This is the universal game of marbles. It is sometimes called “Yank,”
or “Knuckle There.” A ring is scratched in the ground a foot or two in
diameter. It is then divided into four parts by two lines drawn
through the diameter. The first step is for each player to “lay a
duck,” which in simple language means to enter a marble to be played
for. This is his entrance fee and may be either a “dub,” an “alley,” a
“crystal,” or sometimes a “real,” although this is very rare as well
as extravagant. About ten feet from this ring a line is made called a
“taw line.” The first player, usually determined as soon as school is
out by his having shouted, “First shot, fat!” stands behind the taw
line and shoots to knock out a marble. If he is successful he
continues shooting; if not he loses his turn and Number 2 shoots.
Number 1 after his first shot from the taw line must then shoot from
wherever his marble lies. If Number 2 can hit Number 1 he has a right
to claim all the marbles that Number 1 has knocked out of the ring. In
this way it is very much to the advantage of each player to leave
himself as far from the taw line as possible.