A purse, prize, or premium is .ordinarily some valuable thing, offered by a person for the doing of something by others, into strife for which he does not enter. lie has not a chance of gaining the thing offered ; and, if he abide by his offer, that he must lose it and give it over to some of those con- ‘tending for it is reasonably certain. Harris v. White, 81 N. Y. 539.