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CROQUET CASTLES

THIS Game requires the 10 arches, and 5 of the 8 balls used in the ordinary game, and, in addition to them, another set of 5 balls, (matching these in colour, but marked so as to be distinct from them), and 5 flags, also matching them. One set of balls is called `soldiers“; the other, `sentinels“. The arches and flags are set up as in a figure, making 5 `castles“, and each player has a castle, a soldier, and a sentinel; the sentinel“s `post“ is half-way between the `gate“ and the `door“ of the castle, and the soldier is placed, to begin the game, just within the gate.
(N.B. The distance from one gate to the next should be 6 or 8 yards, and from the gate of a castle to the door 4 yards; and the distance from the door to the flag should be equal to the width of the door.)

The soldiers are played in order, as marked above; then the sentinels, in the same order, and so on. Each soldier has to `invade“ the other 4 castles, in order, (e.g. soldier No. 3 has to invade castles Nos. 4, 5, 1, 2,) then to re-enter his own, and touch the flag; and whoever does this first, wins. To `invade“ a castle, he must enter the gate, go through the door, then between the door and the flag, then out at the gate again: but he cannot enter a castle, unless either the sentinel of that castle, or his own sentinel, be out of its castle.
(N.B. No ball can enter or leave a castle, except by passing through the gate.)

If a sentinel touch a soldier, both being in the sentinel's castle, the soldier is `prisoner“; he is replaced (if necessary) where he was when touched, the sentinel is placed in the gate, and the castle is `fortified“. The prisoner cannot move, and nothing can go through the gate, till the castle is opened again, which is done either by the prisoner“s comrade coming and touching the sentinel in the gate, or by the sentinel leaving the gate to go and rescue his own comrade: in the former case, both sentinels are replaced at their posts.

When a prisoner is set free, he cannot be again taken prisoner until after his next turn.

If a ball touch another (except a prisoner, or a sentinel in his castle), the player may, if he likes, replace it where it was when touched, and use it to croquet his own with: in the excepted cases, he must replace it, but can do no more.

If a soldier go through an arch, or between a door and flag, in his proper course, or if a sentinel go through the gate of his castle, the player has another turn.

A player whose soldier is a prisoner, plays all his turns with his sentinel; and one, whose castle is fortified, with his soldier, unless it be taken prisoner, when he must play his sentinel to rescue it.

The sentinel of a fortified castle is considered to be in, or out of, the castle, as the owner chooses: that is, if he wishes to invade a castle, the sentinel of which is within it, he may consider his own sentinel as out of its castle (which gives him the right of invasion): or, if he wishes to go and rescue his soldier, he may consider it as in (so that he first plays it through the gate, and then has another turn).

Ch. Ch., Oxford, May 4, 1863.

N.B. This game does not absolutely require more than two additional balls, beside those used in the ordinary game; these may be Light Blue and Light Green, and the 10 balls may be arranged as follows--