The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-07
Missould Man Has "Hopped Bells. for SO Long Year


Der Of the two sides secures a stick
about an inch in thickness and a foot
in length. Then they take their places
along the poles. The leader of one
side produces two pieces of bone APP
proXimately one-half inch thick and
three inches long. One of these pieces
OF bone has small strip OF leather
fastened around the middle and the
other one Is plain. He gives the sig
nal and the real game begins that
does not stop until one side or the
other possesses all of the little willow
sticks In front OF each leader. The
side with the bones begins to chant
and. because the song sounds similar
every time. assume that it might be
II gambling song. And then the stick
comes into use. for each Indian on
this side beats the pole with his stick.
possibly in lieu OF a tom tom.
Try to Hide Bones
For a few minutes tho leader holds
the bones in his hands all the time
going through many weird movements
and contortons. Suddenly he throws
tho two bones, one plain and one with
leather on IT, to some member on his
side. The Indian thus chosen. con-
ccals the bones In his hands, rolls on
the ground. works them under his
blanket and twists himself around in
All effort to get a bone in each hand
without the leader of the opposite side
determining which hand holds the bone
with the leather on it. Finally he
crosses his hands in front of him with
his arms pressed closely against his
h,tpGt aud IN irn1
ccalcd in his hands. And now the
opposing leader must guess which hand
holds the marked bone. His own hands
are crossed in Il similar manner on
his breast and he indicates which hand
he gncsscs by moving his own right
or left hand. II the guess is right. one
OF the willow sticks goes to the sue
ccsstil side, but if wrong they forfeit
Il stick. When the guessing side has
made two correct gucsscs the bones
go to that side. And with the bones
goes the privilege of making the noise
and the other side must remain quiet
Losers Pay Cheerfully.
only once hive been able to stay
to the conclusion of one of these
games, They often play until dawn
before on" side gets all of the sticks
ON this one occasion il was one thir-
~. a prolonged beating with the
sticks and an increased volume of
noise greeted the handing of the last
willow stick to the winning side. [
was curious to see what wild confu-
sion would mark the getting of each
ones winnings. ! WAS not disa ppoint-
ed. The losing side was quickly JOS
tied back and there they stood with
"A sort Of half grin. Even the man
with only his brcech cloth accepted
his luck good naturedly when he WAS
pushed away from the warmth of the
fire by the winners.
Strict Honesty Prevails.
The Indian may be thicving. but here
there is strict honesty. II Il man has
bet n dollar, he takes two dollars from
the pile of coin and nothing else
have never witnessed an instance OF
thicvinI while the goods arc being APP
proprated by the new owners.
After everything has been removed
from the pile, one can hardly get clear
OF the camp before all Is quiet and
asleep. That is unless some have Sc
cured the invigorating whisky. Some
of them spread their blankets near the
iirc--the winners with a grin OF sat
istaction over the nights luck and
the others with the philosophic knowl-
edge that they will win the next night
or the next. or possibly not for many
nights. but they know their time must
come.