XVIII

THE PENDULUM (WITH ONE WHIST PACK)

THIS is an interesting and entirely original game, affording opportunities of play to those who like ingenious problems.

Take out the four aces and lay them at the top of the board, two at one side and two at the other, with a space between. Now deal out the pack in six rows of eight cards each, putting the first two cards of the top row under the aces on the left, and the last two under the aces on the right.

You have now to examine the board, to decide what method of building you will adopt. You have complete liberty in this respect; may build upward or downward, in straight sequences or by twos, threes, &c. You will be guided entirely by the cards in the lower rows, especially by those in the lowest, as unless you can move these freely the game will be blocked at its beginning. The following example will illustrate how to choose your method of building.

EXAMPLE I
(showing the two lowest rows).

The best way of building in this case will be downward by twos, as five cards are thus at once released — the two queens in the bottom row, the 10 of clubs, followed by the 8 of clubs, and the queen of hearts when the cards are moved up while the 8 of hearts only awaits the 10. No other method in this case is practicable. In a downward sequence by twos, the complete series of the whole thirteen cards of a suit, starting (say) from the ace, will be A, Q, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, K, J, 9, 7, 5, 3; the 3 being the crowning card of the packet.

To take another example, if we elected to build upward by threes, the complete sequence would be A, 4, 7, 1o, K, 3, 6, 9, Q, 2, 5, 8, J; and in this case the knave would be the crowning card of the packet.

Having once chosen your order of play, you must keep to it throughout the game. You may move any exposed card on to another exposed card, always building the reverse way to the way you build on the aces. When you have removed a card, the one above it (being now exposed) may be played. You may move an exposed card vertically — that is, on to a card in the row above it which is not itself exposed, but which is the next in the proper order. For instance, if the game is progressing by a straight upward sequence, and a 9 of clubs is just below the 10 (the 9 being an exposed card), you may place the latter upon the 10, which can now be placed upon an exposed knave. The two corner cards of the top row are privileged; you may move single cards or sequences upon them at any period of the game, but you may not remove them to lower rows until they themselves become exposed, owing to the number of cards in the lower rows becoming less.

When no more building can be done with the cards in their actual position you push the broken rows together towards the right and try again. When blocked once more it is again time for the pendulum to swing; you move to the left all the rows that have been lessened, so getting some fresh exposed cards to work with.

It is well to keep each row, so far as possible, at least one card shorter than the one above it. Should a gap be made in the top row, by the moving of some exposed card down to a lower one, the space can only be filled by the highest card of the sequence that you have chosen — for instance, the king in a straight upward, or the 2 in a straight downward sequence. The cards in the top row are never moved up together, as in the lower rows, but each space is either filled, as has been explained, or waits for the privileged card to turn up. When exposed, the top row cards are as available for building as any others.

At the third swing you move the rows to the right again, and so on alternately throughout the game, which will show a constantly diminishing board, both by the columns becoming shorter, and, as fast as it can be managed, by the rows becoming narrower. Eventually only the top row is left, the cards are all exposed, and the aces can be built up in complete sequence. (See Example 2, p. 74.)

EXAMPLE 2.

A straight upward sequence is indicated, as three twos and two threes go out at once on the aces. The exposed 10 of diamonds comes down on the knave, and the queen of hearts goes up on the king. The knave and 10 of diamonds are put on the queen, and the 4 of diamonds goes out.

After these buildings and packings have been effected, the disposition of the lay-out will be as shown below. (Under the queen of hearts is the king; under the 10 of diamonds are the knave and queen.)

THE PENDULUM.
(Before the first "Swing.")

We now "swing the pendulum to the right"  —  that is, keeping every row in its own line, we move up the cards in it as far as they will go towards the right hand. The lay-out, after the swing, will consequently be as diagrammed below:

(After the first " Swing.")

Since both the 8 and 9 of hearts are now "exposed," the former can be packed on the latter. Now the cards are swung back in a similar manner to the left hand. The 9 of clubs comes down on to the 10, and the queen of spades on to the king. The 8 of spades goes of 9, and the queen of clubs on the king. Swing to right. The knave of spades goes on the queen. The 5 and 6 of diamonds go out. This makes a space in the top row, into which you put the king, queen, knave of spades. The 4 of clubs goes on to the 5 in the top right-hand corner. The 9 and 8 of hearts go on the 10. The 10 of spades goes on the knave. Swing to left. The 3 of hearts goes out. The queen of diamonds (with knave and 10) on to the king. The 9 of diamonds on to the 10. The 8 of clubs on the 9. The 4 of hearts, 7 of diamonds, and 4 of spades go out. The king and queen of clubs go into the space in the top row. The 5 of hearts goes out, and so do the 2, 3, 4, 5 of clubs. The king and queen of hearts go into vacant space. The knave of clubs goes on to the queen, and the 10 9, 8 of clubs on to the knave. The 8 of diamonds goes out. Close up the second row by moving the 7 of hearts up to the 7 of spades; then the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 of hearts all run out. The 7 of clubs goes on the 8 and the 6 of clubs on the 7.

The 9 and 8 of spades go on the 10. All the cards are now quickly disposed of and the game is won; but circumstances are not usually so propitious!