Lady Cadogan's Illustrated Games of Solitaire or Patience Part 10

III. Cards in the valley may be transferred in alternate _descending_ sequence from one packet to another, and the uppermost card of the talon may also be placed in sequence on the valley, but, like those of the foundations, the sequences in the valley must be formed of alternate colors.

IV. Only the uppermost cards of the valley packets are available until their removal releases those beneath.

PLAY

Deal out from left to right a row of thirteen cards. This is called the Terrace. You next turn up from the pack in hand three cards, and choose one of the three as a foundation. Place the foundation card underneath the Terrace on the left side, and the seven other cards of similar value will take their places, as they turn up in the deal, in a line with the first foundation (see tableau).

You next place your two rejected cards underneath the foundation, and deal out seven other cards alongside, forming a third horizontal row of nine cards. This is called the valley. From the valley you take any foundations, and having placed them, you play also any other suitable cards (Rule II); but you must first examine the Terrace, as cards must always in preference be played from the Terrace (Rule I). Having played all suitable cards, and refilled the vacancies in the valley from the pack in hand, proceed to place cards in sequence in the valley (Rules III and IV), of course playing them in preference on the foundations when possible, but remember always to examine the Terrace, as the success of the game depends entirely on detaching cards from the Terrace. If even a suitable card could be played from the valley, and none were at the moment available on the Terrace, it would still be better to refrain from playing it, if an equally suitable card from the Terrace were likely shortly to be released. In reference to your choice of the foundation cards, you should always examine the available card of the Terrace and choose, if possible, one below it in value.

You next proceed to deal out the entire pack, playing on foundations (Rule II), placing and transferring cards in the valley (Rules III and IV), and refilling vacancies.

There is no re-deal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GENERAL SEDGEWICK.]

GENERAL SEDGEWICK

One Entire Pack of Cards

RULES

I. The original five cards forming the cross are available, but when they are covered by the addition of others, only the uppermost card of each packet is available until its removal releases the card beneath.

II. The foundations follow suit.

III. Cards on the cross may be transferred in descending sequence from one packet to another, and cards from the pack or talon may also be placed in descending sequence on those of the cross.

IV. Cards on the cross need not follow suit.

PLAY

Deal five cards and place them in the form of a cross.

The next card turned is to be placed in the left-hand upper corner, and this const.i.tutes the foundation card, the three others of similar value, as they appear, being placed in the three other corners (see tableau).

The foundation cards ascend in sequence (Rule II).

Having placed the cross and the first foundation, play any foundation or other suitable cards from the cross, filling the vacancies from pack or talon. You then proceed to transfer cards on the cross (Rules I, III, and IV); and although not necessary, it is very advantageous that these packets should be of the same suit, as they are then ready to be played on to the foundations, and to effect this by transferring the cards backward and forward as much as possible should be the great object of the player.

Continue to deal out the cards till the pack is exhausted--playing, transferring, and refilling vacancies. The non-suitable cards form the talon.

There is no re-deal.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE QUEENS.]

THE QUEENS

Two Entire Packs of Cards

RULES

I. The foundations follow suit.

II. The uppermost card of the key is alone available until its removal releases the card beneath; each card that is played releasing the one that it covered.

III. Cards from the key can only be played on the foundations and may not be placed on the shutter.

IV. The cards in payment of the queens are taken from the _top_ of the key (fourteen for each queen _including_ herself).

V. Cards in payment of the queens are taken from the _bottom_ of the talon (three for each queen _exclusive_ of herself).

PLAY

Take from the pack thirty-two cards; place them in a packet on the left side, face upward. This packet is called the key. If the uppermost card should be a queen, take fourteen cards from the top of the key (including the queen) and place them at the bottom of the pack (Rule IV). After removing the fourteen cards, should the next card on the key chance also to be a queen, you repeat the process, thus adding twenty-eight cards to the pack, and diminis.h.i.+ng those on the key. Even if the next card in like manner chanced to be a queen, you would take all the remaining cards of the key (which could, however, only be four) and add them to the pack,--thus getting rid of the key, which would greatly facilitate the success of the game.

After dealing out the key (and if you have good luck, diminis.h.i.+ng it) you next proceed to deal seven cards, placing them in two rows of four and three cards respectively. (See tableau.) These are called the shutter. If during the dealing of these any kings appear, place them in a row above. The eight kings are the foundations, which ascend through aces to queens (Rule I).

When the shutter is dealt, play from it any suitable cards, refilling the s.p.a.ces at once, but always first look to see if a card from the key is available (Rules II and III), and play that in preference, as it is all important to get rid of the key. Cards on the shutter can marry in descending line with each other, or with cards from the pack or talon.

When you have married or played all available cards, deal out the remainder of the pack, playing, marrying, and refilling s.p.a.ces; the unsuitable cards forming a talon.

You must carefully count the number of queens that you place in the talon (it is best to have some counters at hand for this purpose), as when the pack is exhausted each of these queens counts for three cards--_i.e._, for each queen you take from the bottom of the talon three cards besides herself (Rule V)--and these cards const.i.tute a fresh pack to deal from.

Thus, if the talon contains six queens, you take from it eighteen cards exclusive of the six queens (Rule V) and deal them out again, and again count the queens to repay yourself as before. This is done to give a fresh chance of winning the game, as the talon is not re-dealt in its entirety. If the talon has not sufficient cards left to pay three for each queen, you simply take all that remain, and then there is good hope of success, if the key has also been played out.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE HERRING-BONE.]