Defense and Attack Games Siege
( Defense and Attack, Physical Contest, Strategy, Team Wars and Battle )This game is suitable for a barn the greater the number of open doors and windows available in the barn the better.
The players are divided into two equal parties one of which personate defenders and take their places in the barn with the doors and windows open. The other party are the besiegers and are stationed outside the barn. The fighting is done by means of weeds specially prepared for the purpose. The weeds commonly called redroot or iron-weed are very good for this. The stems measuring about a foot and a half in length are stripped except for a small leaf or tuft of leaves at one end. On the opposite end the root is cut away so as to leave only a small knob which will serve to weight the missile.
The game opens with each party provided with a pile of this ammunition which is thrown at the opponents through the doors and windows of the barn. A player hit once with a dart is considered “wounded ” but may keep on playing. A player hit twice is “killed ” and is out of the game. Each party must keep within its own bounds.
The party wins which has the fewest killed at the end of the game. This was a favorite game with a group of Long Island boys from one of whom the author obtained it.