8. Red.

The order of the colours acts as a guide to the players; and since those on each side play alternately, it follows that in a game of eight, the dark b.a.l.l.s--blue, black, brown, and green--are matched against the light b.a.l.l.s--pink, yellow, orange, and red. The advantage of this arrangement is plainly manifest, since, during the game, the players, without referring to the peg, will know that the light colours play alternately with the dark. We admit, however, that opinion may be divided about the lightness of red as a colour; and we therefore hope that the Croquet-makers will change it into white, which is not likely to be confounded with the yellow, for the latter, in consequence of being in more frequent use, is sure to become dark in much shorter time than the former. Some, however, as in the ill.u.s.tration, have red and blue divisions, marked from one to four, to correspond with the number of rings painted on the b.a.l.l.s.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

CLIPS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A set of Croquet-clips--little pieces of tin, coloured according to the colours of the b.a.l.l.s, in order to slip over the hoops, and thus show the hoop through which the player has next to pa.s.s--has been lately introduced. We do not, however, recommend the use of them, as they are liable to cause much confusion, and certainly give a great deal of trouble to those players who adopt them.

MARKING BOARD.

A gentleman has invented a marking-board, on which is placed the position of each player after his stroke is made; but as this requires an umpire to mark the positions of the b.a.l.l.s, we do not think the plan worth adoption.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

TUNNEL.

In some games a very narrow hoop--scarcely wide enough for the ball to pa.s.s through--has been introduced under the name of tunnel. It certainly adds to the complication of the game.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

THE CAGE

Is another novelty, formed by placing two hoops across each other, and fastening a bell at the point of intersection, which has to be struck by the ball pa.s.sing through.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

A CROQUET STAND

Is one of the best of the recent inventions in Croquet, and is to be recommended as a great improvement over the unwieldy box, which contains usually a Croquet set, and which is generally so badly arranged that a quarter of an hour is occupied in taking out the Croquet implements, and about double that time in replacing them after the game is over.

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED.

Sides are chosen in the usual manner, the captain of one side taking the first ball and the captain of the other the second; while the remaining b.a.l.l.s are given to the other players in the order in which they are chosen. Eight persons can play at this game, but any smaller number will do equally well. If only six or four play, the same number of b.a.l.l.s must be used; but if two play, the game is improved by each player taking two b.a.l.l.s and playing them alternately as usual. If there be an odd number of players--either three, five, or seven--the players play against each other, or else one person takes two b.a.l.l.s and plays for each side. It has been suggested that to amuse a large party two games should go on at once, through the same hoops, one side to begin at the starting-post and the other at the turning-post. The confusion, however, caused by the b.a.l.l.s getting in each other's way would quite spoil all chance of good play.

a.s.suming that each player has a ball and a mallet, that the hoops are arranged in either of the three positions given on pages 177, 178, 179, 180, we now come to the mode of playing the game. The object is to drive the b.a.l.l.s through all the hoops, in the direction indicated by the dotted lines on the diagrams, and to strike the two posts. The side all of whose members succeed in performing this feat first wins the game.

Now, although this is the chief object of the game, yet the act from which it derives its t.i.tle, to wit "Croquet," is of much greater importance than would at first be imagined. If a player hit with his ball any of the others, he is allowed to place his own against the ball he has struck, and setting his foot upon his own ball, he hits it with the mallet, and the force of the blow drives the opponent's ball a considerable distance in the direction towards which the mallet is directed. As the player is allowed to croquet either friend or foe, it is evident that he can do a great deal of damage or service, according to his inclination, since he is at liberty to drive the ball in any direction he pleases. (_See_ Rules of the Croquet, page 182.) It must, however, be borne in mind that no player can croquet or be croqued until he has been through the first hoop.

The holder of the first ball, placing his ball a mallet's length in any direction from the starting-post, endeavours by striking it with the end of his mallet to drive it through the first hoop. If he succeeds, he continues his turn, and attempts to send the ball through the second hoop, and then through the third; for driving the ball through a hoop or croquing another ball imparts the privilege of an additional stroke.

When he has finished, the second goes on, and the other players follow in the order in which the b.a.l.l.s are marked upon the post. Till a player has gone through the first hoop he is not allowed to have an extra turn, if his ball hit that of another. In a short time is palpably shown the great advantage of the croquet. Often when a player has his ball in a good position in front of a hoop, another will hit it and drive it to the other end of the croquet-ground, compelling the croqued ball to take two or three turns before it can regain its former position.

Occasionally two or three b.a.l.l.s lie close to each other, and one is struck by a ball which was some distance off. The striker is now allowed to place his ball by the side of the one he has struck, and then, after croquing it, is almost sure of hitting the two others, since his last stroke has brought him very near to them.

The player who reaches the turning-post first has great advantages for a time, for as soon as he touches it he commences his return journey, and meeting the other players on their road to the farthest point of their voyage, he is able to croquet them and considerably impede their progress. While writing about the turning-post, we cannot refrain from calling attention to a strange rule which appears in a recently-issued manual of Croquet. In this work it is stated that on touching the post the striker discontinues playing, and is not allowed for the act the same privilege that he obtains for pa.s.sing through a hoop. This regulation is, we think, so unfair that we cannot allow this work to go to press without taking the opportunity of recording our protest against the adoption of the rule in question. It must be evident to anybody who knows anything about the game that it is a more difficult task to strike the post than to pa.s.s through a hoop. Now, touching the post is a point in the game, for it is one of the stations that everybody must pa.s.s on the journey; and as for each other point, such as pa.s.sing a hoop or croquing, the player is allowed an additional turn, surely it stands to reason that the same advantage should be accorded to a player who performs the feat of striking the turning-post. Captain Mayne Reid and all the other writers on Croquet (with one exception) agree with us in the view we have taken on this subject, to which we have at some length drawn attention, in the hope that the author of the obnoxious rule will think fit to make the necessary alteration.

When a player has pa.s.sed through all the hoops, he becomes what is called in the technical language of Croquet a Rover, and is privileged to rove about over the ground croquing his friends and foes (_see_ page 185). It is therefore obvious that a good player can prove, when thus situated, of immense advantage to his side, and should on no account hit the starting or winning post till all on his side have pa.s.sed through the last hoop (_see_ page 191). Good players, however, generally content themselves with pa.s.sing through all the hoops but two, as it often happens that if a Rover is tiresome his adversaries unite in their efforts to drive his ball against the starting-post, and thus kill him.

This, of course, they cannot do until he has pa.s.sed through all the hoops. The excitement towards the end of the game is almost inconceivable; each stroke is watched with the keenest interest.

Gradually one by one the players. .h.i.t the post, until perhaps only two remain, and now occurs an opportunity for skilful play. If the two opponents are good players, they afford a rare treat to the bystanders.

The object of each is first to hit the post, and, failing in that, to keep as far off his adversary as he can. Both endeavour, at the same time drawing nearer to the great object in view, to keep the post between their own and the other ball. At length one plays at the post, misses it, and sends his ball near his adversary, who first hits it, next croquets it away, and then strikes the post, while all his side wave their mallets aloft, and loudly shout "Victory!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM NO. 1.--This position, which is the simplest of those we have drawn, is the one which we recommend all young players to adopt. The s.p.a.ce between the hoops and between the hoops and the posts should be about six feet, although it can be varied in proportion to the capabilities of the different players. The course of the ball is indicated by the dotted lines, and the arrows show the direction in which at starting the ball should travel. Although it may appear rather a simple matter to go through the two first hoops by one straight stroke, yet the unfortunate player will soon find out his mistake by experience, and that, in attempting to pa.s.s through the hoops, "Slow and sure" is the best maxim to adopt.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM NO. 2.--In this, the second, diagram it will be seen that the two centre side hoops are done away with, and that one is placed in the centre of the game instead: but although in the play we now require one hoop less than in the former diagram, yet the player will have to pa.s.s through the same number of hoops as before, since he travels twice through the hoop in the centre--once on his way to the turning-post, and once on his return. This position is necessarily not so simple as the last one, for now all chance of going through the three side hoops in one turn is done away with, and few players will be able to make the pa.s.sage in less than three turns.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM NO. 3.--In this the same number of hoops is used as in the first diagram, but the hoops numbered respectively 4 and 9, instead of being placed parallel to the others, are now at right-angles to them: thus, in playing from 3 to 4, one has to keep to the right of the second ring, and then to pa.s.s through it from the outside of the game--a much more difficult arrangement than either of the other positions we have described. As the player's knowledge of Croquet increases, many other positions will suggest themselves; but those we have printed are the simplest, and are the diagrams in general use at the present time.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: DIAGRAM NO. 4.--In this diagram the cage is introduced; otherwise it is nearly the same as Diagram No. 2.]

The reader is now requested to give his attention to the following Rules, which we believe will be found to meet all the requisites of the game.

RULES.

STRIKING.

1. At the commencement of the game the ball is to be placed a mallet's length from the starting-post in any direction, and the player endeavours to drive it through the first hoop.

[As the distance between the first post and the first hoop depends so much upon the size of the Croquet-ground, the first rule may be altered to suit the convenience of the players; but if the length is less than a mallet, the player will probably strike the post with his own mallet.]

2. In striking the ball, the player must stand on one side of the ball, and not behind it.

3. In striking, the mallet must be about an inch from the ground, and must not be pushed along it when the stroke is made, except when the distance between the ball and some other object is too small to admit the mallet lengthwise.

[Some players wish only one hand to be used in striking. Most of the large sets, however, are too heavy to allow this rule to be generally carried out.]

4. The ball must be struck with an end of the mallet, and not by the side.

ORDER OF PLAYING.

5. The b.a.l.l.s are to be played in the order in which they are marked upon the post.

6. If any player play out of his turn, he finishes the stroke; but for the violation of the last rule he is deprived of the next turn.

[It may perhaps be suggested that a player, seeing a good opportunity for some effective stroke, would purposely play out of his turn. This we doubt; for not only would the deprivation of his next turn do him a great deal of damage, but the chances are that one of the other players would stop him before he had commenced the stroke.]

7. If a player play with a wrong ball, he has to replace the ball and lose his next turn.

[This penalty is not enforced against a player if the error be not discovered before the arrival of his second turn.]