A game of ball played on a level piece of ground, called a court, by two, three, or four persons.  When two play the game is called “singles,” and when four play it is called “doubles.”  The game is played with a rubber ball, and rackets made by stringing gut on a wooden frame.  The dimensions of a tennis court are 36 by 78 feet.  In addition to this, space must be allowed for the players to run back, and it is customary to lay out a court at least 50 by 100 feet to give plenty of playing space.  The court is divided into various lines, either by means of lime applied with a brush or by tapes.  Midway between the two rear lines and in the centre of the court a net is stretched, supported by posts.

In playing one of the players has the serve—­that is, he attempts to strike the ball so that it will go over the net and into a specified space on the opposite side of the net.  His opponent then attempts to return the serve—­that is, to strike the ball either on the fly or the first bound and knock it back over the net somewhere within the playing space as determined by the lines.  In this way the ball is volleyed or knocked back and forth until one of the players fails either to return it over the net or into the required space.  To fail in this counts his opponents a point.  Four points constitute a game except where both sides have obtained three points, in which case one side to win must secure two points in succession.

The score is not counted as 1, 2, 3, and 4, but 15, 30, 40, game.  When both sides are at 40 it is called “deuce.”  At this point a lead of two is necessary to win.  The side winning one of the two points at this stage is said to have the “advantage,” or, as it is expressed, “vantage in” or “vantage out,” depending upon whether it is the side of the server or his opponents, the server’s score always being called first.

A set of tennis consists of enough games to permit one side to win six, or if both are at five games won, to win two games over their opponents.

LAST TAG

There are a great many games of “tag” that are familiar to boys and girls.  One of the common games is “last tag,” which simply means that a boy tags another and makes him “it” before leaving the party on his way home.  It is the common boys’ method of saying “good-bye” when leaving school for home.  The principal rule of last tag is that there is “no tagging back.”  The boy who is “it” must not attempt to tag the one who tagged him, but must run after some one else.  It is a point of honour with a boy not to be left with “last tag” against him, but he must try to run some one else down, when he is then immune and can watch the game in safety, or can leave for home with no blot on his escutcheon.

LUGE-ING

A form of coasting very much practised in Switzerland at the winter resorts where the sled used is similar to our American child’s sled with open framework instead of a toboggan or the more modern flexible flyer which is generally used by boys in America.