e of its inaccuracies of pitch, arising from imperfect
construction, are not without hints of beauty.

[Music: LOVE CALL.

_Omaha._

For the Flageolet.]

A GAME SONG FROM THE NORTH-WEST COAST.

It is well known that the serious avocations of the fathers often
serve as games for the children. So it comes about that in the games
of chance we have a survival of the ancient custom of divination. As,
according to Indian belief, song was the medium through which man
communicated with the mysterious powers, we find all his games of
chance accompanied by melodies.

One autumn evening many years ago I was walking along a stretch of the
Pacific shore. The westerning moon flooded the water with light, and
lit up the edge of the dense forest that formed the background of an
Indian village. From one of its great square wooden dwellings came the
sound of singing, and the ruddy firelight shone through the cracks of
the plank door as I approached.

Entering, I saw that the central fire had just been lighted. The four
families, which had each their particular portion of the communal
house, had suffered their separate fires to burn to ashes, and had
pushed back their various belongings to give more room for the
gathering crowd.

I lingered at the door, looking on the motley scene: the women and
children in the background; the old men in groups, talking over their
younger days; the line of men singers, each with his piece of board
with which to strike the floor in lieu of a drum; the young men who
were to play, ranged in two opposite rows; and others standing about,
watching their friends and eager for the game to begin.

When all was ready, the leader of one side held up for a moment in one
hand a small piece of bone, then began tossing it secretly from one
hand to the other, moving the closed fists rapidly past each other to
the rhythm of the song sung by the singers, the opposite side keeping
sharp eyes on the moving fists, to be ready, when the signal should be
given, to detect, if possible, the hand to which the bone had finally
been passed.

Heavy stakes were put up, and there was every sign that song after
song would follow each other as the night wore on.

The song which follows is sung when playing a game of chance:--

[Music: GAME SONG.

_Vancouver's Island._

Transcribed and Harmonized by PROF. J.C. FILLMORE.]

STORY AND SONG OF THE INDIAN COQUET.

In the last century there lived a man who,