The Traitor's List
Translation details
Model:mistral-large-2512.Translated text
Section titled “Translated text”The most suitable terrain for this game is a forest or fields overgrown with bushes, or possibly willow thickets; however, in their absence, hilly ground may also serve.
The troop is divided into 2 parts: for example, Italians and Turks. Each half camps on opposite sides of the forest. In the Italian camp, there is a traitor who has conspired with the Turk to place a list containing very important documents in a certain tree, which he will mark in an agreed manner. This tree should be located in the very center of the forest, equidistant from both camps.
The game begins as if camping, and the traitor leaves the camp (before the guards are posted), places the list, and returns. Meanwhile, his absence is noticed, betrayal is suspected, and upon his return, he is arrested on charges of treason. He refuses to reveal the hiding place of the list, yet is sentenced to exile and, as an outlaw, remains only a passive spectator for the rest of the game.
At a signal given by the judge’s bugle, the Italians begin searching for the list and strive to prevent the Turks from obtaining it. Upon hearing the bugle, the Turks also leave their camp, search for the tree with the agreed marks, and monitor the Italians’ movements. The traitor should be cautious when hiding the list so as not to break twigs or leave footprints, lest he make it easier for the Italians to find the list.
Each scout is armed with a tennis ball or a pinecone. If 2 enemies meet during the search for the list, they strike at each other with the balls (pinecones), and the one who is hit first must withdraw from the game under pain of dishonor. The main objectives of this game are searching for the list, ambushing, tracking, and stalking, while striking the opponent with a ball or pinecone is only a last resort for self-defense. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the judge gives the bugle signal for assembly and awards points. For hitting an opponent with a pinecone so that they withdraw from the game, 1 point is awarded. For finding the list, 4 points are awarded. The party with the most points wins.
This game can also be played in winter, though the traitor must be as cunning as a fox and, using various ruses, leave misleading tracks if possible—walking backward, kneeling, or repeating jumps with the aid of his scout staff. Snowballs serve as ammunition.
Source scan: Polona / National Library of Poland, marked “Public Domain”. View scan — page 42.
Metadata
Section titled “Metadata”- Type: game
- Traits: Not stated in the source
- Source: Herman A. Mojmir, Ćwiczenia i zabawy skautowe (1912)
- Printed pages: 30–32
- Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
- Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 30
- Read the source text: ciz-040