Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-19

For each goal two posts about twenty-five
 feet high were firmly planted in the ground
 six feet apart. Across the tops of the up-
 right posts was fastened horizontal pole.
 These goals were fifty rods apart. Midway
 between them was @ small stake. From this
 in the air by one of the judges. And then
 the game began.
 There were some curious prelimiuaries.
 When the judges had set up the goals they
 drew line from one goal to the other. To
 this line the old man, the boys and .the wo.
 men of the tribe came and bet across 1t what
 ever they wanted to stake on the result.
 Anything which had value was included in
 the betting. Knives, dresses, blankets, dogs,
 horses and hundred other possessions were
 delivered across the line to be wagered on
 one side or the other. The shareholders re-
 ceived the stakes, collected them at little
 distance from the ball ground, and kept
 guard over them until the end.
 The laying out of the ground and the bet.
 ting was all arranged the afternoon before
 the game. When night came on the ground
 was lighted by torches and the ball-play
 dance was given. The players crowded
 sticks and rattled them together. The wo-
 men formed in two rows between the goals, according to the side they were betting on, and danced while they sang to the great spirit in favor of their respective interests. At little distance on one side the four
 judges, who were to have the tossing of the
 ball, and who were to decide the result, sat
 and smoked and prayed to the great spirit
 that they might be able to judge impartially This dance was given at intervals of half an hour all night. Nobody thought of going to bed.
 The game opened at nine o'clock in the presence of the whole tribe. A gun was fired. The ball was tossed up. In an in- stant the hundreds of players were in mo- tion. Each player had two sticks with
 hoped ends. Thongs were stretched across the hoops SO that the tall could not slip through. The game was to catch the ball
 between the netted ends of the two sticks
 and throw 1t toward the goal. When the
 ball passed through the space between the high posts and below the cross pole the side
 to which that goal belonged scored a point. There were no such things az fouls in the
 Choctaw bail game. Players jumped over
 each others heads. They crawled between
 each others legs. They tripped and kicked
 and scuffied. For many minutes the con-
 fused mass would be pushing and crowding
 toward common point, and not glimpse
 of the ball could be had. Then the ball
 would be slipped outside of the crowd,
 which would keep on struggling and crowd ing without discovering that the ball was gone. Clouds of dust arose. Every player
 made all the noise he possibly could. Occa-
 sionally two bitter partisans dropped out of
 the melee and began to settle misunder-
 standing with their fists. That was all right.
 But perhaps before half dozen blows had
 been exchanged the fortune of the game sent
 the crowd down upon the scene of isticuffs,
 and in an instant the fighters were swal-
 lowed up in the wild stampede. One invio-
 liable rule of the game was that all weapons
 must be left in camp. No player, however
 angry he might become, was allowed to
 leave the ground to get weapon. All diff
 faculties must be settled on the spot and with
 the fists. But this was the only restriction on fighting, and before the game was oyer bloody noses and bruised shins were numer. ous.
 The two bodies of players were distin- guished by those on one side painting them selves white with clay. When the ball was driven through goal there was brief rest again from the center stake, and the wild struggle was repeated. When one side had driven the ball through it's goal one hundred | times the game was won. Usually the sides | were 80 we'll matched that the contest was not decided until sundown. 1 Catlin says he often sat on his horse fol l eight or ten hours at a stretch watching I SOAIC5oOo l that when he tried to reproduce the spirit o l the scenes his pencil failed him. When the ball was "up"-thst is, flying through tht | air-everybody was running and reaching fo, 1t. But when it was "down"-that is, of the ground-the players flung themselves to gether, each side pushing and crowding to ward it's own goal. The one hundred points having been scored by one side or the other, l there WAS general distribution of whiskey, and then the stakea yypra awaraaH
 l The games were not played without much practice and preparation. Choosing of sides began several weeks before the day set fol the game. As the leaders chose their play | CTS they sent runners through the village ] The runners carried ball sticks decorated 1 with ribbons. The player signiied his ac I ceptance by touching the stick of the cham l pion who had chosen him, and from tha | time on he was engaged for the game. Thil gave the rest of the tribe plenty of time to decide which side they would bet on. Il also gave the lsaders time to train their fol 1 lowers for the grand event.
 1 The Sioux had favorite ball game. Int l women played it. When the warriors wert 1 full of whiskey and wanted something tt make them laugh they arranged tourna' | ment for the women. Usually the gam | took place when the Sioux were flush witt l goods received in their annual bargains witt l the fur traders. Oalicoes, ribbons and othe things dear to the feminine mind, tutored Q l untutored, wsre hung on pole which reste' on crotohed sticks. These were the prizes Two balls were tied together by string foot and half long. With short stick tn 1 player was expected to stop the balls by th string and throw them. The players wer l divided into two parties, and the aim o each side was to throw the two balls over 1t | own goal. The women crowded and scuf l fled and tumbled over each other, while th
 warriors rolled upon the ground and laug he' until their sides ached.