Frank N. Wilson.

This game is designed to afford amusement in the limited space of a dining-room, the dining-table being used as part of the equipment. The illustration will show the general design of the board. The wood used should be about 1/2" thick, the sides of a shoe packing-case serving nicely for the purpose, provided the joints are even and well closed up. Spare parts of the box are used to make the necessary cleats and supports. The board is in the form of a triangle, the base being 3' and the height 21/2/. To lay out the location for the holes, lightly draw a line parallel with the base and 5 " above it, a second line being drawn 6" above the first one and a third line 6" above the second. On each side, 4" from the edge, draw lines, the top hole being placed where they meet.

The lower row of holes are 4" in diameter and the centers 1" apart, the second row 31/2" in diameter and 7" apart, the third row 3" in diameter and the centers are where the side and the cross-lines meet. The top hole is 21/2// in diameter. The holes are most easily cut out with a key-hole saw, a hole being bored with a bit, from which to start sawing. Cleats are screwed to the back, under the lower and third row of holes. Upright supports 1' long and 3" wide are screwed to the back so that 6" will project below the bottom. A strip of wood V long and 3" wide is attached to the bottom of each support with a hinge on the rear side, so that when not in use they may be folded, thus requiring less room for the board. A large hook is screwed into each of the supports and the eyes to the bottom piece, to hold the board upright when playing. Back of each hole may be fastened a cigar-box with the upper side removed to catch the balls entering the holes, or a single large box may be placed under the lower row and a piece of cloth tacked into a framework of wood fastened 3" back of the board to pieces of wood nailed to the cleats. The board will have a more attractive appearance if given a coating of stain and then shellacked.

To play the game, stand the board on the dining-table so that at least 5' of the table will be in front of the board. The player stands 10 or 12' away from the board, and tries to throw a ping-pong or soft rubber ball so that it will strike upon the table and rebound into one of the holes. Five or six balls are thrown by one player, and the next one then tries it. Each ball entering one of the holes in the lower row counts 5; the second row 10; the third row 15, and the top hole 20 ; the player with the highest total winning. This game may seem rather simple, but a trial will show that it can be made decidedly interesting for young people when they are confined to the house by inclement weather.