As an in-door amusement, a very interesting game is that of Nine Men's Morris, or Shepherd's Game, as it is known by some. A board may be made of anything at a moment's notice, and bits of paper, peas, beans, or anything of that sort may be used for men.
To make the board, draw three squares, one within the other, with a space of at least an inch between them; then draw four lines to connect each of the sides, and it is complete.
Each player has nine men, it making no difference what they are made of, so long as one set may be readily distinguished from the other.
Then each player places alternately a man on any one of the intersections, which on the plan are numbered from 1 to 24 simply for the purpose of better explaining the game. The first point is for one of the players to get three men in a line; that is to say, have them on three direct stations, as 16, 17, 18, or 10, 11, 12, but not on the angles, as at 1, 4, 7. If either player succeed in so placing his men, he can remove one of his adversary's men from the board; this is called pounding. One of three men in a line can not be pounded, provided there are any others on the board.
As the game is really divided into three distinct phases of playing, it may be well to illustrate each phase, taking the work of placing the men first, and allowing Black to open the game:
| Black. | White. |
| 9 | 11 |
| 13 | 18 |
| 14 | 15 |
| 8 | 7 |
| 5 | 2 |
| 6 | 4 |
| 21 pounds 11 | 16 |
| 12 | 17 pounds 12 |
| 12 | 24 |
By this play White has the best of the game, and then the moving begins, which consists in moving a man from one intersection to another which is not occupied, never passing over a man or out of the direct lines. For example, a man at 11 might move to 10, 19, 4, or 12, provided those stations were not occupied.
To continue the game illustrated: Black has only one man which he can move, and that is from 21 to 20. White moves 2 to 3, and pounds 20, selecting that one because 6, 14, or 20 must be removed, or a line could be made by Black, who would have pounded 7, and had the advantage. Black then moves 14 to 21; White, 15 to 14; Black, 21 to 20; White, 3 to 2—White now being able to make a line at 3, 15, or 24 whenever he chooses, despite Black. Black now moves 20 to 21. At this point it would be possible for White to block the game by moving 17 to 20; but in the hope of winning, even though he gives his adversary an advantage, he moves 2 to 3; then—
| Black. | White. |
| 5 to 2 | 4 to 5 |
| 21 " 20 | 14 " 15 pounds 20 |
| 13 " 14 | 17 " 20 |
| 9 " 13 | 24 " 23 |
| 14 " 21 | 18 " 17 pounds 21 |
| 8 " 9 | 23 " 24 pounds 12 |
| 6 " 14 | 24 " 23 pounds 13 |