Emslie). (_b_) Five or six children stand in a row. Another child comes up to the first of the row, and strikes smartly on the ground with a stick. The child facing him asks the first question, and the one with the stick answers. At strokes his face he suits the action to the words, and then thumps with his stick on the ground at the beginning of the last line. The object of all the players is to make Buff smile while going through this absurdity, and if he does he must pay a forfeit. Another version is for one child to be blindfolded, and stand in the middle of a ring of children, holding a long wand in his hand. The ring dance round to a tune and sing a chorus [which is not given by the writer]. They then stop. Buff extends his wand, and the person to whom it happens to be pointed must step out of the circle to hold the end in his hand.
] Diagram No. 2 is the ending of our Illustrative Game No. 7. In No. 3, White gives away a man, bottling up the three black men, and then catches the other black man. In both these examples it will then be Black’s move, and as he cannot move, White wins. _=Notation.=_ The various moves which take place in the course of a game are recorded by giving each square on the board a number, and putting down the number of the square the man is moved from, and the one it is moved to. Only those squares upon which the men stand are numbered, and the black men are always supposed to be originally placed upon the lower numbers, from 1 to 12; the white men being placed upon the squares numbered from 21 to 32. Diagrams Nos.
=_ A sufficient number of tables to accommodate the assembled players are arranged in order, and numbered consecutively; No. 1 being called _=the head table=_, and the lowest of the series _=the booby table=_. Each player is provided with a blank card, to which the various coloured stars may be attached as they accrue in the course of play. These stars are usually of three colours; red, green, and gold. The head table is provided with a bell, and each table is supplied with one pack of cards only. It is usual to sort out the thirty-two cards used in play, and the four small cards for markers, before the arrival of the guests. _=Drawing for Positions.=_ Two packs of differently coloured cards are used, and from the two black suits in each a sequence of cards is sorted out, equal in length to the number of tables in play. For instance: If there are sixteen ladies and sixteen gentlemen, or thirty-two players in all, they will fill eight tables, and all the clubs and spades from the ace to the eight inclusive should be sorted out. These are then thoroughly shuffled and presented, face down, to the players to draw from.
--Northants (Rev. W. D. Sweeting). IV. Here comes four jolly sailor boys, Just lately come ashore; They spend their days in many merry ways, As they have done before. Round, round the ring we go, Round, round the ring, And he that choose his bonny, bonny lass Must kiss her on the floor. --Raunds (_Northants Notes and Queries_, i. 232). V.