Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/181

176 counting the corner holes, called tʽpa, "doors." The stick used by each player or side to mark its throw is called rsâika, "slave" or "horse." When a player is "coming home" and his count carries his "slave" only to the last hole of his house it is said to be "in the fire" and remains "burnt" until he throws a number less than 14 or 15.

The corner hole of the rectangle is called tcolût, "hip;" the second, tco-olrsân, "near the corner;" the third, rsa-akĭt, "middle;" the fourth, ko’kĕtam, "above the end;" the fifth, ko-ok, "last;" the first hole of the house, tco’-oletam, "above the hip;" the second, ki-ĭk vakʽ tra, "four-hole end;" the third, vai-ĭk vakʽ tra, "three-hole end;" the fourth, sapʽkʽ tra, "right end" or "place;" the fifth, tai-ĭ tra, "fire end" or "in the fire." (See diagram, fig. 90.)

This game affords considerable amusement for the spectators as well as the participants. Four men provide themselves with moderately large stones, hayakŭt, which they throw between two holes set about 50 feet apart. All stand at one hole and try successively to throw into the other. If but one succeeds in throwing into the hole he and his partner are carried on the backs of their opponents across to the opposite goal. If both partners throw into the hole, they are carried across and returned to the first hole, the "horses" who carry them attempting to imitate the gallop of the horse.

A guessing game in which a number of players act as assistants to two leaders. A small bean is used by the Papagos and a ball of black mesquite gum by the Pimas. It is placed in one of four joints of reed. The reeds are then filled with sand, all being concealed under a blanket, and the opponents guess which reed contains the ball. The reeds are called vâpûtakŭt (vâpûtai, lay), "laying implements" (fig. 91). Reed a, called kli, "old man," has 17 longitudinal rows of 8 spots each; reed b, âks, "old woman," is unmarked; reed c,