Volume Ii Part 28 (1/2)

See ”Tag.”

Rounders

This is a boys' game. A round area is marked out by boundary sticks, and at a chosen point of the boundary the base is fixed. This is marked out independently of the boundary, but inside it. Sides are then chosen. One side are the ”ins,” and strike the ball; the other side are the ”outs,”

and deliver the ball, scout, and endeavour to get their opponents, the ”ins,” out as soon as possible. The ball (an indiarubber one) is delivered by the ”feeder,” by pitching it to a player, who stands inside the base armed with a short stick. The player endeavours to strike the ball as far away as possible from the fielders or scouts. As soon as the ball is struck away he runs from the base to the first boundary stick, then to the second, and so on. His opponents in the meantime secure the ball and endeavour to hit him with it as he is running from stage to stage. If he succeeds in running completely round the boundary before the ball is returned it counts as one rounder. If he is. .h.i.t he is out of the game. He can stay at any stage in the boundary as soon as the ball is in hand, getting home again when the next player of his own side has in turn hit the ball away. When a ball is returned the feeder can bounce it within the base, and the player cannot then run to any new stage of the boundary until after the ball has again been hit away by another player. If a player misses a ball when endeavouring to strike at it he has two more chances, but at the third failure he is bound to run to the first boundary stick and take his chance of being hit with the ball. If a ball is caught the whole side is out at once; otherwise, the side keeps in until either all the players have been hit out with the ball or until the base is crowned. This can be done by bouncing the ball in the base whenever there is no player there to receive the delivery from the feeder. When a complete rounder is obtained, the player has the privilege either of counting the rounder to the credit of his side, or of ransoming one of the players who have been hit out, who then takes his part in the game as before. When all but one of the players are ”out,” this last player in hitting the ball must hit it away so as to be able to make a rounder, and return to the base before his opponents get back the ball to crown the base.

An elaborate form of this game has become the national game of the United States.

Rounds

See ”Roundabout.”

Row-chow-Tobacco

See ”Bulliheisle,” ”Eller Tree,” ”Snail Creep,” ”Wind up the Bush f.a.ggot.”

Rowland-Ho

A Christmas game.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Rumps

A game with marbles [undescribed].-d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_.

Rusty

A boys' game, exactly the same as ”s.h.i.+ps.”-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.

Sacks

A number of children place their closed fists on top of one another in a pile. The leader asks, pointing to the topmost fist, ”What's in that sack?” Answer, Potatoes, or anything the child chooses. The leader tips it off with her finger, saying, ”Knock it away,” and so to the very undermost fist, when she asks, ”What's in this sack?” The answer must be, ”Bread and cheese;” and then the following dialogue takes place:-

Where's my share?

The mouse eat it.

Where's the mouse?

The cat killed it.

Where's the cat?

The dog worried it.

Where's the dog?

The cow tossed it.

Where's the cow?

The butcher killed it.