takes his place, and is obliged in her turn to pursue some one else; but, to prevent being caught, she has only to place herself before any one of the groups she chooses inside the circle. Instantly, one of the two persons forming that group starts in place of the party that took shelter there; a lady being always replaced by a lady, and a gentleman by a gentleman.

If the new runner is taken, he is compelled to pursue the party that caught him; but the latter is also allowed to enter the circle, and place himself before one of the groups. This, of course, obliges another to start immediately as the first did; and so on in succession.

The number three in one group is, of course, inadmissible at this game: the third party is always obliged to start immediately, and is not allowed to enter the circle till he has finished his duty as pursuer.

PRISONERS' BASE OR BARS.

PLATE VII.

THIS game is generally played in a long avenue in a park or garden, or in a large field or meadow. Of course, every plain and even ground of sufficient dimensions will do for the game; but there must be no ruts, ditches, stumps of trees or bushes, otherwise the players would be liable to falls.

The ground being chosen, the next thing is to mark out two camps either with the jackets and hats of the players, or with sticks and twigs, or merely by a line on the ground; all that is necessary being to mark out the space correctly. These two camps are opposite each other, at the distance of fifty or sixty paces. Two prisons are also marked out in a line with each other; the prison of one party being opposite the bounds of the other.

The runners in each camp should be equal in number, force and skill, so that one side shall not be an overmatch for the other. For this purpose (if there are ladies in the game), there must

be the same number of ladies and gentlemen on both sides.-Schoolboys and youths who play together at prisoners' base, knowing each other's force, two of them, equal runners, choose each a side. If the first choice is directed by lot, he who wins it, chooses from amongst his companions the one he thinks the best; and the other then does the same. The first then names a third partner; and so on, till they are all included in the game. In a similar manner, gentlemen select their male and female partners, which, of itself, is by no means an uninteresting game.

It is now decided by lot which camp shall challenge the other; and the players on both sides stand by each other on the line of their space. Presently a player from the challenging side advances over the intermediate space towards the opposite camp, bends his knee, and stretching out his arm, says, "I challenge such a one." The party challenged starts off instantly; strikes the extended hand of his opponent twice; and whilst about to strike it a third time, or immediately that he has done so, pursues his challenger, who runs from him as fast as he can. This preliminary, however, is often neglected, and the challenging party is pursued immediately, in order to render the game more active.