The Opelousas courier., 1900-04-14
THE RED MAN At PLAY.

Religious Origin.
The gambling games OF the lnolanb
have q certain value aside from tne
pictrresaueness which is nearly al"
ways an accompaniment All kinds
of games are to be found among them,
native as we'll as imported, and while
the latter are gradually s~upplantlng
the former on account Of greater con.
%venienoe, and perhaps because OF
quicker action, the strict aboriginal
games are by no means extinct. Iney
can still be found in full swing IN
many parts of the United States whlcn
are a little remote from the usually
travelled lines, and but little changed
by contact with our civilization.
There is little doubt that in their
origin many, if not all,o these games
were real religious ceremonies, de-
signed to foretell the future, but they
also played the same part In ancient
times that they do today in supply
ing a mental stimulus. Some of the
games come down practically I'M
changed in form, although now played
under entirely different conditions
from what they were originally.
Among them perhaps the most strik-
ing is the game of moccasin, which
seems to be unquestionably the fore
runner of the ''little JOKER" which
every year proves so effective at
country fairs in Turing dollars from
the pockets OF the unwary. This
game was once widely distributed
among the Indian tribes, and it has
been said that it is now extinct; but
it can be seer today in its aboriginal
form in any of the outlying parts OF
the Navajo reservation in Arizona.
The paraphernalia of the game are
very simple and always at hand, con-
sisting merely of a knife or other hard
substances pebble will do-and tue
moceasins of the players. The game
is usually played at night, although
sometimes it extends over several
days, and in its native setting has q
weirdness and fascination which the
modern fakir cannot claim. Five per-
sons usually participate, four OF them
actively, while the fifth acts as a musi-
clan, but usually a much larger mum.
Der watch the process of the game and
perhaps place a bet occasionally.
Picture a rude shelter of green
boughs, roughly circular in form,
placed in some thicket, or under the
overhanging branches Of q large tree.
In the centre q blanket is spread upon
the ground, surrounded by Is or 20
| Indians, squatting about it, or leaning
over, intently watching the play. Over
all the ftful glow and play Of light
from a huge fire on one side. The
effect is heightened by a weird song,
which is O constant accompaniment of
the game, and which rises and falls as
the excitement grows and wanes,
reaching, sometimes, such frenzied
| accents that the casual passer-by
might easily mistake it for O war song.
The players take their places at the
four corners of the blanket, and are
paired of by couples. Each player
contributes one of his moccasins, and
the winner of the toss lays them on a
blanket upside down, and about six
inches apart, with the toes pointing
forward. Then, with his left hand he
lifts each moccasin in turn and makes
a pretence of putting the knife under
it, making many passes and using
every precaution to deceive his ap-
ponents and the spectators. During
all the time the musician keeps up a
continuous humming, which he accom-
panies with a song. In the song the
| others all join but the opponents OF
| the players eagerly watch for some
slip which will give them q clue as to
which moecasin the knife or little
! Joker is concealed under.
When the knife is hidden to the
satisfaction of the player, he suddenly
calls out "Ho!" in a loud voice, and
the singing drops to a low murmur.
One of his opponents is provided with
a short stick and he raises it threaten
ingly over the moccasins, first w
one, then over another, while all con
~versation ceases and every eye is
fixed intently upon him. The inter-
est becomes more and more intense as
this by play proceeds until finally the
man with the stick places M end of
it under the moccasin he selects and
turns it over. Should the knife be
found under ii, he wins, aud the
former player relinquishes to him the
moccasins and knife, together with
the stakes. It is thereupon his
privilege to hide the knife, while his
opponent must guess at its location.
This reversal in position gives the
native player a much better chance to
come out even on the play than the
average fakir who works the game at
country fairs is disposed to allow his
victim.