Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/238

 224 Collectanea.

The}' also appoint a keeper of the Bulges, whose duty it is to rebuild it when knocked down. The side in the Hales try in succession to knock the Bulges down by throwing at it, those missing it leaving their stones lying. When it is knocked down, all who have thrown rush to pick up their stones and regain the Hales, before the keeper of the Bulges can rebuild it and any of the "outs" tig them after this has been done. Those tigged, stand aside till this has happened to all of one party, in which case a new game may be commenced with the former "outs," "ins."

(P. 242, after line 9.)

The description of "Peilisteir" given above, would appear to be that of a simple form of the game. The following is the complete game as described by Mr. Peter Macdonald, Ledaig.

Each player is provided with two throwing stones, and the points to be thrown at are marked at a distance varying from eight to ten yards apart by other two. The term peilisteir is applied both to the throwing and the goal stones. The players then throw from one mark to the other, the one whose stone lies nearest it counting one, or, if both stones are nearest, two. Knocking down the mark peilisteir always counts three, and when this happens, the mark is at once replaced, and the successful player gets another chance there and then. The first to score twenty-one is winner, but that twenty-one must be made exactly. If, therefore, a player was nineteen and he knocked down the mark he was throwing at, that would make twenty-two, and he would have to begin again from one. There may be several players who throw in succession.

(P. 238, after line 25.)

The girls also have Golden Names.

Two goals are fixed, from ten to fifty yards apart. The mass of the players stand in line at the one goal facing the other. They have a leader who goes down the row and gives a distinctive name beginning with "golden" whispered to each, — "golden