of the footballers of my acquaintance four had broken their left arm, five had broken their right arm, two had the right arm sound, and three had sound left arms." Can you discover from that statement what is the smallest number of players that the speaker could be acquainted with?
It does not at all follow that there were as many as fourteen men, because, for example, two of the men who had broken the left arm might also be the two who had sound right arms.
390.—THE HORSE-RACE PUZZLE.
There are no morals in puzzles. When we are solving the old puzzle of the captain who, having to throw half his crew overboard in a storm, arranged to draw lots, but so placed the men that only the Turks were sacrificed, and all the Christians left on board, we do not stop to discuss the questionable morality of the proceeding. And when we are dealing with a measuring problem, in which certain thirsty pilgrims are to make an equitable division of a barrel of beer, we do not object that, as total abstainers, it is against our conscience to have anything to do with intoxicating liquor. Therefore I make no apology for introducing a puzzle that deals with betting.
Three horses—Acorn, Bluebottle, and Capsule—start in a race. The odds are 4 to 1, Acorn; 3 to 1. Bluebottle; 2 to 1, Capsule. Now, how much must I invest on each horse in order to win £13, no matter which horse comes in first? Supposing, as an example, that I betted £5 on each horse. Then, if Acorn won, I should receive £20 (four times £5), and have to pay £5 each for the other two horses; thereby winning £10. But it will be found that if Bluebottle was first I should only win £5, and if Capsule won I should gain nothing and lose nothing. This will make the question perfectly clear to the novice, who, like myself, is not interested in the calling of the fraternity who profess to be engaged in the noble task of "improving the breed of horses."
391.—THE MOTOR-CAR RACE.
Sometimes a quite simple statement of fact, if worded in an unfamiliar manner, will cause considerable perplexity. Here is an example, and it will doubtless puzzle some of my more youthful readers just a little. I happened to be at a motor-car race at Brooklands, when one spectator said to another, while a number of cars were whirling round and round the circular track: —
"There's Gogglesmith—that man in the white car!"
"Yes, I see," was the reply; "but how many cars are running in this race?"
Then came this curious rejoinder:—
"One-third of the cars in front of Goggle-smith added to three-quarters of those behind him will give you the answer."
Now, can you tell how many cars were running in the race?
PUZZLE GAMES.
To lie in honour's truckle bed."
Hudibras.
It may be said generally that a game is a contest of skill for two or more persons, into which we enter either for amusement or to win a prize. A puzzle is something to be done or solved by the individual. For example, if it were possible for us so to master the complexities of the game of chess that we could be assured of always winning with the first or second move, as the case might be, or of always drawing, then it would cease to be a game and would become a puzzle. Of course among the young and uninformed, when the correct winning play is not understood, a puzzle may well make a very good game. Thus there is no doubt children will continue to play "Noughts and Crosses," though I have shown (No. 109, "Canterbury Puzzles") that between two players who both thoroughly understand the play, every game should be drawn. Neither player could ever win except through the blundering of his opponent. But I am writing from the point of view of the student of these things.
The examples that I give in this class are apparently games, but, since I show in every case how one player may win if he only play correctly, they are in reality puzzles. Their interest, therefore, lies in attempting to discover the leading method of play.
392.—THE PEBBLE GAME.
Here is an interesting little puzzle game that I used to play with an acquaintance on the beach at Slocomb-on-Sea. Two players place an odd number of pebbles, we will say fifteen, between them. Then each takes in turn one, two, or three pebbles (as he chooses), and the winner is the one who gets the odd number. Thus, if you get seven and your opponent eight, you win. If you get six and he gets nine, he wins. Ought the first or second player to win, and how? When you have settled the question with fifteen pebbles try again with, say, thirteen.
393.—THE TWO ROOKS.
This is a puzzle game for two players. Each player has a single rook. The first player places his rook on any square of the board that he may choose to select, and then the second player does the same. They now play in turn, the point of each play being to capture the opponent's rook. But in this game you cannot play through a line of attack without being captured. That is to say, if in the diagram it is Black's turn to
