Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-08-08
DUCK-ON-A-ROCK AND EMPEROR.

DUCk-ON-A-ROCk AND EMPEROR.
Duck-cn-a-rcck is an old game, but
for generation after generation it
holds its place in the hearts of the
boys who know how to play it. Here
it is o for all of you, and girls
may become really quite expert at
throwing straight" if they will try
to play the game, too.
A large stone with a smooth top is
chosen for the rock, and each player
is provided with a stone of the right
size to be easily held in that hand.
These are the ducks.
Draw a line twenty-five to thirty
feet distant from the rock, according
to the size of the field played in, and
back of this line is home" The
next step in the game is to pink for
duck" which consists in each play
er's throwing his stone from home"
to the rock. The one whose stone
lies farthest from the rock, when all
have thrown, is ct" and must place
his stone on the rock for the others
to throw at, their object being to
knock it off. He must stand near the
rock.
If any player knocks the stone from
the rock, there must instantly be a
general stampede for home" The
player who is ct" must quickly re-
place the stone on the rock, and when
he has done SO must try to touch
any player who has not yet reached
home" The SO touched becomes
cit" and must place his duck" on
the rock to be thrown at, standing
nea by himself.
Sometimes, if a player touched by
cit" is a fleet runner, he may be
able to place his duck en- the rock
and run back aud touch the former
cit" before he has had a chance to
get his stone and run "home;" in
that case, the fleet runner wins his
release, and the former ct" must
again place his duck on the rock.
If no stone dislodges the duck in
one round Of play, their owners for
felt them to ct" and terms must be
made with him to recover them. He
may command one to Jump" home,
which he must do with the stone be-
tween his feet, and hop home thus
%burdened. Another he may command
to kick" which is done by working
the stone onto the foot and kicking
it homeward. Or he may command
one to "heel," which means to kick
the stone home backwards, with the
heel.
While these forfeits are being paid
no one else may so home" and the
first m who fails in fulfilling the
penalty and getting his duck home,
becomes cit"
Emperor is q game that is played
in much the same way as Duck-on-a-
Rock, only the emperor is a wooden
figure placed on a post about eighteen
inches in height. A player called the
Prime Minister stands nea it. and
the others, each with a ball like a
croquet ball, try in Turn to knock Off
the Emperor.
The rules in Duck-on-a-Rcck hold
good in this game, all players run
ming home when the Emperor is dis
placed, and the Prime Minister be-
ing compelled to replace him before
he runs to touch another and make
him Prime Minister. A time limit
might be fixed for this game, and the
one who has displaced the Emperor
the greatest number of times, or the
one who has been Prime Minister the
least times, may be the visitor, &C
cording to agreement.--NeW York
Press.
LIVE OYSTERS IN THE HOUSE.
Years ago a family lived On a farm
in a little country town, where there
was no railroad, and the nearest city
was a number of miles distant. The
father vas very fond Of oysters, ami
how do you suppose he managed to
have some always "at hand?" He
would drive to the nearest city, buy
a bushel Of real live" ones, and
bring them home with him. They
were then carefully placed in rows
along the cellar floor, where it was
rather dark and cool, and a little
H. i, Tho -,~~4 1~+~ro~.;-,- ,,o-4