Now a word as to the game itself; how was it played, and how were the moves denoted? Presuming the ‘Shen’ sign, which forms a large centre hole at the top, to be the goal, we find on either side twenty-nine holes, or including the goal, thirty aside. Among these holes, on either side, two are marked [Illustration: hieroglyphs] _nefer_, ‘good’; and four others are linked together by curved lines (see Fig. 14). Assuming that the holes marked ‘good’ incur a gain, it would appear that the others, connected by lines, incur a loss. Taking this for granted, and that the play terminates at the goal ‘Shen’, the game seems then to commence at the heart of the palm--the only place where five playing pieces aside could be placed without clashing with the obstacles (i. e. holes incurring gain or loss). Thus, starting from the first hole under the palm, and calling it No. 1, the tenth hole, by the indicating lines, shows a forfeit of two points, and the twentieth hole a forfeit of fourteen points. The good holes Nos. 15 and 25 have nothing to indicate what gain was attached to them. If it should be a profit of a certain number of holes, one would expect to find them marked like the forfeits, but possibly it was that they entitled (?) the player to the right of a second move, which could not be marked in such a manner. Now the moves themselves could easily have been denoted by the chance cast of knuckle-bones or dice,[30] both being known to the ancient Egyptians at an early period; and if so we have before us a simple, but exciting, game of chance, ‘Hounds contra Jackals’, and played somewhat as follows:--The opponents, taking each a side, place their five men in holes Nos. 1 to 5,[31] under the palm. The hounds having obtained the right of first throw, by a toss or some equivalent, start:-- HOUNDS. _1st H._ Cast 3 = hole 8 “ 1 = “ 9 “ 5 = “ 14 “ 3 = “ 17 “ 6 = “ 23 “ 4 = “ 27 “ 3 = the goal = “ 30 _1 point to Hds._ (winning piece remains in goal). JACKALS. _1st J._ Cast 6 = hole 11 “ 5 = “ 16 “ 3 = “ 19 “ 6 = 25, wins 2nd throw = 4 = “ 29 “ 6 Returns to 25, wins 2nd throw 4 = 29 “ 6 Returns to 25, wins 2nd throw 1 = “ 26 “ 3 = “ 29 Jks. lose their piece. * * * * * HOUNDS.