The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

For Four Players.

I.

This game requires 8 balls, 8 arches, and 4 flags; 4 of the balls are called “soldiers,” the others “sentinels.” The arches and flags are set up as in the figure, making 4 “castles,” and each player has a castle, a soldier, and a sentinel. To begin the game, the soldier is placed just within the gate, and the sentinel half-way between the gate and the door.

(N.B.—The distance from one gate to the next should be 6 or 8 yards, and the distance from the gate to the door, or from the door to the flag, 2 or 3 yards.)

II.

The soldiers are played first, in the order given in the figure, then the sentinels in the same order, and so on. Each player has to bring his soldier out of its castle, and with it “invade” the other castles in order (e. g., No. 3 has to invade castles 4, 1, 2), re-enter his own, and touch the flag, and then to touch it with his sentinel (which, if out of the castle, must re-enter for this purpose); and whoever does all this first, wins. To “invade” a castle, the soldier must enter at the gate, go through the door (either way), touch the flag, and come out at the gate again.

(N.B.—No ball can enter or leave a castle except at the gate. A sentinel, that has not left his castle, is said to be “on duty,” wherever he happen to be.)

III.

If a sentinel and soldier touch, while both are within the sentinel’s castle, or if a soldier enter a castle while its sentinel and his own are both “on duty,” the soldier becomes “prisoner” and is placed behind the flag. He cannot move till released which is done either by his own sentinel (on duty) coming and touching the flag, or by the sentinel leaving the castle. In the former case, his own sentinel is put back where he was at the beginning of the game; and in either case the released soldier is placed behind the door, and cannot be again taken prisoner until after his next turn.

IV.

When a soldier goes through an arch, or touches a flag, in his proper course, or plays after being released, or when a sentinel enters or leaves his castle, or takes a prisoner, he may be played again; but a sentinel may not enter or leave his castle twice in one turn.

(N.B.—A sentinel can only enter or leave his own castle: no account is taken of his going through any arch other than his own gate.)

V.

If a ball touch another (except a sentinel on duty, a prisoner, or a released prisoner who has not played since his release), the player may use it to croquet his own with; but may not move it in doing so, unless it be his own sentinel (not on duty). He may not croquet himself twice in one turn with the same ball, unless he has done one of the things mentioned in Rule IV. meanwhile. In this game, croqueting does not give (as in the ordinary game) the right of playing again.

N.B.—The following arrangement of the 8 balls as soldiers and sentinels will be found convenient:—

The flags should match the soldiers in colour.

This game may be adapted for five players, by the addition of a light-blue and a light-green ball, and the 10 balls may be arranged thus:—