Bell-horses I. Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day? One o clock, two o clock, three, and away! Bell-horses, bell-horses, what time of day? Two o clock, three o clock, four, and away! Five o clock, six o clock, now time to stay! --Stanton Lacey (Burne s _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 520). II. Bellasay, bellasay, what time of day? One o clock, two o clock, three, and away. --Halliwell s _Nursery Rhymes_, p. 283. (_b_) The children form long trains, standing one behind the other. They march and sing the first four lines, then the fifth line, when they stand and begin again as before. (_c_) Miss Burne suggests a connection with the old pack-horses.
Any number from three to six may form a table, but there shall be only three active players in each deal, and they shall be known respectively as Vorhand, Mittelhand, and Hinterhand. Those who hold no cards shall share the fortunes of those opposed to the single player whose score is put down. 7. There shall be as many deals in each round as there are players at the table, and no person shall be allowed to withdraw from the game during a round unless the others consent to a substitute and such substitute be found. 8. Newcomers can enter the table only after the conclusion of a round and with the consent of the other players. The new candidate for play must take his seat so that he shall have the deal. 9. If seats are drawn for, the lowest skat card shall have the first choice. The next lowest shall sit on his left, and so on.
” _=Theory of the Move.=_ When the position is such that you will be able to force your adversary into a situation from which he cannot escape without sacrificing a piece or losing the game, you are said to have the move; and if he does not change it by capturing one of your men he must lose the game. As the move is often of the greatest importance in the end game, every checker-player should understand its theory, so that he may know when it is necessary to make an exchange of men in order to secure the move, and when he should avoid an exchange which would lose it. The move is only important when the number of men on each side is equal. In order to calculate the move, the board is supposed to be divided into two systems of squares, sixteen in each. The first system is formed by the four vertical rows running from your own side of the board, as shown by the dotted lines in Diagram No. 8. The second system runs from your adversary’s side of the board, as shown in Diagram No. 9. FIRST SYSTEM.