MARBLES--HOW PLAYED
Marbles: Where and how made; different games; terms of game; how to
gain skill.
CHAPTER II
WHIP TOPS AND TOP GAMES
Whip tops, peg tops, and some other tops; how they are played; top
games.
CHAPTER III
KITES AND HOW MADE
About kites; how made; their practical uses; flying contests.
CHAPTER IV
HOOPS, WHEELS AND BUZZERS
Hoops, wheels and buzzers; stilts, different kinds; how used and how
procured.
CHAPTER V
LET'S GO A-FISHING
"Let's go a-fishing"; bait of many kinds and how to get it. Fishing
outfit; its care.
SUMMER
CHAPTER VI
BOATING AND CANOEING
Useful hints on boating and canoeing. "Don'ts" to be observed.
Definitions.
CHAPTER VII
SMALL SAIL BOATS
How to make and manage small sail boats.
CHAPTER VIII
HOW TO SWIM
Can you swim? How to learn. Confidence.
CHAPTER IX
STYLES OF SWIMMING
Styles of swimming; floating, diving; water games.
CHAPTER X
THINGS BOYS SHOULD KNOW
How sides are chosen in games of contest; some things all boys should
know.
CHAPTER XI
CURIOUS RHYMES FOR GAMES
Curious rhymes in counting out games.
CHAPTER XII
TAG AND BULL IN THE RING
All about the good old game of tag, and bull in the ring.
CHAPTER XIII
ALL ABOUT LEAP FROG
Do you know all about leap frog?
CHAPTER XIV
DUCK ON THE ROCK--CAT
Dead Turtle; Duck on Rock; Brick Skittles; Tip Cat; Country Cat;
American Cat.
CHAPTER XV
BALL, BAT AND RACKET
And now for ball! Some good games that can be played with ball, bat
and racket. Town ball; two old cats; hand ball.
CHAPTER XVI
AMERICAN BASEBALL
The great American game of baseball. Some things every player should
know. Rules.
AUTUMN
CHAPTER XVII
ALL ABOUT FOOTBALL
The strenuous game of football. How to lay out the ground. Pointers
for players.
CHAPTER XVIII
MUMBLY PEG--HOP SCOTCH
Mumbly peg; jackstones; Hop Scotch.
CHAPTER XIX
HOW TO CAMP OUT
How and where to prepare camp. A delightful way in which to spend a
vacation, if you know the way.
CHAPTER XX
BICYCLES AND LASSOES
Can you ride a bike? Information on wheels. How to throw a lariat.
CHAPTER XXI
GOLF, HOCKEY AND SHINNY
The old Scotch game of golf, hockey and shinny.
WINTER
CHAPTER XXII
SKATING--SKIING--SNOW SHOEING
On the ice and snow. The royal sport of skating. Some hints on skiing
and snow shoes.
CHAPTER XXIII
COASTING--TOBOGGANING--SLEDS
Coasting. How to make sleds. The bob sled. The toboggan. Snow games.
CHAPTER XXIV
GENERAL ATHLETICS
Walking, Running, Jumping.
CHAPTER XXV
CRIES--SHOUTS--COLLEGE YELLS
Battle cries, hailing shouts, and college yells.
CHAPTER XXVI
CLEVER TRICKS
Vanishing feats. Curious illusions. Various deceptive amusements.
CHAPTER XXVII
SLEIGHT-OF-HAND
Balancing. Juggling. Transformations.
INTRODUCTION
Among the many good and wise things said by the great Lincoln was
this: "Give me the boy with promise of the man in him, and give me the
man with the memory of the boy in him, and both can sit at my table,
and if they sit together, we'll have all the better time!"
This book of out-door games for boys will make better boys, and
they'll get a lot more joy out of life and be the better men in time,
for having read it and carried out its rules as to wholesome, honest
sport.
The boy who plays an honest game will do an honest business, and he'll
win over "the sneak."
If you are "a grown-up," read this book, and in doing so live over
again the joyous, gladsome days of your boyhood, and you will sigh, as
we do while writing this: "Would I were a boy again!"
We want the mother, as well as the father, to read this book, for it
will recall the brothers of far-off days, and bring her into closer
sympathy--we must not say "love," for that is already strong enough
--with the exuberance of her boys.
And the girls? Why, bless you! They, too, should read every scrap of
this book, for they will find in it many of their own games, and not
one that they could not play and enjoy, if circumstances permitted.
And the grand-parents? God bless them! Why, they'll enjoy it quite as
much as the young folks.
SPRING
CHAPTER I
MARBLES: WHERE MADE; TERMS OF THE GAMES; DIFFERENT GAMES; HOW TO
ACQUIRE SKILL
Each season has its own particular work for the farmer, and he does
his work without direction from or consultation with his neighbors or
any one else. Each season has its own particular games for the young
folks, and they take to them without any suggestion from outsiders,
just as young ducks take to water, without any instructions from the
mother bird. The seasons in the south temperate zone are just the
opposite to those in the north. Some years ago I spent the months of
July and August in New Zealand, and great was my surprise to find the
boys down at Dunedin snowballing on the Fourth of July, while the
sleigh-bells made music through the streets. In the following October,
which is the spring month in Victoria, Australia, I found the
youngsters of Melbourne playing marbles, just as the boys in New York
had been doing when I left it the previous May.
MARBLES
We have reason to believe that the first marbles were fashioned from
pebbles on the ocean's shore, or ground into roundness by the action
of river currents. We do not know when or where marbles originated,
but of the antiquity of the game we are very sure. Egyptian boys
played marbles before the days of Moses, and marbles are among the
treasures found buried in the ruins of Pompeii, which you will
remember was destroyed by an eruption of lava from Vesuvius in the
first century of the Christian era. To-day marbles are played in every
civilized land under the sun, and with slight differences, the method
of shooting and the games are practically the same.
Germans are the greatest toy and game-makers in the world, and so we
should not be surprised to learn that that great country not only
produces the most marbles, but also the very best. From Germany we get
the finest "agates," the beauty and value of which every lover of the
game knows. The more common marbles are made in Saxony, of a fine kind
of white limestone, which is practically a variety of the building
material known as "marble," and from which the name is derived. Broken
into small pieces, and the irregular bits placed between two grooved
grinders, the lower one being stone and the upper wood, power is
applied, and after much rotating the spheres are turned out, hundreds
at a time, and these are afterwards sorted and polished.
Glass marbles, some of which are imitation agates, are cast in moulds
that close so perfectly that the place where they join cannot be seen
in the finished product. China marbles are made from pottery-clay, and
after being joined are baked, and sometimes they are painted. The
small gray, brown or black marbles, usually called "commies," are
little balls of clay, baked and glazed. These, being the cheapest, are
the most numerous, and are usually the objects of attack, and so
change owners the oftenest.
NAMES OF MARBLES AND PLAY TERMS
While the names of marbles and the terms of the game may vary slightly
in different parts of the United States, they are in the main so much
alike that the following will be understood by all boys throughout the
land:
The _Taw_ or _Shooter_ is the marble used for shooting.
The _Taw Line_, or _Scratch_, is a line drawn for a starting point in
the game.
_Ducks_ are marbles to be shot at.
_Dubs_, an abbreviation of "doubles," means that you get all the
marbles knocked out with one shot.
_Fen Dubs_, an abbreviation of "defend doubles," is shouted by an
opponent before the play, and means that you must put back all but one
marble.
_Lofting_ means shooting through the air, so that your taw does not
touch the earth till it hits the object aimed at or a point near it.
_Knuckling Down_ means resting the knuckles on the ground while
shooting.
_Histing_ or _Hoisting_ is holding some distance above the ground. It
is not permitted in Bull Ring or in Meg-on-a-string.
_Roundsters_ means taking a new position to avoid an obstruction. It
is not allowed in Bull Ring.
_Sidings_ means moving your taw from one side to the other in a
straight line when about to shoot It is barred in Bull Ring.
_Burying_ is when the taw, if in a good spot, is forced into the
ground with the heel of the shoe. This is seldom allowed; "Fen
buryings" being the accepted law of experts. _Laying_ means placing
the marbles in the ring.
_Clearances_ means the removal of all obstructions between the players
and the ducks.
_Sneaking_ means shooting for a position.
_Babying_ is shooting so as not to send the taw too far. Good players
often do this so as to secure a position from which they can "skin the
ring."
_Dabsters_ are little squares of cloth or skin laid under the knuckles
when playing to keep them from being cut by constant contact with the
hard ground.
_Marble Bag_ saves pockets and explains itself.
According to quality, marbles are known as "agates," "crystals,"
"chinas," "alleys," "potteries," and "commies," or the cheapest and
least prized.
The three great essentials of the game are the boys, the marbles, and
suitable ground.
The marble is shot from the hollow of the crooked index finger, and
projected by the thumb. Good shooting is often done in this way, but
the most expert shots place the marble on the point of the index
finger, and project it with a firmer grip of the thumb. This method
is more difficult to acquire, but it pays as does everything that
requires practice and effort. A good player, as in billiards, can make
his taw carom for position, or he can make it remain stationary, while
the marble struck shoots away in a straight line.
SOME GOOD GAMES
A boy can practice the above, and I would advise him to do so, but it
takes at least two boys to make a game--just as it takes two to make a
quarrel, and you must never be one of the latter. Just here let me say
that the boy who loses his temper, or who has not the manhood to
accept defeat in the right spirit, does not make a desirable friend or
playmate, for if he cannot conquer himself he is unfit to contest in
the sports of youth or in the business of maturer years.
FAT
Fat is one of our oldest and simplest marble games. It is played in
this way: Make a ring eighteen inches or two feet in diameter; ten
feet back draw or scratch a taw line to shoot from. If four boys are
playing, each places a marble, as indicated, or if there are more
players the marbles are placed at equal distances about the ring. The
order of the play having been decided on, by shooting or rolling
towards the taw line, the nearness to which decides the question,
number one shoots for the ring, and if he knocks out a marble, he
shoots again from where his taw rests, and so keeps on until he has
missed. Number two knuckles down at the taw line and shoots, as did
number one. If the first taw is within range, he can shoot at that,
and if he hits it, then number one must hand number two all the ducks
he has knocked from the ring. If number two can hit number one's taw
again, then number one is killed, and must retire from that game.
When number two misses, the next in order shoots, either at the ring
or at the line taw, and so the game proceeds till all the marbles are
knocked out, or all but the last player are killed. In the second
game, the first man killed is the last to shoot, and so they take
turns in the order of their defeat This game is the more fascinating
for its uncertainty, for often the last player knocks out the taw of
one who so far has been getting all the ducks, and he gets credit for
his score.
FOLLOWINGS
can hardly be called a game. It is played by two boys--usually when
they have more important business on hand; the first boy shoots in
the direction both are traveling; the second follows, and whenever one
chances to be hit it counts one for the shooter.
KNUCKS
In this game, one boy, called "Knucks," takes a small marble between
his knuckles, then places the clenched hand on the ground. The other
player knuckles down at the taw line, four or five feet away, and
shoots--he must not roll--at the marble held by the other. Every time
the "Knucks" marble is hit, it counts one for the shooter; each time
he misses in the three shots, it counts an additional shot for
"Knucks" when it comes his turn.
THE LONG RING
About eight or nine feet from the taw line make an elongated ring,
composed of two sections of a circle, crossing each other. Draw a
circle down the center of the long ring, and on this place the
marbles. If there are only two players, then each lays a duck at the
intersection of the curves. Each additional player adds a duck to the
line.
Where there are only two players, the first is sure to "sneak," that
is, to roll his taw so that it will rest near one of the marbles in
the ring. If number two hits number one, and so kills him, he wins the
game, but if there are more than two in the game, number one is put
out. Number two has another shot, from the place where his taw rests,
at the ducks in the ring, and he keeps on till he misses. So the game
is kept up till all the ducks are knocked from the ring. If it is
agreed in advance, each player may lay more than one duck in the ring.
In this game the killed are not dead, if there are more than two
players. They can play when the turn comes, but it must always be from
the taw line.
THE BULL RING
This is one of the oldest and best games. The ring should be from four
to ten feet in diameter. The ducks are placed in the form of a cross,
in the middle of the ring, the number each is to "whack up" being
agreed upon in advance. The order of play is usually decided on by
knuckling down and rolling for the opposite side of the ring. The
first player "lofts" at the ducks. He must drive the marble outside
the ring for a win. If his own taw goes outside, the successful player
can come back to the ring edge for his next shot. If it is a miss and
the taw goes outside the ring, it must be replaced inside at the
point of exit. When a taw is struck the owner is "dead" for that game,
and the successful player keeps on shooting till he misses.
When two or more ducks are knocked out of the ring, the player is
entitled to raise his score by that number, provided he shouts "Dubs"
before the others cry "Fen dubs." If a player is caught "hunching,"
that is, pushing his fist beyond the line while shooting, and makes a
hit, he must replace the marble and shoot over again. "Histings" and
the use of "bowlers" are barred in the bull ring.
"Sneaking," that is, shooting the taw so that it will rest near the
middle of the ring, is allowed. If this taw is not hit, it may be able
to skin the ring when its turn comes. A dead man, when his turn comes,
and there are enough ducks remaining to warrant the risk, may re-enter
the game by placing in the ring twice as many marbles as were at first
required, and an additional duck near the edge of the ring; on this
duck he caroms so as to send it out, then if his taw is in a good
place, he may come out ahead.
DUCK-IN-A-HOLE
Make three shallow holes, and about ten feet away draw the taw line.
The holes are three feet apart. The object of each player is to shoot
his taw so that it will enter and stay in the first hole. If he
succeeds, he is allowed to place his thumb on the far edge of the
first hole, and using his hand as a pair of dinders, by a twist of the
wrist he marks with his longest finger a curved line on the ground.
This is called "taking a span." From the span line he shoots at the
second hole, and if successful continues on to the third. If this is
won, he takes a span backward for the middle hole. If he reaches the
first hole, he repeats it over, but this time he is entitled to two
spans. The third time, if there is no miss, he can take three spans,
and if he succeeds, he becomes a "King Duck," and takes four spans.
If the first player misses, and the second player rolls into the first
hole, he takes a span and shoots--if it is near--at the first taw, and
if he hits, he can place his taw in the second hole, and so on till he
misses. When number one's turn comes, he must shoot from the spot
where his taw rests.
In this game the first king has a great advantage because of his four
spans. Each time a player hits another, he scores one point, and the
hit loses one. By the time all have become King Ducks the game is
over, or it may be decided in advance that when one has made five or
ten points, the game shall end.
MEG-IN-A-HOLE
differs from the foregoing game, in the fact that there is no taw
line. The player shoots from one end at the middle hole. If he
succeeds, he is entitled to a span, and he keeps on as before till he
becomes a king. Before this, he can take but one span in any
direction, but as a king, he can take one foot measure--his own foot
--and a span from the first hole; two feet and a span from the second
hole, and three feet and a span from the third hole. This gives him a
great advantage, and if there is no rival king he is "Monarch of all
he surveys." If there is a second king, the first one assigns him the
first hole to guard, because from this he can take only one foot and a
span. When all become kings, or the points agreed on are won, the game
is over.
SQUARE RING
A "Square Ring" sounds odd, but such things go in playing marbles. The
square may be of any size, but four feet is the best. The taw line
must be from twenty to thirty feet away. Before a player can win the
game he must first kill all the others. Perhaps that is why it is
sometimes called "Injun."
The first player is at a great disadvantage, for if he knocks out a
duck he must replace it, and if his taw stops inside the ring he has
killed himself, and is out of the game. The best way is not to knuckle
down but to toss for a good position near the ring. The second player,
for obvious reasons, must keep away as far as possible from the first,
so he shoots through the ring with force, hoping to get a duck on the
way, for he does not have to replace it. He can take the duck back to
taw and holding it in his left hand shoot at it so as to send his own
taw close to number one, which he can then kill.
If number two misses, number three pitches his marble off to one side,
and so the game goes on, each player guarding his own taw and trying
to kill his rivals. Knocking out ducks gives the privilege just
described, after which the duck is replaced.