, as all must admit, but the boy took
it with much caution and with his eyes wide open, meaning to make the
most hurried kind of retreat the instant it might become necessary.

CHAPTER XXVII.

"GAH-HAW-GE."

Naturally enough, when Jack Carleton found himself standing close to the
frolicking Indian boys on the clearing, he became interested in the game
they were playing, which he saw was systematic, and in which all took
part.

Like amusements of that sort, it was simple in its character and he
quickly caught its drift. The boys divided themselves into two parties
equal in numbers, one of which was ranged in line at the right of the
clearing near the wood, while the other did the same at the other goal,
which was a stump close to the stream. Each boy held a stick with a
forked end in his hand, that being the implement with which the game is
played.

When all was ready, one of the youthful Sauks walked out from the party
near the woods, holding the stick with the crotch of a small branch
supported at the point of bifurcation. This crotch was four or five
inches in length, and as it was carried aloft, it looked like an
inverted V, raised high so that all might see it.

Pausing in the middle of the clearing, the dusky lad with a flirt of the
stick, flung the crotch a dozen feet in air and uttered a shout which
was echoed by every one of the waiting players. Both sides made a
furious rush toward the middle of the playground, where they came
together like two mountain torrents, and the fun began. The strife was
to get the crotch of wood to one of the goals, and each side fought as
strenuously to help it along toward his own, as a side of foot-ball
players struggle to do the opposite in a rough and tumble fight for the
college championship.

Inasmuch as the only helps to be employed were the long, forked sticks
carried in their hands, it will be seen that the game offered a
boundless field for the roughest sort of play, mingled with no little
dexterity and skill. Some swarthy-hued rascal, while on a dead run,
would thrust the point of his stick under the crotch, and lifting it
high above his head, start or rather continue with might and main toward
his goal. At that time, as, indeed, at every minute, each young American
was literally yelling like so many "wild Indians." Desperately as the
youth ran, others more fleet of foot speedily overtook him, and one,
reaching forward while going like a deer, lifted the c