The player thus touched dashes forward in his turn and touches the first player in the file facing him, from which Number One came, and passes off the game limits. Each player thus runs only in one direction, instead of in two, as in a single relay race. The team wins whose last player first dashes across the starting line opposite him.
As in the single relay race, this may be played by handing a flag from one runner to the next, instead of "touching off." If a flag be used, it should not be on a stick because of danger to the eyes.
This game may also be played with strict observance of athletic rules. The first runners should then be started with the signals, "On your mark!" "Get set!" (or "Get ready!") and "Go!" There should be a judge to watch fouls for each division of each team, and two judges at the finish. Fouls consist in starting over the line, even with part of the foot, before being touched off, or in a failure to actually touch. The teams win in the order of finishing, plus consideration of the number of fouls, as described for the Potato Shuttle Relay.
This game is suitable for a barn; the greater the number of open doors and windows available in the barn the better.
The players are divided into two equal parties, one of which personate defenders, and take their places in the barn, with the doors and windows open. The other party are the besiegers, and are stationed outside the barn. The fighting is done by means of weeds specially prepared for the purpose. The weeds commonly called redroot or iron-weed are very good for this. The stems, measuring about a foot and a half in length, are stripped except for a small leaf or tuft of leaves at one end. On the opposite end the root is cut away so as to leave only a small knob which will serve to weight the missile.
The game opens with each party provided with a pile of this ammunition, which is thrown at the opponents through the doors and windows of the barn. A player hit once with a dart is considered "wounded," but may keep on playing. A player hit twice is "killed," and is out of the game. Each party must keep within its own bounds.
The party wins which has the fewest killed at the end of the game.
This was a favorite game with a group of Long Island boys, from one of whom the author obtained it.