Chase and Catch Games Prisoners Base Iii
( Chase and Catch, Command and Response, Defense and Attack, Hunting, Strategy, Tag, Team Wars and Battle )The ground is divided according to the accompanying diagram the players who are divided into two equal parties with a captain for each party being stationed respectively in the goals marked A and B which are at the same end of the ground instead of at opposite ends as in Prisoners Base II. In the present form of the game the prison belonging to each side is located directly opposite its own home goal at the farther end of the ground instead of near its own goal as in II. Rescue of a prisoner is by entry of the opponents prison not by tagging the prisoners so there is no object in the prisoners reaching out of the prison as in the previous forms of the game.
The two parties decide by counting out holders drawing lots or some other form of choice which shall commence. One member of this side then runs out to the middle of the ground and gives a “nominy ” or “dare ” calling “Chevy chevy chase One two three ” As soon as he has called this (but not before) he is liable to be tagged by the opponents who try to catch him before he can run home again. Should he reach home in safety the opponents take their turn in sending a man to the middle to give a “dare” in the same way. A player need not run home however but may remain at large another player from his side running out to cover or protect him by trying to tag the opponent. Several players from each team may be out in this way at one time. A player may be caught by any man who left his home goal after he did but by none who left before him. Each player must therefore keep a sharp watch on his opponents to know which of them may tag him and which he may tag. This is continued until a prisoner is caught when he is taken by his captor to the prison belonging to the side capturing him. A captor may not be tagged while taking a prisoner to prison and is allowed to go back to his goal afterward without tagging. If a player can reach the opponents prison without being tagged by an opponent he releases the first prisoner taken there. Both may return home without being tagged. The object of the game is to place all of the players of the opponents side in prison and when that is accomplished to take possession of the opponents home goal. When this is done the two parties change sides and begin again the losing side being first to send a man into the field.