Marbles
contributed by Pasquale Mosconi

  There were probably many variations of games played with marbles.  The ones I remember were called French, Bull-In-The-Ring, and Poison Hole.  French was played by drawing a triangle in the dirt about 12 to 15 inches on a side.  Each person put 3 to 5 marbles in the center of the triangle and then stood behind a line about 10 feet away.  The first player would shoot at the marbles trying to dislodge one or more to the outside of the triangle.  Each player in turn did the same.  If someone dislodged one or more marbles from the triangle, he would get to shoot again.  If his shooter stayed inside the triangle, he was dead for that game, and got no more shots.  After all the marbles had been knocked out of the triangle, the game would begin again.  Bull-In-The-Ring was similar:  A ring of about 4 feet in diameter was drawn in the dirt.  Each player put 3 to 5 marbles in the ring.  The players shot from the outer edge of the ring.  If one knocked a marble out of the ring, he would keep it and shoot again, as long as his shooter stayed in the ring.  He would continue to shoot as long as he knocked a marble out of the ring and he stayed inside.  Otherwise, it was the next player's turn.  The game continued until all the marbles had been knocked out, then the game would begin again.  To play Poison Hole, four holes about one and a half inches deep and about two inches in diameter were dug in the dirt in a rectangular shape.  The holes were about 10 feet apart.  Another hole was placed in the center of the square.  The first player would begin at the home hole and shoot toward the first hole trying to get his marble to stop in the hole.  If he did, he would shoot for the second hole and continue around the square until he came back to the home hole.  Each of the other players did the same.  If you hit one of the other player's marbles, you got another shot.  Once you reached the home hole, you shot for the Poison Hole in the center of the square.  Once you "holed out", you were Poison!  From that time on the hunt was on.  Any time you hit another player's marble, they were "dead", and out of the game.  The object, of course, was to be the last one remaining in the game.  
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