gether a large circle
with from four to ten feet between each two small ones. The small
circles should be from two to five feet in diameter. In the center of
this large ring another small circle or base is marked for the captain
of the team.

TEAMS.--The players appoint one impartial officer who is the Emperor
and stands in the center on a raised base (box, jumping board, or
other improvised platform). The balance of the players are divided
into two equal teams, consisting each of a captain, two center
players, or fielders, and a number of basemen and base guards. The
two fielders may go anywhere on the field, but their main duty is to
prevent the ball reaching the Emperor from an opponent. They also pick
up the ball when it goes afield and hand it to the Emperor for
starting again.

Each captain takes his place in a center base; the basemen stand each
in a base in the circle surrounding his captain; the guards, of equal
number with the basemen, take their places in the opposite field, each
being assigned to guard one of the basemen, including the captain of
the opposing team, and may not go from the immediate vicinity of the
circle he guards.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME.--The objects of the game for each team consist
(1) in throwing the ball from baseman to baseman completely around its
circle; (2) around the circle as in (1) and in addition, to throw from
the last baseman to the center player or captain; and (3) having
completed the previous two points, to throw from the captain to the
Emperor, who stands between the two halves of the field. The object of
the guards, of course, is (1) to intercept the ball so as to prevent
the completion of this play in any of its points; and (2) to gain
possession of the ball so as to throw it across the field to their own
basemen on the opposite side.

START.--The ball is put in play at the beginning of the game, and
always thereafter, when necessary, by the Emperor. He must naturally
be perfectly impartial, and may toss the ball to either side, in turn,
or use his judgment in choosing which side shall have it. He will, of
course, do his best to catch the ball for either side that throws it
to him. The ball is put newly in play after every point scored, after
every foul, and after going afield.

RULES.--No baseman may step outside of his base even with one foot. A
ball caught by the captain with one foot out of his base does not
score, nor if so caught by a baseman does it count in