This game affords opportunity for a great deal of sport through the making of false starts and the daring approach to the one who is It, who, in turn, may make sudden and unexpected sorties in different directions.
Like Iron Tag, this game is very ancient, and has evidently come from an old superstition that to touch iron or some other particular substance gave immunity from the spell of evil spirits.
(See "_Contests for Two_" under "Feats and Forfeits.")
This is a form of I Spy or Hide and Seek, and seems indigenous to New York. All players properly caught by the spy become prisoners, but may be freed in a prescribed way. The procedure which gives time for hiding is also distinctive.
Two players are chosen, one to be It and one for stick thrower. All the players stand grouped around a goal, and the stick thrower throws a stick as far away from the goal as he can. As soon as the stick touches the ground, all of the players, including the thrower, but not the one who is It, scatter and hide. The one who is It must walk to the stick (never run), take it up, bring it back, and stand it up, resting against the goal. He then starts to hunt for the hidden players. He must run back and touch the goal for any player whom he discovers, saying, "One, two, three, for--!" naming the player. Any one caught in this way becomes a prisoner at the goal. Any player who has not been detected by the spy may run in to the goal at any time and throw the stick away, whereby all of the prisoners, _i.e._ those who have been spied and previously caught, become free and hide again. Whenever this freeing of prisoners happens, the spy must return to the goal, walk to the stick, pick it up, walk back with it to the goal again, and go on with the play as before. This continues until the spy has touched the goal for all of the players, though they need not all be prisoners at once. Any player spied who reaches the goal before the spy, is thereafter free; _i.e._ out of the game. The last one caught becomes spy for the next game.
NOTE.--The games in this division are not necessarily noiseless or lacking in movement; but are distinguished from the active games largely by the lack of chasing or other vigorous exercise.