Lacrosse is becoming very popular among the young men and lads of the United States, and very properly, too, for it is a fine game, and one that is thoroughly American. Years ago, how many no one knows, it was played by American Indians, who called it "Baggataway."

Basil Hall, Catlin, and Lanman, who have written some of the best books about Indians, tell how the Creeks of Alabama, the Cherokees of North Carolina, and other tribes, played the game years ago, and their accounts show that then it was a fierce, hard game to play, in which the young Indians displayed wonderful skill and strength and pluck, and where broken bones were no rare thing.

"But," says one writer, "there never appears to be any spite or wanton exertions of strength to affect them, nor do disputes ever happen between the parties." These last words should be printed in large letters, that they may be easily read by all boys nowadays who play lacrosse.

In those days the game was not the scientific one that it is now. Then it was a matter of brute strength, and sometimes as many as six hundred, eight hundred, and even a thousand, players took part. The Canadian Indians claim to have invented the present game, and when the French first saw them playing, they gave it the name "La Crosse"—the bat—from the bat, or crosse, used in the game.

For a long time only the Indians played it; then the young Canadians took it up; and finally, in 1867, the game was formally adopted as the national game of Canada. Naturally the Canadians play well their own game, and the best clubs in the world are said to be the Toronto Club, of Toronto, and the Shamrocks, of Montreal.

They are great rivals, and which is the best it would be hard to say. Not long ago they played one hour and thirty-six minutes without either getting a goal, and then they were stopped by the darkness.

Lacrosse is a simple game, and easy to understand. A large level piece of ground is required, the smoother the better, but smoothness is not necessary. A goal is simply two poles driven into the ground, so that the tops, where wave little flags, shall be six feet high. The poles are six feet apart. Each side has a goal, designated by the color of the flag. These goals may be any distance apart, just as the players decide.

Now the great thing to do is for one side to throw the ball through the goal of the other side. At the end of the play, the side having thus made the most goals is the winner. By throwing, it is not meant that the ball is thrown with the hands, as in base-ball. The ball is never to be touched by the hands. All the work is done with the crosse, which is made of a frame of bent wood, on which are woven thongs of rawhide or catgut. This has a long handle. With this crosse the ball is caught, carried, and thrown.

So expert do some players become that they will throw the ball straight and swiftly from goal to goal. Mr. Lally, of the Shamrock Club, is able to throw the ball four hundred and fifty feet. The ball is of India rubber sponge, not less than eight nor more than nine inches in circumference. As the game is now played, twelve players are on each side, placed according to the best judgment of their captains for working the ball toward the opposite goal, or keeping it from going through their own goal.

All the play, the running, dodging, leaping, twisting, throwing, is simply to get the ball through the goal. This part of it is easily learned. Of course it requires practice to enable one to handle the crosse well. But any active lad can soon get the hang of that, and once learned, it is doubtful if he will give up lacrosse for base-ball, with its broken fingers and sprained thumbs, or for foot-ball, with its kicked shins and sometimes broken ribs.

But lacrosse is no girls' play. There is sufficient hard work and danger to make it quite exciting enough for anybody; but there is not much danger of a player's getting maimed for life, as has often happened in these other games. There are no spiked shoes worn, no wrestling, no holding, no intentional tripping, no striking. It is simply a game of agility and endurance.

To be a good player, one must be able to run well and to run long. It is remarkable what speed and endurance some of the players possess. To have these, they must take good care of their health, and good lacrosse players are careful seldom or never to touch tobacco or strong drink, nor to eat unwholesome food at unnatural hours.

Lacrosse is a good game, because it cultivates courage in a boy, knocks the timidity out of him, gives him confidence and pluck, and teaches him to govern his temper. It develops judgment and calculation, promptness and decision, and gives him a healthful and manly recreation. Besides, it is a cheap game. It can be played on almost any vacant lot. In Canada it is played in the streets of the towns and on the village greens. The balls are not expensive, and last well, and the crosses do not cost a large sum.

It is a pretty game. It is very interesting to watch twenty-four players, especially if they are wearing tasteful uniforms, all rushing, leaping, dodging, over the green grass, each side intent upon driving that little black ball through the goal.

There have been games of lacrosse that were not so pretty. History tells of one that ended in a fearful tragedy. It was played over one hundred years ago, in 1763. One of the British chain of forts in the North was Fort Michilimackinac. On the 4th of June, 1763, it was garrisoned by thirty-five soldiers, and contained about ninety other persons, men, women, and children. It was the birthday of King George, and the soldiers were celebrating the day.

There had been rumors that the Ojibway Indians had conspired with Pontiac, the great chief, to capture the fort, but Captain Etherington, the commandant, paid no attention to them. So, when on this day the Ojibways sent an invitation to the fort to see a grand game of "baggataway," or lacrosse, between them and the Sacs, on the plain in front of the fort, the soldiers gladly accepted.

"The gates were opened wide," says Mr. W.G. Beers, in his account of the game; "the soldiers were lying and standing about in groups, the majority without arms. Captain Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie stood close by the gate, betting on the game.

"A large number of squaws were collected near the fort. Then the game began. The players, nearly naked, yelling, with leaps and dashes, chased and fought for the ball, kicking, wrestling, rolling over each other. The spectators roared with laughter. No one thought of anything but the game. But slowly the ball neared the fort. Once or twice it shot into the air, and fell inside the pickets, and was thrown out. Gradually the great body of players neared the fort, all playing with might and main.

"Suddenly the ball was thrown high into the air, and as it fell near the gate, the players made a great rush, followed by all the warriors who had not been playing.

"The war-whoop rang over the plain; the ball sticks were thrown away; the squaws threw open their blankets, and the players snatched the tomahawks and other weapons they had concealed there."

Then the massacre began, and of that little band of English but twenty escaped alive. So you see when you play lacrosse you are playing a purely American game, and a historical game too.