plan being adopted round and round, until one of the players
secures the four cards necessary.

If the second method is adopted the player does not [102] himself reject
a card, but turns his hand, without exposing it, to the next player, who
selects whichever card he chooses, and proceeds with the game as in the
other variation.

After going completely round among the players three times, the original
leader may exchange one of his cards for the top card of the undealt
portion of the pack, and if it should happen to be of the same suit as
the one he threw out, he rejects it, and takes the next or following one,
until he gets a different suit; but before introducing a new card into
the game he must throw out one of those in hand. This introduction of new
cards may be made each round, after the first three of a hand, until one of
the players secures a winning set of cards, otherwise it may be a tedious
matter to get a winning combination.

VARIATIONS.

The game is sometimes played for flushes only; that is, the four cards
must be of one suit before a player's "Bird sings," and sometimes only
three cards are dealt to each player, in which latter case flushes alone
are recognised.

The game may also be continued until the whole pack of cards is exhausted;
in which case, whenever a player's bird sings, he turns the four cards
over and regards them as one trick. Four other cards are then given him
from the top of the undealt portion of the pack, and the game proceeds as
before. The ultimate winner is he who secures the greatest number of
tricks. In the case of a tie the stakes are divided between the two or
more players who have an equal number.

[103]

SPOIL-FIVE

Spoil-Five may be played by any number of persons not exceeding ten; the
best game, however, is when four or live take part, as then about half the
cards are in play. In this game the cards run in different order to the
ordinary course, vary in the two colours, and further, change in the trump
suit, as follows:

1. _In Hearts and Diamonds, when not trumps_.--King, queen, knave, 10, 9,
down to ace (the ace of hearts is always a trump card, and never counts
as a heart).

2. _In Clubs and Spades, when not trumps_.--King, queen, knave, ace, 2,
down to 10.

3. _In Hearts and Diamonds, when trumps_.--5, knave, ace of hearts, ace
of trumps, king, queen, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2. (If hearts are trumps,
there is only one ace.)

4. _In Clubs a