks, but it is also a source of weakness, being unwieldy and if the hands do not hold to each other very tightly, a player at large may break through at any weak point in the line and escape capture. The field of play must be within rather narrow limits, for the only chance of the pursuing party to make captures is to pen or corner the fugitives. The last player to escape being taken becomes the next Warner. KING OF THE CASTLE The King is chosen by any one of the counting-out rhymes. Fate, therefore, having rejected all but one, he takes possession of a mound or hillock and bids defiance to his foes. He taunts them with abusive epithets, as: "I'm the King of the Castle, Get down, you cowardly rascal!" He is then assailed by the other players, every one a claimant for his position of eminence-and, alone, he must try to maintain it. Fair pulls and pushes are allowed, but the clothes must not be pulled, under penalty of being set aside as a Prisoner of War, which really means expulsion from the game. Sometimes the King is permitted to have an ally, who merely stands by to see fair play, and to capture any one breaking the rules. The odds against the King, beset by so many enemies, are so great that he does not long retain his position, and the one who dethrones him takes his place and possession of the "Castle." CHAPTER IX Children's Singing Games T CHARLIE OVER THE WATER HIS game is said to owe its origin to the generation of English and Scotch who were favourable or unfavourable to the claims of Charles Stuart -afterward Charles II.-when an exile in France. The children clasp hands and dance around one in their midst, singing |