Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-11-28


the game with intense interest and bet
the excitement they suppress as their
black eyes follow the game. One Of the
players takes ten chips, one Of them dis
|tingushed from the others by a white
ring. and divides them into two equal
bark shavings. He then grabs one pile,
shavings and all, in each hand and
moves his hands in circle rapidly from
right to left, while One of the opposite
side guesses in which hand he holds the
white ringed chip, or "queen," as it is
called. If the guess is right, one Of the
tally sticks is taken from the players
pile and given to the guesser, but if
wrong the guesser's pile suffers.
The guessing is done with deep study
and after the most earnest possible
watching of the passes Of the chips and
the shavings from one hand to the other.
Each side starts with 60 sticks, and
when one side has Won them all the game
will come to an end. The Indians trem
Bile with excitement, and the squaws
chatter excitedly among themselves con-
cerning the conduct Of the gaming opera
tons and the respective winnings and
losings. Bets are constantly being made,
not on the separate plays, but on the
outcome Of the game, and all will be set
tied at the same time. The bets consist
of money, blankets, horses, guns, cows,
harness and everything the bettors pos
sess, even to the clothing on their backs.
Occasionally the gaming will become
very noisy, and the tribes will cndeavor
to cheer their respective tribal players
and therefore help their own bets to-
ward winning by shouts and yells and
deep cultural songs. Fancy what noise
would be made by a lot of excited In
dams yelling the following:
Hcy-yo, ho-Eo!
llcy-yo, ho-ho. hobo!
Ayce, no no, ayee. ayee!
, Min9i, Mingi. Pachango!
All. oh, a-aa
Ho-yah waE- who
! Pa-chan-go!
/ The whole asscmblage Of redskins take
up this yell and continue it over and
over, keeping time with their clapping
hands and swaying bodies. The dealers,
who are meanwhile silently playing the
game Of sing gamble for their respective
tribal bcttors. also keep time with their
movements with the wooden chips A
dealer will seize Il double handful Of
out eight wooden chips and one black one,
nine in ALL Then he will click them sew
eral times and magically cover them with
1shavings. Then he will separate the
chips and shavings and show two piles Of
white chips. In twinkling he will
make passes with his hands, holding the
two piles of chips about his head. under
his blouse and about his anatomy so fast
hof I'd
wonder at his dexterity.
/ The chatting suddenly ceases, and ev-
cry eye is turned to some one Of the deal
'ers who are performing all manner Of
rapid passes to deceive the eyes Of the
(bettors Of the opposite tribe. When the
bets have been made, the dealers sudden
ly cease their passes and gyrations, and
by dexterous movement throw the chips
and shavings from one hand upon the
mat. If the black chip Is there, one
point has been scored by the tribe that
bet it was there. If it is in the other
hand. the tribe mas lost point to its op-
'ponents.
AS the game progresses the hackers of
the players. who are all intensely. almost
insaney, interested in the outcome, be-
cause of having staked their worldly
wealth upon it, encourage them and as
sist them in every way possible. The
,sQuaws are as interested as their lords.
They arrange themselves in lines on Ell
Their side of the players and occasionally
break into monotonous chants or indulge
in the peculiar movements that pass for
dancing among the American aborigines.
All night long this is kept up without in
Permission. the Indians apparently being
incanable of fatigue
TO the spectator the game is most mo-
}notOnous. but never so to those who have
so deep an Interest in the outcome of the
play. In former days. when tribes came
together to the number Of hundreds and
even thousands on each side, when such !
forms Of wealth as have been introduced
by the whites were unknown to them,
and they had only their native articles
to wager. when they were dressed in
their native costumes, the scene must
have been far more wild and picturesque.
Now the men wear WOODEN shirts and
ioveralls. and the women are arrayed in
slovenly calico dresses, with shawls over
their shoulders.-San Frsaciscc Bulletin.
Too Fast.
The Maid-He and yo"' husband are