--_Folk-lore Journal_, vii. 212; Penzance (Mrs. Mabbott). In Shropshire, as soon as the player going round the ring has dropped the handkerchief on the shoulder of the girl he chooses, both players run _opposite ways_ outside the ring, each trying to be the first to regain the starting-point. If the one who was chosen gets there first, no kiss can be claimed. It is often called Drop-handkerchief, from the signal for the chase. The more general way of playing (either with or without words), as seen by me on village greens round London, is, when the handkerchief has been dropped, for the player to dart through the ring and in and out again under the clasped hands; the pursuer must follow in and out through the same places, and must bring the one he catches into the ring before he can legally claim the kiss. Elworthy (_West Country Words_), in describing this game, says: The person behind whom the handkerchief is dropped is entitled to kiss the person who dropped it, if he or she can catch him or her, before the person can get round the ring to the vacant place. Of course, when a girl drops it she selects a favoured swain, and the chase is severe up to a point, but when a girl is the pursuer there often is a kind of donkey race lest she should have to give the kiss which the lad takes no pains to avoid. Mr.
Neither can he lay down four Queens and two Jacks, and score 560; nor four Queens and a King and score 100. He may announce them if he chooses to expose his hand in that manner, but he can score only one combination, and must win a separate trick to score each of the others. It would be better for him to select some one of the combinations, and declare it, waiting until he won another trick to declare the next one. A beginner would be apt to declare the highest count first, 500 for the double bézique; but under the rule which prevents a player from making a declaration which forms part of a higher one of the same class already made, he would lose the 40 points for the single bézique. It would be better to declare the single bézique first, scoring 40 points for it, and after winning another trick to show the other bézique, scoring 500 points more for the double combination. A player is not allowed to score 40 for the second bézique, and then 500 for the two combined; because if new announcements are made in the same class, at least one new card must be added from the player’s hand when the announcement is made, even if it is not scored until later. _=Double Declarations.=_ It frequently happens that a player is forced to make two declarations at the same time, although he can score only one of them. For instance: A player has announced and shown four Kings, one of them being the King of spades. On winning another trick he shows and scores bézique.
Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too. What shall we lay her in, lay her in, lay her in? What shall we lay her in? Shall it be red? Red is for soldiers, soldiers, soldiers, Red is for soldiers, and that won t do. Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too. What shall we lay her in, lay her in, lay her in? What shall we lay her in? Shall it be blue? Blue is for sailors, sailors, sailors, Blue is for sailors, and that won t do. Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too. What shall we lay her in, lay her in, lay her in? What shall we lay her in? Shall it be black? Black is for mourners, mourners, mourners, Black is for mourners, and that won t do. Very well, ladies, ladies, ladies, Very well, ladies, and gentlemen too. What shall we lay her in, lay her in, lay her in? What shall we lay her in? Shall it be white? White s what the dead wear, dead wear, dead wear, White s what the dead wear, and that will just do. --Hanwell, Middlesex, 1878 (A. B.
Dumb Crambo An undescribed game mentioned in Moor s _Suffolk Words_, p. 238. Dumb Motions Two sides are chosen, which stand apart from each other inside the line of their den. One side chooses a trade, and goes to the opposite side imitating working at the trade and giving the initial letters of it. If the opposite side guesses the name of the trade, the players run to their own den, being chased by their opponents. If any of the players are caught they must go to the opposite side. In turn the opposite side chooses a trade, and imitates the actions practised.--Cork, Ireland (Miss Keane). This is called An Old Woman from the Wood in Dorsetshire. The children form themselves into two ranks.
6. _=Bas.=_ At the bottom of any of the three vertical columns, taking in the twelve numbers. This pays 2 for 1. Limit is 3,000 francs. 7. _=Bas à cheval=_, between any two of these columns. This pays ½ for 1. Limit is 3,000 francs. 8.