puts a counter on No. 6, and the other puts one on No. 55, and they play
alternately by removing the counter to any other number in a line. If
your opponent moves at any time on to one of the lines you occupy, or
even crosses one of your lines, you immediately capture him and win. We
will take an illustrative game.

A moves from 55 to 52; B moves from 6 to 13; A advances to 23; B goes to
15; A retreats to 26; B retreats to 13; A advances to 21; B retreats to
2; A advances to 7; B goes to 3; A moves to 6; B must now go to 4; A
establishes himself at 11, and B must be captured next move because he
is compelled to cross a line on which A stands. Play this over and you
will understand the game directly. Now, the puzzle part of the game is
this: Which player should win, and how many moves are necessary?


395.--A WAR PUZZLE GAME.

[Illustration]

Here is another puzzle game. One player, representing the British
general, places a counter at B, and the other player, representing the
enemy, places his counter at E. The Britisher makes the first advance
along one of the roads to the next town, then the enemy moves to one of
his nearest towns, and so on in turns, until the British general gets
into the same town as the enemy and captures him. Although each must
always move along a road to the next town only, and the second player
may do his utmost to avoid capture, the British general (as we should
suppose, from the analogy of real life) must infallibly win. But how?
That is the question.