[Ill.u.s.tration: Spearhead.]
The Game.--Each boat has a base or harbor; this is usually part of the sh.o.r.e opposite that of the enemy; or it obviates all danger of collision if the boats start from the same side. The sturgeon is left by the referee"s canoe at a point midway between the bases. At the word "Go!" each boat leaves its base and, making for the sturgeon, tries to spear it, then drag it by the line to his base. When both get their spears into it the contest becomes a tug of war until one of the spears pulls out.
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The sturgeon is landed when the prow of the boat that has it in tow touches its proper base, even though the spear of the enemy is then in the fish: or it is landed when the fish itself touches base. The boats change bases after each heat.
Matches are usually for one, three, or five sturgeon. Points are counted only for the landing of the fish, but the referee may give the decision on a foul or a succession of fouls, or the delinquent may be set back one or more boat lengths.
Sometimes the game is played in canoes or boats, with one man as spearman and crew.
_Rules_.--It is _not allowable_ to push the sturgeon into a new position with the spear or paddle before striking.
It is _allowable_ to pull the sturgeon under the boat or pa.s.s it around by using the line after spearing.
It is _allowable_ to lay hands on the other boat to prevent a collision, but otherwise it is forbidden to touch the other boat or crew or paddle or spear or line, or to lay hands on the fish, or to touch it with the paddle or oar, or touch your own spear while it is in the fish, or to tie the line around the fish except so far as this may be accidentally done in spearing.
It is _allowable_ to dislodge the enemy"s spear by throwing your own over it. The purpose of the barbs is to a.s.sist in this.
It is _allowable_ to run on to the sturgeon with the boat.
_It is absolutely forbidden to throw the spear over the other boat or over the heads of your crew_.
In towing the sturgeon the fathom mark must be over the gunwale--at least six feet of line should be out when the fish is in tow. It is not a foul to have less, but the spearman must at once let it out if the umpire or the other crew cries "fathom!"
The spearman is allowed to drop the spear and use the paddle or oar at will, but not to resign his spear to another of the crew. The spearman must be in his boat when the spear is thrown.
If the boat is upset the referee"s canoe helps them to right. Each crew must accept the backset of its accidents.
Tilting In The Water
For this we usually have two boats or war canoes manned by four men each. These are a spearman, who is also a captain, a pilot, and two oarsmen.
The spearman is armed with a light pole or bamboo eight or ten feet long, with a soft pad on the end. Sometimes this is {297} further provided with a hook. This is a forked branch with limbs a foot long; one is lashed to the bamboo, the other projecting out a foot, and slightly backward. The end of the spear and the fork are now thoroughly padded with burlap to the shape of a duck"s head and bill.
And it must be cased in waterproof, to keep it from getting wet and heavy. The object of the hook is to change suddenly from pushing, and to pull the enemy by hooking round his neck. Each boat should have a quarter-deck or raised platform at one end, on which the spearman stands.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Tilting spear.]
The battle is fought in rounds and by points.
To put your opponent back into the canoe with one foot counts you five; two feet, ten. If he loses his spear you count five (excepting when he is put overboard). If you put him down on one knee on the fighting deck, you count five; two knees, ten. If you put him overboard it counts twenty-five. One hundred points is a round.
A battle is for one or more rounds, as agreed on. It is forbidden to hook or strike below the belt. The umpire may dock for fouls.
Canoe Tag
Any number of canoes or boats may engage in this. A rubber cushion, a hot-water bag full of air, any rubber football, {298} or a cotton bag with a lot of corks in it is needed. The game is to tag the other canoe by throwing this into it.
The rules are as in ordinary cross-tag.
Scouting
Scouts are sent out in pairs or singly. A number of points are marked on the map at equal distances from camp, and the scouts draw straws to see where each goes. If one place is obviously hard, the scout is allowed a fair number of points as handicap. All set out at same time, go direct, and return as soon as possible.
Points are thus allowed:
Last back, zero for travelling.
The others count one for each minute they are ahead of the last.
Points up to one hundred are allowed for their story on return.
Sometimes we allow ten points for each turtle they have seen; ten for each owl seen and properly named; five for each hawk, and one each for other wild birds; also two for a cat one for a dog.
No information is given the scout; he is told to go to such a point and do so and so, but is fined points if he hesitates or asks how or why, etc.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Quicksight Game.]
The Game of Quicksight
Make two boards about a foot square, divide each into twenty-five squares; get ten nuts and ten pebbles. Give to one player one board, five nuts, and five pebbles. He places {299} these on the squares in any pattern he fancies, and when ready the other player is allowed to see it for five seconds. Then it is covered up, and from the memory of what he saw the second player must reproduce the pattern on his own board. He counts one for each that was right, and takes off one for each that was wrong. They take turn and turn about.
This game is a wonderful developer of the power to see and memorize quickly.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Farsight game.]
Farsight, or Spot the Rabbit
Take two six-inch squares of stiff white pasteboard or whitened wood.
On each of these draw an outline rabbit, one an exact duplicate of the other. Make twenty round black wafers or spots, each half an inch across. Let one player stick a few of these on one rabbit-board and set it up in full light. The other, beginning at one hundred yards, draws near till he can see the spots well enough to reproduce the pattern on the other which he carries. If he can do it at seventy-five yards he has wonderful eyes. Down even to seventy (done three times out of five), he counts high honor; from seventy to sixty counts honor. Below that does not count at all.
Pole-star
Each compet.i.tor is given a long straight stick in daytime, and told to lay it due north and south. In doing this he may guide himself by sun, moss, or anything he can find in nature--anything, indeed, except a compa.s.s.
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The direction is checked by a good compa.s.s corrected for the locality.