This was a forfeit game, forfeits being called wadds. Chambers, _Popular Rhymes_, p. 124, gives a version of this game. It is practically the same as Mr. Ballantyne s version, with only a few verbal differences. Mactaggart says, The chief drift of this singular game seemed to be to discover the sweethearts of one another, and such discoveries are thought valuable, but not so much as they were anciently. In any case, it appears to me that the game is an early one, or, at all events, a reflection of early custom. Hickety, Bickety Hickety, bickety, pease-scone, Where shall this poor Scotchman gang? Will he gang east, or will he gang west, Or will he gang to the craw s nest? --Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 122). One boy stands with his eyes bandaged and his hands against a wall, with his head resting on them.
An impérial tombée, or de rencontre, is made when the player who holds the King and Queen of trumps catches the Jack and Ace from his adversary. Four Kings, Queens, Jacks, Aces, or Sevens in one hand is an impérial; but the Eights, Nines and Tens have no value. _=Declaring.=_ The elder hand announces his point, as in Piquet, and arrives at its value in the same way, reckoning the Ace for 11, etc. The dealer replies, “Good,” or “Not good,” as the case may be; but there are no equalities. If the point is a tie, the elder hand counts it. The point is worth a _=white=_ counter. The impérials are then called, each being worth one _=red=_ counter. The sequences are called first, that in trumps being “good” of course; then the fours are called, the best being four Kings, and the lowest four Aces. In plain-suit sequences there are no “equals,” the elder hand counting ties as an offset to the advantages of the deal.
In either case he places two white counters in the pool for his ante. All having decided to stand or to draw, the remainder of the pack, exclusive of the discards, is reshuffled and cut; each player is then given two more cards, one at a time, and face down. Each in turn examines his four cards, and if satisfied he says: “I play;” if not, he says: “I pass.” If all pass, the dealer has the choice of two things: He may gather the cards and deal again, each player putting another counter into the pool, or he may put up two white counters himself, and compel the players to retain the cards dealt them, the dealer keeping his also. Any person announcing to play may put up as many counters as he pleases within the betting limit. If no person will stay with him, he takes back his raise, leaving the antes, and is paid two counters by the last player who refuses. If two or more declare to play they can either meet the amount offered by the first player, or raise him. If any player declines to meet a raise, he must abandon his hand. If no one will call the last raise, the player making it takes the pool, and then shows his hand, and demands payment from each of the other players for whatever combination he holds. If two or more players call, by making their bets equal, they again draw cards, having the privilege of discarding any number from one to four, or of standing pat.
_, Ace, King, Queen, and Knave of trumps, are thus reckoned: If a player and his partner, either separately or conjointly, hold-- I. The four honours, they score four points. II. Any three honours, they score two points. III. Only two honours, they do not score. 4. Those players who, at the commencement of a deal, are at the score of four, cannot score honours. 5. The penalty for a revoke (_see_ Law 72) takes precedence of all other scores.
The smallest rubber possible to win is one point; the winners having scored two singles and the rubber, equal to four; from which they have to deduct a triple made by their adversaries. The largest rubber possible is eight points, called a _=bumper=_, the winners having scored two triples and the rubber, to their adversaries’ nothing. It is sometimes important to observe the order of precedence in scoring. For instance: if, at the beginning of a hand, A-B have three points to Y-Z’s nothing, and A-B make two by honours, Y-Z winning three by cards, Y-Z mark first; so that A-B win only a _=single=_, instead of a _=treble=_. On the contrary, should A-B make two by cards, Y-Z claiming four by honours, A-B win a treble; as their tricks put them out before it is Y-Z’s turn to count. In America, where rubbers are played without counting honours, it is not usual to reckon rubber points; but simply to add some agreed value to the score of those winning the odd game. Where single games are played, whether 5, 7, or 10 points, some persons consider the game as finished when the agreed number of points is reached. Others play the last hand out, and count all the tricks made; so that if two partners were at the score of 6 in a 7-point game, and made five by cards, they would win a game of 11 points. When this is done, it is usual to deduct the score of the losers from the total, and to call the remainder the value of the game. In the American Whist League, the rule is to stop at seven points, and to determine the value of the game by deducting the loser’s score from seven.
I d been worked on before. The more hysterical healers, some really creepy witches, had given me some signs of relief, but none could ever find the real weak place, as she called it. She was mumbling to herself. I guess you could call it an incantation. I got a picture of a nubile waif, too freakish to fit where she d been raised. What had her Hegira been like? In what frightful places had she found herself welcome? From her talk, it could have been an Ozark backwater. I didn t want to know what backwoods crone had taught her some mnemonic rendition of the Devil s Litany. Her hands passed up beyond my shoulder, to my neck. It s in yore haid, she said. In yore darlin haid! Fingers worked over my scalp.
The dealer should seldom announce a black trump unless he has a certainty of the game in his own hand, without any assistance from his partner, or unless he has such a poor hand that he must make it a “defensive spade.” If he cannot safely make it no-trump or red, he should pass, and allow his partner the chance. With such a hand as seven clubs, including four honours, and absolutely worthless cards otherwise, the dealer should make it clubs, except when the adversaries have won the first game, and are about 20 points in the second. This makes it not unlikely that they will win the rubber on the next hand with their deal. Under such circumstances the dealer must invariably leave it to his partner, in the hope that he can save the rubber by making it no-trump. The dealer’s partner should be aware that there cannot be any reasonable hope of four tricks in red in the leader’s hand, or a red trump would have been announced; and unless he has at least five probable tricks in his own hand he should not make it red. With three Aces he should make it no-trump. Four Aces is always a no-trumper, no matter what the rest of the hand may be. If he is obliged to make it black, and has three or four probable tricks, he should announce whichever suit he is best in. Attention should be paid to the score; for in many instances the suit must be selected so that the adversaries cannot win the game with the odd trick, even if they double.
He had drawn a greedy old character, a tough old male whose mind was full of slobbering thoughts of food, veritable oceans full of half-spoiled fish. Father Moontree had once said that he burped cod liver oil for weeks after drawing that particular glutton, so strongly had the telepathic image of fish impressed itself upon his mind. Yet the glutton was a glutton for danger as well as for fish. He had killed sixty-three Dragons, more than any other Partner in the service, and was quite literally worth his weight in gold. The little girl West came next. She drew Captain Wow. When she saw who it was, she smiled. I _like_ him, she said. He s such fun to fight with. He feels so nice and cuddly in my mind.
Kt-B7 ch B-K4 B-R7 Kt-K5 1 --------- 2 -------- 3 --------- 4 -------- K-Kt sq K-B sq K-K sq K-B sq Kt-Q7 ch K-K6 K-Q6 B-K6 ch 5 --------- 6 -------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-K sq K-Q sq K-K sq K-Q sq K-B6 B-B7 Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B sq K-Q sq K-B sq K-Kt sq K-Kt6 B-K6 ch Kt-B5 B-Q7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R sq K-Kt sq Kt-R6 ch B-B6 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- K-R sq If, at the fourth move, the black King does not go back to the Bishop’s square, but goes on to the Queen’s square, hoping to cut across to the other black corner of the board, the continuation will be as follows, beginning at White’s fifth move:-- K-K6 Kt-Q7 B-Q3 B-Kt5 5 --------- 6 --------- 7 --------- 8 -------- K-B2 K-B3 K-B2 K-Q sq Kt-K5 Kt-B4 K-Q6 Kt-R5 9 --------- 10 --------- 11 --------- 12 -------- K-B2 K-Q sq K-B sq K-Q sq Kt-Kt7 ch K-B6 Kt-Q6 K-B7 13 --------- 14 --------- 15 --------- 16 -------- K-B sq K-Kt sq K-R2 K-R sq B-B4 Kt-B8 ch B-Q5 mate 17 --------- 18 --------- 19 --------- K-R2 K-R sq _=PAWN ENDINGS.=_ There are a great number of these, many being complicated by the addition of Pawns to other pieces. The following example, which is a position that often occurs, should be understood by the beginner:-- Put the black King on K B square; the white King on K B 6, and a white Pawn on K 6. If it is Black’s move, White can win easily; but if it is White’s move it is impossible to win, because whether he checks or not the black King gets in front of the Pawn and either wins it or secures a stale-mate. Put the Pawn behind the King, on K B 5, and White wins, no matter which moves first, for if Black moves he allows the white King to advance to the seventh file, which will queen the Pawn. If White moves first, and the black King keeps opposite him, the Pawn advances. If Black goes in the other direction, the white King goes to the seventh file and wins by queening the Pawn. If the white King and Pawn are both moved one square further back, the King on K B 5, and the Pawn on K B 4. the win will depend on the move. If it is White’s move he can win by advancing the King; but if it is Black’s move he can draw by keeping his King always opposite the white King.
Three persons play, each for himself. Two packs of thirty-two cards each and one of thirty-one cards are shuffled together. Triple bézique counts 1500, and the game is usually 2000 points. The deleted card from the third pack should be an Eight. POLISH BÉZIQUE. This differs from the ordinary game only in the value of the tricks taken. The winner of each trick, instead of turning it down after counting the brisques, takes from it any court cards it may contain, and the Ten of trumps. He lays these cards face up on the table, but apart from those declared from his own hand, and uses them to form combinations, which may be scored in the usual way. The chief difference is that cards so taken in tricks cannot be led or played to subsequent tricks, nor can they be taken in hand at the end of the stock. Combinations may be completed either by cards in the player’s hand, or by cards won in subsequent tricks.
The first six tricks taken by the side that has made the winning declaration do not count. This is the “book,” but all over the book count toward making good on the contract, according to the following table: When Spades are trumps, each trick counts 2 points. ” Clubs ” ” ” ” ” 6 ” ” Diamonds ” ” ” ” ” 7 ” ” Hearts ” ” ” ” ” 8 ” ” Royal Spades ” ” ” ” ” 9 ” ” there are no trumps, ” ” ” 10 ” The game is 30 points, which must be made by tricks alone, so that three over the book, called three “by cards,” will go game from love at no trump, or four by cards at hearts or royals. These are called the _=Major=_ or _=Winning Suits=_. As it takes five by cards to go game in clubs or diamonds, and on account of the difficulty of such an undertaking, these are called the _=Minor=_ or _=Losing Suits=_. An original bid of one spade can be made only by the dealer, and it simply means, “I pass.” That is, the dealer has nothing to declare on the first round of the bidding. [See note at foot of page 58.] _=RANK OF THE BIDS.=_ In order to over-call a previous bid, whether of the partner or the opponent, the bidder must undertake to win the same number of tricks in a suit of higher value, or a greater number of tricks having the same aggregate value as the preceding bid.
CINQ-CENTS. This might be described as Bézique with one pack of cards. All the regulations are the same as in the modern form of Bézique, but there is an additional count, 120, for a sequence of the five highest cards in any plain suit. Bézique is called _=Binage=_, and of course there are no double combinations. Cards which have been used in one combination cannot be used in any other, even of a different class. Brisques are not scored as they are won; but after the hand is over, and ten points have been counted for the last trick, each player turns over his cards and counts up the value of the points they contain. In this final count, the Ace reckons for 11, the Ten for 10, King for 4, Queen for 3, Jack for 2, no matter what the suit may be, so that there are 120 points to be divided between the players. It is usual for only one to count, the other taking the difference between his total and 120. From this it might be imagined that no notice was taken of the counting value of the cards taken in during the progress of the play. Early in the game this is true, but toward the end each player must keep very careful mental count of the value of his tricks, although he is not allowed to score them.
[Illustration: O O O O ] The pins are spotted as above, the centre pin being the feather. Ten innings constitute a game, and three balls (not exceeding 6 inches in size) must be used in each inning. All the pins except the feather have to be bowled down or the inning goes for naught. If the feather is left standing alone, the innings count one. There are no penalties. The dead wood must be removed. Any pins knocked down through dead wood remaining on the alley cannot be placed to the credit of the bowler. The maximum is 10. THE BATTLE GAME. THE PINS ARE SET UP THE SAME AS FOR THE GAME OF TEN PINS.
Drab and Norr A game similar to Trippit and Coit. --Halliwell s _Dict._ Draw a Pail of Water [Music] --Sporle, Norfolk (Miss Matthews). I. Draw a pail of water For my lady s daughter; My father s a king and my mother s a queen, My two little sisters are dressed in green, Stamping grass and parsley, Marigold leaves and daisies. One rush, two rush, Pray thee, fine lady, come under my bush. --Halliwell s _Nursery Rhymes_, Games, cclxxxvii. II. Draw a pail of water, Send a lady a daughter; One o my rush, two o my rush, Please, young lady, creep under the briar bush. --Liphook, Hants (Miss Fowler).