Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/109

 Collectanea. 87

his opponents, the sides exchange places, if not, the cat is Ufted and thrown into the ring, and if it reaches it before the runner he is out till the game is finished. If the striker out has not only "run the den," but is ready to receive the cat when it is thrown in, he tries to strike it out before it reaches the ground, and if successful he steps the distance to which he has driven the cat and each pace counts one to his side. Another then takes the dog and follows the same system till all are put out. The game is won by the side which first makes the number agreed on before starting.

Pellet

Allied to the above games, is played in Orkney. Equal sides are chosen and a ball and bat are used. The bat is single-handed, the ball is usually made of cow's hair and soap worked together in the palm of the hands till it has become tough and hard ; it is then covered with leather.

Suppose four are playing on each side, four holes are made with the heel of the boot or the point of the bat, ten to twelve yards apart. They are called " Hales." Each of the side in stands at a Hale with his bat in his hand. One of the side out bowls the ball to one of the batmen z«, the remainder fielding. The batman strikes the ball out as far as he can, and all start to run a round of the hales, each round counting one. The side in try to run between as many of the hales as possible for each stroke, the ball being bowled to the player who finds himself at the first hale bowled to.

The side in is put out by the batman missing a bowl, by his stroke being "kepped," that is, caught before the ball touches the ground, by the ball being put into one of the hales when it is not occupied by the bat of a player, or when one of the batmen is struck with the ball by a member of the side out while running between two hales. The game is won by the side first reaching the agreed-on number of rounds of the hales.

Speilinn

Is an Uist form of the same game. The necessary apparatus i? a bat {straicean), a ball of any available material — wood, a centre of cork wrapped with worsted ; a favourite form was made