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Card Tricks
A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON

Conjuring with Cards

By

Ellis Stanyon

Illustratedby Nina G. Barlow

Philadelphia

The Penn Publishing; Gjmpany

1900
 ^^f:.o 2161
(^ "b\o'
Library of Cong

Two Copies Received

JUL'18 1900
Copyrightentry

"
FIRST COPY.
2nd Copy Ddivered to

ORDER DIVISION

CorVRIGHT 1900 BY THE PeNN PUPLISHING COMPANY

 CONTENTS

PAGK r"9
Introduction 7

I Principles of Sleight of Hand 12

II Sleight of Hand Tricks 29

III Tricks Performed Without the Aid of Sleight

OF Hand . . 59

lY Tricks with Special Cards and Apparatus ... 85

Y Conclusion 124
 PREFACE

'X'RICKS with cards are ever popular, and are

within the reach of every one who cares to

'

J vote a httletime to the study of sleightof hand.

Who has not watched in speechlesswonderment,

and longed to emulate the nimble-fingeredprofessor

IS he takes the cards in his hand and causes them to

pass thence, invisibly,along his sleeve and finally

alight on his white shirt front; or as he throws a

card some twenty feet in the air,at an angle of 45

degrees,and causes it to return to his hand, which,
during the flightof the card, has seized a pair of
scissorswith which the card isnow severed in twain ?
Much that is new
appertaining to conjuring with
cards has appeared of late years, which, together
interest
with a number of simple tricksof sufficient
to keep the neophyte engrossed in the early stagesof
5
6 preface

his it will be the province of the author in

career,

the followingpages to reveal. No pains have been

spared in compiling thislittlevolume to make it as

clearand comprehensive as possible; and the author
trusts that his efforts
may be the means
of ening
enlight-
his confreres,
and putting in the way of those
who have hithertotaken no interestin legerdemain,
the innocent recreationof magic with cards.

ELLIS STANYON
 INTRODUCTION

Much that is interestingmight be told of the

'

history of Playing Cards, and the various games of

skillthey provide,but itisquestionablewhether this
would interestthe conjuring who, I have
fraternity,
no doubt, would rather get on at once to the
subject
immediately under consideration. It may seem
strange, but itis neverthelesstrue, that many really
clever card conjurers never indulge in any game of
skillwith the cards ; and, from what has come under
my notice,they are in many cases,ignorant of the
laws governing the best known games. Perhaps itis
well that this is so.
Of all branches of sleightof hand, the nianipula-
tion of cards is the one that deservesthe most atten-
tion.
The prestidigitateurwho can perform a
number of trickswith an ordinary pack of cards will
be a welcome guest anywhere ; and, as far as he is
concerned, he has the satisfactionof knowing that
the cards,and other small accessoriesrequired in the
production of the various tricks are generally to
hand in every household.-
Then again,the continualpracticenecessary to be-
7
8 ITntroDuctlon

come neat manipulator of cards will be found to

a

stand the student in good stead when he turns his

attentionto the other branches of magic. A clever
performer with cards very rarelyfinds any difficulty
with coins,balls,and other small objects ; and, as
far as I have been ableto learn,isa neat manipulator
of apparatus.
Proficiencyin the various sleightof hand move-
ments
be best obtainedby practicingin frontof a
^^ill
largemirror. By standing,say, four yards away from
the glass,the reflection,as it appears to the operator,

vnll be eight yards away from his body, which is

sufficientto give an excellentidea of the best move-
ment
to make, and what angles to avoid. After

practicing in this way a number of times, the mirror

may be dispensed with, as the hands Avill be found to
effectthe desiredpositions,as itwere, automatically.
This being the case, the performer is now in a posi-
tion
to devote his whole attentionto the dramatic
element, by farthe most important featureof a con-
jurin
trick.
The mechanical working of a trick,save in
mere

very few instances, utterly fails to produce any

illusion. It isa matter of common knowledge among
depends, not half
magicians that the art of conjuring
so much in doing marvelous things,as in persuading

the spectatorsthat marvelous things are done. What

 ITntroDuctlon 9

is reallydone is often very simple indeed. Evidence

of this liesin the fact that a child will,not infre-
quently,
arrive at the correct solution of a trick
sooner than an adult. The simplicityof the child
suggests a pin, or a piece of thread, and in the
majority of cases he is right; while the adult will
rack his brain in his endeavor to think out some
abstruseproblem in mechanics, and by the time he
thinks he has found ithe is compelled to give it up
as a bad job.

I amacquainted with many competent performers

who absolutely dread having to give an hour's
entertainment to children, and many will refuse
rather than accept it. The reason, from what has
been said, is pretty clear. The simplicity of the
arrangements, however, should not tend to discredit
the genuineness of the effectproduced. Many little
ruses will suggest themselves, in the course of the
performance, for catching the unwary spectator,be
he young or old, and if successful,the effectis much
enhanced. This is what may be considered the in- terest
side of magic from the point of view of the
performer, and it forms a sure test of his ability.
j\Iuchof the success of an entertainment depends
on the observance of a few old-time rules. The first

and foremost of these is, never acquaint the spec-

tators
with the nature of the trick you are about to
10 "ffntroDuction

perform, or they, anticipatingyour movements, will

in allprobabilitydiscoveryour secret.
Secondly, never perform the same trick twice
during the same evening. This follows as a natural
consequence of the firstrule.
Thirdly, endeavor as far as possibleto have more
ways than one of presenting your best tricks. Thus
prepared,should you be calledupon for an encore,
there will be no need for you to sin against the
second injunction.
Fourthly, vary your tricksas much as possible.
A sleight of hand feat should be followed by a
mechanical problem, or one in which chemistry,or
any other science,plays an important part. This
arrangement willenableyou, where practical, to lead
your audience to believethat a sleightof hand trick
is the outcome of mechanical ingenuity; or to divert
their attentionin any direction,no matter where, so

long as it is sufficientlyremote from the true one.

Thus, In'leadingtheirthoughts into other channels,
they are prevented from too closelyfollowing your
movements.
Lastly, the tyro should thoroughly make up his
mind to study sleightof hand, which is absolutely
necessary to produce an}i:hinglike a brillianteffect
^ith cards. ^lany of the simple tricksmay b.emade
doubly interesting,and possiblyraisedto the dignity
 ITntroDuction II

of stage marvels, by the introductionof one or other

of the sleightshereafterdescribed;in fact,by skilful
combination of the various passes,new tricksmay be
formed at pleasure. Any trouble taken in the acqui-
sition
of dexteritywith the cards will be amply re-i)aid
by the enthusiasticadmiration itcallsforth.
The aspirant should not be discouragedby imagin-
ing
that the necessary practiceis a formidable under-
taking.
Half an hour's study daily will work
wonders in the course of six months, during which
time the interestismaintained by working the simple
tricks,the repertoirebeing increased as greater skill
is acquired.
It is one thing, of course, to tellhow a trick is
done, and another to do it; and if the student can
obtain one or two lessons from an expert he is
strongly recommended to do so, as this will tend
greatlyto facilitatethe early stages of his progress.
This, however, is not absolutely. necessar3\ If the
novice will carefullyfollow the instructionsgiven,
alw^ayspack of cards in hand, he will find nothing
but what may be accomplished, if he will only de-vote
in view.
the necessary time to the object
 CARD TRICKS

CHAPTER I

PRINCIPLES OF SLEIGHT OF HAND

The Pass (Sauterla Coupe). This forms the

"

backbone of card and nine-tenths of the

conjuring,
most brilHantilkisions would be impossible without
it. The idea,for purposes, consistsin
conjuring
reversing the upper and lower halves of the pack,
so that afterthe operation,that portion of the
cards
which was formerly at the top is now at the bottom.
The value of this sleightwillbe appreciatedwhen it
is seen that a chosen card having been returned to
the centre of the pack may be secretlybrought to the
top or bottom, or caused to occupy any positionat
the desireof the performer.
The ' ' Pass ' ' is used, less innocently, by card-
'' ''
sharpers,to neutralizethe effectof the cut, hence
itsFrench title"Sauter la Coupe."
Method of Making the Pass. Place the pack in
"

the lefthand, inserting the littlefinger above that

portion of the cards which it is desired to bring to
the top. The upper half is now held firmlybetween
the littlefingerand the remaining three fingers, by
12
 of Sleigbt of 1ban"
IPrfncipIes 13

the aid of which itmay be Hfteclfrom the rest of the

pack (seeFig. 1). Now bring the right hand over
the cards,grasping the lower halfbetween the thumb
and the second and third fingers; and at the same
time press the inner edge of the
cards well into the fork of the
thumb (see Fig. 2).
Under cover of the right hand,
the top half is now liftedslightly,
as described,at the time the
same

outer edge of the lower half is

raised,until the two portionsjust
cleareach other,when by closing
the lefthand, the pass is made.
The instructions may appear
somewhat intricateon paper, but Fig. 1." Making the Pass
if the student will follow them, Stage)
(First

pack of cards in hand, he willfind

no difficultythat closeattentionwill not speedly re-
move.

It will be well, when firstattempting the

sleight,to stand with the back of the right hand
toward the spectators,in which position the pass,
neatly performed, will be quite imperceptible.
To Force a Card. At
the commencement
"

of
many card tricksthe pack is spread out in frontof a
spectator,with a request that he will selecta card.
In many cases he is allowed to choose freely,but it
14 CarD ^rlcfts

often happens that itis necessary,for the success of

the experiment,that he take a particularcard. This
is effectedby what is known as "forcing" such a
card upon him.
The card to be forcedis generallyplaced in readi-
ness
on the table,and is added to the top or bottom
of the pack by laying the cards on the table for a
moment at the
conclusion of
the preceding
trick. As itis
hardly likely
that a person
will select
eitherthe top
or bottom
card, it must
Fig. 2." Making the Pass be brought to
(SecondStage)
the middle by
' ''
means of the 'pass, in which positionitis guarded
by the little fingerof the lefthand.
AVhen about to force the card, the pack is spread
out fan-wise in frontof the spectatorwho is invited
to choose, and the cards passed on one by one as ifto
facilitatehis choice. As the hand isadvanced to draw,
the card is pushed temptingly forward; and in ninety-
nine cases out of a hundred itwillbe the one chosen.
 Ipdnciplesot Sleigbt of IbanD 15

There isno occasion to hurry, coolness is every-

thing
in this sleight. Should you pass the card be-
fore
the extended fingershave had time to seize it,
you quickly close the "fan," and carelesslyremark,
"Certainly,with pleasure ; any card you please,"
saying which, you open the cards a second time.
Should the worst come to the worst, and you fail to
disposeof the right card, there is no occasion what-
ever
to become confused;you have merely to perform
an extra trick,in which a forced card isnot required,

and try again.

To encourage the novice, I may say that,for the
sake of experiment, I have often accomplished this
sleightafterhaving told a person that I intended to
make him take a certaincard. A card may often be
forcedwith one hand, or when the pack isspread out
on the table,provided that it be slightlymore ex-
posed
than the rest. It is curious how much effect
as this has in determining the choice of
such a trifle
the spectator.
The Changfe. A card freelyshown in the hand
"

of the performer is,a moment later,found to be a

totallydifferentone. This is effectedby what is
known as the "Change."
First Method. The card to be changed is held
"

between the thumb and forefingerof the right

hand; while the card for which it is to be changed
16 CacD ^dcfts

is on the top of the pack held m the lefthand (see

Fig. 3).
In making the change itwillbe readilyunderstood
that the hands must be brought together if only for
an instant;thisis so, but the sleight,as willbe seen,

is so subtlethat it escapes notice. Prior to making

thismovement, the thumb of the left hand pushes

Fig. 3." Making the Change

the top card forward slightly. The card to be

changed is now lowered on to the top of the pack,
and at the same time the top card is seized between
the firstand second fingersof the right hand, and
drawn rapidly away ; the thumb of the lefthand re- tains
the present top card, and the change is made.
Second Method. "

Occasionally,it will be found

more convenient to have the card leftat the bottom
 ot Sleigbt of IbanD
Iprinclples 17

of the pack instead of at the top. This is accom-

pHshed by holding the card to be changed with the
firstand second fingers,instead of the thumb and
forefinger,as in the method ah-eady described;in
other respectsthe movement is practicallythe same.
The bringing of the hands together in the act of
making the change is entirely lost in a rapid half
turn to the left;but the movement may be rendered
even more deceptive by what is really an optical
illusion,making itappear that the hands have never
even approached each other. The illusionis pro- duced
by holding the lefthand immediately in front
of the body, then, in the act of making the change,
to move it a little
to the left,leaving the right hand
in the positionformerly occupied by the lefthand.
The impression given is that both hands have simul- taneously
made a movement toward the left,but
that theirrelativepositionshave remained unaltered.
Should the performer mistrust his abilityto execute
the sleightunobserved, he may do so with absolute
safetyunder cover of the remark, "See, I do not re- turn
''
th" card to the pack for a singleinstant, then,
suitingthe action to the word, the change is made.
Third Method.
"

A chosen card having been

brought to the top of the pack may be made to take
the place of a wrong card shown "in the following
: The operator,holding the
manner
pack in the left
2
18 CarD Zvichs

hand, takes up wliatappears to be the top card; in

reahty,however, he removes two cards,and showing
''
the undermost one exclaims, That is your card,I
beheve, sir? Yes ; thank you." Then, suitingthe
action to the word, he makes a quick motion as if
returning the card to the top of the pack, but in
doing so ic checked by a reply from the drawer to the
followingeffect: "No, that is not my card; I drew
the seven of clubs,and you have shown me the ten
of hearts."
It is need-
less
to say
that, in the
act referred
to above, the
undermost
card was

Fig. 4." Palming a Card (First

Stage) actually re-
turne
to the
pack, thus leavingthe performer master of the situa-
tion.

To Palm a Card^ This consistsof holding

"

card, or several cards,in the palm of the hand, in

such a manner as not to attract the attentionof the

spectator,while at the same time the hand may be

used with perfectfreedom (see Fig. 4). The abiUty
to do this neatly is of the utmost importance to a
 ot Sleigbt of IbanD
Ipdnciplee 19

and is by no means so difficult

as. at
conjuror,
firstsight, it may appear. Many pe'ople,with a
vague idea of palming as applied to coins,balls,and
other small objects, never dream of the possibility of
being able to conceal in the palm of the hand an article
of such comparatively large area as a playing card.
This, of course, is allin favor of the deception.
'' ''
In the case of a single card, the palm is gen-
erally
executedafter
the follomng man-
ner:

We will sup-
pose
a card has been

freely chosen and

duly noted by the
drawer. The pack
is then spread out,
fanwise,to facilitate
Fig. 5." Palming a Card (Second Stage)
the return of the
card; and when this has been done the "fan" is
closed,the littlefinger being insertedbetween the
two halves,on the top of the chosen card, in readi-
ness
for the "pass" (seepage 12), The card is
brought to the top and pushed, Aviththe thumb half-
way
off the rest. At the same time, the right hand
is brought over the pack, and the card gripped be-
tween
the firstjointsof the fingersand the fleshy
part of the thumb (see Fig. 5).
20 CarD Zxic\\6

In the case of severalcards the procedureis some-

what
changed!We willsuppose itisdesiredto palm
offthe four top cards priorto handing the pack to be
shuffled. The pack is held, as usual, in the left
hand. The right hand is brought down over the
cards, apparently with the sole object of squaring
them together,but really,with the thumb, to push
forward six or seven cards about half an inch over
the top edge of the pack. The precise number is
immaterial so long as you secure four or more, as to
stop to count the exact number would be fatal. This
having been done, the right hand is removed, and
casuallyshown emjDty, at the same time both sleeves
are pulled back slightlywith the of showing
object
that allis fairand above board.
This movement having been successfullyaccom-
plished
the cardsare palmed in the act of transferring
the pack from the lefthand to the rightwhile pulling
back the sleeves. The right hand very naturally
fallson the upper extremity of the extended cards,
and tiltsthem mechanically intothe palm, the upper
end of the pack forming the fulcrum. At the same
instantthe upper end of the pack is gripped between
the fingersand thumb of the right hand, and forth-
with
handed to be shuffled(seeFig. 4). In this
case, however, the faces of the cards are uppermost.
Should you requireto use the hand containingthe
 of Slefflbtof IbanD
IPdncipIes 21

palmed cards,do not hesitate, ifneed be, to bend the

cards until their opposite ends all but meeet ; any
''
temporary ' ' curl may be afterwardscured by means
of the "ruffle" (seepage 25). The palmed cards
are returned to the pack, eitherwhen taking it from
the spectator,or in the act of transferringitfrom one
hand to the other.
The False Shuffle, The method of palming off
"

the top card prior to handing the pack to be shuffled

is, at times, likely to become monotonous to the

performer ; and is not unlikely,iftoo often repeated,

to lead to detection on the part of the audience.
Anything likely to cause the interestto waver, or

that tends in any way to sin against one of the

cardinalprecepts of magic, is to be avoided.
Again, itis not always desirableto place the pack
in the hands of a spectator,especiallywhen it is
necessary to keep a number of cards in view, or, as
is often the the whole of the pack in a pre-
case, arrange
order. This double desideratum is secured
''
by employing what isknown as the ' ' False Shuffle.
First Method. A selectedcard, duly noted, is
"

receivedback in the pack in the orthodox manner ;

" "
the pass is made, leaving the card at the bottom.
A shufflefrequently used by card players is now
employed in which the pack is held in the right
hand, fingerson the outer and thumb on the inner
22 CarD Zxic\\6

end, the back of the cardsfacingthe lefthand. The

cardsare now passed,a few at a time, from the top
of the pack into the lefthand, the operationbeing
assistedwith the leftthumb. At the conclusioji of
the shuffle,the lastcard,i,e.,the chosen one, falls
on the top of the pack, to be disposed of as may be
requiredin the course of the trick.
Second Method. "

This, again, is a sTiufflein

ordinaryuse. It is equallysuitable for keeping one
or more cards undisturbed at the top of the pack.
The shuffleis executed by dividingthe pack into
two portions,one in each hand, the cardsbeing held
in a verticalposition,faceto face,on the table, a few

inchesapart. A few cardsare now letfallfrom each

portion alternately, the upper ends overlapping as
they fall. The performer has merely to take care to
hold back the originaltop cardsuntilthe last,when
they are again allowedto fallon the top of the pack,
and the shuffleis complete.
Third Method. "

This shuffleismost suitablefor

keeping fiveor six cards togetherat the bottom of
the pack. For the purpose of illustration ^ve will

suppose thatthe requirednumber of cards have been

'' "
broughtto the desired positionby the pass or other ^
means.
,^
The shuffleis commenced by holding the pack in f.
the lefthand and passingfiveor sixof the top cards j
 Iprlndplcsot Slei^bt of 1ban" 23

into the right hand, the remainder being placed in

Hke parcels,alternately, above and below the first
packet. The cards which it is desired to keep in
view are finallyplaced at the bottom of the pack.
Fourth Method. "

This is a very subtle arrange-

ment'
in the form of a shuffle,for keeping the whole
of the pack in a pre-arrangedorder.
In the firstplace,the ' ' pass ' ' is made rather low
down in the pack, in other words, about one-fourth

Fig. 6." The False Shuffle

of the cards are brought to the top, the divisionbe-

ing
kept by means fingerof the lefthand.
of the little
The whole of the cards are now taken in the right
hand, fingersat the top end, and thumb, which at
the sametime keeps the opening between the two
portions,at the bottom end of the cards. The cards
are now held horizontally,face downward, a few
inches from the table,on which they are allowed to
fallin four heaps, as indicatedin Fig. 6, the under-
24 CarD tTricfts

most packet fallingat 1, the next in order at 2, and

that portion of the cards brought to
so on; finally,
'' "
the top by the pass is allowed to fallat 4. The
operation is completed by placing, with the left
hand, heap 1 on heap 4; with the righthand, heap 2
hand, heap 3 oh top of
on heap 1 ; and, with the left

all,when it will be found that

the cards occupy the same posi-
tions
as they did before the
'' ''
pass was made. By a little
ingenuityon the part of the per-
former,
this shuffle may be
varied,and be made more com-
plicated
ad lib.
I have dwelt at some length
on trickshuffles,but have found
this necessary, inasmuch as

many tricksdepend, forthe most

Fig. 7." Slipping a Card part, on one or other of those
mentioned.
To Slipa Cafd" This sleight,
"

althoughvery simple,
isnot to be despised,as itplays the leading part in
many excellenttricks. It is performed by holding
the pack in a horizontalposition,facedownwards, in
the lefthand. The right hand advances and, ap- parentl
withdraws the undermost card; in reality,
however, thiscard is drawn back slightly Avith the,
 of Slelgbt of IbanD
Ipdnclples 25

thirdfingerof the lefthand (seeFig, 7),and that

next above it removed.
For practicalapplicationof this movement, see
a

page 49.
The Ruffle* This is really,so to speak, an orna-
"

mental
sleight,of which many are frequentlyused,
eitheras proofs of dexterity,or for the more mate
legiti-
purpose of divertingthe attentionof the spec-
tators
from the true modus operandi of the trick. I
shallhave occasion to revert to this in the following
pages.
The "Ruffle" is executed by holding the pack in
the lefthand, with the thumb pressed firmly on the
centre of the cards. The right hand grips the cards,
with the second and third fingers at the top and the
thumb at the bottom. The upper edges of the cards
are bent upwards and allowed to spring from the
fingers,one by one, causing a sharp, cracklingsound,
from which the sleightderivesitsname.
To Throw a Card. This, again,is a sleightof an
"

ornamental character,but in addition to this,when

successfullyexecuted,forms an indubitable proofof
the dexterityof the performer.
A card is held by one end between the fingersand
thumb of the right hand, with the forefingeron the

outer corner (seeFig. 8). The card is thrown for-

ward
at an angle of 45 deg.,with all the force at
26 CarO ^rlcfts

command, as indicated by the arrow ; and, as it

leavesthe hand, the forefinger, with a quick pull on
the corner, causes it to revolve rapidly on itsown
axis. When the forcewith which the card is thrown
forward becomes spent, the factthat itisstill revolv-
ing
rapidly causes it,so to speak, to slide back
on the air and return to the hand of the performer.

The prin- "^

ciple will be ^^
better under-
stood
if notice
be taken that
when the card
is thrown in a
horizontal
line, as in- Fig. 8." Throwing a Card
dicatedby the
second arrow, it will stillmake an
effort to return, but does so at the same
angle,i. e. , 45 deg., and consequently fallsfar short
of the mark.
The card may also be thrown from one side of a
theatreto the other by holding itas shown in Fig. 8,
and causing it to revolve slightlyas it leaves the
hand. In this case, however, no pull must be given
to the outer corner.
An excellent' ' vanish " fora card is provided with
 ot Slei^bt ot DanD
IPdnciplee 27

thissleight. The pack is held in the lefthand, and

the card to be vanished in the right. The card is
thrown into the air severaltimes, and returns to the
hand in the manner explained ; finally,under cover
of making an effortto throw it a considerabledis- tance,
the hands are brought in contact Avith each
other,and the card lefton the top of the pack. The
righthand still continues itsupward movement, the
effectbeing to the spectators that the card disappears
in the airfrom the tipsof the performer'sfingers. As
you are carefulto conceal the factthat you intend to
vanish the card in thisdirection,the illusionisperfect.
By way of variation the returning card may be
caught between the blades of a pair of scissors, and
ifdesiredcut into two portions thereby. To do this
hold the scissorsunder the cards in the lefthand in
such a manner that, having thrown the card, they
may be quickly taken in the right hand. The card
may now be caught as described.
To Springfthe Cards from One Hand to the
Other, This also is a sleightrequiring considerable
"

dexterity. The pack isheld by the ends between the

thuml3 and the two middle fingersof the righthand
(seeFig. 9),the back of the cards bulging slightly
toward the palm. This is important: if the cards
arebent in the opposite directionthe sleightbecomes
impossibleof execution.
28 Cac^ XLxichs

The lefthand is brought into close contact with

the face of the cards, which are now allowed to
escape, one by one, in rapid succession,from the
fingersof the righthand, when they forthwith jump
intothe out stretchedpalm. The forward movement
of the cards is checked by their upper ends coming

in contact with the extended fore-

finger
of the lefthand.
The movement should be practicedat firstwith the
hands quite close together,the distancebeing grad-
ually
increasedas more skillis acquired. A skilled
performer willcause the cards to spring a distanceof
two feet or more; and even this distance may be
caused to appear much greaterby means of an optical
illusionproduced by moving the hands from sideto
side, their relativepositions remaining the same,

while executing the sleight.

 CHAPTER II

SLEIGHT OF HAND TRICKS

The proper selectionof the cards for sleightof

hand purposes is of the greatest importance. Those
of the French pattern are to be recommended as
being proportionatelysmaller,and consequently offer-
ing
in the execution of the various
greater facilities
sleights. Then, again, the cards should be of the
proper substanceto withstand the strain brought to
bear upon them : this is essentiallynecessary for the
successfulpresentationof many of the more fanciful
movements. The student, however, is advised to
thoroughly accustom himself,from the outset, to the
use of the ordinary American pattern,round corners,
as he will be frequentlycalled upon to perform with

these when no other cards are at hand.

It is usual to prefixa seriesof tricks with a short
dis^Dlayof dexterity with the cards,and, providing
the performer has acquired the necessaryskill,there
is no bettercourse to pursue.
Feats suitablefor this purpose are : the springing
of the cards from one hand to the other ; expert
29
30 CarD tTrtcfts

shuffles(onlyacquired by tuition and practice)

throwing and vanishingthe cards in the air; catching
a thrown card between the blades of a pairof scissors

and severingitin twain ; the productionof the palm,

etc.,etc. (see pp. 25, 26, 27, and 42). The audi-ence
are much impressed by a reallycleverdisplay
of thiskind, and at once creditthe performer,and
justly, with the abilityto deceive them, no matter
how closelythey may watch; and, as a natural con- sequenc
theirvigilancereceivesa check.
Having introducedthe cardsas above described, or

otherwise,the student may proceed with the excel-lent

opening trickknowai as
"

The Cards Passing:up the Sleeve.This forms

"

the most brilliant sleightof hand trick in the whole

range of card conjuring. In effect itis as follows:
The cards having been shuffled,the performer
counts off twelve from the top of the pack, and,
taking thesein the lefthand, he holds them at arm's
"

ength away from the body. From this position

they are caused to pass, invisibly, along the sleeve,
being finallyproduced from the vest, one by one,
with the righthand.
The secretdepends entirelyupon adroitmanij)ula-
tion and address. Having counted off the cards,/
the performertakesthem up, and addressesthe com-l
''
pany in the followingmanner : Ladies and gentle-
 Sldabt ot IbanD TTricfts 31

with these tAvelvecards I propose to show you

n,
''
e way the sleeveisactuallyemployed in
conjuring.
.,

treads out the cards fan-wise, with both hands,

^,:)arently to attract attention,but really to mark
six. This done, he squares up the cards,leaving
I^ six in a position to be palmed off in the manner
[.scribed
at page 19, and shows the right hand
apty. He now transfersthe cards to the right
md, palming the six, and taking the remainder,
pmentarily, between the fingers and thumb of the
,me
hand, while showing the left empty. The six
supposed to be twelve, are now taken in the
,rds,
fthand. ) ' ' See, I will place the cards in the left
md, and cause them to pass thence,invisibly,along
y sleeve,and finallyalight here (indicating posi-
3n inside vest with the right hand, therf'.by
intro-
icing the palmed cards), justinside my vest."
le right hand having been removed,
and casually
town empty, "patter," accompanied with
the
slight crackling sound from the cards^ caused
J drawing the thumb
smartly over their edges, is
"
iitinued. If you watch very closelyyou will be
"leto them go."
see The secretedcards are now
moved, one by one, care being taken to expose the
\hn of the hand prior to each production.
the firstsix cards have been brought to light,
ffter performer pretends to overhear a remark (itnot
32 CarO ^rfcfts

infrequentlyhappens that the remark is actuallyi

made)to the followingeffect:''Yes! it'sall very/'
well,but, of course, there is a duplicateset of cards*,
'' ''
used, to which he replies, I beg your pardon,
'' ''
j
sir. Then, turning to the audience, A
gentleme
here suggests that I have concealed in my vest
a|
number of cards of the same pattern as those I hold^
in my hand, but I assure you he is quite wrong ; alf
the same time, I would not stoop to deceive yoii
by so mean an expedient. If such were the caseA
when I have produced twelve cards I should sti^^^.
have twelve in my hand, which would not be co?^"
sistentwith the working of the trick. In proof ^*
this,ifI have made no mistake, there are six card*^
on the table; there should be six in my hand"

I
wijh
count them."
The cards are now counted,and the opportunity
j
taken, while returningthem to the lefthand, to paliJ^
off fiveothers,leaving one only behind. The per- former
''
continues: Now, please w^atchme
if detect
closel/
and tellme you can the precisemoment
the cardsleavemy hand "

there did you not see t^nat

"

go ? No ! Well, it'snot at allsurprising, for they go

so quickly that I very rarely see them
myself." ; It
is hardly necessary to say that the five cards v 'ere
introducedinto the vest in the act of producing tht
seventh,the remaining four being brought to 1:^ht ,
 SleiGbt ot IbanD ^ricfts 33

'' ''
one by one, accompanied by the patter as given
above.
It noAV only remains to dispose of the last card,
and this is best done by taking it by opposite ends
between the tips of the second finger and thumb of
the right hand ; and having drawn attention to its
suit and value, and that one only remains, to appear
to place itin the lefthand, which isforthwith closed
slightly,and held with its back to the spectators.
The card, however, is really palmed in the right
hand, and produced from the vest in due course ; at
the same time the lefthand is opened and shown
empty.
No difficulty will be found in palming the last
card, if held as directed above ; as the right hand
nears the left,the bottom end of the card is caused
to spring from the tip to the root of the thumb, the
''
proper positionfor the palm.
''
The slight' ' click' '
caused by the card as itleavesthe tip of the thumb
materiallyaids the deception.
The Card and Cigarette*This is a capitalcom-
"

binatio
trick,and may be conveniently introduced
at the closeof that lastabove described.
The performer hands the pack to be shuffled,and
when returned,forces a card (seepage 13)on some
member of the audience. This done, he returns to
the stage foran envelope,and leavesthe cards on the
3
34 Cart)ITrfcfts

'
table. He next shows the envelopeforexamination,
drawing attentionto the factthat it is quite empty
and unprepared. The drawer of the card is now
requestedto tear it up into small pieces,and place ^

the piecesin the empty envelope; thishe does,with

the exception of one piece,which he retainsas a
means of identifyingthe card at a subsequentperiod.
The envelope, containing the torn card, is now
sealed,and given into the safe keeping of another
spectator.
The performernext obtainsa cigarette from anyone
in the audience,and, having obtained the per- mission
of the ladies,commences to smoke. He is
disappointed,however, as the cigarettewillnot burn,
and on breakingitopen to ascertainthe cause, finds,
to his astonishment, that it contains the chosen
card,completely restored, with the exceptionof one
corner. The pieceleftin the hands of the drawer is
now fittedto the card,and found to correspond in
every way to the missing corner, thus proving, on
the post hoc, ergo propter hoc jDrinciple, that the
card has actuallybeen restored. Attentionisnext
drawn to the envelope,which is found to contain,in
placeof the torn card,the tobaccofrom the cigarette.
The trickis thus managed :
The frontof the envelopeis double^and contains
the tobacco from the commencementj but as the
 Slcigbt of IbanD tTricfts 35

quantity is small and well distributed,a cursory

examination reveals nothing out of the ordinary.
The envelojDeis best prepared by cutting the front
from one and pasting it,round the extreme edge, on
the front of another, leaving one side open for the
insertionof the tobacco. It will be found a good
plan to prepare a dozen of these envelopes at one
time, placing them under pressure tilldry ; when
required for use take one, and having filled in the
tobacco,closethe remaining side,and allis ready.
You must next obtain a duplicatecard of the one
you intend to force,and having torn a small piece
from one of its corners, rollit up commencing at
"

one end into the form of a cigarette,

completing the
"

deception with a cigarettepaper. When about to

present the trick,the card to be forced,togetherwith
the torn corner, must be placed in readinesson the
tableunder cover of the envelope ; the trickcigarette
is to hand in the right hand trousers pocket, which
should also contain a box of matches, for a reason
which will presentlyappear. AVe willsuppose that
you have justconcluded the trick of "The Cards
''
Passing up the Sleeve, or any one Avhichleaves a
number of cards strewn on the table. AVhen taking
up the loose cards itis a ver}^easy matter to add the
one from under the envelope, thus bringing it,
"
to the top of the pack.
secretly, The "pass isthen
36 Car^ tTrfcfts

made, to bring the card to the middle in a position

"
for the ' ' force. Having disposed of the card in a
satisfactory manner, you return to the table,leaving
the pack thereon,and take up the envelope,alsosecur-ing
the torn corner, which must be kept concealedin
the fingers of the right hand. Now request the
drawer to tear the chosen card into a number of
small pieces,and while he is doing this,draw atten- tion
to the fact that the envelope is quite empty,
allowing several spectators to look inside. Some
amusement may be caused by remarking to a stout
''
gentleman, Should you possess any doubt, sir,as
to the truth of my statement, I shall be happy to
"
allow you to get inside,and take a walk round.
At this stage of the trick the mutilated card is
dropped into the envelope,whereupon the j)erformer
immediately removes one pieceand hands itback to

the drawer, with a request that he will keep itas a

means of identification ; it will be readilyunderstood
that the piece removed is the corner previously
palmed, and which corresponds to the card in the
cigarette.
The denouement will now be clear; you have
merely to closethe envelope and proceed as described.
Prior to asking for the loan of a cigarettethe trick
one is palmed, and subsequently changed for the
borrowed one ; the borrowed one is leftin the trou-
 SlelQbt of IbanD ^riclis 37

sers pocket, under cover of removing the match-

box.

In conclusion, the envelope is opened from the

front,and the tobacco revealed,care being taken not
to expose the concealedcard.
A very ingenious arrangement for working the
above trick,which obviates the necessityof provid-
ing
a second pack of cards in order to obtain a dupli-
cate,
is as follows:A diamond "pip" is cut from an
old card, and thinned down until only the surface
paper remains; this is then attached,with a little
paste,to a seven of diamonds, in such a manner as

to form eightof the same

an suit,and the duplicate
is complete. The prepared card would, of course,
be the one"forced,"as the mutilation obliterates
all
traces of preparation.
To Pass a Card Through a Handkerchief. The "

trickI am about to describe,as it appears to the

spectators,consistsof passing a playing card through
the centre of a borrowed handkerchief. A card is
freelychosen, and afterdue note has been taken of
itssuit and value, it is returned and shuffledwith
the rest of the pack, which is then wrapped in a bor-
rowed
handkerchief and held suspended by the four
corners, as shown in Fig. 10. At this stage of the
trick,the performer shakes the handkerchief slightly,
and as he does so the chosen card isseen to gradually
38 CarD ITrlcfts

make itsappearance at the bottom; as the shaking

continues,the card becomes more and more visible,
and finallyfallsto the ground, the effect,to the on-
looker
being that it has
actually penetrated the
handkerchief.
The means by which the
trick is accomplished are

as follows:

The chosen card, having been re- turne

to the pack, is forthwith
brought to the top by means of the
"pass." This done, the performer
''palms" the card,and, with the same
hand, hands the pack to be shuffled.
While thisisbeing done,he obtainsthe
loan of a handkerchief(cambric) from
some obligingspectator,and immedi-
ately
spreads it over the right hand,
thereby concealing the palmed card.
He next requeststhe person who shuf-
fled
Fig. 10." Passing the cards to place the pack, face
Card Through
Handkerchief upward on the centre of the handker-
chief,
by which means itisvery natur-
ally
brought immediately over the concealedcard.
The next step is to fold the cards in the handker-
chief.
This isdone as follows:
 Sleiflbtof IbanD tTricfts 39

That part of the handkerchief lying on the fore-

arm
isfirstbrought over the face of the cards,which
are then raised,stillcovered,by their hinder end,

with the fingersand thumb of the lefthand. This

movement leaves the chosen card on the outside,at
the rear of the handkerchief, in which position it is
completely concealed by bringing the opposite sides
of the handkerchief round to the back in the act of
concluding the operation of folding up the cards.
The pack is then screwed up tightly,and the position
of the whole reversed (seeFig. 10). From this
point, the trickproceeds as already described.
When handing the cards to be shuffled,in thisor
any other trick, you may add to the amusement
by giving them into the hands of a lady, and, all
things considered, indulging in the following little
pleasantry: "I always like to hand the cards to a
lady for this purpose ; you see ladiesare generally
"

understood to be much bettershufflersthan gentle-

men."

To Pass any Number of Cards aIon"fthe Sleeve,

and Producethem from the BreastPocket. This is
"

an excellent littletrickof the extempore order, and

suitablefor introductionat any time.
The performer takes up the pack, and, spreading
it out fan-wise,draws attention to the fact that it
contains the full euchre ^r piquet complement of
40 CarD Q:ncli0

cards,viz., thirty-two. This done, he undertakesto

pass any number of cards from the pack, held in the
lefthand at arm's length, along the sleeve and to
produce them from the breast pocket, previously
examined and found empty ; the number is to be
decided upon by the audience,but in order that the
experiment should not become monotonous, it is
advisablethat the number chosen should not exceed,
say, a dozen. We Avillsuppose, therefore, for the
sake of illustration, that the number decided upon
be eight.
The trickis thus managed :
The
object of the operator in spreading the pack
fan-wise at the commencement of the trickisto enable
him to secretlypalm off a number of cards the "

precisenumber is immaterial,so long as he secures

more than eight then squaring the pack together,
"

" "
and placing it in the left hand. The palm is
introduced into the pocket in the act of producing
the firstcard ; the followingseven cards are brought
to light in due course, and replaced on the top of
the pack produced, the palm of the hand being
as

shown in a casual manner prior to each production.

As each card is supposed to leave the pack, a sharp
cracklingsound, as describedat page 31, should be
caused to emanate from the cards; this materially
the illusion.
assists
 Sleight of IbanO ^ricfts 41

When the required number of cards have been

removed, severalwillremain, and to make the trick
complete, these must be recovered. To do this,the
performer again spreads the pack fan-wise, then
closing it, he appears to again place it in the left
hand ; in reality,however, itis palmed in the right,
and forthwith thrust into the pocket to be immedi-
ately
produced together with the odd cards,while at
the same moment the lefthand is opened and shown
empty.
This last movement, which is known as the
"Vanish and Kecovery," gives the audience the
impression that the whole of the cards leave the left
hand and pass along the sleeveinto the pocket. At
other times, the cards may be produced from the left
elbow or from the back of either knee ; and by
bringing the lefthand down smartly the base of
on

the skull, at the same time producing the cards

from the nose, they will seem to have been passed
through the head. In all cases, when "producing
the palm," the cards should be spread out in the
form of a fan, as this, while adding greatly to
the effect,leads the spectators to believe that it
is absolutely impossible to hold such a quantity
in the hand, unobserved, even for a moment.
The "fan" is made with a slightmovement of the
fingersand thumb, and will be acquired readilyin
42 darD C^ricfts

practice; it is next to impossible to explain it on

paper.
Card, Coin, and Candle* The trick about to 'be
"

described forms one of the prettiestcombinations

in the whole range of card In effectitis
conjuring.
as follows:

A selectedcard is placed in the band of a gentle-

man's
hat. The performer then obtains the loan of
a quarter ; also a cigarette-paper.The cigarette-
paper is handed to a lady, with a request that she
will write her name or a short quotation thereon,

and having done so, tear the paper in half,retaining

one portion while she hands the remaining one to
the performer. The performer now wraps the quarter
in his half of the paper, and placesthe packet in the
flame of a candle ; a brilliantflash is seen, and
paper and coin have vanished. The gentleman with
the card isnext requested to tear it in half ; he does
so,and findsimbedded thereinthe borrowed coin.
The candle,which so mysteriously caused the dis-
appear
of the paper and coin, is now cut up into
four pieces,from which one piece is selectedby the
audience. This portion is handed to the lady, who,
on breaking itopen, findsto her astonishment thatit

contains one-halfof the cigarette-paper, which, on

being fittedto that in her possession, completes the
whole.
 Sleiabt.ot IbanO TTrtcfts 43

The necessarypreparationsare as follows:

In the firstplace, you must obtain two quarters of
the same date,and as near alikein other respects as
possible. Each coin must be marked in a similar
manner, say with an "X" at the back of the head.
A dummy package, apparently containing a quarter,
' '
but reallyempty, is made out of a piece of 'flash'
paper, and jDlacedin readiness on the performer's
table.
You must now prepare a card, by carefullysplit-
ting
itfrom one end to the centre, and insertingin the
opening thus made one of your marked quarters.
This having been done, you close the two halves of
the card with paste, and place it under a heavy
weight until dry. ^\llen about to introduce the ex-
perime
card is placed on the table,
the i:"repared
face downward, but out of sight of the audience.
The other marked quarter is deposited in the right-
hand trousers pocket.
You must next take a candle,a facsimileof the
one you intended to use in the trick,and having cut
itinto four pieces,hollow out one piece to a little
beyond the centre. In the hollow thus made you
insertthe half of the cigarette-paper,
as required in

the of the trick. Having placed thisprepared

course

piece of candle in your left-handtrousers pocket, you

are ready to introduce the
experiment. (The other
44 CarD ^ricfta

three piecesof this candle should be hollowed out

and kept forfutureoccasions. )
The modus operandi is as follows:
After performing any minor trickwith cards,you
forcea duplicateof the preparedcard and leave itin
the hands of the person who drew it,asking him to
show itto severalspectators. While he is doing this
you return to your table, and lay the pack, face
upward, on the card containing the quarter, while
you request that carefulnote be made of the suitand
value of the chosen card.
Now take up the pack from the table,bringingthe
'' "
trickcard on the top in position for the change
(seepage 15). This done,take back the chosen card,
and while returning with itto the stage change itfor
the top card, which forthwithplace in a conspicuous
position on your table, or, better still,ask some
gentleman to be good enough to place itin the band
of his hat.
You next obtain the loan of a marked quarter from
some member of the audience, allowing severalper-sons
near him to see the mark. This will give you
the opportunity of palming your own quarter from
the right-handpocket. Now, in the act of handing
the borrowed coin forinspectionon the oppositeside
of the room, you change it for that of your own, the
mark on which is duly noted by severalspectators,
 Slelgbt of IbanD ^ricfts 45

includingthe gentleman with the card. You must

be carefulthat the mark on your own coin is not de-
scribe
unless you have noticed that that on the
borrowed quarter is exactly similar,which it prob-
ably
will be ifyou have marked yours with an "X."
In thislattercase, the effectwill be much improved
ifthe nature of the mark be generallyknown.
During this time, you willhave dropped the
actual
borrowed coin into your right-hand pocket, for pro-
duction
later. You must now place your own coin,
which is supposed to be the actual borrowed one, in
fullview on the table.
You next introduce the cigarette-paper, and pro-
ceed
as already described. Now, on pretense
of j^ull-
ing back your sleeves,you lay your half of the
paper the table and over the dummy
on flashimita-
tion
of the quarter. Having arranged your sleeves,
you take up the piece of paper, securing the dummy
underneath, and proceed to wrap up the supposed
borrowed coin. The package is now, apparently,
placed in the flame of the candle,but reallyitis re-
taine
in the fingers,the dummy being made to take
itsplace. The brilliant disappearance then follows.
The gentleman, at this point,is informed that he
willfind the coin in the chosen card, and while he is
satisfyinghimself that itis reallythere,you stand at
ease with the lefthand in the trousers
pocket. This
46 CarO tTricfts

givesyou the opportunity to remove the coin from

the piece of paper and leave itin the pocket; and, at
the same time,to introducethe paper into the hollow
in the pieceof candle.
The gentleman, having removed the coin from the
card,takes it,in accordance with your instructions,
to those spectators who examined the mark apart
from the owner, and they are compelled to admit
that itis that actuallyborrowed. You now take it
yourselfto the owner on the opposite side of the
room, as you go for his coin,which you
changing it'
willremember was leftin the right-handpocket,and,
of course, he must admit that itisthe piecehe loaned.
Should the persons near him wish to examine the
mark, they may now, with safety, be allowed to do so.
Finally,you cut up the candle as explained,and
have one pieceselected; the other three pieces you
allow to fallfrom the plate while in the auditorium,
when they are at once picked up and examined.
The remaining piece is changed, while returning to
the stage,for that prepared with the pieceof paper.
This is done in the act of passing the plate from the
righthand intothe left, and should requireno further
explanation. You now, with a knife, proceed to
open the piece of candle,commencing at the sound
end; and when you arriveat the paper, you ask the
lady to be good enough to remove itherself.
 QlciQbt ot IbanD ilticfts 47

I have found, by experience,that it is best to use

the trousers pockets in the above trick,alsoin many
othersof a similarnature, inasmuch as allthe neces-
sary
movements may be executed while standing in
a natural positionwithout exciting the
leastsuspicion.
The Card in the Candle. This trick
"
i
is to be recommended for the following
reasons : The apparatus is very elegant

and portable,and may always be used

in the ordinaryAvay as an ornament for
the table,
evenwhen itis not desiredto
present the trick immediately under
consideration.
The necessary apparatus consists of
an ordinary candlestick,a slender pat-
tern
in brassfor preference,prepared as
follows:
The footis weighted with a piece of
lead, a cavity being leftbetween this
and the foot proper for the purpose of Fig. 11." The Card
concealing a card (seeFig. 11). To iu the Candle

the top edge of the candlestickishinged

an arm of iron wire,the hinge being provided with a

strong spiralspring with a tendency to keep the arm

in an upright positionbehind the candle. The other
end of the arm is provided with a metal clip for
48 CarD Zldcfts

holding a card,which, when the arm is in position^

willappear to be in the flame of the candle.
To prepare for the trick,you load the arm with a
duplicateof the card you intend to use, afterwhich
you pull down the arm and insertthe card in the
place provided for it in the foot of the candle-
stick.

You now force a card (seepage 13),duplicateof

the one in the candlestick, on some member of the
audience,who, aftertaking due note of it,isrequested
to place itback in the pack and thoroughly shuffle
the cards. At this stage of the trick,you take the
candlestickin your hand, and ask the gentleman to
take good aim and throw the cards at the candle.
He does so, and immediately the chosen card appears
in the flame.
All you have to do is to take hold of the candle-
stick
near the foot, and, at the proper moment,
extend the littlefinger slightlyto releasethe arm,
which forthwithfliesup and brings the card into the
desired position. The flame is, of course, guished
extin-
by the forceof the shock.
The card may be caused to appear by the pulling
of a thread attached to a small metal button keeping
the arm in position. In thiscase, the spring raising
the arm must be more powerful. The thread should
lead from the button, through a screw-eye at the
 5le(0bt of IbanD ^rlc!?6 49

back of the table,to an assistantstationed at the

wings. If this method be adopted, the candlestick
should be made more stableby providing the foot
with three small pin points,w^hich would be pressed
well into the table.
In the firstmethod, the arm iskept in positionby
the substance of the card. For the sake of clearness,
the sketch shows the base of the candlestick in
section.
A New Method of Discovcringfa Chosen Card. "

This is essentially a trickfor expert sleight-of-hand

performers,and w^hen presentedwith dash never fails

to have the desiredeffect.
In the firstplace,you hand the pack to be shuffled,
afterw^hich a card is freelychosen. We wallsupjDOse
the chosen card to be the knave of spades.
After due note has been taken of the card, you
'' ''
receiveit back in the pack and make the pass
(seepage 12),in such a manner as to leave it fourth

from the bottom. The cards are now shuffled,care

being taken not to disturb the order of the four
bottom ones.
You continue the trick by showing the bottom
card,which is,we willsuppose, the seven of hearts.
You now low^erthe pack and draw out this card.
Now show the next bottom card, which is,we will
suppose, the eight of hearts. Again lowering the
50 CarD Zxic\{S

pack, draw out this card and place iton the tableby
the sideof the other one.
Show the next card,which is,Ave will suppose, the
ace of diamonds. Now, lowering the pack, slip (see
page 24)this card back a littlewith the third finger
of the hand holding the cards, and draw out the
next one, i.e., the chosen card,la}dng it by the side
of the other two on the table.
The ace of diamonds is now at the bottom of the
pack, and it is necessary that you shufflethe cards
so as to bring itto the top.

The three cards on the tableare supposed to l3ethe

seven of hearts,the eight of hearts,and the ace of
diamonds ; but reallythey are the seven and eight of
hearts and the chosen card.
You must obtain the assistance of some
now

member of the audience,a lady, ifpossible,to whom

you put the following questions: "Which card do
you prefer,madam, the seven or eightof hearts,or

the ace of diamonds?"

"

Owing to the pause, the

lady will be almost sure to selectthe lastmentioned
card this is what you require. You have now
"

merely to "ruffle" the cards (see page 25)over the

supposed ace of diamonds, when the chosen card is
found in itsplace,and the ace on the top of the pack.
''
But, " says the reader, ' ' suppose the lady had
"
selectedeitherof the other two cards. Well, suppose
 Slelgbt ot IbanD ^ricfts 51

she had thisis what would have happened. If the

"

lady had selectedthe seven of hearts,you would have

'' "
pushed ittowards her saying, Thank you, madam.
'
Then turning to another lady you would say, ' And
which card do you prefer,madam the eight of
"

hearts or the ace of diamonds?" If the eight of

hearts is selected,you would push it towards her,
''
sa}T.ng, Thank you, madam ; then I will take the
one that remains." From this point you would pro-
ceed
as before.
There is yet another contingency which may arise.
Suppose the second lady had selectedthe ace of dia-
monds
"

in this case you would say, ' ' Thank you,

madam ; then that leavesthe other lady the eight of
hearts." This would again leave you in a position
to finishthe trick.
There being doubt in the minds of the spec-
no tators
that the three cardson the table are indifferent
ones, and as you appear to be so carelessin your
selectionof the one for the final effect,the trick
invariablycauses much astonishment.
To Precipitate a Number
of Cards* Once the
"

student has become proficientin the art of palming

cards he may cause no little astonishment by exhib-
iting
the trickI am about to describe.
The performer in^^ites a gentleman to step forward

and thoroughly examine the cards a new pack, still

"
52 CarD ^rfcfts

enclosed in the officialwrapper may be handed to

him, with a request that he will open the same "

and
having done so, to count out thirtyinto an ordinary
tea plate provided for the purpose. He is next
requested to cut the thirtycards into two portions,
and to place the upper half in his pocket ; and,
having j^roceededthus far,to count the cardsremain-
ing
on the plate, ^^"ewill suppose, for the sake of
experiment, there are fourteen left; these are now
given into the safe kee]3ingof a spectator in the
auditorium.
Having arranged matters thus, the performer
undertakes to 23assany number of cards invisibh^
from one person to the other at the mere word of com-
mand
; the experiment to be afterwardverifiedby each
individualcounting the cards in his possession. The
number of cards precipitated in this manner is
decided upon by the number of points on a card
chosen, apparently, haphazard from a second pack.
As the effect of the trickdepends entirelyupon the
extent to which you are able to satisfythe company
as to the exact number of cards used, the gentleman

should be asked to count slowly and deliberately.

After the counting,the performer takes up the thirty
cards, and, having called particularattention to the
number about to be used, palms offfour in the usual
way. This done, he returns the remaining twenty-
 Sldgbt ot Ibant)^rfclts 53

six cards (thesupposed thirty) to the plate,which

is forthwith taken in the right hand for the purpose
of conceahng the "palm." The gentleman is now
called upon to cut the cards into two portions,and
to place the upper portion in his pocket ; then to

count the remaining portion, which is found to con-

tain,
we will say, fourteen cards. This being the
case, then, instead of sixteen, as is generally sup-
posed,
the gentleman can only have twelve cardsin his
pocket so much for the first part of the deception.
"

The fourteencards remaining on the plate are now

handed to a second spectator,which gives the oper-
ator
the opportunity of adding, unobserved, the four
palmed cards ; this is best done by transferringthe
plate to the lefthand, and taking up the cards with
the right. Care must be taken that the cards are not
counted at this stage of the trick,as should this hap-
pen,
a fiascowill result; this,however, is obviated

by requesting the holder to place the cards in his

pocket.
The card selectedto indicate the number to be
passed from one person to the other is,of course,
"
forced" to correspond with the number palmed
from the packet of thirtycards.
The trickis now practically done; allthat remains
isfor the performer to play the part of an actor to the
best of his ability,
as upon this much of the success
54 Cac5 Zxicks

of the trick depends. This being the case, he ad- dresse

the audience somewhat as follows:
''
Ladies and gentlemen, this gentleman, your rep-
resenta
has in his possession sixteen (no apolo-
gies;
a perversion of the truth is admissible here)

out of thirtycards counted by himself ; and has also

been good enough to count the remaining fourteen
cards which are nOAV in the possessionof a gentleman
amongst you. I would draw your specialattention
to the fact that the cards have, in each case, been
counted by your representative.
"
I shallnow, by the power of magic, cause a num-
ber
of cards to pass invisiblyfrom this gentleman to
the gentleman in the audience,in accordance with
the number of pips on a card chosen haphazard by
yourselves." (Herethe second pack is introduced,
"
and the proper card forced. ) Now, sir, are you
ready ? Thank you. Then when I count three,be
good enough to raisea draught by blowing strongly
in the directionof the gentleman with the fourteen
cards. Now! one, two (quickly), two-and-a-half."
The gentleman issure to blow as the latter
ejaculatio
escapes your lips, whereupon you reprimand him for
being so careless,
and thus endangering the success of
the trick. This little
by-play is sure to raisea good
all-around laugh, which adds considerablyto the
"
entertainment. You continue, vigorously, Now,
 SletQbt ot IbanD Zvicke 55

sir! we will try again ^getready one, two, three,

" "

pass" making a gracefulmovement with the wand

"

in the directionthe cards are supposed to travel.

The experiment is now verified by each individual
counting th^ cards in his possession,
when itisfound
that,by some mysterious means, the sixteen cards
have dwindled down to twelve ; while the packet of
fourteenhas been increasedto eighteen cards.
From what has been said,it willbe seen that the
trickdepends, for the most part, on the factthat the
packet of cards in the possession of the temporary
assistantis never counted ; this,however, owing to
the peculiar arrangement, utterly escapes notice;
were itotherwisethe trick,
as described,would be im-
possib
of execution.
The Card Banner (new method)."The trick I
am about to describe is similar to a very old one,
under the same cognomen, in which three chosen
cards,shuffledwith the rest of the pack, and thrown
into the air,are caught on a black velvet banner.
The means, hoAvever,by which the resultisobtained
are, in this case, entirelydifferent inasmuch as the
;
propertiesmay be handed for examination, which
was not the case in the oldermethod, the trickforms
a decided novelty.

The performerhands for examination a piece of

black silk,corded or otherwise,so long as the one
56 Card Hrlcfts

side is not distinguishablefiom the other, about

eighteeninches square ; thishe lays on the table,as
shown in Fig. 12. In doing this,he takescare thatthe
rear half comes immediately over threecards,which,
by means of a littlesoap previouslyrubbed on their
backs, and slight pressure, are caused to
adhere
to the silk. The cards
ai e not
observed prior
to being covered,
owing to the fact
that theirbacks are
of a
similarpattern
^
-
to the cloth on the
talile.
Thiee cards,fac similes
(.fthose on the table,are
now forced on unsuspect-
ing
members ofthe audience;
and, this done, a fourth spec-
tator
is commissioned to collect
Fig. 12." The Card Banner ,-, ,, ^ i , ,i it

Stage)
(First the threecards,and to thoroughly
shufflethem with the rest of the
pack. This obligingindividualis next induced to
step upon the stage,and at the word "three" to
throw the whole of the cards at the banner, which
the performer holds up for that purpose, as shown
in Fig. 13.
 Sleigbt of IbanD c:ric??5 57
' '
The performer announces that at the word ' ' three
he willletfalltwo corners of the banner, when, ifthe
gentleman will act in accordance with his instruc-
tions,
the three chosen cards will appear thereon.
This is effectedafterthe following manner :

The performer takes the two front corners of the

silk ("a" in Fig. 12)between the firstand second
and foldingit in half,grips the two opposite
fingers,

Fig. 13" The Card Banner (Second

Stage)

cornersbetween the firstfinger and the thumb of

eitherhand, bringing it into position (seeFig. 13)
"withthe three cards on the side most remote from the
audience.
When announcing that he intends to let the
banner fallopen, the operator,by way of illustration,
releasesthe two front corners, which, falling,
give the
impression that the silk has undergone no prepara-
58 CarD ^ricfts

tion. Again taking the silk into position,he ex- claims

''
Now, sir! are yon ready ? thank you
" "

then one, two, three," whereupon the gentleman

throws the cards,and as they come in contact with
the banner the performer releasesthe two back
corners, thereby bringing the three duplicate cards
into view.
The three selectcards are on the floor with the
others,but this is not at all likely to be noticed.
Some performers,however, preferto receiveback the
'' '' '' ''
cards themselves, make the pass, and palm
them away beforehanding the pack to be shuflied,
but this I consideran unnecessary ' ' muddle ' ' which
I have never once found it advisableto adopt ; at the
same time, the trickthus worked is shorn consider-
ably
of itseffect. Detectionin the method explained
is much lesslikelyto occur than in the case of an in-diffe
'' " " ''
pass or palm.
 CHAPTER III

TRICKS PERFORMED WITHOUT THE AID OF SLEIGHT

OF HAND

Under this heading I purpose making the readei

acquainted with a number of tricksthat may be per-
formed
without the aid of sleightof hand or mechani-
cal
appliance. The soleapparatus requiredwillbe a
pack of cards and one or two small accessories
always
to hand.
I must, however, caution the student against pro-
ceeding
too hurriedly. These simple tricksmust be
presentedwith neatness and self-possession; and, in
addition to this,to secure the maximum of effect,
they requireconsiderableaddress on the part of the
operator. The effectwillalso in many cases be much
improved by the introductionof one or other of the
passes already explained.
With due regard to thesefew remarks the tyro may
proceed with
"

A Diamond Trick.
Jubilee The performer takes
"

the ace, the eight,the nine,and the seven of diamonds,

and exhibits them fan-wise; drawing attention to
59
60 CarD XLv\c}\6

the fact that the four cards representthe Diamond

Jubilee Year, ^'1897." This done, the "fan" is
closed,and placed on the top of the pack.
The uppermost card, i. e., the ace, is removed and
placed at the bottom, the two next followingin dif-
ferent
parts of the pack, while the last,i. e. , the
seven, is allowed to remain on the top. At this
"
stage,the company arerequested to "cut the pack
as many times as they please,afterwhich the cards
are dealt out on the table; but, in spite of the
frequent cuts, those representing "1897" are found
alltogether. So much for the effect.
The result is obtained by arranging the "fan"
with two odd cards,preferablyof the diamond suit,
in case they are accidentallyexposed, behind the eight
of diamonds. These two cards are those which
become lost in the pack, and which the spectators
suppose to be the eight and nine of diamonds. The
next card is really the eight,but itis supposed to be
the seven, and itmust be sho^^m as such beforebeing
finallylefton the top of the pack. This is easily
done by holding up the card,apparently in a careless
manner, for inspection,and concealingthe centre pip
at one end with the firstand second fingers. The
company are now requestedto observethat the cards
are as far apart as they well could be ; that one is at
the bottom, one at the top,and two in different parts
 ^rfcftswitbout Sleigbt of IbanD 61

of the pack. In reality,however, there is one at the

bottom and three at the top, and it will be readily
understood that the firstcut bringsthem alltogether
in the centre. From this point the cards may be cut
any number of times,providing such number be even,
without materiallyaffectingthe result.
To Cause Two Cards Placed in the Centreof the
Pack to Appear on the Top. The success of this
"

experiment depends on the fact that not one person

out of ten is able to remember, for any length of
time, the names of two cards ; say the seven of
diamonds and the eight of clubs,without confusing
theirrelativenumbers.
When, therefore, the performer, in the latterstage
of the trickunder notice,shows two cards,alike in
number but with the suits reversed,this confusion
reaches its climax, and the spectators will readily
believethem to be those originallyshown ; they will
do so in any case rather than expose theirinability
to remember two cards.
Advantage istaken of thisin the followingmanner :

The performer prepares for the trick by placing two

cards,say the seven of clubs and the eightof dia- monds,
secretlyon the top of the pack. He next
openly removes the of diamonds and the eight
seven

of clubs, and shows them for examination, after

which he requestssome one to place them in different
62 CarD ^riclks

parts of the pack. This done, he squares up the

pack and placesiton the table,and at the same time
commands the two cards to appear on the top.
The two top cards are now raisedand handed for
inspection,thus proving ostensiblythatthe command
has been obeyed. If the performer is able to exe-
cute
the firstof the falseshuffles(seepage 21) with
two cards,the effect
of the trickwill be
heightened c o n -

siderably.
To Instantly
Name a Chosen
Card. The per-
"

former
holds the
pack as shown in
Fig. 14, and with
fingerof
the second''
Fig. 14," Naming a Chosen Card the right hand
draws back the top
cards, one by one, invitingthe bystanders to stop
him at any card they please. When requestedto
stop, he removes the upper portion of the cards,
with the one selected, at the bottom ; in
ostensibly,
reality,however, while manipulating the top cards,
the thumb of the right hand quietlydraws out the
bottom one, which is thus brought away at the
 ^rtcftswitbout SlclQbt of 1bane" 63

bottom of the upper portion,and appears to the on-looker

to be that selected.
As the performer had previously made himself
acquainted with the bottom card, he may at once
name it; or the two portionsmay be placed together,
due note having been taken of the card,and the pack
handed to be shuffled. When returned, the per-
former
may at once pick out the chosen card.
In addition to the foregoing,the trick providesa
simple method of "forcing" a card, and may very
well be used for that purpose until the tyro becomes
proficient with the method describedat page 13.
Odds and Evens. This is an excellentlittle
"

trick,
and in effect is as follows:
The performer halves a pack of thirty-two cards,
and has severalcards chosen from each half. When
noted, the cards are returned by the drawers them-
selves,
who thoroughly shufflethem with the rest.
The performer then takes each half,and immediately
picks out the chosen cards.
The secret depends upon the separation of the odd
cards from the even ones priorto presentingthe trick,
thus forming two portions which, while apparently
made up of mixed cards,are readily distinguishable
the one from the other. The ace, seven, nine,and
knave may be considered as odd cards ; and the
eight,ten, queen and king as the even ones.
64 CarD tTricfts

After the cardshave been chosen, the operatorhas

merely to make an exchange of the two halves,
thereby handing the even cards to the person who
holds the odd ones, and vice versa. The remaining
portion of the trickfollowsas a matter of course.
An olderform of thistrickconsistsof dividingthe
red cards from the black ones, but in this case the
arrangement can scarcelyescape notice.
An EffectiveMethod of Discoveringf
a Chosen

Card. Hand the pack to be shuffled,and when

"

returned,secretlynote the bottom card. Now lay

the cards in five or six heaps on the table,and
request a bystander to look at the top card of either
heap, and having done so, to replaceit. This done,
take up the heaps in such a manner that the original
"
bottom card,which constitutes your key," isbrought
immediately over the one chosen. The pack may
now be cut any number of times with very little fear
of separatingthe two cards. Should they by chance
become separated,itwillbe at the point of the cut,
which leavesthem at the top and bottom of the pack
respectively ; but even this may be obviated by
cutting an even number of times. In other words,
should the firstcut separate the cards,the second
must naturallybring them together again.
To find the chosen card,then, the performer has
simply to deal all on the table,and watch for the
 Zxic\{Bwitbout Sletgbt ot IbanD 65

''
key "; when this appears,he knows the next is the
one required,and makes a statement to this effect;
but before turning it up he asks for the name of the
card,thus proving that he does not expect any sym-
pathy
tliepart of the drawer.
on

The above, however, is a very feebleway of termi-

nating
the trick. It may be worked up into a really
startlingillusionas follows:
Under the pretence of dealingout the cardsto allow
the drawer to ascertainthe positionof the one chosen
"

i.e., whether near the top, bottom, or centre the

"

operator secretlymakes himself acquainted with the

card in the manner described. He now remarks,
"
Ladies and gentlemen, having devoted considerable
time to the study of thought reading,I venture to
give you an example of my powers by producing the
card by such means. This gentleman informs me
that his card is somewhere near the top of the pack.
Xow, sir,will you be good enough to take this
portion of the cards (gives him upper half of
pack)
in your lefthand ? Thank you ! Now please allow
me to place my right hand on the cards,and my left
on 3^our forehead,to form an electrical
circuit,
which
willconvey to me, almost instantly,the name of the
chosen card. Thank you, I have it! Your card, sir,
was the (namingthe card)."
"

The above willgive an idea of the way in which

an unimportant trickmay be so improved as to com-pare
favorablywith a brilliantsleight-of-hand feat.
The Mag:neti2edCards^ This is a very effective
"

trick,and one that may be presentedat closequarters

without fearof detection. In effectit is as follows:
The operator,having satisfied the company that
his hands are freefrom preparation,places the palm
of the left flat on the table. He next inserts a
number of cards,one by one, between the hand and
the table; and continues doing this until a complete
circlehas been formed, under and all around the
hand, of about one footin diameter. This done, the
hand is raised,w^hen,to the supriseof allpresent,the
cards adhere to the palm, and may be moved about
in any direction without fearof any falling. Finally,
at the word of command, the cardsfall to the ground,

when each and every one, as well as the hand of the

performer,may be examined.
The secretliesin the use of a pin, or betterstill, a

needle,which is passed through the thick skin at the

root of the second finger; the needle,when properly
inserted, should lie in a line Avith the finger. The
firstcard is placedbetween the point of the needle
and the fingers; the second between the eye and the
palm of the hand ; the third and fourth on either
side between the hand and those alreadyin position,
the remainder being fixedup, as required, in a similar
 Zvic\{3witbout Sleigbt of IbanD 67

manner. Finally,afterthe hand has been raisedand

turned over, one or two cards are added to conceal
the means of retention,afterwhich the whole may
be passed rightunder the eyes of a spectatorwithout
any fearof the secret being discovered.
To dislodgethe needle,thus causing the cards to
fallto the ground, you have merely to press lightly
with the tipsof the fingers.
Foretelling:Thou":ht with Cards. This trick is
"

performed by means of a piquet pack, of thirty-two

cards,pre-arrangedin a given order. Any pack of
cards may be made to answer the purpose by remov-
ing
the twos, threes,fours, fives,and sixes of each
suit. The arrangement generally-employed is as
follows:
68 CarJ)Zvic\\6

27. King of spades. 30. Nine of hearts.

28. Eight of diamonds. 31. Knave of spades.
29. Queen of clubs. 32. Ten of diamonds.

It willbe noticedthatthe regularorderof sequence

of the four suitsis unavoidably broken at the ninth
card,but this will cause no difficult}^ if due note be
taken that the ace in each round is always of the
same suitas the ten which immediately precedes it.
Having made yourselfthoroughly acquaintedwith
the above formula,take four slipso'fpaper, and on
one write the names of,say, the firstsix cards (not
necessarily in the same
order) ; on anotherthe follow-
ing
nine cards ; on another the next seven cards in
order; and on the fourth the last ten cards. This
done, take four envelopes,of sizesthat admit of be- ing
placed one withinthe other,and having put one
of the slipsin each, sealalltogether. Thus arranged,
the envelopes (apparently one
only) are placed in a
conspicuous positionon the table.
The prepared pack is next divided into four heaps
to correspond with the four slips of paper. The
heaps should be laid on a plate,with the ends
slightlyoverlappingthe edge, so that when covered
with a borrowed handkerchief theiroutlinesmay be
readilydistinguished. It will be well to place the
heap correspondingto the slip in the smallest en-
velope
facingthe spectators,
as thiswill,in allprob-
 ^rtcftswitbout Slefgbt of IbanD 69

be the one chosen. It is more

ability, effectiveto
produce the sKp from the smallest of the four en-
velope

This done, you request a spectatorto step forward

and remove one of the packets from under the hand-
kerchief
you turning your back while selectionis
made. It really does not matter what heap be
chosen, as you are well acquainted with the cards in
allof them, but in nine cases out of ten,the one nearest
the spectatorswill be taken. You will readilydis-
cover
which heap has been removed by the sinking
down of the handkerchief on that sideof the plate.
The envelope is now opened. If the piece of
paper containingthe names isin
of the cards selected
it,take it out (ignoringthe presence of the second
and show that it agrees; otherwise,you
envelope),
leaveit and withdraw the second envelope, which
must be treatedin like manner, and so on untilyou
come to the rightslip.
You may vary the mise-en-scene by introducing
the experiment as one in which Thought Reading
plays a prominent part. To do this, you ask the
gentleman to look at and remember, as far as possi-
ble,
the cards in the packet chosen, and having done
so, to place them in his pocket. This done,
you join
lefthands, and immediately write the names of the
cards on a blackboard.
70 Car5 ^ricfts

To Discover a Chosen Card by Its Weig:ht""

Hand the pack to be shuffled,and when returned
count offtwelve cardsand lay aside the rest. This
done, have a card freelychosen from the twelve, and
when noted,receiveit back in the right hand, and
address the audience after the following manner :
"
Ladies and gentlemen, the most peculiar thing
about a j^ackof cards is that their weights are all
different.This, of course, is not noticeableat first
sight,but with a highly developed sense of touch the
difference is readilydiscernible. In support of what
I say, I willask any one of 3^ou to thoroughly shuffle
this card, the weight of which I have duly noted,
with the eleven others ; and having done so to
your satisfaction, to hand me back the cards one at
a time. So soon as I receivethe chosen card I will
notifyyou of the factby at once turning itup ; this I
am able to do owing to the weight of the card, with
which I am now acquainted,being cliiJerent from any
"
of the others.
This excellentlittle trickis thus accomplished :
Having receivedthe chosen card in the righthand
"

face downward, of course "

the performer, while

talking to the spectators, presses rather heavily ^vitli
the thumb-nail on the right-hand corner of that end
he is holding. The resultis a slightbruise on the
faceof the card,imperceptibleto the casual observer,
 tTricfts
witbout Slelgbt of 1ban" 71

but quite sufficientto enable the operator to identify

the card by touch. When receiving the cards,ap-
parent
to judgeof their weight, they are placed

alternatelyon the back of the right and lefthand ;

but prior to placing each card in such position the
performer holds it,by the opposite ends between the
forefingerand thumb of each hand, as if hesitating
what to do ; by this means he is able to tell with
certaintywhen he arrivesat the marked card. Hav-
ing
found the card,itislaid on the back of the hand,
which forthwith drops twelve inches or more, the
performer remarking, "This is the one; the card
selectedthis evening is one of the heaviest in the
pack."
To Name Cards in a Pack PreviouslyShuffled,
without Seeing-Them* This is tlietitleof a very
"

old trick, in which all the cards in a pack, duly

shuffled,are named without seeingthem. The great
drawback, however, has always been the necessityof
holding the pack behind the back for a few seconds
l)eforecallingout the name of each card. I will
now explain a method of producing a result,anal-
ogous
to the old one, but brought about by entirely
differentmeans.

Hand the pack to be shuffled,and when returned

hold it by the ends, face outwards, between the
fingersand thumb of the right hand (seeFig. 9).
72 CarD G^rfcfts

While held in thisposition,with the arm extended,

the performer callsout the name of the front card,
which is then removed and thrown on one side.
This done, the next in order is named in like man-
ner,

and this is repeatedas oftenas desired.

The resultis obtainedby using cardsprovided with
an index pip in the corner. While holding the cards
in the manner described,they are bent slightlyin
the manner indicatedin Fig. 9, Avhich admits of the
performergettingsight,over the left-handsideof the
pack, of the index on the left-handbottom corner of
the frontcard.
A quick glance, immediatel}"afterremoving each
card,will sufficeto give the operator the desired
information.
ArtificialClaifvoyance. For the successfulper-
"

forman
of thistricktwo persons are necessary,tlie
one acting as tha exhibitor,and the other as the
medium or clairvoyant.
The medium having leftthe room, the exhibitorre- quest
some one to cut a pack of cards in half,and to

placeone half,face upwards, under his handkerchief.

A throw of three dice may also be made, and covered
in like manner with a second handkerchief. Ordi-
nary
cambric handkerchiefsshould be used.
This done, the medium enters,and taking up the
cards,still covered with the handkerchief,placesthe
 vvitbout Sllobt ot tbanO
TTrfcfts 78

package againsthis forehead in the approved clair-

voyant
manner. He next joins lefthands with the
and commences to call out slowly and de-
libera
subject,
the of the cards. Having named
names

the whole of the cards,he takes up the three dice

juiddeals with them in like manner.
The explanation is as follows:
When taking up the parcel,the medium does so in
such a manner as to stretch the handken^hief well
over the face of the top card,which isthereby,owing
to the enlargement of the meshes of the cambric,
rendered visible. In the act of placing the parcel to
his forehead he, in a perfectlynatural manner,
bringsitover the line of sight,and thus acquires a
knowledge of the top card. Once this isknown, it
is a very simple matter, with the pack arranged in
accordance with the formula given on page 67,to
name the remaining cards. It is a good plan to
a blackboard as they are
write up the names on

calledout, and afterwardsto compare the board with

the cards in the handkerchief.
The foregoingexplanation will apply equally well
to the three dice.
Dominoes and various other articleswill readily
suggest themselves as suitablefor the performance.
LongfDistanceSecond Sight with Cards* In this "

case, as in the above trick two performers are re-

74 Car^ ^rlcfts

quired,the one a lad}^acting the part of the medium,

and the other a gentleman that of the exhibitor.
The lady, having been introduced, is escortedby
members of the audience to a room in a part of the
house farthestremote from the stage,and secured
there under lock and key.
When this has been done to the satisfaction of all
present,the exhibitorrequests^a gentleman to think
of a card in an imaginary pack, and having done so
to make a note of itin his pocket-book, as a safe- guard
against any mistake that might occur; alsoto
write a note to the lady, asking her to tellhim the
name of the card he has mentally selected. This he
does on any piece of paper, using whatever combi-nation
of words he pleases,and afterward sealsitin
an envelope,which he addressesto the medium.
The performer takes the envelope and hands it
to a messenger, with a request that he will de- liver
it to the lady at once, and wait for an answer ;
he does so, and on his return the answer is found
correct.
Here is the solutionof the mystery :
In the firstplace, the performer must obtain a
knowledge of the card. This is best done secretly,
ifpossible,and the reader will now understand why
the gentleman is requestedto take a note of the card,
as thisenablesthe performer to take a quick glance
 tlricfts
witbout Sleicjbt
ot IbanD 70

at the writingand thus obtain the desired informa-

tion.
Opportunity willgenerallybe found fordoing
this unobserved ; otherwise,it must be made an es-senti
condition of the trick.
The name of the card is indicated to the medium
by two linger-nailmarks, one on each side of the
envelope. The marks, which need be ever so slight,
are be^t
made when taking the envelope in the right

Fig. lu." Showing sriiits

hand and transferringit to the left in the act of

handing it to the messenger.
The front of the envelope is divided into twelve
imaginary spaces (see Fig. 15),to represent the face
value of the various cards : eleven equals knave, and
twelve, queen. The king is indicatedb}"leaving tlie
from of the envelope quite freefrom any mark.
The right-hand end of the back of the envelope is
marked ofT,in like manner, into three spaces, as rep-
resenti
three suitsout of the four (seeFig. 16).
76 CacD bricks

Spades are indicatedby the method adopted for the

tliecard thought of be the l^ing
kings ; if,therefore,
of spades the envelope isleftuntouched.
the front
Figs. 17 and 18 represent, respectively,
and back of an envelope marked to indicatethat the
ten of diamonds is the card thought of.
and is
This trickproduces a reallystartlingeffect,
the more valuable inasmuch as it may be presented

Figs. 17 and 18." Method of Indicating Card Thought of

eitherin the drawing-room or on

with equal facility
the public stage.
The Diminishmg Cards (New Method)*"I think
I am rightin statingthat the trick,in some form or
" "
other,of the Diminishing Cards is a greatfavorite
with the of This being so, a
majority conjurers.
description of it may be considered as somewhat
reprehensible. I venture to think,however, that I
may be the means of enlighteningmany professional
performers, by describing a method, hitherto but
 wltbout Slelgbt of IbanD
tTrfcfts 77
" "
known,
little and by adding a few tips for the
Ijetterand more deceptiveworking of the trick.
The experiment has for itseffectthe diminution of
an ordinary pack of cards,by eight successivestages,
to about the sizeof a postage stamp ; and, finally,
to
cause them to disappear entirely. /,
This extraordinaryresultis thus obtained :
You must firstbe provided with the necessary

Fig. 19." Ordinary Size Fig. 20." Relative Sizes of Four Packs

''
cards says the reader,and he is right; that does
"

"
not sound very magical four packs in all; the
"

firstor largestsize,which will be that in generaluse,

and three smaller ones, the proportionate sizesof
which are shown in Figs. 19 and 20. These three
small packs,which need only contain about seven or
eight cards,must be sewn together with strong silk
in the centre of one end ; the middle one of the
78 CarD Zxiche

three small packs, however, is fittedwith one loose

card that may be withdrawn and replaced at pleas-
ure.
These three small packs are placed together,
face upward, as shown in the accompanying figure,
in which positionthey are held together by means
of an elasticband; thus arranged, they are placed,
small pack outward, in the left-hand trousers
pocket. You are now ready to commence opera-
tions.

At the conclusion of an}^ trick in which the ordi-

nary
cards have been used, the performer hands the
pack to ]je shuffled,and while this is being done he
stands with the left hand in the trousers pocket, a
perfectlynatural position,and thus secures, unob-
served,
the small cards,which are forthwith palmed
in the fingers of the left hand ; the face of the
smallestpack should rest next the fingers. He next
requests the individual Avho shuffled the cards to
hand him back about half of them, and to hold up
the other half in such a manner that every one ma}^
see the fullsizeof the cards. Here a little by-play
may be conveniently introduced. The performer forms
in-
the gentleman that he is not holding the cards
properly, and exclaims: "My dear sir! that will
never do ; the cards cannot be seen half-w^aydown
the hall. Kindly hold them a littlehigher. Per-
haps
you would not mind standing up. Thank you,
 bricks witbout SleiQbt ot IbanD 79

that'sbetter. Dear ! there'sa lady at the bottom

me

end of the room who cannot yet see the cards. Would
you mind coming this way a little ? Thank you,
that'smuch better. (Bringsgentleman near stage.)
Well, really,there'sa littleboy down in the corner
there who cannot see you, sir,let alone the cards.
May I thereforeask you to kindly step up on the
stage ?" By thismeans, which, as a rule,gives rise
.

to much hilarityon the part of the spectators,the

services of the gentleman are secured, not infre-
quently
againsthis wish ; and this done, you ask
him to'stand your leftside,and hold the cards
on

by one end, between the tips of the fin-

delicately, gers
and thumb of the righthand.
The performer,when receiving his portion of the
cards from the gentleman, takes them with the right
hand, immediately transferringthem to the leftand
on to the top of the packet of small ones. From
this point the trickproceeds as follows:
First Size. Open the large cards, fan-wise, to
"

theirfullextent, using both hands.

Second Size. Push the cards half-way down in
"

the lefthand, then open them slightly,when they

will appear considerablyreduced in size. Practice
this movement in frontof a mirror and you will find
itforms a perfectillusion.
Third Size. In the act of closingup the second
"
80 CarO ^ricfts

size(large cards),palm them off,and push up the

next pack. (N.B. The performer now
"

notices for
the firsttime that his assistantis not making any
progress,and interrogateshim somewhat after the
following style: '' My dear sir,this will never do ;
you must make the cards grow smaller. Just give
them to me for one moment (takescards from
gentleman quickly with the right hand, which, it
"
will be remembered, contains the palm ") and
kindly stand over on my right. I ought to have
thought of this before; it is of course necessary that
you should be on the right side.")Here the whole
of the cards are handed back to the assistant, or they

may be thrown on the table,leaving the right hand

empty, and the trickproceeds.
Fourth Size. Treat the cards in exactly the
"

game way as for the second size,showing the right

hand in a casual manner afterthe change.
Fifth Size. Palm off the cards (second
pack)
"

and push up the next in order,which, itwillbe re-

membe
contains the loose card. Having pushed
up the loose card,the performer requests the gentle-
man
to remove one (he will be sure to take the
"plant"),
and the pattern with that of the
compare
cards he holds. While this is being done, ample
opportunity willbe found fordisposingof the palmed
cards. The loose card returned,proceed.
 XTdcftswttbout Sleiabt of IbanD 81

Sixth Size. Adopt the method adopted for the

"

second and fourth sizes.

Seventh Size. Pahn off the cards (third
"

pack)
and push up the smallestpack, and exclaim : "And
now, you see, the cards are very small indeed ; so
small, in fact,that a quarter would almost cover
them." Saying which, you thrust the right hand
into the trousers pocket in search of a coin with
which, hy comparison with the cards,to verifyyour
statement. Lovely, is itnot? Could there possibly
be a more deceptivemovement ?
Eighth Size. There is really no eighth size in
"

the sense of the term ; this time the cards are caused
to vanish entirely. This is how it is done : Hav-ing
arrived at this stage of the trick,the performer
pretends to overhear a remark to the followingeffect,
"
Surely,he cannot make them much smaller!" to
"
which he replies, Smaller? Certainly,with pleas-
ure."
Then, holding the cards in the right hand, he
appears to take them in the left. In reality, ever,
how-
they are allowed to slipback behind the fingers
of the.right hand. The lefthand now appears to
rub the cards into the rightelbow, while at the same
time the right hand, which is naturally raised to a
level with the head, drops the "palm" into the
collar. The rubbing motion concluded, the magi-
cian
remarks : "And now, you see, the cards have
82 Card bricks

become small that it is impossibleto view them

so

with the naked eye."

Notes on the Above Trick. First. It is hardh^
" "

necessary to inform the embryo that the

conjurer
cardsused should be of the same pattern throughout,
and that the face cards of each pack should be of
the samesuitand value.
Second. The palming away of the various packs
"

is the less likely to be observed owing to the fact

that itis done under cover of the "patter." Exam-
ple:
"
Ladies and gentlemen, kindly allow me in the
firstplace to draw your attention to the fullsizeof
the cards. (Spreads large cards fan-wise.) I shall
now endeavor to produce a most extraordinary
effect; by simply closing up the cards,and giving
them a littlesqueeze, like this (herethe cards are
palmed), they will become one size smaller. You
willbe able the better to appreciate the change l)y
comparing thissizewith that the gentleman is hold-
ing."
In allcases the cards are shown fan-wise,and
closedup and palmed, Avhere necessary,before show-
ing
the next size.
Third. Another excellentmethod of commencing
"

the trickis the following:At the closeof the " cards

"
passing up the sleeve arrange to vanish the three
lastcards togetherby palming, and at the same time
announce that thev have traveledinto the left-hand
 Ztic\{6wttbout SlefQbt of 1band 83

trousers pocket. Having shown the lefthand empty,

thrust itforthwith into the pocket in search of the
"
cards,and not findingthem, exclaim : Well, really,
that's funny ! I rarely make a mistake ; the cards
seem to have strayed. Oh ! perhaps they have gone
into the other pocket. I may have given them too
hard push." Saying this, thrust the right hand,
a

which during the above allocationhas remained rest-

ing
on the hip with the cards palmed, into the pocket

on that side. The palmed cards are now withdrawn,

and placed on the top of the packet of small ones ob-
tained
by the above ruse from the left-handpocket.
Proceed.
Fourth. Instead of returning the cards to the
"

assistant,in the early stages of the trick,you may

vary the procedure somewhat by throwing them on
the table. This done, there is no necessityto pocket
the second pack ; a better plan will be to drop iton
the tableunder cover of picking up one of the large
cards to show that the pattern agrees with that of the
smaller cards in the liand.
Fifth. "
This is
littlearrangement of ni}^own
a

for concluding the trick: The smallest packet is

closed up and apparently placed in the lefthand ;
however, it is palmed in the right hand,
in reality,
which forthwith picks up an ordinary tea plate,on
" "
which isa lightedcandle. In doing thisthe palm
84 CarO n;ricft0

is dropped into a drawer, lefta littleway open, at

the rear of the table. The lefthand now makes a
slight rubbing motion over the candle,seeming to
pass the cards into the flame. This done, the plate
is transferredto the lefthand, while at the same
time the right hand produces a number of cards,
full size,from underneath the plate,the inference
being that the small cards have been restored to
theirnormal conditionby passingthrough the candle.
This lattereffectis obtained by taking up, with the
plate,the required number of cards; this is best
done by placing the cards underneath the plate,
allowing both to projectslightlyover the rear edge
of the table, immediately over the partly open
drawer.
I have dwelt at some length on the above trick,
but have found thisadvisable,inasmuch as the vari-
ous
sleightsand subtletiesemployed willbe found,
for the most part,to apply equally well to
objects
other than cards; they willalso be found indispens-
ably
necessary in the working up of new tricks in
"

other w^ords,I have endeavored to make thisan ob-ject

lessonin sleightof hand.
 CHAPTER IV

TRICKS AVITH SPECIAL CARDS AND APPARATUS

Tricks of this classare very numerous, and, on

thisaccount, I cannot do more, in the space at my
disposal,than notice a few of the most important
ones, not
omitting several old-time auxiliariesof
in the shape of specially prepared
general utility,
cards. Firstand foremostof these trickcardsisthat
known as "

The Long Card. This, as its name

"

implies,is a

card a triflelonger (orwider, as the case may be),

say by about one-sixteenthinch, than the rest of the
pack. The value of such an expedient will be ap- precia
by the novice when he knows that the
whereabouts of the card may be readily discovered
by the sense of touch, and that it may be secretly
brought to the bottom by merely cutting the cards.
The long card may be manufactured at home by cut- ting
a narrow stripfrom one end of allthe cards save
one ; but greater satisfactionwill be obtained by

placing the matter in the hands of a localprinter.

Longs and Shorts, This is an extension of the
"

85
86 Car^ ^rlcfts

principleof the long card. In this case two packs

are employed, the Avholeof the cards in one being cut

down as explained above. Any card in the unpre- pared

pack may now be insertedin the other to form
the long card, thus enabling the operator to avoid
the suspicionwhich would naturally arise from the
performance of several tricks with the same card.
The professional rarely ever resorts to such
conjurer
an expedient as the long card in itssimplest form, as

he is able to produce the same resultsby sleightof

hand ; but " Longs and Shorts " are a valuable re- source

in many stage tricks,and are frequentlyem- ployed

Trickswith the Long:Card. A card having been

"

freelychosen, the drawer is requestedto return it to

the pack ; this he does,the performer opening the
pack for the purpose by cutting at the long card.
The chosen card is thus brought immediately below
the long one, and the pack ma}^ now be cut any num-
ber
of times, and even shuffled moderately,without
fear of separating the two cards. It now only re-
mains
to reveal the chosen card,and this ma}^ be
done in a variety of ways. For instance,the per- former
may deal the cards on the table,and when he
arrivesat the long card may boldly announce that
the next is the one chosen ; or he may air hisknowl-
edge
by simply cutting at the chosen card,the pro-
 XLxic\{6
witb Special Car^s anO Apparatus 87

jecting
edges of the one above it enabling him to do
thiswith certainty. But these are tame conclusions.
A more subtle method is the following :
The performer brings the card to the top by means
of the cut, and, thisdone, undertakes to produce itat
any number in the pack, ^ye willsuppose eleven to
be the number chosen. He firstshows, by counting
off eleven cards face downward on the table,that
the chosen one is not already in position,and then
returns the eleven cards asthey lay, which move-
ment
very naturallyplaces the card at the required
number. He now commences to count again, but
when fiveor six cards have been removed, suddenly
"
exclaims, I am reallyvery sorry,ladiesand gentle-
men,
but I becoming quite nervous.
am (Shakes.)
I am taken with these fitsoccasionally. (Replaces
cards.)Will someone kindly count the cards for
me?"
A volunteer having come forward, the cards are
noAV counted, with the resultthat the chosen one is
found at the requirednumber.
The above forms a very good example of mis- directi
an all-important phase of deception,and
is introduced solelywith the view of rendering the
spectatorsthe lesslikelyto discoverthe true means
employed (see Chapter Y).
Given the power of forcing,effectiveuse may be
88 CarD ^ricftg

made of the long card as follows: Force the long

card,and this done, offerthe pack to the drawer,
that he may return his card and thoroughly shuffle
itwith the rest. This, of course, he may do to any
extent without in any way endangering the success
of the trick; hence the advantage referredto above.
The shufflecompleted, the performer takes the
cards,and by means of the cut bringsthe chosen one
to the bottom. He next places the cardsfacedown- ward
on a sheet of
plain white paper, duly exam-
ined,
and proceeds to wrap them therein. This done,
he holds the package thus made over the flame of a
candle for a few seconds,taking care, however, not to
scorch the paper. On removing the package from
the source of heat,the name of the card is found
writtenthereon in jet-black letters; and on break-
ing
through that portion of the paper on which is
the name, the chosen card is,of course, discovered.
The means by which thissurprising resultis ob-tained
is fullyexplained at page 100.
For the benefitof those unskilled in sleightof
hand, I may mention that,having brought the long
card to the bottom, itmay be forced on the unwary
by the simple method given at page 62. There are,
ofcourse, many ways in which the card,duly forced,
may be afterwardrevealed, but having saidso much,
I must now leavethese to the ingenuity of the reader.
 Ztic\{6witb Special darDs anD Apparatus 89

Trickswith Longf and Short Packs*" One of the

"
best tricks performed by the aid of Longs and
Shorts " is that known as "

The Demon Cards. In effectthe trick is as fol-

"
lows
: The performer obtains the assistanceof some

gentleman from the audience,to whom he hands the

cards with a request that, Laving shuffled them
thoroughly,he willallow fiveor six of the spectators
to each select one card ; this he does, and returns
the remainder to the performer.
On receiving the cards from his temporary assist-
ant,
the performer returns to his table,and places
them in a glass tumbler, and then hands both
tumbler and cards to the gentleman, asking him to
be good enough to collectthe chosen cards,allowing
each person himself to place his card in the pack
contained in the tumbler ; and this done, to remove
allthe cards,thoroughly shuffle,and place them in
his pocket.
The performer noAV, although actually unac-
quainted
with the exact number of cards drawn,
undertakes to produce them all,no more and no
less,one by one from the gentleman's pocket.
What makes the trick appear the more marvelous
is the factthat the audience are quite convinced that
the conjurer never once touches the cards. In sup-
port
of this I would mention that I have on several
90 CarD ^ricfts

occasionsoverheard auditorsin debate on the merits

of thisand tricksof a similar nature; and the one
invariablyelicits from the other the reply," But he
"
never once touched the cards a proof
of the gulli-
"

bility
of the spectators and theirinability to give a
correct report of what they witnessed.
The secret dej^endsupon the fact that,during the
])rieftransitfrom the frontto the rear of the stage in
quest of the tumbler,the performer changes the long
pack, from which the cards were drawn, for the
short one ; when, therefore,the cards are returned
they each become a long card,and thus it will be
seen that the wonderful production is not, afterall,
a difficult matter.
The followingwdll serve to illustrate the value of
long and short packs forpurposes of stage
conjuring
Take the case of the trickin w^hich five chosen cards
are caused to appear on the pointsof the Fairy Star

(seeFig. 25),or any piece of apparatus suitablefor

a
production of thiskind. In the olderforms of the
trick this was done by attaching the cards to the
pointsof the star beforehand,and forcingduplicates
in the course of the performance. With the aid of
"
Longs and Shorts" the forcingis done away with,
and, consequently, the trick passes off with much
greater eclat.
The performerallowsfivecards to be freelychosen
 ^dcftg witb Special CarDs anD Apparatus 91

from the long pack. Then, while returning to the

person who firstdrew, in order that he may replace
his card, he changes the long for the short pack ;
tlie rest follows as a matter of course, each person
returning his card and shuffling to his heart's
content.
The method of discoveringthe chosen cards being
understood, it now only remains to explain the
method in which they are placed in position on the
star. In the case of forcing the cards,the star will
1)6placed on the stage at the commencement of the
performance, but in the method under consideration
it will remain in the hands of an assistantat the
wings, to be brought on in the course of the trick.
The chosen cards returned,the performer,as a pre-
liminar
test of his ability,undertakes to produce
them by sleightof hand. This he does, say, by
bringing one to the top by the " pass," palming it,
and finallycausing it to pass through a borrowed
handkerchief (seepage 37). By way of variationhe
may simply cut at the second card. The third may
be brought to the bottom by the " pass " and re- veale
by the method described at page 88. In the
fourth case he may show a wrong card,and instantly
cause itto change to the rightone (seepage 17).The
fifthcard may be brought to the bottom and the pack
placed on a person'shand, the card being ordered to
92 CarD ^rtcfta

pass downward to the palm, where, on raisingthe

pack, itwillof course be found.
In each case, when producing a card the performer
takes care to name it aloud,
ostensiblyforthe edificationof
the audience,but reallyforthe
informationof the assistantat
the wings, who, as each name
is called out, fits,from a pack
in his possession,a
ing
correspond-
card to each point of the
star, which he then brings
forward and places on the
table.
Changing; Cards* T here
"

are many forms of changing

cards, but these are, for the
most part, purely mechanical
use for
novelties,and of little
practicalpurposes. The only
form of changing card, spe-
cially
FiG. 21." Changing Cards constructedfor the pur-
pose,
that I have found of any
servicein connection with sleightof hand is that
in Figs.21, 22, 23, and 24. The dummy
illustrated
fives"A" in Fig. 22, as will be seen, may be readily
constructedfrom aces by simply adding pips as re-
 ^ricftswitb Special CarDs and Bpparatus 93

quired ; these,which should consistof surfacepaper

only peeled from pips neatly cut from another card,
may be attached with a littlepaste and
pressure in a manner that will defy detec-
f f
tion unless examined at very closequarters.
Mlth the aid of the ordinar}^five,the cards
in Fig. 21 may lj"ecaused to appear all
fives. Then, by substitutingan ace of the
Fig. 22.-
required suit for the five,closing up the Changing
" "
fan and opening it at the reverse end, Cards
the cards may be shown as in Fig. 21.
Similarly,by using three cards constructed as " B "
in Fig. 23, fivesor threes may be shown at pleasure.
The two cards " C " and " D " in Fig. 24 will be
best made from an

ace and a five re-

spect
The first,
''
C," may be caused
to represent an ace

or three ; and the

a
"
second, D," a five
or a
nine, according
to the manner in
Fig. 23." Changing Cards
which they are held,
with the fingerscov-
ering
eitherthe empty spaces or the additionalpips.
This class of trick card, being readily made to
94 CarD ^ricfts

match the pack in general use, will,in combination

with sleightof hand, be found productive of some
surprisingresults; the following will serve as an
example :
Place the trick card " D " in Fig. 24 on the top
of the pack, on this the ordinar}^ nine, and on
the top of all the fiveof the same suit. Make the
'' "
pass to bring the three cards to the middle, and
forcethe fiveon
one person,and
on another
(whoshould be
seated on t h e
opposite sideof
the room) the
nine. This
done, again
Fig. 24." Changing Cards make the
"
pass,"to bring
the trick card to the top. After due note has
been taken of the drawn cards,have one of them,
say the five,returned to the pack, then taking the
nine, "change" it (seepage 15) for the trick card,
and lay the pack aside. Now showing the card as
the nine, hold it up in front of the person who drew
"
that card and say, This is your card,isit not?" to
"
w^hich he replies, Yes, that is so." Turning to the
 ZvickQ wttb Special Car^s anD apparatus 95

holding the card in the same way,

other person, still
"
say, Then of course it is not your card ?" He
naturally repliesthat it is not. Turning again to
the firstperson, changing the card in transit by
transferringit to the opposite hand, and blowing on
"
the back of it, exclaim, Change ! It is noAV no
"
longer your card,sir,but to
the opposite
(turning
"

person) this gentleman's card.".The drawer of the

five is compelled to admit that it is now his card.
Turning once more to the drawer of the nine, hold-
ing
the card carelesslyface downward, ask him
whose card he would like it to be. As it has just
been proclaimed the five,he will naturally call for
the nine, and you accordinglychange itto that card.
Finally,turning to the drawer of the five,you make
to him a similar request, and he, knowing the card
to be a nine, will in like manner call for the five.
Changing the card for the lasttime, you sa}^ '' Quite
right,sir,itisreallyyour card." It could not possibly
be the nine, for that card has all along remained at
the bottom of the pack, where you now show it to
be. Replacing the pack on the table,and in doing
"
so again
making the change, continue, I am afraid
this is a very volatilecard ; I could not guarantee
it to remain anybody's card for long well,really!"
"

"
(turning up it is now a totallydifferentone."
card)
The trick card, which Avas left after the change at
96 Card Zvic'kB

the bottom of the pack, should be disposed of at the

earliestopportunity.
The Fairy Star* This is a very old trick,but in
"

spiteof thisit stillre-

mains
of the best
one

forthe stage,especiall}"
when used in connec-
tion
with "longs and
"
shorts (see page 90).
The apparatus usu-
ally
takes the form of
that shown in Fig. 25,
w^hich gives a back
view of the star. To
the centre of each
point is attached a
metal arm working on
a spring hinge at the

base, a n d provided
with aclip at the op-
posite
extremity to re-
ceive
a card. When
Fig. 25." The Fairy Star set ready for use the
arms, each holding a
card, are folded back on the body of the star,
the hindermost one, which secures all the others,
being kept in positionby a metal button (seeFig
 bricks witb Special CarOs anD Bpparatus 97

25 ). To one end of this movable button is fixed a

long black thread,which, passing through screw e3^es
in the pillarand base of the star,leads off to the
assistant at the wings. Having named the five
chosen cards (seepage 90),the performer tears
them up into small pieces,placing the fragments in
a magic pistolwhich he then firesat the star. As
the report of the pistolrings out the assistantpulls
the thread,thus releasingthe cards,which forthwith
fly up into their respectivepositions.
Touching the age of the trick,I was recentlyvery
much amused by a performer who had taken the
trouble to add an appendage to the star in the shape
of a flowing tasselof silk,presumably for the pur-
pose
of decoration,but reallyto form the subjectof
a littlerepartee. His reply to a question put by a
not over-courteous auditor was something after this
"
style: Yes, I am quite aware the trick is an old
one ; this is proved by the fact that it has begun
to grow whiskers ; but itis none the worse for that,
it is merely another example of the survival of the
fittest."
To Fitc a SelectedCard into citherof Two
Candles Burning; on the Table- This forms a
"

really brillianttrick,and is especiallysuitable for

the stage. The propertiesrequired are two candle-
Sticksof the kind in every-day use, each fittedwith
98 Card Zvicks

a
candle equally guileless.In addition to these
paraphernalia the magician must be provided with
a small piece of
similarto that used
candle (exactl}"
in the "Card, Coin, and Candle" trick,page 42)
loaded with a card,from which a corner has been
torn (asin the trick of the " Card and Cigarette,"

page 33); also a conjuring pistol.

To prepare for the trick,place the prepared piece
of candle in the left-handtrousers pocket : and the
duplicatecard,togetherwith the torn corner, on the
table; have also near at hand a small plate and a
table knife,and you are ready to commence tions.
opera-

The loose card is added to the pack in the manner

describedat page 35 and duly forcedon some unsus-
pecting
auditor. Afterdae note has been taken of
the card,the drawer is requestedto tear it up into a
number of small pieces; and while this is being
done the performer returns to the tablefor his pistol,
at the same time secretlytaking up and palming the
torn corner. The drawer is now requested to drop
the mutilated card into the pistol,the mouth of
which is provided with a piece of paper the better
to receivethe torn fragments; the chief use of the
paper, however, is to conceal the presence of the cup
in the mouth of the pistolcone. When the drawer
of the card has placed the whole of the fragments in
 Xlx\c\{3
vvitb Special CarDs anD Bpparatus 99

the pistol,the performer, under pretence of proving

the genuineness of the experiment, returns one por-
tion
(adroitly substitutingthe palmed piece)as a
means of enabling the spectators to subsequently
identifythe card._
The removal, unobserved, of the cup containing
ttiecard from the cone must next receive attention.
To do this,place the mouth of the pistolin the left
hand, and address the audience somewhat as fol-lows
"
: A card,freely selected(another
"
departure
from the truth),has been torn to atoms and placed
in that condition in this neat little
pocket pistol. I
now propose to firethe fragments at either of the
two candles burning on the table I leaveitto you to
"

decide Avhich itshall be and afterthe shot to pro-

"

duce
the card completely restored, with the excep-
tion
of one corner, from the one chosen. Now which
of the tw^o do you prefer,the right or the left? the
"

left thank
"
it really does not matter as in
you
"

eithercase you would be right,but stillI left it to

you." Having deliveredthe above oration,the pis-tol
is transferredto the right hand, leaving the cup
behind in the left,to be dropped into the pocket on
that side under cover of discharging the pistol.
An amusing littleinterlude may here be intro-duced
with very good effect. The performer passes
for examination a perfectlyplain half sheet of note-
100 CarO C:r(cft5

paper, and when returned offers to prove to the sat-

isfact
of allpresent that the card is actually,at
the present moment, firmly embedded in the selected
candle. This he does by holding the paper over the
flame of the candle for a few moments, and calling
upon the card to writeitsname thereon ; on remov-
ing
the paper this is found to have been done. A
beautifulillustration of a logicalfallacy, is it not?
Well, here is the secret. Some time beforethe enter-
tainment
the magician writes the name of the card
on the paper with a sympathetic ink composed of

one part of sulphuric acid to four or five parts of

water. Written thus the name, when dry, is quite
invisible,but the charactersare quickly brought out
in jetblack by the application of heat. Another
mystery solved.
To conclude the trick the performer cuts up the
candle into four pieces,from which one is selected
and finallyexchanged for the prepared piece as ex-
])lainedat page 46. Having brought the card to
light,itnow only remains to have itsidentityproved
by fitting to it the torn corner leftin the j^ossession

of tlieauditor.
Card Cricket, Having
"

acquired the j^owerof

once

forcingseveralcards,the means by which such cards

may be afterwards revealed are almost unlimited.
Here is another novel and interestingmethod.
 Uricftswitb Special CarDs and Apparatus 101

In the firstplace the

conjurermust jDrovidehim-
self
with a cricketbat,not exactlya model of the one
used by Grace, the renowned cricketer, but quite a
primitiveaffairfashioned from a piece of plain flat
deal and colored a dead black.
In additionto the Ijata few preliminary prepara-
tions
are necessary. Three cards, backed as usual
to correspond with the cover of the table,are each
pierced through the centre, from the face side,with
a stout thumbtack, the point of which is leftpro-
jectin
from the back. It will be obvious that cards
thus prepared maybe readily caused to adhere to
the bat by the simple expedient of laying it on the
table with slightpressure immediately over the pins.
A
conjurer once told me, quite seriously, that he
was in the habit of using molasses in lieuof the pins.
The trick may be equally effectivethat way, but
Avhen it comes to using molasses in connection with

conjuring apparatus, I for one offera decided ob-

jecti
: I never did like molasses.
The working of the trick is as follows: The per-
former
firstoffersthe bat for examination. He then
returns to the stage,leaving the bat against a chair,
and procures a pack of cards,from which three are
forced in the usual way. This done, an obliging
" "
spectator who knows something about cricket is
requested to collectthe chosen cards and to thor-
102 Cntt)tTdcfts

oughly shufflethem with the rest of the pack. While

he does thisthe performer retm'iis to the stage,and
takes up his positionas a batsman, callingupon his
"
temporar}'-assistant,
at the word three,"to bowl the
cardsstraightat the bat. He accordinglycommences
to count, '' One
"

wait one moment, ifyou please,sir

"

(lays bat on tablewith some pressure over the

"
cards),
I shallnever be able to hitthe cardsifyou hold the
pack thatway" (takes j^ackand opens itfan-wdse) "

"
there,just spread the cards a littleto give me a
chance of findingthe selectedones." Saying this,he
returns to the tablefor the bat,taking itup so as not
to prematurely expose the three cards. Then, get- ting
"
into positiononce more, he exclaims, Now, sir,
are you ready? Then one, two, three." The cards
are thrown as directed, and as they come in contact
with the bat the three chosen ones appear thereon.
This is effectedby the performer turning the bat
round in the act of strikingthe cards,the movement
being entirelylostowing to the motion of the bat.
The experiment should be timed so that the cards
appear on the bat at the same moment that it comes
in contact with the pack, when the trick will be
found to produce a perfectillusion.
The Cards and Boards* This trick is similarin
"

many respects to that last described, but I give it

here for the sake of completeness ; at the same time
 witb Special CarOs anO apparatus
Q;ricli0 103

is good, and itwill be found very useful in

the eft'ect
the case of a desireto vary the programme.
The performer passes for examination two plain
deal boards, size about eleven inches by ten inches,
colored a dead black, which, having successfully
passed the scrutinyof the onlookers, he lays on the
table.
Three cards are next selectedby differentmem-
bers
of the audience, and, after due note has been
taken of them, are returned to the pack and shuffled
with the rest,the whole being given into the safe
keeping of another spectator. This done, the per-
former
returns to the stage and placesthe two boards
together,in which position they are secured by a
stout cord,tied and sealed by one of the audience.
At this stage of the proceedings the person with the
pack is called upon to throw it with some forceat
the boards, which the performer holds up for that
purpose. This he does, when, on separating the
boards,the three chosen cards are found nailed be-
tween
them.
The seeming mystery is thus explained: The three
selected cards are forced,to correspond with three
othersarranged on the table in a similarmanner to
"
those in Card Cricket." These three cards are at- tache
to one of the boards in the act of laying iton
the table. The trickis now finished; the
practically
104 CarD Zxic\{6

performer has merely to take care not to expose the

cards when placing the hoards together,the rest fol-lows
as a matter of course.

The Card and Bottle^"The trick of causing a

chosen card to appear on the top of a winehottlefrom
which a quantity of wine has just been poured, has
been known and worked for
F^^^^^ a number of j^ears,but I
venture to think that in the
form here given it will be
new to the of my
majority
readers. In this case there
isno mechanism employed ;
the secretdepends upon the
pull of an invisiblethread.
The arrangements are
as follows:
A small hole is
drilled through the
Fig. 26." The Card and Bottle

side of the bottle

about three inches from the bottom. Through this
liole is passed a strong black thread, which is
then brought out of the mouth of the bottle and
attached to the card to appear (seeFig. 26),the
card being dra^ii down and placed out of sight
underneath the bottle. The bottleis next partly
filledwith wine, or water, which may be done by
 Zxic\\Bwitb Special CarDs anD Apparatus 105

closing the hole in the side with a small pelletof

wax. The loose end of the thread in the hands of
an assistantat the wings, and all is ready. The
working of the trickis as follows:
The operator in the course of the performance
takes up the bottle lifting
"

the concealed card at the

same time and pours out a glassof the fluidtherein
"

contained,which he either drinks himself or hands

to the gentleman assistinghim ; this,of course, is
merely to show that the bottle is an ordinary one,
and capable of containing fluid. He then replaces
the bottleon the tableand in doing so removes the
pelletof wax, thus freeingthe thread. The surface
of the fluidremaining in the bottleis now below the
hole, so there is ho danger of it running out ; what
remains, however, is very useful,as it serves to
balance the bottlein the laterstages of the trick.
A card,duplicate of the one under the bottle,is
forced in the usual way, being afterwards returned
and shuffled with the rest of the pack. At this
stage of the trickthe performer throws the cardson
the table,and in doing so moves the bottleslightly,
thus allowing the concealed card to mingle with the
rest. He now picks out any card at random, say,
the knave of clubs,and, laying it over the mouth of
the bottledeclaresitto be the one chosen. He is,of
course, quickly made acquainted with the fact that
106 CavD Zxic^e

he iswrong, and in rei)lysays, '' Dear me ! I'm very

sorry, I rarelyever make a mistake. Then you will
not have the knave of clubsto ruleover you ?" Upon
''
receivinga reply in the negative,he continues, AA^ell,
in that case, ifyou willbe good enough to tellme the
name of the one chosen, I willask the two cards to
contest the position." The c]ueen of hearts being
given as the chosen card, the wizard exclaims,
''
Queen of hearts,if you have the greater right to
the positionon the throne I call upon you to dis-
lodge
this arrant knave (or,in the case of another
card,this usurper)."
At this moment the assistantpulls the thread,
Avhichcauses the knave to fall,
a connnotion is seen

among the cards,and the queen of hearts appears on

the top of the bottle.
The RisingCards. A time-honored trickand
"
one

justly
worthy of affordinganother example of "the
;" but much that is new
survivalof the fittest and
may be written in connection with these
interesting
old-time marvels.
Three chosen cards returned and thoroughly
shuffledwith the rest are caused to rise from the
pack, one by one, at the mere word of command.
In order to prove the absence of motive power of any
kind the cards are insulatedfrom theirsurroundings
by being placed in a glass tumbler, or other recep-
 wltb Special Cards and Xlpparatus 107
trrfcfts

tacle there are many designs of a convenient size

" "

to hold and keep them together in an upriglit

])osition.
Fnjni what I have gathered in conversationwith
other conjurers, they eacli and all have their own
"
pet method of working the trick,which they would
not divulge for worlds and worlds." Perhaps this
accounts for the fact that one rarely ever sees it
performed. I am inclined to think, however, that
the true reason is that it requiresa good magician to
work it successfully. I have known conjurers to
attemi)t it once and once only, that once was their
hrst and lasttime ; and yet itis simple enough.
There are ways of bringing about the
numerous

result,but from the point of view of an audiencethey

are all the same. For the sake of completeness,
however, I will describeseveralof the best.
First Method. The three cards are, of course,
"

forced,and that being understood it only remains to

explain how their duplicatesare caused to rise from
the glass. The motive power is again a black silk
tlireadleading from the cards to an assistantat thci
^vings. The arrangement is as shown at Fig. 27. A
small slitis cut in the end of the firstcard, the one
to the leftin the figure,into which is insertedone

end of the thread provided with a knot to keep itin

position; it is tlien passed alternatelyunder and
108 CarO ^rlcft0

over the remaining cards. Those cardsmarked 1, 2,

and 3 in Fig. 27 are the duplicates,
and care must be
taken to pass the thread under these ; the inter-
mediate
cards simply act as fulcrums over which the
thread passes. Thus arranged the seven cards are
laidfaceupwards behind some on the table.
object
Having forcedthe required number of cards,the
performer returns to the tableand lays the pack face
upwards on the prepared cards while he hands the

Fig. 27. The

"

Rising Cards. Arrangement of Thread

tum])lerfor examination. AVhen the tumbler is re- turned

he takes up the pack, together with the seven
cards,and places the whole therein (see Fig. 28). It
is now merely a case of "pull the string and the
figuremoves," but this requires care; it is of tlie
greatestimportance that this be done in conjunction
with the "patter" of the performer, and to insure
this,severalrehearsalswill be necessary.
To admit of the thread being pulled at the most
 Zxic\{Bwitb Special Car5s an" Apparatus 109

convenient angle, itis passed through a screw eye in

the rear edge of the table (seeFig. 28).
Secoxd Method. The trickmay be made equally
"

effectivewithout the aid of an assistant. In this

case the loose end of the thread, v.diichis not more

than two yards in length,is provided with a ])ent

black pin to enable the performer to attach itto the
lapelof his coat in the course of the performance.
This he does with the dis-
engage
hand w^hileplacing
the cards in the glass.
The cards are now caused
to rise by
the simple
action of
taking a
Fig. 28." The Rising Cards as placed in tumbler step back-
wards
; or

by emphasizing the command w^itha gracefulmove-

m.ent of the w^and, bringing the same in contact with
the thread (see Fig. 28).
Third Method. This, in my opinion,is the very
"

best method of working the trick.

The effectin this case is as follows : The former
per-
"

takes up an ordinary fan,with wdiich he com-

mences

to fan the glass,whereupon a card is seen to

riseslowdy from the pack ; this,on being removed,
no CacD ^rlcfta

is follo,wed
by another, and so on until allhave been
produced.
The beauty of the trick in this form liesin the
isrequired,neitheristhe thread
factthat no assistant
attachedto the performer in any way. The length
of the thread,and the arrangement of the same on

the cards,is the same as in the second method, the

only differencebeing that the opposite end is at- tache
to the top of the fan. It will thus be seen
that from the commencement, the trickis practically
finished. This being so, the performer should ex- perien
no anxiety as to itsultimate success ; allhe
has to do is to force the required number of cards,
and to place the pack in the glassin accordance with
the instructionsalready given ; what follows de- pends
entirelyon the skillhe may have acquired in
the manipulation of the fan.
Fourth Method. "

This method differs' somewhat

from any of the others,being designedwith a view
to handing the cards and glassforinspectionprior to
each production. In additionto thisthe three cards
are freelychosen, not forced. These desiderataare

thus obtained:
The thread,in this case, is about three feet long,
and is permanently attached by one end to the left
lapelof the performer'scoat. The opposite end is
provided with a small pelletof wax, Avhich is kept
 Zvicl^Bwttb Special GarDs anD Apparatus 111

ready to hand by being pressedon the lower button

of the vest.
The firstcard returned,the performer makes the
' ' ''
pass to bring it to tlietop. He next executes a
falseshuffle, afterwhich the card is again brought to
'' "
the centre by means of the pass. The second
card is now replacedon the top of the first,
and the
same procedure enacted ; and likewisewith the third
card, the three being finallyleft on the top of the
pack.
The performer now, holding the cards in the left
hand, gives the glass for examination, and while it
is out of his hand takes the opportunity of securing
the pelletof wax from the vest button ; then by sim-
ply
transferringthe pack to the right hand he at- taches
the thread to one end of the top card. Now,
receivingthe tuml)lerin the lefthand, he places the
pack therein, that end to which is attached the
thread l)eing,of course, at the bottom.
The cards are caused to rise by slightlyextending
the arm, or by raisingthe glass in the air,looking at
it intently the while; or the wand may be again
employed with good effect. The fulcrum, over
which the thread passes,is,in this case, formed by
the edge of the glass. When the card isa littlemore

than half-way out of the glassthe performer takes it

in the right hand, again securing the pelletof wax,
112 CarD XlvicWs

and immediately hands the glass and cards for in-spect

Throwing the loose card aside,he first
takes back the pack, and in doing so again attaches
the thread to the top card ; then receiving back the
tumbler he proceeds to produce the second, and so
on
with the remaining cards.
Fifth Method. "

This is an arrangement of my
own for working the trickwithout the aid of dupli-
cates,
and with three cards freelychosen from the
})ack.
The secret,in this case, liesin the use of ' ' Longs
and Shorts" (seepage 85);and the thread,which
is attached to the top of one card only (asin Fig.
27)will be best manipulated by assistant. The
an

card to which the thread is attached is laid face

downwards on the table,and allis ready.
Three cardsare first from the " long " pack,
selected
which is then changed for the "short" one, to which
the three cards are returned and shufiledby their
respectivedraw^ers. The three cards are now pro-
duced
by sleightof hand (seepage 91),and this
done the pack is laidon the table,face downwards,
on the top of the prepared card,while the glass is
handed for inspection.
When the glass is-returned the pack is placed
therein,the prepared card being to the front; at the
same time care is taken to allow the thread to lay
 tTdcftswitb Special CarDs anD Bpparatu6 113

over the top of the pack. The performer now takes

the three chosen cards and insertsthem, one by one,
in differentpartsof the pack, the resultbeing that a
portionof the thread is carrieddown with each. It
will now be readilyunderstood that the cards may
be caused to rise,as in the preceding methods, by
simply pulling the thread.
The trickof the " Rising Cards," as we have seen,

is to much
subject variation; and in addition to this,
many amusing incidents, of which the followingwill
serve as examples, are occasionallyintroduced.
One of the selectedcards,say the knave of clubs,
on risingdoes so with its back to the company, and
upon being rebuked and thrust down again by the
performer,reappears in the proper manner. There
are, of course, two knaves employed in the trick,

which are arranged to appear in succession,the first

with its back, and the second with its face to the
spectators. For obvious reasons the firstcard must
be removed, and the performer does this hastily
while assuming great indignationat such an undig-
nified
appearance ; he, however, at once returns it,
with his back to the company, but in the front
still
of the pack ; and at the same time commands it to
appear in a respectablemanner. The second knave,
which is taken for the first
reversed,now appears in
due course.
8
114 CacD ^riclfta

On reappearing in the proper manner the knave

may be sentencedto dance a jig as a pmiishment for

his unseemly behaviour. This he does,and finally

jumpsout of the pack. This lattereffectis obtained
])y weighting the lower end of the card,and this is
l)estdone by insertinga strip of lead between the
layersof pasteboardof which it is composed. Thus
prepared the card is caused to riseand fallby alter-
natel}^tightening and slackening the thread,and
finally,with a quick jerk to jump clear out of the
glass.
To cause a wrong card to rise,and then to change
itto the one chosen, will also be found productive
of some wonderment. This is accomplished as
follows:
A duplicate of one of the chosen cards, say the
seven of diamonds, duly arranged on the thread,is
provided with an additionalpip looselyattachedby
means of soap, so as to form an eight of the same
suit. The spectators readily take the prepared
card for a genuine eight, and as it rises from
the glass the performer is quickly apprised of the
factthat he has made a mistake ! He thereupon
"
affectssurprise,and exclaims, Dear me ! not your
card, madam ? Well, really that's very strange.
May I ask you to kindly name the one you chose?"
Upon receivinga reply to the effect
that the chosen
 witb Special CarOs an" apparatus
ZTrtclis 115

card was the seven of diamonds, he turns up the one

m his hand, from which while talkinghe has secretly
removed the loose pip, and shows that, by some un-
accoun
means, itis now the one selected.
It will be gathered from remarks previouslymade
that thistrickis one that requiresa certain amount
of sangfroid for its successfulexecution,but with
ordinary care such mishaps as inadvertentlyrunning
againstthe thread and thus upsettingthe whole of
the arrangements ; placing the joackin the glass up-
side
down, and thereby causing the wrong cards to
rise; the jerking of a card out of the glass (fourth
method), and causing itto dangle ignominiously in
mid air ; and others of an equally ludicrousnature,
will be avoided. I have never once had an accident
with the trickmyself, but have seen all of the above
happen ; so speak advisedly.
The Cascade of Cards, This trick forms an ex-
"

cellen
"
sequel to the Rising Cards," and when
used in conjunction therewith, produces a most
l^rilliant
effect. I shall,therefore,describeit in the
form best suitedfor this purpose.
Having arrivedat the point in the preceding trick
where the second card has been caused to rise,the
performer removes the pack and lays it over the
mouth of the tumbler as shown in Fig. 29. He is,
of course, at once
made acquaintedwith the factthat
116 CarD Zticks

he has not yet produced the third card,to which he

"
replies, Dear me ! I am reallyvery sorry, I had
quiteforgottenyour card,madam. I trust you will
pardon my negHgence,
as I fear it is now
hopelessly lost in the
pack. However, I will
make an effortto find
it. I will call upon

Fig. 29." The Cascade of Cards

the four winds of heaven to concentrate themselves

within the glass and to blow with great forceupon
the cards,and yours, madam, willin allprobability
become separatedfrom the rest of the pack," Bay-
 wltb Special CarDs auD Bpparatus
tTricfts 117

ing this, he holds his right hand in the air im- mediat
over, and about three feetabove,the cards,
when at the mere word of command they are seen to
to the right
scatter themselves,with very prettyeffect,
and leftof the glass,thus forming the cascade from
which the trickderivesitsname. When the chosen
card is reached,insteadof followingthe course of the
others,itfliesup into the outstretchedhand of the
performer, who forthwith hands it for examination.
From this point the cascade ceases, a few cards still
remaining on the top of the tumbler.
The secret is reallyan extension of the means em-
ployed
'' ''
in the Rising Cards. The thread is first
attached to the card to appear in the performer's
hand (this card should be placed about fourth from
the frontof the pack as it stands in the tumbler),
from whence itis passed, alternately, under and over
the whole of the remaining cards ; the two which are
caused to rise in the ordinary Avay are, of course,
arranged at the back of the pack as already described.
The end of the thread is best attachedto the lastcard
by passhig it through the centre, and afterwards in-
sertin
itin a minute sHt, cut in one end. By this
means it may be pulled clearof the card.
The working of the trickwill now be understood,
''
the only point in which it differsfrom the Rising
Cards " being that two packs must of necessitybe
118 CarD bricks

used. This,however, will present no difficulty,as

the exchange may be readilymade, unobserved,be-

hind
some on the table. When removing the
object
cards from the tumbler, and laying them over the
mouth of the same, the performer takes care to pass
the thread between the second and third fingersof
the hand (see Fig. 29),which he now holds over the
cards in the manner described. It will thus be seen
that the fingers form the necessary fulcrum over
which the thread passes.
The Dissected Card Box* "

This isa very ingenious

piece of apparatus and one that,seeing it may be
used to produce,vanish,change, or restore a card,is
well-nighindispensableto the amateur
conjurer. As
itsname implies,the box is so constructed that it
may be taken to pieces,each part being given for
examination immediatelybeforecommencing a trick;
when returnedthe parts are reunitedand the trick
proceeds.
The box is made in two portions,the one being
identical with the other,so that eithermay be caused
to form the lid or bottom of the box accordingto the
manner in which it is laid on the table; the two
portionsare hinged togetherat one sideas shown in
Fig. 30. The inside dimensions are such that will
take a playing card comfortably; and the depth
when closedis about one inch. The top and bottom
 ^rlc?i6witb Special Cards and Apparatus ] 19

are movable sheetsof brass,or other metal, kept m

positionby a groove on the one side and a spring clip
Fig.
on the other (see In additionto the skeleton
.30).
frame and the movable top and bottom there is a
fourth part,which constitutesthe secret of the appa-
ratus
; t h is
takes the
form of a

loose slab of
the same

metal as that
of which the
top and bot-
to m are

made, fitting
closely but
loosely into
the interior
of the box,
and provided
for the pur-
pose
Fig. 30." The Dissected Box
of con-
cealing
a
card.
To prepare for a trickthe performer places a card
in the box and covers the same with the loose slab.
This done the box may be sho'wn as empty, but in
order to disarm suspicionitis taken to piecesin front
120 Car" bricks

of the spectators. This is the specialtyof the appa-

ratus,
and is best done as follows: The loose slab
and one of the movable portions,with the card be- tween
them, are firstremoved and laid (forcon- venienc
in picking up
again)on the bottom of an
invertedtumbler. The otherportionisnext removed
and dropped, apparently by accident,on the table.
This gives the impression that both it and its com-
panion
piece are unprepared. The skeletonframe is
now handed for examination, and when allare satis-
fied
that there is no trickeryabout it,the top and
bottom are replaced. If this be done with care no
one should doubt fora moment that the box is other
than empty.
As before stated,the uses of the apparatus are

various ; here are a few examples :

(a)For magical production the card is placed
a

facedownward in the box and coveredwith the loose

slab. Having satisfiedevery one thatthereisnothing
concealed,the performer closesthe box, and in doing
so ; the slabfallsinto the opposite jDor-
turns it over
tion and along with it the card,which now appears
faceupward.
(b) To change one card for another the box is
'' "
prepared as in a. The card to be changed is in
due course placed in the box, from which time the
procedureis the same as when producing a card.
 ^dcl^s vvltb Special CarDs an" Apparatus 121

(c)Therestorationof a burnt card from its ashes

is simply the ' ' change ' ' in another form, and the
box is prepared accordingly.
(d) When requiringto vanish a card the same is
placed in the box on the top of the movable slab.
The box is now closedsmartly in such a manner that
the card and slab fallinto the opposite side,when,
on raisingthe now uppermost portion,the card will
seem to have disappeared. In this case the illusion
Avillbe rendered the more complete by afterwards
dissectingthe box.
With the aid of two of these boxes two drawn
cards may be caused to change places at command.
The boxes are firstprepared by concealing a card
beneath the loose flap,say the eight of diamonds in
one and the queen of clubs in the other.
Two similarcards are now ''
forced' ' on members
of the audience and afterwardsplaced one in each
box; the eight of diamonds in that containing the
queen of clubs,and vice versa. It noAV only remains
to closethe boxes in such a manner thatthe concealed
card is brought uppermost in each case, when the
two Avillappear to have changed places.
I do not recommend the use of the two boxes, as
such a parade of apparatus savors too much of the
school-boy form of magic for my liking. A single
box artisticallyused in connection with sleightof
122 CarO ITricfis

hand, however, will be found to afford pleasing

variety.
Here is a modest littleexperiment of my own,
which, if not of much importance in itself, will at
least serve as an example for the arrangement of
others. The trickconsistsof causing two cards,one
placed in the box and the other in a borrowed hat,to
change placesat command. A changing card of the
" "
kind shown at C in Fig. 24 willalso be required.
The box is prepared by concealing a three of dia-
monds
under the loose flap. The trick card is laid
on the top of the pack, on this is placed the ordi-
nary
three of diamonds, and on the top of all the
ace of the same suit. Having satisfied the specta-
tors
that the box is empty, the performer takes up
'
the cards,and making the ' ' pass,' forcesthe ace and
the three of diamonds, and this done, again makes
the pass to bring the trickcard to the top. Laying
the pack asidefora moment, he takes up the box and
requeststhe person with the ace to place it therein;
he does so, the box is closedso as to bring the three
of diamonds uppermost and placed on the table.
Again taking up the pack, the operator receivesback
the drawn three of diamonds, and while passingover
to deposititin the hat, changes itforthe top card.
Having shown the trickcard as a three he lowersit
intothe hat.
 ^richs witb Special Cards anO :apparatus 123

To conclude the trick,the performer has merely to

command the two cards to change places. Then
opening the box, he shows the three in place of the
ace ; and removing the card from the hat,holding
on

it as required,itis seen to have likewisechanged.

There are many forhis of the ' ' Card Box, ' ' the
simplest being made in wood (solid) throughout,
with a loose flap to match ; but the one I have de-
scribe
is the most ingenious that has ever come
under my notice.
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

A FEW words of encouragement and guidance for

those about to take up magic as a pastime or profit-
able
hobby may be read with interest.
Progressmust be made slowly. Perfectionin any
art is the resultof regular, but steady,practice. The
work of the skilledmagician is no exception,and is
the outcome of intelligent invention,profound devo-
tion
to his profession,and patient,never-wearying
practice. A thorough theoreticalknowledge of the
manner in which an is caused to disappear,
object
will by no means sufficeto produce the illusion,
neitherwillit enable a person to detectthe secret of
other tricks; he will be deceivedover and over again
by the same means. The reason for this is that in
additionto a knowledge of the mechanical working,
and even practicetherewith,certainsoul faculties are

required,the ingenious use of which is vastly more

important than eithermechanism or dexterity; with- out
such facultiesa performer will meet with but
mediocre success. The tyro, therefore,who would
124
 Conclusion 125

become cleverperformer must study the art from a

a

psychologicalaspect.
The apparent placmg of a card, or other small
in the lefthand, which is afterwards opened
object,
and shown empty, is not sufficient no matter how
"

dexterous the ' ' palm ' ' to produce a perfectillu-

"

sion;
unless some additionalfacultybe brought into
play, the moment the hand is opened the onlookers
will come to the conclusion,ifthey have not already
done so," that it never really contained anything.
The main secret liesin the power to so directthe
thoughts of the spectatorsby actions and words that
they are led,unconsciously as itwere, to believethat
the was
object actuallyplaced in the position indi-
cated
; thisconstitutesthe art of misdirection,by far
the most potent weapon of the modern magician.
To successfullyaccomplish allthisthe must
conjurer
inspire confidence, be possessed of an imposing
address,and able to surround himselfAvitha magical
atmosphere in which the spectatorsbelievethe most
incrediblethings possible,and take the most simple
as marvelous. He must, of course, himself believe
tliatwhicli he would have others believe. For in-
stance
ifhe wishes to convey the idea that an
object
is in the lefthand, it really being palmed in the
right,he must himself believethat itis there. I am,
however, from experience,fullycognizantof the fact
126 Cat^ tirfclfts

that a beginnerwill find considerabledifficulty in

doing this, owing to his attention being almost
forciblydrawn in the opposite directionin his en- deavor
to retain the ''palm," and an overdrawn
anxiety as to whether itwill be discovered; but as
only he who isconvincedcan convince,the soi-disant
magician must rid himself of this trouble at the
earliestopportunity. In addition to this he will
have to acquire the knack of following,simultan-
eously,
two or more differentideas,i. e. , to execute
certain sleightswith his hands independently of
sight, while addressing the audience on a subject
quite apart from the manipulation ; the necessityfor
thiswillbe obvious. It will also be v/ell, at times,
to w^atchthe expressionsof certainauditorsas a guard
safe-
againstimpending dangers.
The expert takes due advantage of the human
craze forimitation. An example or two will make

allclear. Walk down the street,stop suddenly and

gaze up a narrow courtway the opposite side.
on

Beforemany seconds have elapsedyou willbe joined

by severalpersons alllooking in the same direction.
Then another and another will become interested
until a small crowd congregates, all looking for
something the nature of which they are totally
ignorant. Leave this crowd, and, walking on a
hundred j^ards,stop again and rub your hand on the
 Conclusion 127

wall, lookingintentlyat the spot the while. Then

with a finalrub, as ifvery unsatisfiedwith your ex-
aminat
pass on a few paces. If you now turn
round and take another look at the wall you will be
very much amused to see several persons rubbing
vigorously,and making a minute examination of the
same spot. The reader will, doubtless, on more
occasionsthan one, have had his attentiondrawn to
the top of a house, or elsewhere,by a person looking
in the same direction, and, not seeinganything of a
startlingnature, have passed on and forgottenall
about the circumstance. Such cases are the resultof
an irresistible desireon the part of man to imitatehis
fellows. The magician, then, knows very well that"
ifhe wishes to draw the attentionof the public in a
certaindirectionhe has merely to look pensivelyin
that directionhimself, indicating,for example, an
imaginary red spot on the ceiling,caused,as he says,
"
by the ace of hearts having vanished that way ;"
and it is a funny sight,while thus engaged, to see
' '
the way his hands perform the ' pass, ' count off a
number of cards,or execute other manipulations as
the nature of the trickmay demand ; or, having re- ceived
back a chosen card,he may simply address
the drawer something after this style, ' ' Thank
you, sir; you are quite sure you will recognize
your card again?" This di'aws all eyes in the
128 GarD ^nc!?0

directionof his face,and he makes the ' ' pass "

with impunity.
The also does his best to lead the public
conjm^er
to believethat he performs all his Avondersby skill
and rapidity,and in this he seems generally success-
ful
; evidenceof thisliesin the time-worn expression,
"
Yes, it was reallywonderful, but then, of course,
the quicknessof the hand deceivesthe eye, ' ' w^hich
ever and anon fallsfrom the lips of the uninitiated
afterwitnessing a performance of sleightof hand.
In reality, however, the effects,as we have seen in
the course of the present work, are obtained by to- tally
differentmeans, the performer being able for
the most part to take Avhat time he pleases in the
execution of the various tricks. Apart from quick-
ness,
then,the magician must study to work grace- fully
and with great coolness. Rapidity of actionis
very often the cause of disastrousresults,whereas
the cool,collectedperformer rarelyever meets with
a mishap. The caution for less haste has another
significance.We will suppose the queen of hearts
is to be transformed into the eight of spades by the
'' ''
change. If owing to excitement,the sleightmay
be performed beforedue attentionhas been drawn to
the card to be changed, the illusionis of course lost.
Again, take the case of the card vanishing in the air.
It would be ratherdepressingfor the performer,after
 Conclusion 129

having successfully vanished the card, to overhear

the remark, " Yes, it'svery good, but I'm not quite
''
sure that he had the card in his hand.

The charm of the art does not liein the abilityto

deceive the spectator with ape-like rapidity, but
rather in the capabilityto impress him with the
idea that he dwells for a time in a real palace of
wonders. This latterachievement, from an aesthetic
point of view, is much higher than the first, and
claims the attentionof persons from the best circles
of society,causing them to take to conjuring
readily,
not merely with the idea of amusing others,but
rather as a means of combining recreation wifh
study.
Ladies learn,and not infrequentlybecome accom-
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were itnot so. It is only natural forthem to admire
what is somewhat beyond theircomprehension ; and
there is a strange fascinationfor all in an art so
varied,so mysterious, so old, yet always so new,

as
conjuring.
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