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+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #50903 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50903)
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-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sleight of Hand, by Edwin Thomas Sachs
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-Title: Sleight of Hand
-       A Practical Manual of Legerdemain for Amateurs & Others
-
-Author: Edwin Thomas Sachs
-
-Release Date: January 11, 2016 [EBook #50903]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLEIGHT OF HAND ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, Stephen Hutcheson,
-Diane Monico, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
-at http://www.pgdp.net
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-SLEIGHT OF HAND
-
-A Practical Manual of Legerdemain
-for Amateurs & Others
-
-EDWIN SACHS
-
-[Illustration]
-
-Dover Publications, Inc.
-New York
-
-
-Published in Canada by General Publishing Company, Ltd.,
-30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario.
-
-This Dover edition, first published in 1980, is an unabridged
-republication of the second, greatly enlarged, edition of the
-work as published by L. Upcott Gill, London, 1885.
-
-_International Standard Book Number: 0-486-23911-X
-Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 79-54184_
-
-Manufactured in the United States of America
-Dover Publications, Inc.
-180 Varick Street
-New York, N. Y. 10014
-
-
-
-
-CONTENTS.
-
-
-CHAP.                                              PAGE
-
-INTRODUCTION                                         1
-
-     PART I. DRAWING-ROOM MAGIC.                     4
-
-I.--PALMING                                          5
-
-II.--TRICKS WITH COINS                               9
-
-III.--TRICKS WITH COMMON OBJECTS                    39
-
-IV.--TRICKS WITH CUPS AND BALLS                     54
-
-V.--TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS                       62
-
-VI.--CHINESE TRICKS                                 70
-
-VII.--TRICKS AT TABLE                               77
-
-VIII.--TRICKS WITH CARDS                            88
-
-     PART II.--GRAND, OR STAGE MAGIC.              149
-
-IX.--GENERAL REMARKS                               149
-
-X.--THE TABLE AND DRESS                            156
-
-XI.--SLEIGHTS AND PROPERTIES FOR GENERAL USE       163
-
-XII.--TRICKS WITH CARDS                            186
-
-XIII.--TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS AND GLOVES        210
-
-XIV.--TRICKS WITH COINS                            232
-
-XV.--MISCELLANEOUS                                 257
-
-XVI.--THE CORNUCOPIAN HAT                          346
-
-XVII.--TRICKS WITH WATCHES AND LIVE STOCK          361
-
-XVIII.--SHAM MESMERISM, CLAIRVOYANCE, &C.          378
-
-XIX.--FINAL INSTRUCTIONS                           392
-
-
-
-
-PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.
-
-
-It is always a matter for self-congratulation on the part of an author
-to be called upon to furnish a Preface to a second or subsequent
-edition of some "bantling of his brain." In the present instance the
-task is more satisfactory than usual, the author not coming before
-the reader empty-handed. Since the publication of the first edition,
-conjurors have not been idle, and numerous new methods for producing
-magical surprises have been invented. Such of these as are suitable
-or worthy--for, in their haste to be novel, many have failed to be
-satisfactory--the author has incorporated; and, by a thorough revision
-of the work, he has placed before the aspiring conjuror, written up
-to date, all that it is possible for him to know in the region of
-SLEIGHT OF HAND.
-
-                E. S.
-
-LONDON,
-
-  _April_, 1885.
-
-
-
-
-SLEIGHT OF HAND
-
-INTRODUCTION.
-
-
-"It is as pleasant to be cheated as to cheat," is a maxim that must
-have been framed expressly for conjuring, for the more completely one
-is deceived by its medium (and, be it said, by its medium alone) the
-better one is pleased.
-
-The date of the origin of conjuring, as we now understand the art, is
-not known, but there must have been proficients in the practice of
-it as early as the time of Chaucer; for that ancient writer speaks
-of one Coll Tregetour (Tregetour signifying a juggler) producing
-a windmill from beneath a walnut shell. There is doubtless some
-slight exaggeration in this statement, or else modern wizards are
-far behind those of early days--an hypothesis I cannot accept. In
-the superstitious lands of the East, jugglery was doubtless at the
-bottom of the many manifestations that were mixed up with religion,
-and the wily priests made the best (or worst) uses of its influence
-on the uncultivated mind. When we consider the effect that is even
-now produced on the minds of an enlightened audience by a skilful
-manipulator, the wonderment of people who were but half civilised,
-and who were taught to believe in spirits, is scarcely a matter for
-surprise.
-
-Although superstition has not died out--if, indeed, it ever _will_
-die out--there are now very few people who attribute the successes
-of a conjuror to any other agency than that of his own skill; always
-excepting that of the everlasting "confederate," who, as the reader of
-the following pages will discover, exists, in ninety-nine cases out of
-a hundred, only in the imagination of the spectator.
-
-Formerly, conjurors appeared clothed in long robes and tall, pointed
-hats, both covered with mystic signs and symbols; Robert Houdin, whom
-we may consider the father of modern conjuring, being the first to
-perform in the now conventional evening dress. This innovation had the
-effect of increasing the genuineness of the performance, as it was an
-easy matter to conceal large articles beneath a flowing robe, such as
-had been previously worn; but the close-fitting dress suit affords no
-means of concealment--to the minds of an audience, at any rate. Houdin
-was the means of elevating the art in the eyes of the public, besides
-investing it with nearly all that it possesses of the graceful; and,
-as it has undergone still more improvement since his time, it has
-now become a pursuit well worthy the attention of anyone inclined
-to follow it up, as much for the amusement of himself as of others.
-Besides its power of amusing, conjuring affords an immense amount of
-instruction to its student, and is useful in inculcating coolness,
-precision, and an endless amount of resource, which will always stand
-one in good stead on the world's wide and ever-changing stage.
-
-It is my intention to give, in the following pages, such instruction
-as shall enable the merest tyro to become an adept in the art of
-Legerdemain, providing that a due degree of attention is given
-and a reasonable amount of practice undertaken. Practice, indeed,
-is what is required in order to achieve success in any pursuit or
-amusement, whatever its nature may be, and without it the best of
-instruction is given in vain. For this reason, I must exhort such
-of my readers as may seek to amuse their friends through the medium
-of what I shall impart to them to devote as much time as they can
-spare to practice at the outset, in order that they may acquire a
-neat method of manipulation, which is the keystone of success in a
-conjuror, and which, once attained, will never leave them. If to this
-delicacy of manipulation is added a suavity of manner, accompanied
-by a never-failing cool daring, then the perfection of a conjuror is
-attained.
-
-Magic may safely be divided into two parts, Drawing-room Magic and
-Grand Magic. As it is in the family circle that every amateur conjuror
-mostly exhibits his attainments, I shall first treat of drawing-room
-magic; indeed, it is absolutely necessary to be a master of that
-branch, in order to undertake grand magic successfully. The success of
-the conjuror who can perform only on the stage, far removed from all
-inquisitorial interference, will be but of short duration. I find it
-has been the case with most amateurs, who rarely find opportunities
-for performing on a stage, that their greatest successes have been
-achieved in the drawing-room.
-
-The very first thing a conjuror must procure is a conjuring-wand--an
-implement that is always supposed by the audience to be for show only;
-and for such they must always be made to think it is. It is, however,
-an absolutely indispensable article, both to beginner and proficient,
-as it serves as an auxiliary to the concealment of any article in the
-hand, as will be explained hereafter. For the present, all the learner
-has to do is to procure a round stick of ebony, about 18in. long,
-fitted with ivory, silver, or brass ferrules (not caps) countersunk
-at each end, and to trust to me to its being necessary. It is best to
-have the wand made to suit the taste, as those sold at conjuring-shops
-are invariably too short. Any walking-stick manufacturer will make it.
-
-
-
-
-PART I.
-
-DRAWING-ROOM MAGIC.
-
-
-This derives its chief beauty from the fact that it is almost entirely
-dependent on pure sleight of hand, a fact which audiences are never
-slow to appreciate. The most familiar objects are dealt with, and are
-made to vanish and re-appear in unexpected places, as though they
-really were disembodied and reinstated. The amateur will find, after
-a few years' experience, that the impromptu performances he may, from
-time to time, be called upon to give in the drawing-rooms of his
-acquaintances, will be much more satisfactory to both himself and his
-audiences than the more pretentious affairs given upon stages, which
-call for a great deal of management, apart from ability, to render
-them successes. When once the performer has attained the credit of
-being better than the ordinary ruck, it will become incumbent upon him
-to keep up the level of skill by means of practice, as wonder must
-follow wonder in ever-increasing proportion.
-
-Coins, from being so readily procurable, and from their adaptability,
-are deservedly favourite media, and with them I shall first deal. For
-all general purposes, a well-conditioned florin will be found the
-best coin for the beginner; although, of course, he must, in time, be
-able to manipulate slippery half-crowns and pennies with equal ease.
-Florins, as a rule, are more readily procurable in these days, but few
-half-crowns being coined in comparison with them. But as the conjuror
-must be provided against all emergencies, I shall give directions for
-the best method of treatment for each coin. The means adopted for the
-temporary concealment of a coin in the hand is known as Palming, and
-I shall commence Drawing-room Magic with a description of the various
-methods.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER I.
-
-PALMING.
-
-     THE PALM PROPER--THE FINGER PALM--THE THUMB PALM--THE
-     REVERSE PALM.
-
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 1.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 2.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 3.]
-
-_Method 1. The Palm Proper._--Hold the coin firmly between the thumb
-on the one side and the middle and third fingers on the other, the
-first and little fingers taking up graceful positions, as it were,
-to cover the movement about to be made (Fig. 1). Remove the thumb
-to its ordinary position of repose, and, at the same instant, let
-the two fingers (second and third) press the coin into the palm of
-the hand, half way down the root of the thumb, the muscles of which
-must be brought to bear against the edge of the coin, so that it is
-held firmly and forms a bridge over the hollow of the hand (Fig. 2).
-A backward and forward swing should be given to the hand whilst the
-coin is being palmed, as it not only covers the movement, but also
-facilitates the operation in a marked degree. In pressing the coin
-home, it will be found that the third finger will be more used than
-the middle one. The instant the palm is effected, the hand must
-be made to assume the most natural position possible under the
-circumstances, the little finger being well thrown out, after the
-dainty manner ladies affect when holding a cup, so as to give the hand
-breadth. Some beginners think that in holding the hand perfectly flat
-they are effecting a very beautiful palm; but this is not the case,
-as can be seen at once by looking at the hand without any coin in its
-palm. That is the model the conjuror must copy: any unnatural position
-at once betrays the fact that something unusual is going on. For this
-method, the florin will be found the best coin, its edge affording a
-better hold than that of any other piece.
-
-_Method 2. The Finger Palm._--The coin is held between the thumb and
-forefinger, and the latter then slid aside, so that the coin rests
-upon the side of the middle finger. The forefinger then takes the
-place of the thumb, and the coin is held as in Fig. 3. The action is
-simplified if the coin is held in the first instance between the thumb
-and middle finger, but it looks awkward and suspicious. This method
-will be found particularly adapted for concealing coins of the size of
-a shilling and less. Larger coins should not be treated thus, except
-in emergencies, when anything is allowable.
-
-_Method 3. The Thumb Palm._--This palm is not generally known, which
-is to be wondered at, for it is a very safe and easy one. The coin
-is simply held between the thumb and forefinger, and then slid to
-the root of the latter, where it is held, as in Fig. 4. The only
-objection to this palm is that it keeps the thumb a close prisoner, to
-the manifest loss of grace, but it is exceedingly useful for large
-and slippery coins, such as half-crowns, pennies, and crowns.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 4.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 5.]
-
-_Method 4._--Two, three, and four coins may be palmed by the first
-method, but the method shown at Fig. 5 is the safer. There is a
-rather unnatural disposition of the thumb about it, but the fingers
-are left free play.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 6.]
-
-_Method 5. Reverse Palm._--It is sometimes required of the performer
-to show that his hands do not contain any coin. If a coin is palmed
-in one of them, he must first exhibit the other open in a very
-ostentatious manner, and, whilst the audience is momentarily engaged
-in looking at it, press the coin, by means of the thumb, through the
-fingers of the hand in which it is held, so that it protrudes at the
-back, and cannot be seen from the front (Fig. 6). Some performers
-have brought this palm to a great state of perfection. One very
-telling effect is to pretend to throw the coin away. For this purpose,
-it is held between the tips of the first finger and thumb, whilst
-lying upon the side of the middle finger. As the action of throwing
-is imitated, the forefinger is slid over the coin, the thumb being
-removed, and the coin thus made to protrude at the back of the hand.
-
-Other fanciful methods of palming exist, but they will be of no
-practical use to the conjuror, so I have omitted descriptions of them.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER II.
-
-TRICKS WITH COINS.
-
-     TRICK FOR PALM PRACTICE--HOW TO "PASS" A COIN
-     INVISIBLY--HOW TO CHANGE A COIN--THE USE OF THE WAND IN
-     PALMING--TO PASS A MARKED COIN THROUGH A TABLE--METHOD FOR
-     CONCEALING MANY COINS--THE AERIAL VISIT AND JOURNEY--TO
-     "PASS" SEVERAL COINS--HINTS ON PRACTICE--TO CAUSE A
-     COIN TO VANISH FROM A HANDKERCHIEF--ON BORROWING A
-     HANDKERCHIEF--THE DANCING COIN--A MYSTERY WITHIN A
-     MYSTERY--TO CAUSE A FLORIN AND A PENNY TO CHANGE PLACES--TO
-     PICK A MARKED COIN FROM A NUMBER, BLINDFOLDED--THE
-     MARRIAGE--TO INVISIBLY EXTRACT A COIN FROM OUT OF A GLASS
-     OF WATER--TO PASS PENNIES INTO A BOTTLE--TO CAUSE EXPOSED
-     COINS TO CHANGE PLACES--TO "SLEEVE" COINS--HINTS ON MARKING
-     COINS--THE BEST COINS TO USE.
-
-
-The uses of the palm will make themselves manifest in every trick in
-which money is used as a medium, but the beginner can astonish his
-friends, and, at the same time, make himself perfect, by any of the
-following minor tricks:
-
-(_a_) Throw the coin backwards and forwards, from hand to hand,
-three or four times, in a careless manner, always taking care that
-the left hand is shut well over each time the coin is contained in
-it; and then make a feint of throwing, but, in reality, palm the
-coin after the method that best suits its size. The hand (in most
-cases it would be the left, as the majority of conjurers palm with
-the right; with left-handed people it would be, of course, reversed)
-which is supposed to receive the coin must be closed smartly, so as to
-make a noise similar to that caused by a coin thrown into the palm.
-This is effected by the ends of the two middle fingers striking the
-fleshy part of the thumb (Fig. 7). If this is properly executed,
-the illusion is perfect, and all eyes will be directed to the left
-hand, when the coin can be quietly placed in a side or tail pocket, to
-which receptacle it may afterwards be made to pass from the left hand,
-where it is supposed to be, in a magical manner. I would recommend
-the beginner to practice this movement sedulously in private, as it
-teaches quick and neat palming, and will prove a most useful auxiliary
-to many important tricks. By "passing" a coin from place to place "in
-a magical manner" is implied the act of _pretending_ to do so; it
-being an accepted axiom amongst conjurers never to "pass" anything
-invisibly to any given spot until the article is already safely
-located there. This practice will, of course, commend itself to all as
-avoiding untoward mistakes. To "pass" a coin from the hand, wave the
-wand over it, and say whatever you think will go down best with the
-particular audience you have before you. A sharp rap on the knuckles
-will complete the operation, but always take care to show the hand
-empty, otherwise the trick is spoilt. If the wand is not handy,
-pretend to rub the coin away between the fingers, or affect to give it
-to one of the audience. (See Figs. 8 and 9 for an effective method.)
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 7.
-(The dotted line represents the coin palmed in the right hand.)]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 8.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 9.]
-
-(_b_) Have a coin palmed in the left hand, and borrow a similar one
-from the audience, and have it well marked (always have coins marked
-where possible, "to prevent changing"). Make a movement as though you
-placed the marked coin in the left hand, but in reality palm it. At
-the same time, open the left hand, and the coin that has been snugly
-concealed there will look as if it had just left the right hand. By
-this means a change is effected which you can utilise according to
-circumstances. By fidgeting about among the audience, you may be able
-to place the marked coin under one of them; the other coin being held
-by someone who is directed to hold it "very high, sir, very high, so
-that everyone can see it"--the real object being to keep him from
-examining it too closely. By standing the holder of the coin on a
-chair, an opportunity for slipping the palmed coin into his pocket
-presents itself, and should be taken advantage of. The marked coin
-being once safely hidden, it is an easy matter to palm the unmarked
-one (which, of course, the audience has been led to believe is the
-marked one) and make it "pass" invisibly to wherever the other may be.
-The conjuror's own coin should always be provided with a very distinct
-mark--a cross is invariably a safe one to employ--as it is rarely that
-one meets with people who can refrain from instituting an illicit
-investigation so soon as the conjuror's back is turned. When the
-holder of the coin is seen to be surreptitiously examining it for the
-mark, the conjuror should not prevent him, but call the attention of
-the audience to the fact, and ask if the mark be visible. The holder,
-seeing the cross, will answer in the affirmative; he not being aware,
-of course, that the borrowed coin was possibly marked with a very
-different sign. This incident will add to the effectiveness of the
-trick.
-
-In tricks _a_ and _b_ the wand will be found very useful. It
-should always be carried under the arm, after the manner in which
-soldiers carry their canes; and when any palm has been effected, and
-the coin has to remain concealed in the hand, the wand should be taken
-in the hand containing the coin. Beginners, especially, will find
-this of great assistance, as in the case of a somewhat defective palm
-the coin can be pressed well home by clenching the wand hard. Besides
-this, the fact of carrying a wand in the hand keeps the idea of the
-coin being there from the minds of the audience; and the mind is what
-the conjuror has to deceive.
-
-(_c_) Have a coin palmed in the right hand (Palm No. 2), and procure
-a similar one, marked, which hold up to the audience by the left
-hand. Pretend to take it in the right, but let it fall into the hollow
-of the left hand (Figs. 8 and 9); the unmarked coin in the right
-hand being exhibited. In order to effect this daring change naturally
-and without detection, the thumb of the right hand must be passed
-through the ring formed by the thumb and forefinger of the left and
-the coin held between them, and the fingers closed well over the
-coin, which will appear to be grasped by them. Now place the left
-hand under the table, the right hand remaining above. Covered by the
-action of bringing it on the table, execute Palm No. 1 with the
-right hand, but keep the fingers formed as though they still held the
-coin, which you then pretend to lay on the table with a sharp "click."
-This "click" is made by the coin in the left hand, under the table,
-in order that the illusion may be perfect. The right hand will then
-affect to rub the coin through the table, and eventually the one in
-the left hand, which has in reality never been out of it, will be
-produced. The noise of rubbing is also made by the coin under the
-table, only it must not be continued too long; and care must be taken
-that the two hands act in perfect unison, as it will not do for the
-noise to continue when the action of rubbing with the right hand has
-ceased. This trick is not so difficult as it looks on paper, and is
-very effective. The whole trick consists in pretending to take the
-marked coin from the fingers of the left hand without doing so.
-
-(_d_) Conceal a number of coins in the left hand. As a quantity cannot
-be easily palmed, they must be held in the hand with the wand. If that
-is not handy, hold the flap of the coat; but care should be taken
-that the wand _is_ at hand for this trick. Borrow a hat, taking it in
-the right hand (in which a solitary coin is palmed), and transfer it
-rapidly to the left in such a manner that the crown is always towards
-the audience, and the fingers holding the coins are inside. The coins
-must not be jingled, or the trick will be exposed. Tell one of the
-audience that he must be very rich if he can afford to carry money
-about in such strange places as you perceive he does. Surprise will,
-of course, be expressed on his part, when you will fumble about in his
-hair, and eventually find the coin which you have had palmed. This is
-a much better method of commencing than merely saying, "I have here
-a shilling." It is sure to amuse the audience, and put you on a good
-footing with them; besides which, it is always well to mingle as much
-with them as possible, as then people go home and say, "Oh! he came
-right down among us, and found money in people's heads," &c. Also take
-care to find the money in an elegant and inoffensive manner. Having
-spun the coin in the air, in order to show that it is a real one,
-retire to the end of the room, as far away as you can, if the room
-is small, and hold the hat, still in the left hand, before you, with
-the crown towards the audience. With the coin in the right hand, make
-a pass at the hat, palming the coin (Palm No. 2), and letting one
-from the left hand fall. You will then appear to have passed the coin
-from the right hand into the hat, by way of the crown. Should the coin
-by accident fall on a soft place in the hat, and make no noise in so
-doing, shake the hat about to show that the coin really is inside, or
-no one will know what is supposed to have taken place. Now advance a
-step or two, looking cautiously forward as if you saw something in the
-air, and suddenly make a dart out with the right hand, at the same
-time bringing the coin to the extreme ends of the fingers. The idea
-conveyed is that the coin has been caught in the air (Fig. 10).
-Pass it through the hat, letting another fall from the left hand,
-and shaking the hat so as to ensure the two that have been dropped
-jingling together, and find another in the air a little farther on.
-Proceed in this way till all the coins in the left hand are exhausted
-(varying the proceedings by occasionally finding one at your elbow or
-foot), and then show the hat with coins to the audience, a member of
-which will doubtless have "just one more" seated on the tip of the
-nose, which coin is put into the hat in the ordinary way. The beginner
-should use shillings, seven or eight only in number, for this trick,
-although larger coins are certainly more effective at a distance. It
-is best to use two palms, viz., the finger palm when the coin is to be
-caught in the air or in the flame of a candle (a very pretty effect),
-as it is more readily brought to the ends of the fingers from that
-position; and either of the others (No. 1 for choice), when the coin
-is to be found on the body or elsewhere. It is as well to occasionally
-pretend to put the coin into the hat in the ordinary way, instead
-of through the crown. Some conjurors object altogether to passing
-through the crown; but this is merely a matter of fancy. It sometimes
-happens that the person in whose hair you find the first piece will,
-from his being a "funny man," or otherwise privileged person, ask you
-to give him back his property. Acquiesce at once with his request,
-of course after your own manner, which will be to palm the coin, and
-pretend to give it to him, much to his discomfiture. In borrowing the
-hat, be sure that it hides the left hand in the act of being taken,
-so that any accidental exposure of the coins held there, which might
-occur through inexperience, will be covered. Also observe the greatest
-caution in dropping only one coin into the hat at the first pass.
-After the first coin has fallen, it does not matter if two or more are
-accidentally let fall at once, as the error could not be detected;
-but at the commencement it would be simply fatal to do so. Under cover
-of the hat it is easy to separate one coin from the rest for the first
-drop. If the number of coins is very limited, you must give the hat a
-short, sharp shake, which will serve in lieu of letting one fall; but
-only do this now and then. This trick will be treated in an enlarged
-form, under the head of "Grand Magic." When any number of coins are
-required for any other trick, they should always be collected in
-this manner, it being a most effective method. Always take a step
-in advance each time a coin is found. For this reason the performer
-should stand well to the right on the stage on commencing.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 10.]
-
-(_e_) The following makes an excellent "follow" to the preceding
-trick: Suppose that you have sixteen coins in all in the hat; conceal
-four of them in one hand. If the hat is then held by the same hand,
-it will not be noticed that it contains any coins. Now ask someone to
-count the coins in the hat, and, of course, there will be twelve. Take
-four of these away, and give them to be held by another person. Hold
-the hat high in the air, and tell the person who has the remaining
-eight coins to drop them into it when you have counted "three." Watch
-the action of his hand narrowly, and, as the eight coins fall, release
-the four concealed in the hand which holds the hat so that they all
-fall exactly together. The great thing to avoid is the sound of two
-distinct drops, which would be fatal. Leaving the hat, covered with a
-handkerchief if you please, in the hands of your temporary assistant,
-who will, of course, be enjoined to "hold it very high," you take the
-four coins just previously given to be held, and "pass" them invisibly
-into the hat, where, of course, twelve coins will be found. The method
-for passing used is the same as that depicted at Fig. 7, with the
-difference that the coins are not palmed. They must be held in the
-fingers loosely (Fig. 11) so that when the false movement of placing
-them in the outstretched palm is made they will come together with a
-clash, which is highly necessary for the success of the pass. The
-hand actually containing the coins must instantly seize the wand,
-which article will then cause the magic journey from left hand to hat
-to be made. Be careful that the counting of the coins is done in a
-very deliberate manner, and in a loud voice, so that everyone in the
-room knows how many coins are supposed to be in the hat before you
-pass the rest into it. If this is not done, the effect of the trick is
-lost.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 11.]
-
-Here let me advise my readers to assiduously practise quick palming,
-for which purpose I would recommend trick _a_ as a most effective
-exercise. So much depends upon a quick and secure palm, that too
-great a stress cannot be laid upon it. Indeed, I cannot too strongly
-impress the learner with the necessity of practising everything, to
-the minutest detail, in private, before venturing to perform before
-others. By so doing, much chagrin and disappointment will be averted.
-
-(_f_) The trick I am now about to describe will, I have no doubt,
-be known to many of my readers; but I ask no excuse for giving it
-here, as those who can claim a previous acquaintanceship with the
-trick will, perhaps, here learn a wrinkle or two worth knowing:
-Borrow a handkerchief. When I say "borrow a handkerchief," I do not
-mean simply borrow one without any comment. On the contrary, make
-a great fuss about never using your own handkerchief, &c.; and be
-particular to hand round all borrowed articles for inspection, to show
-that you "have no confederates." By making your audience thoroughly
-sick of looking at borrowed articles, they are more likely to pass
-over anything of your own that will not bear minute examination.
-This should be borne well in mind. Spread the handkerchief out upon
-the table, and place a coin, not heavier or larger than a shilling
-(borrowed and marked), in the centre of it. Beneath the nail of the
-middle finger of the right hand (which hand is immaterial, but for the
-purpose of illustration it is necessary to use the terms "right" and
-"left") you have a small piece of bees' wax (on no account cobblers'
-wax) which you have previously made tolerably adhesive by working it
-about. Place this finger on the coin, saying, "Now, in order that
-all may see that I do not for one instant move the coin from its
-position, I place this finger upon it," and, taking up one of the
-corners of the handkerchief in the other hand, fold it over the coin
-so as to well cover it, and press it down hard, allowing the wax to
-come off on the coin, and to cause a mutual adherence between it and
-the handkerchief. Fold the remaining three corners over one another
-with great deliberation, exhibiting a portion of the coin each time,
-to show that there is "no cheating." When all four corners are folded
-over, the handkerchief will still be in the shape of a square, but
-of course much smaller than it was at the commencement, and it will
-have an aperture running from the centre to each corner. Note the
-portion of the handkerchief to which the coin is stuck, and place
-the two hands, side by side, in the aperture formed by this portion
-and the one next to it (Fig. 12). If the hands are now separated
-briskly, and the sides of the handkerchief allowed to slide through
-the fingers, it stands to reason that, the coin being fast to the
-corner of the handkerchief, it will, when the corner is reached,
-find its way into the hand. The handkerchief must be shaken hard,
-as soon as the coin is safe in the hand, for effect. The operations
-of opening the handkerchief and shaking it must be practised until
-they can be compassed both smoothly and quickly in one movement.
-The trick is easy, but requires some little practice. Common soap
-is an excellent substitute for wax, but it has the disadvantage of
-being less portable. The beauty of the wax is that it can be so
-easily concealed beneath the nail, and comes off the coin cleanly.
-The coin successfully vanished from the handkerchief, it rests with
-the performer to reproduce it in what manner he pleases. If he has
-already found coins in the heads of the audience, the reproduction
-can be varied. For instance, if a tiny piece of wax be affixed to
-the flat end of the wand, and that end brought into contact with the
-coin whilst in the palm, and a little pressure used, the coin will
-adhere. Then, if the wand be passed rapidly behind a curtain, or
-inside the coat of one of the audience, a great effect can be caused
-by slowly producing the vanished article from its supposed place of
-concealment at the end of the wand. The trick can be further prolonged
-by having about 15in. of human hair, with a tiny bead of wax at the
-end, affixed to a waistcoat button. Affix the coin to the waxed
-end, and place it in a wineglass, in which it can be easily made
-to dance by slightly moving the glass or depressing the hair with
-the wand, which is supposed to be beating time. Such a combination
-of tricks, each one easy in itself, affords invaluable practice to
-the beginner. The conjuror, like the chess-player, must always see,
-in his mind's eye, two or three moves ahead, so that no hitch or
-hesitation occurs. For example, the instant the coin reaches the hand
-from the handkerchief, it must be palmed, the wand taken up, and the
-handkerchief ostentatiously given round for inspection to show that
-there is no hole in it, or for any other plausible reason. Perhaps
-you will only gain five seconds by this, but that is time enough to
-enable you to press the wand against the coin. You must not, after
-this, allow the least pause to occur, but at once seize someone, and
-have your wand inside his coat before he knows what you are about; for
-it must be remembered that, if the action is noticed, the coin will
-be noticed too, as it is in a tolerably conspicuous position at the
-end of the wand. Then, whilst you are rating the individual soundly
-for having endeavoured to spoil your trick by concealing the coin, and
-drawing universal attention to him, one hand will be busily employed
-in pressing the waxed end of the hair against the coin. The trick of
-dancing a coin in a glass is so well known that no one with any desire
-for a reputation as a prestidigitateur would introduce it by itself;
-but, in the illustration I have just given, the coin has been in such
-a variety of places and situations, that the idea of its being fixed
-to anything does not enter the minds of the audience. Half-a-minute's
-dancing is quite sufficient, and at the end of it the attention of the
-audience must be at once drawn into another groove by your showing the
-coin to be the veritable one marked some time since, the wax being
-removed by a finger nail.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 12.]
-
-(_g_) Another very pretty trick is the following, although also well
-known. Procure (a "magical repository" will be found the best place
-to go to in the long run) a "nest" of round boxes, one fitting inside
-the other. If the outside one is of the size of a crown piece, and
-the inner one large enough to contain a shilling, the "nest" should
-consist of nine or ten boxes. Have the lids arranged in order, one
-within the other, and the bodies in the same manner, beside the
-lids. If you are performing with a retiring screen, the boxes can be
-arranged behind it. Lacking this, the next best plan is to have them
-at the bottom of a bag, which will stifle the noise made by shutting
-them. Borrow a marked coin, which you will exchange for a similar one
-in your palm (Palm No. 1). Give this to be held. Say, "Now, here
-I have a small box." But as you have purposely left the "small box"
-behind your screen or in your bag, as the case may be, you will have
-to go and fetch it. As soon as your hands are out of sight, pop the
-coin (which will be the marked one) into the smallest box, and shut
-all the lids down together. If you have to do this inside the bag,
-and consequently in full view of the audience, your face must bear an
-anxious and slightly annoyed expression, as if the box could not be
-found. As soon as the manoeuvre is executed, exclaim, as if much
-relieved, "Ah, here it is. Now, ladies and gentlemen," &c., &c. The
-operation of shutting all the boxes down at once is a very simple
-one if the lids are taken in one hand and the bodies in the other,
-the two halves meeting, as it were, half way. A little practice will
-soon show the futility of attempting to _turn_ the lids over on the
-bodies. Place the box in a prominent place (do not give it to be held,
-as a slight shake will reveal the fact that there is a coin already
-inside), and, taking the coin out of the handkerchief, "pass" it into
-the box, which now ask someone to open. Of course, box No. 2 will be
-found inside, at which you will say, "Dear me!" or make any other
-expression of surprise. Boxes Nos. 3, 4, and so on will in turn be
-revealed, amidst great amusement, and in the innermost one, which
-the performer must, on no account, open himself, the coin will be
-discovered. You cannot very well avoid allowing an examination of the
-boxes, but always take care that the lids are in one place and the
-boxes in another, and all in great confusion as to gradation of size,
-and at the earliest opportunity sweep them away. It is the fashion
-to perform this trick with a coin previously sewn in a handkerchief,
-which handkerchief is whisked in the air. The effect is decidedly
-good, if not spoilt (as it certainly will be, ever and anon) by a
-demand to examine the handkerchief, which demand, I need hardly say,
-it is impossible to accede to. This sort of thing the conjuror must
-never indulge in. Let him borrow and return his handkerchief like a
-man, and trust to his sleight of hand.
-
-(_h_) Palm a penny (Palm No. 1); borrow another, and a florin.
-Ask one of the audience to extend his or her hands (palms open and
-upwards) towards you; give the borrowed penny to be held by someone
-else, hold the florin at the ends of the fingers of the left hand,
-and execute the pass described in trick _c_, which will leave the
-florin in the palm of the left hand. The penny in the right hand
-must not, however, be actually exhibited, as is the coin in trick
-c, but be immediately placed in one of the outstretched hands before
-you. If the owner of them is at all restive, and anxious to see what
-is in his or her hand, or is a person you know or think you cannot
-trust, ask the nearest person to assist in the operation by holding
-the hand in one of his or her own. This, you will explain, is to show
-that you have no confederates. If the two parties are of opposite
-sexes, you can improve the occasion by some gentle sally about the
-gentleman being honoured by holding a lady's hand, &c. This operation
-concluded, the audience, including the holder of the coin, is, you
-may have no fear, under the impression that the florin is in the
-holder's hand. You have now to make believe to place the penny into
-the other outstretched hand. To do this, you must execute the same
-pass as before, only reversed; _i.e._, the right hand will hold the
-penny, and the left the palmed florin. This trick affords an instance
-where palming with both hands is a requisite accomplishment. If the
-performer is not able to palm with both hands, an opportunity must
-be made for getting the coin in the left hand back into the right.
-By repeating the change as before, you will be supposed to place
-the penny in the other hand of the holder, and, drawing particular
-attention to the exact position of the coins, command them to change
-places. This trick, so simple to look at, is one of the most difficult
-to perform of those yet described; for not only must the sleight of
-hand be well executed, but the whole demeanour of the performer must
-be impressive of the fact that he really is doing what he says he is,
-instead of exactly the reverse. Yet the impressiveness must not be too
-pointed, or the natural suspicion in human nature will be aroused.
-The "happy medium" is well hit if the performer, in giving the florin
-(in reality the penny), says, "Now, sir" (or "madam," as the case may
-be), "I will ask you to take great care of this coin for me. Conjurors
-are but poor people, and cannot well afford to lose money; for this
-reason I have given you the florin to hold in your right hand, it
-being the stronger." On giving the penny, you can say that "I would
-rather, for safety's sake, that it were along with the florin in the
-right hand, only, in that case, there would be no trick." In giving
-the coins into the holder's hands, it is highly essential that you
-close the latter rapidly, the coins being so covered by your own
-fingers during the operation that nothing is seen of them. Otherwise,
-it would be unnecessary to proceed further with the trick. The florin
-may be marked, but not so the penny, unless the audience insists upon
-it, as they sometimes will, at the instigation of Mr. Interference;
-in which case the pennies must be once more exchanged--a very simple
-matter--before the coins are returned to their owners.
-
-(_i_) Borrow or produce (it is immaterial, save for appearance, which
-you do) six to nine coins, and lay them, apart from each other, on
-a table or slab. Have one of the coins marked by several persons in
-the room (use the "no confederate" excuse), and placed along with
-the unmarked ones in a hat and the whole shaken up so as to be
-well mixed. Whilst this is being done, have yourself blindfolded.
-Placing your hand in the hat, feel every coin, and you will at once
-detect which is the marked one, by its warmth. The heat is imparted
-to it from the many hands through which it has passed. It is always
-advantageous to have the other coins lying on as cold a place as
-possible; but never turn back a tablecloth for the purpose of allowing
-them to lie on the bare mahogany, or a clue to the solution of the
-mystery will be given. Sometimes some clever people will pretend to
-put the marked shilling into the hat without doing so. This you can
-easily detect by counting the coins. Of course, you would not count
-them until you failed to find the marked one, as the trick should
-be performed as quickly as possible. No sleight of hand whatever is
-required; but it is a trick which never fails to excite the greatest
-wonderment whenever successfully performed. By allowing the audience
-to arrange the preliminaries, you disarm suspicion. The blindfolding,
-which is an innovation of my own, I find a great improvement. Of
-course, make the most of it.
-
-(_k_) Have a shilling palmed (Palm No. 1), and borrow another; also
-a handkerchief. Place the borrowed shilling in the handkerchief, which
-roll up very loosely, the coin from the palm being included in the
-folds, and as near the other one as possible without actually touching
-it. Place the whole in a hat, with one end of the handkerchief hanging
-out. Now borrow another shilling, which say you will pass invisibly
-into the handkerchief. Make a pass, and ask someone to shake the
-handkerchief into the hat, when the two coins will jingle together.
-This is a simple trick, and is capable of variation according to
-circumstances.
-
-(_l_) The trick I am now going to describe, as a drawing-room
-experiment with coins, surpasses, for simplicity and effect, all
-others. But its simplicity must not lead the learner to attempt it
-without having attained some proficiency in the foregoing tricks, for
-considerable neatness is required to execute it effectively. Procure
-a piece of glass of the size and thickness of a penny, and have the
-edges ground smooth, but not polished. This is best obtained from a
-lapidary--not an optician. Have it palmed in either hand (Palm No.
-1). Borrow a penny, and, whilst it is being marked, ask one of the
-audience to half fill a wineglass, which has been well examined, with
-water. Always let the audience attend to such matters as these, as it
-tends to disarm suspicion, and also saves you trouble. You will, of
-course, not omit to make the most of there being no possible deception
-in the glass, which you will give a lady to hold by the stem or foot.
-Now borrow a white handkerchief, as coarse as you can procure it (do
-not ask for a coarse handkerchief, for that would be impolite, but say
-you want a gentleman's handkerchief, and then you can select which
-you prefer), and, taking the marked coin in the same hand as that in
-which the glass is palmed, spread the handkerchief over it. Approach
-the lady holding the wineglass, and affect to take up the coin, with
-the handkerchief, from the outside, by means of the disengaged hand,
-but in reality take up the glass, palming the coin (Palm No. 1).
-Now spread the handkerchief over the wineglass, with the supposed
-coin exactly above the latter, and within an inch of its rim. Let
-the holder of the wineglass grasp the coin (_i.e._, the counterfeit
-presentment thereof) with the thumb and forefinger of the disengaged
-hand, and keep it in the same position, with the understanding that
-at the word "three" it is to be allowed to fall into the glass (see
-Fig. 13). Take great care that the piece of glass is held exactly over
-the wineglass, and utter the word of command only when there is a dead
-silence. The jingling of the falling glass will, of course, be assumed
-by the audience to be that of the penny. You will now express your
-intention of invisibly extracting the coin from the glass. Use any
-cabalistic form you may choose, and, with a flourish of the wand from
-the wineglass towards your hand, exhibit the coin, and give it to be
-examined. Let the lady withdraw the handkerchief from the wineglass,
-which at once seize and show rapidly round. The glass at the bottom
-will not be perceived, and you must take an early opportunity of
-extracting it. Some tricks "take" in various degrees at different
-times, but this one never fails to throw the audience into a state of
-bewilderment. Always obtain possession of the wineglass as soon as you
-can after the completion of the trick, for people will sometimes feel
-to the bottom of it with their fingers, although without the faintest
-notion of what they are looking for. When you bewilder people, you
-must not be surprised if they do inexplicable things, and must prepare
-yourself for all emergencies.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 13.]
-
-My reason for directing the performer to borrow a _penny_ for this
-trick is that it has, similarly with the circle of glass, no milled
-edge, and is of the size most convenient for the occasion. In extreme
-cases an eyeglass may be used, when, if it has a milled edge, as
-most of them have, it would be as well to borrow a florin; but in
-such instances there must be no dallying in showing the glass round
-after the trick, or the ribbed edge will infallibly be seen. I
-remember finding myself, on one occasion, without my piece of glass,
-and borrowed an eyeglass of one of the audience, under the pretext
-that the silken cord by which it was suspended was the very thing I
-required for a trick. I did some trivial thing with the cord, but
-forgot to return the glass for an hour or so, having in the interim
-forced it out of its frame (it was mounted in tortoiseshell),
-performed the trick, and replaced it. I knew that I should have to
-perform this particular trick, or have my reputation tarnished, so
-made a bold stroke for victory. Now I am never without the glass, and
-advise my readers to observe the same precaution. A port wine glass
-is the best to use, the piece of glass being liable to stick in the
-comparatively narrow sherry glass. Always give the wineglass to a lady
-to hold: ladies are less liable to attempt to conduct experiments
-after their own manner, or to make premature disclosures, either of
-which proceedings is embarrassing to the performer. The conjuring
-repositories supply a champagne tumbler, with a glass exactly the
-size of the interior of the bottom. This is an undoubted improvement,
-as the water may be poured out, if an examination be demanded, when
-the glass will still adhere to bottom of the tumbler, although the
-latter be turned upside down. This trick, when "worked" in conjunction
-with the nest of boxes, previously mentioned, makes an excellent
-combination. The nest can be used for any sized coin by the simple
-expedient of removing the very smallest boxes.
-
-(_m_) Take a penny, in good condition, and make, or have made, by a
-competent person, a groove, quite 3/16in. deep, all round the outer
-edge. This is very easily and most efficiently managed by means of
-a lathe; but, wanting that useful machine, a piercing-saw and flat
-needle-file will answer. When the groove is completed, with the
-piercing saw cut the penny into three pieces of equal width. Now take
-a very fine indiarubber band, obtainable at all shops where rubber
-goods are sold, and stretch it round the groove. The illustration
-shows the penny in three pieces, and also the band--actual size
-before being stretched. In putting on the band, commence with the
-centre piece, and then fit in the side pieces, the greatest care
-being necessary not to allow the band to get twisted. The result of
-these operations, when concluded, is that the penny can be folded up
-and made to occupy a space in width one-third of its usual diameter.
-When held at a little distance from the spectator, the incisions are
-not observable, especially before the penny is used for a trick, the
-issue of which, being unknown, does not lead the suspicions of the
-audience into any particular groove. As the act of folding causes a
-sharp strain to be put upon the band at the junctions, the groove at
-those points must be carefully filed, so as to completely do away with
-anything resembling a cutting edge, or a disaster may very easily
-occur. Invariably, before using, the band should be minutely examined,
-and, if the slightest signs of wear manifest themselves, it should be
-changed.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 14.]
-
-The prepared coin (which need not necessarily be a penny) is generally
-used in conjunction with a bottle, into which it is made to pass,
-_viâ_ the mouth. In order to make the trick at all satisfactory,
-a marked penny should be borrowed, and exchanged, by any of the
-previously described methods, for the prepared one.
-
-A soda-water bottle has been previously handed round for examination,
-and this is taken in the left hand. With the right hand show that the
-penny is at least as broad again as the mouth of the bottle, and then,
-folding it up quickly whilst making a covering movement, and hidden by
-the body of the hand, let it fall through. Show the bottle round to
-the spectators, continually shaking it, as if to convince them that
-the coin is solid and real, but really to prevent the possibility
-of the slits being seen. The trick can now be finished in two ways,
-viz., the bottle may be broken, or the coin can be shaken out again. I
-fancy the breaking of the bottle is the more effective, as the shaking
-out method impresses too forcibly upon the mind of an intelligent
-company the fact that some mysterious, if ingeniously concealed,
-preparation exists in connection with the coin. But the performer
-in this instance, as in very many other cases, must be guided in
-his actions by the mental calibre of the spectators. To shake the
-coin from the bottle, the latter should be taken horizontally in the
-right hand, the fingers of the left hand closing round the mouth,
-leaving a hollow in the palm for the coin to fall into. A not too
-violent sweeping shake is then given, bringing the mouth of the bottle
-downwards, when the coin should pass into the left hand. Some little
-practice will be required to insure this operation being brought
-off at the first attempt. Having to shake the bottle three or four
-times looks unskilful, although it does not absolutely spoil the
-trick. I have directed the use of a soda-water bottle because it has
-sloping sides, which facilitate the operation of getting the penny
-out very considerably, and also because it is made of white glass.
-If a coloured bottle were used (which it must not be, if possibly
-avoidable), the spectators would suspect that a coin had somehow been
-concealed in the interior before the trick began. However the coin
-may be regained, whether by breaking the bottle or by shaking out,
-it must be immediately re-exchanged for the borrowed penny, which
-will then be returned. It is quite possible to have that coin palmed
-during the whole operation; but if the performer lacks the necessary
-skill for this, it should be carried in the ticket pocket of the coat.
-The conjuror should have every coat he wears (excepting his dress
-one) furnished with this ticket pocket, and it will be greatly to his
-advantage to have one on each side. It should not be too deep, so that
-coins and other articles may be speedily reached with certainty, and
-it should not have a covering flap.
-
-The penny can also be prepared by omitting the groove, employing
-instead holes, made completely through, across the slits, through
-which elastic is passed, and fastened. As, for this purpose, flat
-elastic is immeasurably superior to any other form, some trouble is
-entailed in making suitable slits through; but, once accomplished, the
-article is far better than one prepared in any other way. The elastic
-should run quite freely through the centre piece, and be fastened with
-glue to the outside pieces only, first being slightly stretched, to
-insure the whole being brought closely together. The grooved penny can
-be purchased at a much less cost than would be incurred in making it,
-and, in addition, is more likely to be correctly constructed.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 15.]
-
-The following is a development of the use of the folding penny, which
-is even more startling than the foregoing, one or more pennies being
-made to pass into a bottle, which has been examined, and which has the
-mouth stopped by a large cork. In this case, the cork (Fig. 15) is
-a delusion and a snare. It is just 2in. long, and 1-1/16in. broad at
-the top, tapering to 15/16in. at the bottom. Viewed from the exterior,
-it is a cork; in reality, it is made of brass, with a thin veneer of
-cork glued on the outside. The measurements given include the cork
-skin. The bottom opens, flap-like, on a hinge, but is kept normally
-closed by means of a fine spiral spring, running the whole length of
-the inside, and soldered on the top and bottom. Protruding through a
-hole drilled in the top is a pin, which also runs the whole length of
-the interior (carried inside a small tube), and, when pressed, pushes
-open the bottom flap, thus allowing any contents there may be to fall
-out into the bottle. When the pressure upon the pin is removed, the
-power of the spring closes it again. This cork is charged with one or
-more folding pennies (three or four are generally used), and concealed
-in the hand, a genuine cork being handed for examination. The latter
-is changed for the "property" cork, which is then placed in the
-bottle, which must be white, and, of course, have a very wide mouth.
-The performer now produces some pennies, which he may "pass" into the
-bottle in any way he pleases. A good method is to use the two boxes
-described in "Grand Magic" as then the performer's hands are free.
-But the pass shown at Fig. 11 may be employed, the bottle being
-taken in the hand in which the coins are actually concealed. When the
-coins are being "passed," the bottle must, of course, be held in one
-hand or the other, and pressure given the pin by a finger at the
-proper moment. Where one coin only is used, it may be simply palmed,
-which method would also apply where the performer is skilful enough to
-palm several coins at once. In this case, the coins would merely be
-held in one hand, and the bottle in the other, and the coins thrown
-into the bottle.
-
-(_n_) A very pretty trick, though rather difficult to learn, is
-performed, with the aid of the Reverse Palm (Fig. 6), as follows:
-Borrow from two separate persons two coins of the same denomination.
-Take particular pains to have the marks quite distinct on each,
-so that the two are distinguishable from one another. There is no
-objection to the performer superintending the marking, in order to
-insure its being properly done. One coin, for instance, might have
-a single stroke marked upon it, or a cross, whilst the other could
-have a small circle or an initial. The numbers 1 and 2 could also be
-efficiently employed; and, for facility of description, I will now
-suppose them used. Palmed (Fig. 2), you have another coin of your
-own, similar to those borrowed. You place two chairs or settees a
-little distance apart, between yourself and the spectators. Take coin
-No. 1, and, standing behind one of the chairs, facing the company, act
-as though you tossed it upon the cushion. What you really do, however,
-is to palm the coin by the reverse palm, following the instructions
-on page 8, for throwing a coin away into the air; the coin that
-has been concealed in the palm being released, in its stead. This
-action must be assiduously practised until it can be performed with
-complete certainty and smoothness. Practise first tossing a coin on
-a chair from a distance of a couple of feet, and then imitate that
-action as nearly as possible whilst making the change. The toss must
-be made with a steady, smooth swing, neither too hurriedly nor too
-slowly executed. When the manoeuvre is finished, the palm of the
-hand must, of course, be towards the audience. A half, or whole, turn
-of the body must now be made, to enable the performer to get the coin
-from the back of the fingers to the palm proper. The way to ensure the
-safe execution of this is to put the thumb over the first finger,
-so that it grasps the coin, assisted by the middle finger. The first
-finger can then be drawn out of the way. With coin No. 1 in the palm,
-take coin No. 2, and repeat the changing operation, at the completion
-of which the state of affairs will be: On chair 1, duplicate coin
-(supposed by spectators to be coin No. 1); on chair 2, coin No. 1
-(supposed by spectators to be coin No. 2); in performer's palm, coin
-No. 2. Any fanciful form of causing a magical change to take place
-may be gone into, and the performer then asks a spectator to examine
-the coin on chair 2, which is found to be coin No. 1. As only two
-coins are known to the spectators, it is taken for granted by them
-that the one on chair 1 is coin No. 2; but it will be as well for the
-performer to incidentally remark, "And, of course, there is coin No.
-2," and then at once proceed to show the trick over again, "for the
-general satisfaction of those present." For this purpose, coin No.
-1 is taken from the person who examined it, and ostensibly replaced
-upon chair 2. Instead, however, coin No. 2 is placed there. Under the
-plea of placing the chair a little closer, so that a better view may
-be obtained, the performer takes up duplicate coin from chair 1, and,
-in apparently replacing it, substitutes coin No. 1. The coins have
-thus been made to regain their old positions, and may now, of course,
-be freely examined, the performer not touching them again. If the
-performer feels any confidence in himself in this rather difficult
-trick, he may use three marked coins, when, by skilful manipulation,
-he may make all sorts of changes. By working changes with only two of
-the three at a time, he always has one lying dormant, which is not
-liable to inspection, and may, therefore, be the duplicate one. It is
-not advisable for him to prolong the trick, unless it be going very
-well. He must keep his wits about him, however, or he may find that he
-has forgotten the precise whereabouts of his own coin. A very bold,
-but remarkably effective, way of bringing about the final change is
-to pick the coin from the chair, and, instead of moving that closer,
-toss the coin into a lady's lap. The lady should be sitting upon
-the extreme verge of the other spectators, or else must be shielded
-by some article of furniture, or the coin palmed at the back of the
-hand is not unlikely to be seen. The very boldness of this action is,
-however, its chief safeguard, only there must be no sort of hesitation
-in its execution.
-
-A performer with large and muscular fingers can use half-crowns
-for the trick, but for the beginner shillings and halfpence will
-be sufficient. Copper coins are not so effective as silver; but an
-accidental exposure of a portion of them is not so readily perceived
-as is the case with the brighter metal--not that there is the least
-excuse for such exposure.
-
-Before returning the duplicate coin to the pocket, the performer may
-produce one or two other effects with the reverse palm. Let him borrow
-a hat, and a coin similar to the one concealed. Standing sideways to
-the company, let him have the duplicate palmed reversely in the hand
-that is farthest from the audience. Say it is the left hand. With the
-right hand place the hat into the left one, the thumb on the brim, the
-fingers inside. As the company have seen the palm of the left hand
-open, not the slightest suspicion will be entertained that it holds
-anything. The borrowed coin is now made to perform an ærial journey,
-being palmed. The performer's eye follows its imaginary flight,
-and then catches it in the hat, the coin in the left hand being of
-course released, when it will be heard to fall. After showing this
-coin, reverse palm the other, under cover of the hat, and repeat the
-operation. To do this, the performer must be able to palm equally well
-with either hand. If the trick be repeated, it should be varied each
-time by some such device as finding that the coin had taken refuge in
-a gentleman's hair, lady's handkerchief, &c., on its way to the hat.
-
-By the time the learner has proceeded thus far with success, he will
-have acquired a proficiency that will enable him to amuse a circle of
-friends for an hour or two by means of coin tricks alone, without much
-fear of detection, especially if the rule of rehearsing in private
-before exhibiting in public be adhered to. The security afforded by a
-good palm can scarcely be over-estimated, as it enables the performer
-to attempt the most barefaced impromptu experiments with comparative
-impunity. These impromptu interludes are always conducive to success,
-for the audience can generally discover originality.
-
-But, before taking a temporary leave of coins, I must put my readers
-up to a few wrinkles in connection with the use of the sleeve--a
-portion of the conjuror's attire which is but rarely employed,
-notwithstanding the popular exclamation of "Up his sleeve," which is
-usually made use of when the operator has vanished some trifle in the
-shape of a cauliflower or rabbit, for the reception of which articles
-the sleeve of a dress coat is so admirably adapted. No; the sleeve
-is only used when its coadjutorship is unsuspected; and, in the case
-of coins, only when the palm is suspected of containing the coin. So
-many people have a misty idea of palming, that one frequently hears
-whispered, "In his palm." Should the whisperer be wrong, of course
-you will at once prove him to be so by exhibiting your palms empty;
-but should he be right, you will then feign not to hear the whisper.
-Sometimes, though, the announcement is not made in a whisper, but
-in the form of a challenge to you, and this you must be prepared to
-meet. Suppose the coin _is_ palmed and you are challenged; you are
-close to or among the audience, and the challenger is importunate.
-Nothing remains but to sleeve the coin. This manoeuvre is executed
-by shooting the arm straight out, the palm open and downwards, with
-such force as will carry the coin up the sleeve. Of course, you
-must not stand in middle of the room shooting your arm out, or the
-audience will either divine what you are about or will think you are
-taking leave of your senses. The action must be covered by an advance
-towards the challenger, which must be done as boldly as if you had
-never even seen the coin, much less concealed it in your palm. As
-you advance, say something; for example, "What! in my palm, sir? I
-don't understand you. How can anything be in my palm? If you don't
-believe me, see for yourself." With this, make the shoot, and turn
-the hand over. Care must be taken that the arm is quite level, or the
-coin will slide gracefully on to the floor. You must not stop here,
-but say, "Perhaps you would like to see my other hand as well, sir"
-(show left hand, at same time allowing coin to fall back in the right,
-where palm it), "or maybe you think the coin is up my sleeve." Shake
-both arms vigorously, which, as the coin is again in your palm, you
-can do with impunity, and ask someone to feel your sleeves. An extra
-effect is given by your asserting that the cause of the gentleman's
-anxiety was that he himself had basely pilfered the coin, and wished
-to pass the odium on to you. With this remark, produce the coin from
-some part of his person. Barring the disturbance to the equilibrium of
-one's feelings of security whilst the performance is going on, this
-little interlude, promptly carried out, is as good as any set trick.
-Of course there must be no bungling. Should the sleeves be turned
-back, as they often will be, they must first be unrolled, with great
-deliberation. In such an instance you would, of course, show that
-your sleeves are guiltless of any deception, before exonerating the
-palm. Practice will enable you at once to perceive the nature of the
-objection about to be raised, so that ordinarily you can anticipate,
-and turn down one sleeve at least. It is not often that the exigency
-occurs, but it will infallibly do so at some time or other, so one
-must be prepared to meet it, or be looked upon as an impostor. A
-second method for sending a coin up the sleeve is to place it almost
-on the ends of the fingers (Fig. 16) palm upwards, and, turning the
-hand rapidly over, close it (Fig. 17). This will throw the coin
-up the sleeve, whereas the appearance is that it is enclosed in the
-hand. A third method is to hold the coin between the thumb and middle
-finger (Fig. 18) and "flip" it up the sleeve. A fourth method is to
-place the coin on the edge of the table and cover it with the ends of
-the fingers, which draw smartly back and shut, when the coin will be
-shot up the sleeve. This somewhat resembles the second method. A fifth
-method is to spin the coin high in the air, and as it descends make a
-"grab" at it as if catching, but in reality allow it to fall down the
-sleeve, keeping the hand shut as though holding it. This is one of the
-most thorough deceptions I know of. It is so perfect that the operator
-himself cannot see the coin enter the sleeve. I am quite aware that
-it seems improbable, but a trial will be conclusive on the point. A
-pleasing variety of the first method is to place a coin (the heavier
-the better) on the palm of the hand. Turn the hand over briskly, at
-the same time thrusting it well forward, and the coin will slide up
-the sleeve. In performing any of these tricks be careful to have the
-shirt cuff pulled well up and out of the way, and do not wear large
-links or solitaires, against which the coin will infallibly clink, if
-only for the simple reason that it is not wanted to do so. No one but
-a bungler would use the sleeve in his regular performances, except
-when driven by necessity; but it is highly essential for a conjuror to
-be perfect in all the minutiæ of his art, and he must practise them as
-the pianoforte-player practises the scales which he never plays to the
-public.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 16.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 17.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 18.]
-
-In using marked coins, always take the greatest care that the marking
-is done in such a manner as to render it impossible for the coin not
-to be recognised on making its reappearance; and also let several
-people see the mark. It is very disheartening, when you have performed
-an elaborate trick, in which a Mr. Interference has given you no
-end of trouble, to hear the owner of the coin say that he cannot
-recognise his mark. I have seen people put some trivial mark on a coin
-in pencil, which would rub off immediately. It is also advisable to
-have a quantity of cheap coins by you. In such tricks as trick _d_,
-large, thin, and showy silver Turkish coins are the best. They possess
-every advantage; the milled edge gives a firm hold for the palm,
-whilst the substance of the coin allows of a large number being held
-in the hand. Besides this, thin coins give a good business-like clink;
-whilst a large coin is always more effective than a small one. Pennies
-plated over make very fair substitutes, and do not entail much loss of
-capital if kept aside ready for use, as they always should be, which
-can hardly be said to be the case with florins or half-crowns.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER III.
-
-TRICKS WITH COMMON OBJECTS.
-
-     ON RAPIDITY AND DECEPTION--MISDIRECTION--A JAPANESE SUGAR
-     TRICK--"FLY AWAY, JACK; FLY AWAY, JOHN: COME AGAIN, JACK;
-     COME AGAIN, JOHN"--A "RISING BLADE"--TO RESTORE A PIECE OF
-     COTTON THAT HAS BEEN CUT UP IN SMALL PIECES--TO PASS A RING
-     FROM A HANDKERCHIEF ON TO A WAND HELD AT EACH END--A SECOND
-     METHOD--A THIRD METHOD.
-
-
-I commence this, the second portion of drawing-room conjuring, with
-the decided hope that, before my readers attempt to follow me, they
-will have attained some proficiency in the art of palming and other
-little matters alluded to in my remarks concerning the treatment of
-coins. If such skill has been acquired, although in a small degree
-only, it will be of use in rendering the manipulation of other objects
-much easier. The prevailing idea with the public is that a conjuror
-moves things about from place to place before one's very eyes, but
-with such extreme rapidity as to avoid detection. This, I say, is the
-prevailing idea, and long may it continue to be so, since it is the
-very thing an audience is supposed to imagine. The learner, however,
-must, from the outset, dismiss such an impression from his mind as
-untenable, even for an instant. If he has a lurking opinion that
-a hand _can_ be moved without the motion being detected, let him
-practise at moving, say, a cork or a piece of sugar, a distance of
-only one short inch. Let him practise for a twelvemonth to begin with,
-and I will guarantee that at the end of that period he is no nearer
-the consummation of the feat than he was at the commencement. If time
-hangs heavily on his hands, let him go on practising, say, for five
-or ten years: the result will be precisely similar. No; conjuring is
-based upon more deceptive principles than mere rapidity of movement,
-although that, of course, enters largely into its composition.
-Articles are, indeed, transmitted from one place to another before
-the eyes of the audience, but it is always, as it were, _sub rosa_.
-This is the reason why conjurors say so much about the hand being
-quicker than the eye, &c. The audience is continually trying to
-detect movements which are never even attempted, the result being
-that other movements are conducted with impunity. The conjuror must
-start with the one principle firmly fixed in his mind that he is to
-deceive his audience in every way possible. At no time is he actually
-to do that which he says he is doing. Every look and gesture, besides
-every word, should tend to lead the mind into the wrong groove.
-MISDIRECTION is the grand basis of the conjuror's actions;
-and the more natural the performer's movements in this particular,
-the more complete will be his success. With each trick that requires
-it, I shall give hints for misdirecting the spectator's attention,
-although I am of opinion that every conjuror can best suit himself if
-he is only firmly impressed with the necessity for misdirection. The
-drawing-room conjuror must hold himself prepared to perform offhand
-with any article that may happen to present itself to view; although
-it is, of course, perfectly allowable for him to send for anything he
-may require. An article which one is tolerably certain to find in most
-houses is
-
-_Sugar._--Take four well-shaped pieces, of a medium size, and place
-them before you on a table, at which you will sit at your ease, in the
-form of a square, and about a foot from each other. Hatch up a long
-rigmarole about one piece being the Emperor of Japan, another his
-wife, another his daughter, and another his prime minister, or any
-other rubbish you please, so long as you bring it about that it is
-necessary that all four should assemble together in one place. In the
-country of which you are speaking, you will explain, it is the custom
-of Royalty to travel by telegraph, and invisible to the gaze of the
-"common herd." To illustrate how it is done, you will cover two of
-the four pieces, each with a separate hand, and, at the word "pass,"
-make a slight movement as if throwing a piece from one hand to the
-other. On raising the hands, two pieces will be found under one, and
-none under the other. Repeat this operation (the minority always going
-over to the majority) until all four pieces are collected under one
-hand. The explanation of this really pretty, and, to the uninitiated,
-inexplicable trick, is, that you have a fifth piece of sugar palmed.
-If this piece be released, and that under the other hand palmed, the
-effect is the same as if an invisible journey had really been made.
-Supposing the five pieces of sugar to be represented by numerals, the
-various changes may be thus tabulated:
-
-     _Left Hand._                      _Right Hand._
-
-      1.--Raise 1          and        Drop 5 with 2.
-2.--Drop 1 with 5 and 2    and           Raise 3.
-      3.--Raise 4          and    Drop 3 with 1, 5, and 2.
-           4.--Raise both hands and pocket 4.
-
-The rough and adhesive nature of sugar renders it very easy to palm.
-In palming, avoid all contraction of the muscles of the back of the
-hand, which is visible to the audience, or a clue to the solution of
-the trick will be given. If going out to a place where you are likely
-to be asked to exhibit your skill, be provided with a piece of sugar,
-and then ask for the requisite four pieces. If you are unprovided,
-then you must secure possession of the sugar basin, and secrete the
-extra piece as best you can. The extreme simplicity of this trick is
-only equalled by the astonishment of the audience, who are straining
-their eyes to catch a glimpse of the piece of sugar as it passes. I
-need hardly remark that they never succeed.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 19.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 20.]
-
-_Knives_, I think I may say, are also tolerably common articles, and
-some good tricks are performed with them. Take a cheese knife and four
-tiny squares of paper. Stand facing your audience, however small it
-may be, and, wetting the papers separately, stick two on each side of
-the blade, taking care that the positions on both sides correspond
-as nearly as possible. Hold the knife before you in the fingers of
-the right hand (Fig. 19), and in such a position that only one side
-of the blade is visible. With the thumb and finger of the left hand
-remove the piece of paper nearest the handle, and, putting your hand
-behind your back, make a feint of throwing it away, without actually
-doing so. Now, with a rapid movement, cause the knife to describe a
-half circle in the air _still with the same side uppermost_; but the
-position of the hand will be slightly altered (Fig. 20), which will
-lead the audience to think that the knife has been actually turned
-over. Barely before the movement is completed a finger of the left
-hand must be upon the spot recently occupied by the piece of paper, as
-if taking off a second piece from the opposite side. The first piece,
-which has all the time been in the left hand, is thus made to do duty
-twice. The second time, it is dropped on the floor in full view of the
-audience, accompanied by the remark, "that makes the second piece."
-Now remove the other piece of paper, and repeat the manoeuvre
-executed with the first piece, taking the greatest care that only one
-side of the blade is visible, and that the finger of the left hand,
-with the concealed paper, is down upon the vacant spot before the
-spectators' eyes can rest there. Having ostensibly removed the fourth
-and last piece of paper, the knife is supposed to be empty, which you
-boldly declare to be the case, making a rapid backward and forward
-movement with the blank side to prove it. You then say you will cause
-the papers to re-appear upon the knife instantaneously. All you have
-to do is to put your hand behind your back and reverse the position of
-the knife so that the side of the blade with the two pieces of paper
-still remaining upon it is uppermost. Bringing the knife again to the
-front, make another quick backward and forward movement, saying, "Here
-are the papers back again on both sides as before," and then, without
-any further preliminaries, draw the blade through the fingers and
-cause the two papers to fall upon the floor. If this final movement
-is not executed, the audience will, when they have recovered their
-senses, point to the two papers which you dropped on the floor during
-the performance of the trick, and want to know why they are there and
-not on the knife. Continued rapidity of motion is what is required
-for the success of this trick. There must be no halting in the middle
-or hesitation of any kind, to avoid which practice in private will be
-essential, as, indeed, it will be with every trick worth doing at all.
-
-Borrow a _light_ penknife, and take care that it is not too sharp, and
-has a good deep notch at the haft. You are previously prepared with
-about two feet of very fine black silk, one end of which is attached
-to a button of your vest, the other end being furnished with a loop
-large enough to pass over a finger. This can either be wound round the
-button, or can hang loosely, with the free end looped up. I prefer
-the latter method, and have never found it lead to any inconvenience,
-which at first sight it appears extremely likely to do. Also borrow a
-hock or champagne bottle; pint size preferred. First send round the
-knife to be examined, and, whilst the examination is going on, get
-the loop of the silk over the end of one of the fingers of the left
-hand. When the knife is returned to you, and not before, give the
-bottle to be examined, and distract the attention of the audience by
-allusions to the "departed spirits" of the bottle, and admonitions to
-be sure and see that the bottom does not take out. By the time the
-bottle comes back you have slipped the loop over the blade of the
-knife and allowed it to catch in the notch, where cause it to remain.
-If the knife is a sharp one, extra caution must be observed, or the
-silk will be severed. This actually happened to me on one occasion,
-so I speak from direful experience. By sending the bottle away to be
-cleaned, I gained sufficient time to tie another loop in the silk, and
-went on as usual; but the incident was not a particularly cheerful one
-taken altogether--there was too much "glorious uncertainty" about it.
-Take the knife upside down, _i.e._, with the sharp edge of the blade
-uppermost, between the finger and thumb, hold the silk sufficiently
-taut to keep the loop in position by means of the other fingers,
-and drop the whole into the bottle. This must not be done with the
-bottle in a perpendicular position (in which case the loop will
-probably either break or slip off the knife), but with it inclined
-at an angle of about 45 deg. (Fig. 21). This will allow the knife
-to slide down at a safe speed and yet reach the bottom with a good
-"thud." Having satisfied yourself that everything is in order, hold
-the bottle perpendicularly in the left hand between the audience and
-yourself, and about breast high. Make use of any cabalistic nonsense
-you please, and then cause the knife to rise from the bottle by the
-action of moving it from you and towards the audience. The action of
-raising the bottle must be but sparsely indulged in, if at all, as it
-is easily noticed; not so the horizontal motion. When brought to the
-mouth of the bottle the knife quietly topples over on to the floor,
-whence allow it to be picked up by a spectator, who will not require
-much admonition to examine it. Also send the bottle round again;
-and get rid of the silk as soon as you can after the trick is done.
-It will be noticed that I have directed the performer to use a hock
-or champagne bottle. The reason for this will be obvious after once
-trying the experiment with a bottle having an abrupt shoulder, such
-as an ale bottle. The knife catches in it, and a vigorous jerk, which
-is as likely to cause a breakage as anything else, has to be resorted
-to to free it. The sides of hock and champagne bottles presenting an
-even surface the whole way up, that class of bottle is therefore to be
-preferred. By means of the foregoing three tricks I have seen a room
-full of intelligent people utterly bewildered.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 21]
-
-The following trick I have never known to be discovered if only
-properly performed. For it you will require another exceedingly common
-object, viz.:
-
-_Cotton._--Take a piece of any colour, 12in. to 15in. long, and see
-that one of the audience is provided with a very sharp penknife.
-Double the cotton once, and have the bend cut quite through. Double
-again and have it cut, and repeat the operation until it is nothing
-but pieces, each barely a third of an inch long. Rub the pieces
-together in the fingers, and, after a short time, quietly draw out
-the cotton again as it was in the first instance. That is what you
-must ostensibly do: now for how to do it. First of all, have concealed
-between your finger and thumb a piece of cotton about the length
-above mentioned. This you must roll up small, and deliberately hold
-between your finger and thumb, or, better still, if the fingers be
-sufficiently large, between the tips of any two fingers, as they are
-more naturally kept together. Nobody will notice it if the hand is
-engaged in negligently holding the lappel of your coat, the wand, &c.
-I need hardly mention that the concealed piece must be of the same
-colour as that operated upon, as the production of a white in place of
-a black piece would scarcely be satisfactory. To ensure the success of
-this preliminary, some considerable manoeuvring has often to be gone
-through, and no small amount of tact exhibited. Where you are showing
-the trick for the first time, you can of course ask for any coloured
-cotton you please (always choose black when you have a choice),
-but it is such a fascinating trick that you will be called upon to
-perform it over and over again in the same house, or before the same
-people--which is quite as bad--and you will find that all kinds of
-ingenious devices will be brought to bear upon you. As a commencement,
-always carry in the corners of your waistcoat pockets two black and
-two white pieces, ready for emergencies. Each pocket will contain
-two pieces of the same colour, but differing in thickness, one in
-each corner. It is useless to carry other colours on the mere chance,
-as you are sure to be unprovided with the exact one required at the
-moment. When coloured cotton is produced, you must, by some means
-or other, get at the reel from which the cotton is taken. If driven
-right into a corner, you must go so far as to ask someone (always
-let it be the master or mistress of the house) to secretly obtain a
-piece for you; but this you will have to resort to on rare occasions
-only. Make all sorts of excuses so as to cause a delay, even going so
-far as to postpone the performance of the trick, but not before you
-have seen what colour you are likely to be favoured with. Your wits
-must do the rest. The reader must remember that I have taken extreme
-cases, and such as but rarely occur; but still they _do_ occur, and
-if I did not warn the beginner of pitfalls ahead, he would not think
-much of my teaching. In the ordinary way, he will be able to ask for
-any colour he pleases, which will of course be similar to that with
-which he is provided. We will suppose that everything has progressed
-favourably. Take the cotton to be cut between the thumb and forefinger
-of each hand, by the extreme ends, and, doubling it, let one hand
-hold the loop to be cut, the fingers of the other hand holding the
-ends. As soon as the knife has passed through the cotton, give it a
-"twitch," and bring the ends, of which there will now be four, quickly
-together, as if you had performed some very intricate manoeuvre. Of
-course, you have really done nothing at all, the movement being only
-a deceptive one to lead the spectators to believe that the secret of
-the trick consists in the way in which you twist or double the cotton.
-Have this in mind all through the trick, and keep up the deception.
-Continue to double the cotton, taking the greatest care that the ends
-all come neatly together, and that all the loops are cut through.
-Do everything with the greatest deliberation (except the delusive
-"twitch"), for there is no occasion for any hurry. When the cotton is
-cut so small that it will not double any more, commence to knead in
-the fingers, and gradually work the fragments behind the concealed
-piece, which must be brought to the front. This you will do without
-once removing the hands from the full view of the audience--in fact,
-under their very eyes. When you feel quite sure that everything is
-snug and secure, commence to unravel the whole piece, which will pass
-for the resuscitated original.
-
-People who have seen the trick performed before will sometimes suggest
-that the piece of cotton should be measured before being cut up.
-Allow this to be done with all the grace in the world (when you find
-that you cannot do otherwise), but, before operating upon it, roll
-it up in the fingers, either absently, whilst engaging the audience
-in conversation, or for the purpose of seeing if it is of the proper
-dimensions, and exchange it, unperceived, for the concealed piece,
-which will be cut up instead. Although it is not advisable to have the
-cotton measured first, yet, when it is done, it invariably adds lustre
-to the feat. The pieces must never be carelessly thrown away, but
-secreted in a pocket on the first opportunity that presents itself,
-and afterwards burnt.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 22.]
-
-_Rings_ can be made use of in many tricks, both in the drawing-room
-and on the stage. The following will be found very neat and effective:
-Procure a metal imitation of a wedding-ring, and have it cut neatly
-through. Pass this ring under a single thread of your handkerchief
-near one of the corners. Borrow a lady's ring, which palm, under
-pretence of putting it in the handkerchief. (The best method for
-palming a ring is to hold it between two fingers at the roots.) This
-you will appear to have done if you give the false ring (under cover
-of the handkerchief) to be held by someone who is not the owner of
-the borrowed article. It is immaterial whether the genuine ring has
-a fancy head or not, as the back of it will usually be about the
-width of a wedding-ring. Take the wand in the hand, and, unperceived,
-slip the ring in your palm over it until it reaches the middle,
-still covered by the hand. Now ask two persons to hold the wand, one
-at either end, and lay the handkerchief containing the false ring
-(still held from the outside by the original holder) over it. If
-you now remove your hand, you will leave the ring on the wand still
-concealed by the handkerchief (Fig. 22). Take hold of the end of
-the handkerchief which hangs down below the wand, and instruct the
-person holding the false ring to leave go when you count "three." As
-soon as you are obeyed, draw the handkerchief smartly across the
-wand. This will cause the ring to spin round, and assist materially in
-inducing the audience to believe that it was actually conjured from
-the handkerchief on to the wand whilst the latter article was being
-held at either end by two people. A slight jerk will detach the false
-ring from the handkerchief, which you can send round to be examined.
-A hint I can give the learner is, never to ask a lady to lend you her
-wedding-ring or keeper. Many ladies are exceedingly superstitious, and
-feel embarrassed when asked, from not liking to refuse, and yet being
-unwilling to take their rings from their fingers. Always borrow a ring
-the back of which nearly, if not quite, matches your false article in
-substance.
-
-Procure a metal ring, similar to the one used in the last trick, of
-very soft brass, and, when you have cut it through, sharpen up the
-two ends to points with a file, or any other way you please. Borrow
-a lady's ring, and exchange it, as in last trick, putting the false
-one in a handkerchief, which have tied with tape or string in such a
-manner that the ring is contained in a bag. If the borrowed ring is
-narrow all round, you may make use of your nest of boxes (described
-in trick _g_, Chapter II.), if it has not been previously utilised
-in some other trick; it being a golden rule among conjurors never to
-use the same apparatus twice during the same evening. An apple (a
-potato, small loaf, &c., will do as well) can be used instead with
-effect, if a goodly slit be made in it, and the ring pushed in while
-you are taking it from your bag or from behind the screen. Show the
-apple round, boldly saying that everyone can see that there is no
-preparation about it, at the same time taking care that no one has
-time to decide either one way or the other from the rapidity with
-which you pass it about. Place it in a prominent position, and then
-take the handkerchief containing the false ring by the bag, allowing
-the ends to fall over and conceal your hands. Quickly unbend the
-ring, and, working one of the pointed ends through the handkerchief,
-draw it out, and _rub the place of exit between your fingers, so as
-to obliterate all traces of it_. All this you must do very quickly,
-and, dropping the handkerchief on the floor, say, "Without untying
-the string, I have abstracted the ring, which I now pass into that
-apple." Here make a pass. Take a knife in the hand holding the false
-ring (unless you have been clever enough to get rid of that article),
-and, showing the audience that the other hand is quite empty, proceed
-to cut open the apple slowly. When the knife touches the ring, allow
-it to "clink" upon it as much as possible, and call attention to the
-fact, as it is a great feature in the trick. Do not cut the apple
-completely through, but, taking it forward (on a plate is the best
-way), allow the owner of the ring to take it out with her own hand.
-Of course, the audience must not be allowed to handle the apple, and
-so discover the old slit. This trick should not be performed with
-the preceding one, but on another evening. The principal effect of
-the trick is the apparent abstraction of the borrowed ring from its
-confinement in the handkerchief in an incomprehensible manner, and you
-must, therefore, allow the audience to see that the ring undoubtedly
-_is_ tied up securely in the first instance.
-
-Another trick with a ring is performed by aid of the wand only.
-Borrow a good stout ring, a signet for example, and, holding it near
-the roots of the fingers of the right hand, pretend to pass it over
-the wand, but, in reality, let it slide along on the outside of it,
-and still keep it in the hand. The deception is assisted if the ring
-be first carelessly placed upon the wand, and taken off again, two
-or three times. Say to one of the audience, "Will you be so kind as
-to hold one end of the wand with either hand?" and, in stretching
-the wand out towards him, allow the left hand momentarily to pass
-close under the right, and let the ring fall into it--of course,
-unperceived. If you look at your hands whilst doing this, you are a
-lost man. You must look the addressee boldly in the face, and thereby
-divert attention to him--not that there is the slightest excuse for
-exposing the ring during its passage from one hand to the other. When
-the wand is firmly held at both ends, say something about the futility
-of strength in certain cases, and eventually show the ring in the left
-hand, and remove the right from the wand to show that it is empty.
-If relinquished at this stage, the trick is very incomplete, as the
-audience usually divine, or affect to divine, that the ring never was
-put upon the wand at all. It is a peculiarity of this trick that this
-remark is almost invariably made, so the conjuror must be prepared
-with something still more "staggering." Return the ring to its owner,
-and call attention to the fact that you have not cut it in any way
-(not that anyone will ever think that you would do so, but you must
-assume that this idea is prevailing in the minds of the audience),
-and secretly take from your pocket, or wherever it may be concealed,
-a thick metal (or gold) ring, which keep in the left hand. Borrow
-the ring again, and slide it over the wand with precisely the same
-movement which you used in the first instance, when you did _not_ put
-the ring on. This time you must appear to be very clumsy, and let the
-two hands come together so that everyone can see the action clearly,
-and snatch the left hand away sharply as if it contained the ring.
-You will doubtless see a number of heads lean towards each other, and
-hear a good deal of loud whispering, in which the words "left hand"
-will be conspicuous. Take no notice of this beyond looking as confused
-as possible, and the audience will think they have bowled you out
-at last. The strange part of it is that, in a trick of this kind, a
-spectator who fancies, rightly or wrongly, that he has discovered
-something, never attributes the fact to your want of skill, but to
-his own remarkable powers of perception. The effect of the ruse
-will be heightened if you allow a tiny portion of the false ring to
-catch the eye of one or more of the audience; or resort to any other
-artifice to induce them to believe that you really have the borrowed
-ring in the left hand, and have allowed the fact to transpire through
-carelessness. Now say that, the ring being securely on the wand, you
-mean to take it off as before, and give the two ends of the wand to be
-held. You will then appear to notice the incredulous looks and remarks
-of the audience for the first time, and stoutly deny that the ring
-is in the left hand, which, however, you decline to open. Allow the
-audience to argue the point with you, and, when one has said that he
-saw you take the ring in the left hand, and others have made a similar
-statement, pretend to give in, and say that you must admit that you
-are discovered; but, at the same time, you feel it incumbent on you
-to do something to retrieve your character. You will, therefore, pass
-the ring, now in the left hand, invisibly on to the wand. Make a pass
-with the left hand, and draw the right smartly away from the wand,
-causing the ring on it to spin round. The effect may be imagined. At
-the instant the right hand leaves the wand, the left should place
-the false ring (supposing one is used) in the pocket, as all manner
-of questions will be asked afterwards. The trick can be varied in
-many ways, by confusing the spectators. Peripatetic conjurors make a
-good deal of money by means of this trick, by betting that the ring
-is either on or off the wand. Manner has a great deal to do with the
-success of it.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IV.
-
-TRICKS WITH CUPS AND BALLS.
-
-     THE CUPS--THE BALLS--HOW TO CONCEAL A BALL--HOW TO SLIP
-     A BALL UNDER A CUP UNPERCEIVED--HOW TO VANISH A BALL:
-     PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, PHASE THREE--THE MANUFACTORY--HOW TO
-     INTRODUCE LARGE OBJECTS BENEATH THE CUPS--BAG FOR HOLDING
-     ARTICLES--HINTS--TALK FOR THE TRICK.
-
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 23.]
-
-The variety of tricks performed with the aid of cups and balls take a
-prominent position in the repertory of every conjuror laying claim to
-any proficiency in pure sleight of hand. Three tin cups (or, rather,
-as they are always used in an inverted position, covers), rather more
-than 4in. in height, and some 3in. across the mouth, with the bottom
-concave, and two or three little rings near the mouth (Fig. 23) will
-be required. Also make, to commence with, four cork balls, blackened,
-either by burning or by colouration, each about the size of an
-ordinary bullet. The audience know of the existence of three balls
-only, the fourth being concealed by the conjuror between the roots of
-the third and middle fingers. The very first thing the learner must
-acquire is the knack of slipping the ball rapidly from the exposed
-(Fig. 24) to the concealed position (Fig. 25) in a secure manner.
-The ball is partly slid, partly rolled, partly dropped into the
-position, the thumb, with a slight motion, which, in time, will become
-quite an unconscious one, pressing it finally home.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 24.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 25.]
-
-The action, which must be accompanied by the backward and forward
-swing used when palming coins, must be practised with both hands,
-the more awkward hand of the two being taught first. When tolerably
-perfect in this, practise getting the ball down to the tips of the
-fingers at the roots of which it is held, care being of course taken
-that no portion of it protrudes. The object of getting the ball
-into this position is, that it may be placed under any cup, raised
-ostensibly for some other purpose, without detection. As the cup is
-placed on the table, the ball held in the fingers is slid quietly
-under it. All conjurors do not use this method, some grasping the cup
-as low down as possible, and jerking it up and down, thus getting
-the ball inside direct from the concealed position (Fig. 25). This
-latter method is exceedingly neat, but is the more difficult one
-to accomplish. However, the learner may try for himself, and adopt
-the method which comes the easier to him. The ball is not taken in
-the tips of the fingers until the hand is about to grasp the cup,
-the major motion shielding the minor one. With the two movements
-described under his control, the learner should proceed thus: Place
-the three cups in a row, with a ball in front (_i.e._, towards the
-audience) of each, and explain that the cups are solid tin and are not
-provided with permeable bottoms. There is no objection to allowing
-an examination to be made, but it had better take place at the end
-of the trick, or much time will be wasted. Say that the tin cups are
-for the purpose of covering the balls, and place one cup over each
-to illustrate it. Now take up cup No. 1, and, whilst placing it down
-a few inches off, slip the concealed ball under it. Pick up ball No.
-1, and vanish it by concealing it in the prescribed method (Fig. 25).
-You can pretend to throw it into the air, or affect to put it into
-the other hand (see Coins, Fig. 7), from which it will be "passed"
-by a rap from the wand, which article you will find a true friend
-when performing with the cups and balls, and which should be held in
-readiness under the arm. Repeat the operation with cups No. 2 and No.
-3, each having a ball placed under it when shifted. Tell the audience
-that so well trained are the little balls, that, at your word of
-command, they will return from their invisible wanderings to their
-imprisonment beneath the cups, which you will then raise, and show the
-balls beneath. This is the first and simple phase.
-
-In the next, cup No. 1 is placed over a ball, and the concealed one
-slipped in with it. Take up another ball, and pretend to "pass" it
-through the cup, which raise, showing two balls together, and then
-replace, slipping concealed ball under along with the other two; and
-then "pass" the third ball through, which will bring all three balls
-under one cup. On putting cup No. 1 down, after exhibiting the three
-balls together, slip concealed ball under it, and pick up one of the
-three, which vanish. Then say it is as easy for you to abstract a ball
-from beneath a cup as it is for you to pass it to the inside. Put cup
-No. 2 over the two balls, and pretend to take one out by means of the
-wand, the concealed ball being exhibited as the one thus abstracted.
-"Pass" this through cup No. 1, which raise, showing the ball already
-there, and, on replacing it, slip under concealed ball. Recall the
-ball you vanished previously, and show it under cup No. 1, and then
-"pass" it back to cup No. 2, where the two balls still are; slip
-concealed ball under, and then "pass" ball from cup No. 1 to cup No.
-2. The ball "passed" must in each instance be picked up and vanished,
-and not merely told to pass from one cup to another. The changes can
-be kept up for a long time if a ball be slipped under a cup whenever
-it is raised; but the performer must keep his head clear, or he will
-find himself getting into trouble by showing four balls at the same
-time.
-
-Phase 3 consists of piling the three cups one over the other, and
-passing the balls into what I may term the storeys thus formed. It
-is for this phase that the bottoms of the cups are made concave to
-receive the ball. If the bottom were flat, the ball would roll off at
-an awkward moment. Place cup No. 1, with concealed ball underneath,
-on the table, and, taking up a ball, "pass" it through. Put cup No. 2
-over cup No. 1, concealed ball being sandwiched between the bottoms
-of the two. The slipping of a ball beneath a cup which is placed
-on the table is a very simple matter, but it requires considerable
-adroitness to slip one cleanly between two cups. It is only to be done
-with a sharp jerk, the ball being thus sent to the top of the cup,
-which is then rapidly placed over the other. Considerable practice
-will be required to attain this knack, but the pretty effect well
-repays any trouble. Even when taking the greatest care, the ball is
-very liable to become jammed between the sides of the cups instead
-of their bottoms. The noise made by the rattling of the ball in the
-cup is covered by that occasioned by one cup being placed over the
-other. Repeat the operation with the third cup, and then show the
-balls in their respective positions. Should a cup cant over to one
-side, it will be because the ball beneath, it is not in its place,
-but is jammed in between the two sides of the cups. In this case, care
-must be taken in removing the uppermost cup. If adroitly managed, the
-errant ball can be brought back to its proper position on the top of
-the lower cup by the action of withdrawing the upper one. This should
-be practised in private, so that the emergency may be met without
-difficulty when it occurs.
-
-The fourth phase consists in apparently manufacturing an inexhaustible
-quantity of balls beneath the cups. This is very easily managed by
-first covering each of the three balls with a cup openly. Take up cup
-No. 1, and put it down again a few inches off, with the concealed ball
-under it. Pick up ball No. 1, and pretend to put it in your pocket,
-but conceal it in the fingers; take up cup No. 2, and replace it,
-with concealed ball beneath it, and affect to put ball No. 2 into the
-pocket, but conceal as before. Repeat operation with cup and ball No.
-3, and then recommence with cup No. 1. This phase can be prolonged at
-will. A number of balls can be carried in the pocket, and afterwards
-exhibited as the ones you have manufactured; but this is by no means
-necessary to the success of the trick.
-
-A most startling and amusing conclusion to a display with the cups
-and balls is the introduction of large balls, potatoes, oranges,
-lemons, apples, &c., beneath the cups. Care must be taken that these
-larger articles will go into the cups easily, or a _fiasco_ may
-result. The best balls are those made of fancy paper, as they are
-nice and light. A convenient place for keeping them ready for use is
-a shallow, oblong, open bag, made out of black silk or alpaca, and
-furnished with a bent pin at each end, and one in the middle. This
-bag you can affix to the tablecloth behind the table. In the absence
-of such a receptacle, the tablecloth can be pinned up, and so form an
-impromptu one; but this can hardly be arranged unperceived in front
-of an audience. In the absence of both cloth and bag, the articles to
-be conveyed inside the cups must be kept under the waistcoat, or in
-the pockets, but, in this case, the pockets must be side ones, and
-easily got at. The moment for introducing the large ball, orange, &c.,
-into a cup is when the eyes of the audience are attracted towards any
-object just revealed to them. The orange, &c., must be taken by the
-left hand from its place of concealment whilst the right is engaged
-with the cup; and the instant the latter is raised, for the purpose of
-showing whatever may be under, it must be passed briskly--at the same
-time, in a manner not too marked--to the left hand, and the article
-slipped inside. The hands must remain together only sufficiently long
-to permit the completion of the manoeuvre, when the cup must be
-again held by the right hand only; the article inside being prevented
-from falling by having the little finger placed beneath it. Sometimes,
-I press the paper balls lightly into the cup, and am so enabled to
-hold the cup by the top, and to raise it from the table, to show that
-there is nothing under it. By bringing the cup down hard on the table,
-the ball will become disengaged. This method should only be used as
-a change. Supposing that you have an orange inside cup No. 1, place
-it gently and unconcernedly on the table whilst drawing attention, by
-means of your tongue, to cup No. 2. By the time cup No. 2 is raised,
-the left hand will contain, say, an apple, which will go inside the
-cup, and public attention drawn to cup No. 3, which, in its turn,
-will be raised, and tenanted with a potato. You can now either knock
-over all three cups, and reveal their contents, which has a very good
-effect, or continue the manufactory as with the cork balls, pretending
-to put the potatoes, oranges, &c., into the pocket. It will be only
-necessary to have one of each kind of article, although the audience
-will be led to believe that your pockets are crammed with them by the
-time you have finished. It is best to have four kinds, as by that
-means each cup has something different under it every time it is
-raised. It is not advisable, however, to fill the cups more than twice
-by this method. The performer must not have his head filled with the
-idea that his movements are noticed, for the eyes of the spectators
-are sure to be riveted on the article last revealed. Any hesitation
-will be attended with disastrous results, so the thing must be done
-with dash, or not at all. Every conjuror should endeavour to become
-perfect with the cups and balls, as they not only amuse and astonish
-audiences, but afford great practice to the learner.
-
-One very important thing in connection with this trick is the talk
-with which it is accompanied. The performer should be talking the
-whole time, explaining everything as he goes on; at the same time, he
-must not talk a lot of nonsense, which will only cause the audience
-to form a low estimate of his prestidigitatorial powers, but infuse
-his harangue with a little very mild humour. Something like the
-following, varied to suit the circumstances, will be to the point: "I
-have here three little tin cups, solid, and free from any trickery
-or deception, as you may see for yourselves." (Hand cups round.)
-"Kindly see that the bottoms do not take out. I have also three little
-cork balls, equally guileless with the cups. Madam, will you be so
-good as to squeeze one, and see that it is solid?" (Give a ball to a
-lady.) "Thank you. These little balls, ladies and gentlemen, are, you
-will be interested to hear, trained to a high degree of perfection,
-and are perfectly obedient to my will, as I will shortly show you.
-This cup, which you will perceive is perfectly empty, I place here
-on the table, and, taking up one of the balls, I simply say to it,
-'Hey, presto! begone!' and it has vanished. The second little ball I
-take from beneath this cup, and command it to keep company with its
-predecessor. 'Fly!' and it has gone. The remaining ball I treat in the
-same manner. By the aid of my magic wand, I recall my little servants.
-See, here comes one, and, following my wand, it passes through into
-this cup" (tap a cup with the wand), &c., &c. It will be as well for
-the conjuror to study what he intends saying beforehand, in the early
-stages of his career, for he will find his wits sufficiently troubled
-to execute his tricks properly without requiring to think about his
-language.
-
-A little sleight, which may be introduced with effect, is the apparent
-throwing of one cup through the other. This illusion is effected
-by holding a cup, mouth upwards, lightly between the thumb and
-forefinger. The other hand then throws a second cup sharply into it.
-The lower cup is allowed to fall, and the second cup caught by the
-thumb and forefinger, the appearance being that one cup has passed
-completely through the other.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER V.
-
-TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.
-
-     BURNING A HANDKERCHIEF IN A SMALL WAY--HINTS ABOUT
-     APPARATUS--HOW TO PULL A HANDKERCHIEF THROUGH THE LEG--THE
-     KNOT UNTIED BY MAGIC--THE CONFECTIONER HANDKERCHIEF--FEATS
-     WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.
-
-
-What conjurors would do without pocket handkerchiefs, I will not
-venture to suggest. Almost every trick has a handkerchief of some kind
-as a component part. Handkerchiefs are torn up, burnt up, tied into
-knots, made receptacles for money, and used in a variety of other
-ways; in fact, they are the conjuror's most faithful allies.
-
-_Burning a Handkerchief_ is usually made a stage trick, and belongs
-properly to Grand Magic; but there is a method which may be
-successfully tried in the confined limits of the drawing-room. I do
-not allude to the use of the "burning globe," which article entirely
-dispenses with the necessity for the display of anything approaching
-sleight of hand, with which I, in this book, have only to deal. By
-using mechanical tricks, many feats of sleight of hand are imitated;
-but then the apparatus cannot be shown round, and the audience goes
-away from the performance impressed with the idea that conjuring means
-exhibiting a certain number of cunningly-devised boxes, canisters,
-&c. I remember being present at an amateur conjuring entertainment,
-where tricks were exhibited that must have cost two hundred pounds,
-at least. The eye was perfectly bewildered with the array of electric
-clocks, drums, &c.; but every third trick failed at some point, which
-was not to be wondered at, seeing that the thing was got through as
-though against time. This sort of thing is not conjuring; although it
-would be bad for conjuring-trick manufacturers if everyone thought
-the same. Some apparatus one _must_ have; but only what is absolutely
-necessary. The difference between an apparatus conjuror and an adept
-at sleight of hand is as great as that between an organ-grinder and a
-skilled musician.
-
-To burn a handkerchief in what I may term a small way, be provided
-with a piece of cambric, or other material resembling a handkerchief,
-about four inches square. The best way is to cut up a cheap
-handkerchief that has been hemmed. Have this piece rolled up in
-the hand, and concealed by the act of holding the wand. Borrow a
-handkerchief, which carelessly roll up in the hands, as if judging as
-to its size, and get the piece mingled in its folds. Ask the owner
-if he or she has any objection to your burning the end of it. Say
-"Thank you," whether the answer be "Yes" or "No" (conjurors are often
-afflicted with a convenient hardness of hearing), and proceed at once
-to burn what is, in reality, your interpolated piece, but which will
-appear to the audience to be the handkerchief, at a candle. When
-you have burnt a tolerably large hole, put out the flame, and walk
-towards the owner of the handkerchief, as if about to return it to
-him, thanking him, at the same time, for the loan of it. If you had
-not permission to burn the handkerchief, the owner of it will probably
-now tell you so; and if he is at all testy on the point, so much the
-better for the success of your trick. Say that you really thought he
-said "Yes," are sorry for the mistake, which, however, cannot now be
-helped, &c. If, on the other hand, you had permission to do as you
-pleased, which a flattering, implicit faith in your abilities will
-frequently accord to you, you must affect to see in the person's looks
-an objection to take the handkerchief in a burnt state, and so, in
-either case, eventually set yourself the task of having to restore
-the injured article. This you can very simply do by rubbing it in
-your hands, and concealing the fictitious piece rolled up in the
-palm; or you can prolong the operation by folding the handkerchief
-in a piece of paper, omitting the burnt piece, and then pronouncing
-some cabalistic words over it, whilst it is held by someone in the
-audience. This is, perhaps, the better way of the two. If the beginner
-is afraid to trust to his own skill, and prefers using apparatus, he
-can procure many kinds of canisters, &c., for changing handkerchiefs,
-the working of which will be explained by the vendor, so there is no
-necessity to do so here.
-
-_To Pull a Handkerchief through the Leg._--This is a trick which will
-bear exhibition in any company. It recommends itself especially for
-drawing-room purposes. Take a very long handkerchief, and, seating
-yourself, pass the handkerchief (apparently) twice round the leg, just
-above the knee, and tie the two ends securely together, or have them
-tied for you. Take hold of a single thickness of the handkerchief,
-and jerk it sharply upwards, when it will appear to pass through the
-leg. The secret of the trick is thus explained: When you pass the ends
-below the leg, for the purpose of ostensibly crossing them, so as to
-bring them up on opposite sides, you rapidly make a bend in one, and
-pass the other firmly round it. By this means, a temporary junction is
-formed strong enough to bear a slight strain. By distending the sinews
-of the leg, the folds are compressed, and additional security is thus
-obtained. The ends are of course brought up again on the sides on
-which they descended, and the knot tied above the thigh--not beneath
-it. The formation of the bend and loop round it must be practised
-assiduously, for I do not know of any trick of the same magnitude
-requiring more skill in execution than this one. The hands should
-not remain an instant longer under the leg than one would require to
-merely cross the ends, and there must be no fidgeting observable. For
-performing this trick, Döbler (the original one) received a diamond
-ring from the Emperor of Russia.
-
-_To Untie a Knot by Word of Command._--Tie a knot with two ends of
-a handkerchief, but in such a manner that one end is always quite
-straight; in fact, one end should be tied _round_ the other, and
-not the two ends tied together. If you take the extreme end of the
-straight portion, anyone may pull as hard as he likes at it from the
-other side of the knot without making it any tighter, although you
-must lead him to believe that he is doing so. When he has pulled to
-his heart's content, take the knot in one hand and cover it with the
-rest of the handkerchief. Whilst doing so, work, with the concealed
-hand, the straight end through the folds of the other, but do not
-destroy the folds, which give to be held, of course under cover of
-the handkerchief. Command the knot to come undone, and then shake
-the handkerchief out. This is the groundwork of a trick on a much
-larger scale, which will be treated of in Grand Magic. It is a very
-effective little trick, and should never be despised.
-
-_To Find Sweetmeats in a Handkerchief._--For this pretty trick the
-performer will require a conical bag, made of fine calico, cambric,
-or any other substance resembling a handkerchief. The length of the
-bag should be about 5in.; and it must be furnished at the apex with
-a bent pin--a black one. The mouth must be fitted with two pieces of
-flat watch or crinoline spring, sewn in the stuff in such a manner as
-to keep the opening closed. This bag must be filled with sweets, and
-suspended, by means of the bent pin, on the edge of the table--out of
-view of the audience, as a matter of course. Borrow a handkerchief,
-and say that you will now find something that will please the juvenile
-portion of the audience. Wave the handkerchief mysteriously about, and
-then spread it out upon the table. Wave your hands over it, take it
-up delicately by the centre with one hand, and squeeze it with the
-other over a plate with which you will be provided. Naturally, nothing
-will come of it, so you repeat the operation, this time at a different
-part of the table. At the third or fourth attempt, the handkerchief
-should hang over that portion of the table where the bag is suspended,
-and when it is raised the bent pin should be included in the grasp.
-On squeezing the handkerchief this time, the hand should compress the
-ends of the springs, which will open, and allow the sweets to escape
-and fall upon the plate with a great clatter. Do not empty the bag at
-once, but give it two or three squeezes, allowing a little to fall
-out each time, which will greatly heighten the effect. When the bag
-is empty, the next thing to do is to remove it from the handkerchief.
-If a chair is handy, the bag can be dropped on it; but the best way
-is to boldly introduce the hand beneath the handkerchief, and, whilst
-calling attention to the sweets, hang it again on the edge of the
-table, which can easily be managed behind the handkerchief. The sweets
-used should be small round or oval ones, they being best suited for
-the purpose.
-
-There are many little feats performed with handkerchiefs hardly
-deserving the title of tricks, in the way of tying bows and knots,
-&c., by entirely unorthodox methods. They are too insignificant
-for performance alone; but they look very well when worked in with
-more important tricks. Besides (and it cannot be too often stated),
-conjurors should endeavour to know _everything_ connected with sleight
-of hand. In drawing-room circles, one is continually asked if one can
-do this, that, or the other; and it is quite as well to be able to
-reply in the affirmative, for it always tells detrimentally to fail in
-a little matter. The following feats will be found effective:
-
-_To Lengthen a Handkerchief._--Having borrowed a handkerchief, great
-amusement is caused when the performer observes that the article is
-not long enough, and expresses his intention of stretching it. This
-is done by taking the handkerchief by one corner in each hand, and,
-whilst twisting it up, gathering an inch or two in each palm. Stretch
-the arms wide apart, so that the handkerchief lies across the chest,
-without allowing any of the gathered-up portions of it to escape. Now
-give the handkerchief a turn or two in the air, and again stretch it
-across the chest, this time allowing about half an inch to escape
-out of the hands. Twist again and stretch, allowing a little more to
-escape, and repeat the operation until the extreme ends are reached.
-Imply by manner, as much as possible, that a deal of stretching
-is taking place, and the audience will be led to believe that the
-handkerchief has been extended at least six inches beyond its original
-length.
-
-_To Appear to Tie a Knob that will not Draw Tight._--This feat is
-also exceedingly diverting. The performer, apparently, goes through
-all the necessary formulæ for forming a knot; but, lo! when the ends
-are pulled out, no knot is seen. There are three ways of doing this.
-One is to pass one end behind the other, instead of through the loop,
-as usual, which must apparently be done. To do this neatly, one end
-must be held in each hand, the handkerchief twisted sharply up, and
-the hands then brought quickly together, which will cause a coil of
-about two turns to be formed. Pass the right end quickly round the
-back of the left, and then draw out both, as if tightening the knot.
-As you pull, the coil will bunch in the middle, as if a knot were
-really there, and increased tension will pull it out quite straight.
-The second method is thus performed: Lay one end of the handkerchief
-across the right hand, the major portion of it being on the outside,
-and the short end held down by the little finger only. With the left
-hand, take the hanging end, and, bringing it round on the inside, lay
-it over the other. Pass the left hand through the loop thus formed,
-take with it the uppermost end, and draw it through; but, just as
-you pull the two ends out straight, slip the thumb of the right hand
-under the inside bend of the lower end, and hold it between the
-finger and thumb. In the third method, commence by taking one end of
-the handkerchief in either hand. Pass the right hand over to the left
-side, in front of the left arm, which is kept perfectly still in front
-of the body, so that the handkerchief hangs on the left forearm in
-the shape of a loop. The second end must now be placed in the left
-hand, which thus detains both for the time being. Pass the right
-hand, now free, through the loop from the inside, and, reaching up
-with it, let it grasp its original end just placed in the left hand,
-and pull it through. This must be done with great deliberation, as
-the beauty of the sleight rests in the extreme slowness with which it
-can be executed, the secret lying, not in any quickness of fingers,
-but in the fact that the handkerchief ends are never looped one over
-the other, as would be the case if the right hand were passed through
-the loop from the outside, which the learner may at once discover by
-experiment. In pulling the end out, as though tying the knot, if it be
-retarded by the left thumb, a more natural appearance is given. This
-method is to be preferred to the foregoing, which, however, are useful
-as changes.
-
-_To Tie a Knot Instantaneously._--Take an end of the handkerchief in
-either hand between the thumb and forefinger, the end in the left
-hand pointing inwards, and that in the right hand outwards, the hands
-being held so that their backs are towards the company, the thumbs on
-top and the little fingers below. Open the fingers of each hand at
-the first and middle fingers, and then bring the hands together until
-they overlap a couple of inches, the right hand on the outside. This
-will bring the end of the handkerchief in either hand between the
-opened fingers of the opposite one. The fingers close on the ends,
-and the hands are at once separated, when the knot will be found to
-be tied. This may be first practised with a piece of stout string,
-and the learner must not be satisfied until he can tie the knot by
-merely bringing the fingers together for an instant, the knot being
-tied apparently by means of the mere collision of the two hands. It is
-astonishing what perfection can be attained by means of practice, the
-knot at last seeming to appear on the handkerchief, instead of being
-tied.
-
-_To Tie a Knot on the Wrist whilst Holding an End of the Handkerchief
-in either Hand._--Jerk the right hand towards the left one, so as to
-throw a loop in the handkerchief, through which dart the left hand,
-still holding its end, and the feat will be accomplished. It should be
-done in a _nonchalant_ manner, and without any ostentation. Practise
-first with a piece of string.
-
-The performance of the foregoing feats will be facilitated by the use
-of a silk handkerchief that is not too new, and it should always be
-first twisted, rope-fashion.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VI.
-
-CHINESE TRICKS.
-
-     A NEW MARBLE TRICK--FIRE-EATING--FINAL EFFECT--THE
-     BUTTERFLY TRICK--THE FAN--HOW TO MAKE THE BUTTERFLIES--HOW
-     TO KEEP THEM IN THE AIR.
-
-
-_Chinese Marble Trick._--Some years ago, there came over to England a
-few Chinese conjurors, who were seen by the public but very little,
-but who favoured me on several occasions with private views. Their
-skill lay chiefly in the performance of such delectable feats as
-swallowing sword-blades, tiny china cups, glass balls, and large
-leaden plummets. Although appreciating such tricks, I respectfully
-declined attempting to astonish my audiences by their means. There
-was, however, one little trick performed with four small marbles,
-which struck me as being something quite novel and quaint. Of the
-four marbles (little ivory balls are what I invariably use), one is
-concealed in the fingers, as in the cup and ball trick, unknown, of
-course, to the audience, who are supposed to know of the existence of
-three only. These three the performer puts into his mouth--one at a
-time, slowly, is the best way--to show that there is "no deception."
-He now forms his left hand into a fist, and holds it steadily in front
-of him, thumb upwards, as though holding a sword at rest. With the
-right hand he pretends to take a marble from the mouth, the concealed
-one being exhibited. The action of taking a marble from the mouth
-must be imitated exactly; and this is best done by rolling it along
-the lips until it travels from the roots of the fingers to their tips.
-The sleight must be quickly done, for the eyes of the audience are
-full upon the hand. Place the marble on the top of the left hand,
-_i.e._, on the doubled-up first finger, which, after a few seconds,
-open slightly, so as to allow the marble to disappear in the hand.
-With the right hand actually take a marble from the mouth, which will
-now contain two. Pretend to place this marble on the left hand, as
-you did the first one, but in reality conceal it. When the left hand
-is momentarily covered with the right, as it feigns to place a marble
-upon it, open the first finger, and, with the least possible jerk,
-bring the first marble again to the top. The audience will think that
-marble No. 1 is in the hand and marble No. 2 atop. After another short
-pause, allow the marble to again sink in the hand, thereby causing
-the idea that two marbles are concealed in it, and, with the right
-hand, affect to take another marble from the mouth, the concealed one
-being, of course, shown. Ostensibly, place this one on the left hand
-(deception as before), and allow it to disappear like its two supposed
-predecessors. At this stage, the state of affairs will be thus:--The
-right hand, presumably empty, contains one marble; the left hand
-contains presumably three, but in reality only one marble; the mouth,
-presumably empty, contains two marbles. The performer then proceeds
-as follows: Allow the marble in the left hand to sink until it is in
-the position for concealing at the roots of the fingers. If with the
-tips of the second or third fingers it can be pressed firmly home, so
-much the better, for the command to vanish can at once be given, and
-the hand opened--palm downwards, of course. If the marble cannot be
-secured in this way, the thumb must be brought into use in the usual
-way; but the hand must be waved about a little so as to cover the
-movement. The three marbles are now supposed to be _non est_. The
-performer can proceed to find the first of them in whatever manner
-he pleases. He may pretend to pick it from the table cloth, break it
-from the end of his wand, or find it in the possession of one of the
-audience; how, is quite immaterial. As each hand conceals a marble, it
-is also immaterial which one is used. This first marble is placed on
-the table, and another one found. This second one, instead of placing
-on the table, the performer affects to pass into his ear, concealing
-it as before, and after a few seconds, it appears at his lips, the
-one thence protruding being, of course, one of the two concealed
-in the mouth. Allow it to fall from the mouth, and then proceed to
-find the third marble, which pass, say, through the top of the head.
-The remaining marble in the mouth is then exhibited, and the three
-wanderers are recovered. If the marbles or ivory balls are not small,
-their presence in the mouth, when they are not supposed to be there,
-will be discovered. I always conceal one on each side of the mouth,
-between the lower gums and the cheek. Ivory balls are in every way
-preferable, as they do not strike cold to the teeth, and do not rattle
-much, both of which disagreeable properties are possessed by marbles.
-Any ivory-turner will supply the little balls very cheaply. The
-performer must study to execute this trick with the greatest possible
-delicacy, or--especially before ladies--it will become repulsive. The
-method of finding the balls after vanishing them should be varied,
-each one being found in a different way. The portion of the trick
-requiring the most practice is that in which the left hand is opened.
-The knack of concealing the ball held in it unobserved requires some
-little address.
-
-_Fire-eating._--This was another trick performed remarkably well by
-my Chinese. It is, I should think, one of the best-known in England,
-for every country fair has its fire-eater; but it is not everyone who
-knows how it is performed. In the first place, prepare some thick,
-soft string, by either boiling or soaking it in a solution of nitre
-(saltpetre). Take a piece, from 1in. to 2in. in length, and, after
-lighting it, wrap it in a piece of tow as large as an ordinary walnut.
-Conceal this piece under a heap of loose tow, the whole of which is
-put on a plate, and so exhibited to the audience. The string will burn
-very slowly indeed, and the very little smoke issuing from it will
-be quite smothered by the tow. Show the mouth empty, and then put a
-little tow into it. Commence chewing this, and, after a little time,
-put in some more. Repeat this three or four times, taking the chewed
-portion secretly away each time you put any fresh tow into the mouth,
-and in one of the bunches include the piece containing the burning
-string. Do not chew this about at all, in reality, although you will
-make great gestures as if so doing. Take a fan, and fan the ears, and
-presently take in a good breath at the nostrils, blowing it out at
-the mouth. This will cause some smoke to be ejected, the volume of
-which will increase as the breathings are kept up. Always be careful
-to draw in at the nostrils, and eject at the mouth; otherwise you will
-be choked. Renew the fannings (merely for effect), and, by continued
-breathings, the tow in the mouth will be brought into a glow, and
-one or two sparks will issue from the mouth. When this has continued
-sufficiently long, take in more tow, and so smother the burning string
-again, extracting the piece containing it under cover of a loose
-bunch. There need be no fear of burning the mouth, as, directly it is
-closed, the light becomes a mere spark. The trick causes great effect,
-not to say alarm on many occasions.
-
-A very pretty and laughable termination to the above trick is to pass,
-unperceived, into the mouth (under cover of a piece of tow, as usual)
-a little ball composed of a long band of coloured paper, about half
-an inch or so wide. Take this by the end, and draw it out through
-the teeth. Tightly rolled up, a ball may contain several yards of
-paper. It should be composed of three or four different colours, in
-lengths, each pasted to the other, for there must be no break. The end
-should have a piece of cotton attached to it, or it will be next to
-impossible to find it in the mouth. The cotton will adhere to some
-portion of the mouth, and so be easily found. These balls of paper
-are supplied at all conjuring shops, as is also an article known as
-the Barber's Pole. This consists of a spiral of paper, which shuts up
-into a very small compass, but assumes a great length on being merely
-twisted. A long pole appears to come out of the performer's mouth.
-
-_The Butterfly Trick._--Invisible at a short distance, very fine silk
-and hair are invaluable adjuncts to the conjurer's repertory, both
-in the drawing-room and on the stage. The celebrated and fascinating
-Japanese butterfly trick is performed with the aid of a piece of fine
-black silk or horsehair. The former is, in my opinion, immeasurably
-the superior of the two. Hair is most difficult to manipulate, from
-its springy nature, and requires a great deal of coaxing before it
-will condescend to be tied in a knot. In the butterfly trick, the
-performer sustains one or more butterflies, made from rice (or tissue)
-paper, in the air, by means of the current caused by the motions of a
-fan. When this trick was first brought out, "all the world wondered,"
-for no one, even after long practice, could keep the paper butterfly
-hovering in a given space for a single moment. I tremble to think
-of the number of fans I destroyed in my early days over this trick,
-before I knew the secret of it. The fan used should be a very strong
-and large one, of the old shape--not the circular--and be composed of
-paper and wood only, so as to be free from superfluous weight. Affixed
-to the top waistcoat button, or any other convenient spot, have from
-3ft. to 4ft. of the finest black silk floss or hair, with a knot at
-the free end. Have, also, a piece of crisp tissue (or rice) paper,
-and a pair of scissors. Let the audience examine the paper, and then
-proceed to cut out the rough form of a butterfly, explaining your
-action as you go on, giving the centre a twist or two, for the double
-purpose of forming a body to the insect, and concealing the knotted
-end of the silk or hair, which it is as well to have between the
-fingers before commencing operations, as it is not allowable to grope
-about for it in view of the audience. When finished, the butterfly's
-wings should have the appearance of being three parts extended, and
-should be slightly concave from beneath. A little care bestowed on its
-formation will be repaid by an increased steadiness when in the air.
-When all is ready, hold the butterfly in the air at the full stretch
-of the connecting medium, and fan pretty briskly with the other hand,
-not immediately underneath the paper, but from the body, and along the
-silk or hair, which must always be kept at a stretch, or nearly so, or
-control over the butterfly will be lost.
-
-Notwithstanding the aid of a connecting medium, there is more skill
-required to perform this trick really neatly than is generally
-supposed. After a time, practice will enable the performer to cause
-the butterfly to settle on a flower or on the edge of another fan, and
-also to sustain two in the air at one time, which has a very pretty
-effect indeed. When two butterflies are used, it will be found almost
-necessary to have two fans, one in each hand, and each insect must,
-of course, have a separate thread. Some use wax at the end of the
-connecting medium, but this is a bad plan, as it deters the performer
-from giving round the butterfly to be examined after performing the
-trick. Whilst cutting out and twisting up the paper, it is as well to
-call attention to the fact that the trick is performed by some people
-with the aid of a thread--an assistance which you will say you utterly
-despise, as will be perceived. This will totally disarm those people
-who may have bought the trick (it is sold universally), and are yet
-only tyros at performing it.
-
-There is a second method, in which two butterflies are joined by a
-thread or hair a few inches long. These do not require to be attached
-to the performer's person, the partnership being sufficient to enable
-him to keep them in mid-air.
-
-Speaking of the Chinese, it is a most noticeable thing that their
-methods of vanishing and concealing articles are the same as those
-practised by ourselves, which fully demonstrates the fact that there
-is only one proper way; for there is only one thing more highly
-improbable than that we learnt the _minutiæ_ of the art of conjuring,
-practised by us for centuries, from the Chinese, and that is that the
-Chinese learnt from us. It is only during the present century that we
-have been sufficiently familiar with the Chinese to borrow their ideas
-on magic, did we wish to do so.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VII.
-
-TRICKS AT TABLE.
-
-     HOW TO CAUSE A WINEGLASS WITH WINE IN IT TO VANISH--ITS
-     STARTLING REPRODUCTION--FILTER TUMBLERS--HOW TO CAUSE
-     A PLATE OR OTHER LARGE ARTICLE TO VANISH--HOW TO
-     PERFORM THE CUP AND BALL TRICK WITH PLATES AND BREAD
-     PELLETS--A DIE TRICK--MAGICAL SURGERY--A DESSERT OF
-     CORKS--KNIFE-SWALLOWING MADE EASY: TWO METHODS.
-
-
-_To Vanish a Glass of Sherry._--When invited out to a dinner party,
-one usually leaves one's conjuring tricks at home; but in some
-instances, where, perhaps, one's fame has gone before, an unexpected
-call is made for an exhibition of skill. "Come, So-and-so, let us
-see some tricks," says the host, and "Hear, hear!" say the guests.
-You are, of course, quite unprepared, and beg to be excused, but in
-vain. You must acquiesce, or be voted a boor. In an absent manner, you
-place a glass of sherry to your lips, as though bracing yourself for
-the fray. The glass is half emptied (be careful about this), when a
-sudden movement is made as though you threw it up at the ceiling; but
-nothing is seen to ascend, though the glass, with the wine in it, has
-disappeared. After a short pause, to allow the general astonishment
-to take full effect, the missing article is discovered inside the
-coat of your immediate neighbour, with the wine in it unspilt. This
-startling effect is thus managed: Open the legs just a few inches, and
-in the disengaged hand hold a napkin or handkerchief. When the feigned
-movement of throwing the glass upwards is made, the article itself is
-left between the legs, and immediately covered with the napkin. It
-is, however, of the highest importance that the hand does not dwell
-an instant in leaving the glass behind, otherwise the movement will
-be discovered. The action must be swift, clean, and noiseless. To
-find the glass on the person of your neighbour, take it up, with the
-napkin with which you have covered it, with one hand, and, bringing
-yourself quite close to the party to be operated upon, whip it inside
-his coat with the other. Produce it very slowly from its supposed
-place of concealment, for extra effect. The success of the trick is
-greatly enhanced by its total unexpectedness, and the performer must
-take care not to reveal, by any word or gesture, what he is about
-to do. He should, however, immediately preceding the vanish, draw
-attention to himself by addressing the host, or otherwise engaging the
-conversation, lest he perform the trick and afterwards discover that
-no one saw it, for it is a trick that will not bear repetition. A tea
-or coffee cup, small size, can be treated after the same manner.
-
-_To Vanish a Plate._--This is considerably more ambitious than the
-preceding, and requires some confidence in one's powers. There are two
-methods, each differing only slightly from the other. In the one, the
-plate, which should be small, is taken in the hand, and apparently
-thrown up to the ceiling, but, instead, adroitly grasped by one leg,
-purposely extended, behind the knee, between the calf and the thigh.
-In the other method, the performer rises slightly from his seat, as if
-to make an extra vigorous throw, and the plate is slipped beneath him.
-Both methods are good; but it is essential to the success of either
-that the performer sits on the extreme outside of everyone else.
-Under any other circumstances, the requisite freedom of action cannot
-be obtained. So soon as the plate has disappeared, the conjuror should
-seize a napkin, wave it about, and find the plate in it. It must be
-distinctly understood that the leg which is to hold the plate during
-its concealment must be first brought round to the side of the chair
-on which the performer is sitting, and there doubled up slightly, so
-that there is just room to pass the plate between the calf and the
-thigh, which will then hold it tight. The learner must not expect to
-execute this vanish at the first attempt, but will require to practise
-considerably before arriving at anything like perfection of execution.
-
-A primitive method for vanishing a plate is to place the left hand
-slightly behind the body, and with it receive the plate from the
-right hand. In this method, which can only be used when the performer
-is standing, the plate must immediately be found in someone's coat.
-Books, straw mats, knives, and other large articles can be made to
-disappear by any of the foregoing methods.
-
-_To Pass a Fork or Spoon through a Tumbler._--The foregoing
-successfully performed, take up a tumbler carelessly, and remark
-to the host that you notice that he has some of the "patent filter
-tumblers." Ignorance of the fact will, of course, be expressed,
-and you then proceed to show that the tumbler you hold has a hole
-through the bottom, by apparently passing the handle of a spoon or
-fork, or any other suitable article, through it. This diverting
-optical illusion is thus performed: Take the tumbler (empty) in the
-left hand, near the bottom, not in the ordinary way, as if about to
-drink from it, but in such a manner that it lies along the hand, the
-mouth towards the wrist. Take the article to be passed through the
-tumbler in the right hand, and, after thrusting it once or twice
-against the bottom, pass it between the hand and the outside of the
-glass, allowing two or three inches to protrude beyond the ends of
-the fingers. This simple action causes it to appear that the spoon
-handle, skewer, &c., has been passed through the bottom of the
-tumbler.
-
-_Permeable Plates._--Following up the idea of the patent filter
-tumblers, you can mention that you notice that the host has also the
-last new plate. Hold up a plate to the light and say, "Yes, I can
-distinctly see through it." Laughter will, of course, ensue, and
-you will offer to prove your assertion. To do this, make up three
-bread-paste balls about the size of those used in the cup and ball
-trick, of which this one is, indeed, only a variety. You will have an
-extra one concealed in the fingers, of course. Now take two plates,
-one in each hand, upside down, and held in such a manner that the
-ball in the fingers is concealed. Place them on the table, about a
-foot apart, and, by opening the fingers, allow the concealed ball to
-remain under one plate. Vanish a ball as in the cups and balls, and
-find it under the plate, repeating the process with all three balls,
-the one concealed being dropped each time the plate is replaced after
-raising it to show the one just passed through it. Now say that it
-is as easy to perform the feat with another plate, and take up the
-second one in the hand containing the concealed ball. Supposing this
-to be, as it generally will be, the right hand, it will now be taking
-up the plate on your left. Cross the arms, and, with the left hand,
-take hold of the plate on your right hand, allowing the fingers to
-extend well beneath it. Call attention to the fact that under the
-left-hand plate there is nothing, whilst under the right-hand one
-there are three balls; and then place the left-hand plate upon the
-table, with concealed ball under it. Then command one ball from the
-right-hand plate to pass under the left-hand one. With the fingers
-seize one ball of the three, and raise both plates. Now bring back
-the arms to their original positions, in order that the left hand,
-which contains one ball concealed, may be brought to the single ball,
-which is supposed to have been transferred from the right-hand side.
-Replace both plates, allowing concealed ball to fall from the left
-hand, and take up another, in the fingers of the right hand. Command
-a ball to pass, and raise plates as before. Re-cross the arms, and
-repeat the operation, when all three balls will have apparently passed
-from one side to the other. Without crossing the hands this would not
-be possible, and the reason you give for so doing is to show that it
-does not matter which plate is used, both being equally permeable. The
-learner must bear in mind that in this, the second phase of the trick,
-the two plates are never relinquished simultaneously. The hand picking
-up a ball cannot quite quit all hold on the plate, or detection would
-ensue. The plate having a ball passed beneath it can be released for
-the time from the hand entirely. The ball remaining concealed at the
-end can be dropped in the lap under cover of the plate. It is always
-as well to have one's handkerchief lying carelessly in one's lap, as
-it comes in very useful for concealing small things. By taking some
-cork balls in his pocket, the conjuror will avoid the necessity for
-using balls made of bread.
-
-Such occasions as the one I have now assumed are the ones favourable
-for the introduction of the previously mentioned tricks with sugar and
-knives; and, if the performer has taken my advice, he will be provided
-with his disc of glass for the performance of the glass of water
-trick, also previously described.
-
-_Changing Dice._--It is also useful, on such occasions, to have in
-the pocket a pair of dice, rather smaller than those in general use,
-for the performance of the following trick. Place the dice, side by
-side, between the finger and thumb. This will leave two sides, back
-and front, open to view. Ask the spectators to note the numbers at the
-front, and then those at the back. Show each side two or three times,
-turning the hand over each time, and then give a slight twist with
-the finger and thumb, just sufficient to cause the dice to revolve
-the extent of one square only. This will bring different numbers to
-the back, whilst the front ones have apparently remained unaltered,
-as you will show, taking care to twist the dice back again to their
-original positions. The twist must be given as the hand is turned
-over, when it will be quite imperceptible to anyone. This is the first
-and simple phase of the trick; the second is more convincing still.
-It very frequently happens that someone says, "Ah! of course you turn
-them over." This you stoutly deny, and proceed at once to prove the
-fallacy of the idea that the dice move in your fingers. To do this,
-give the twist backward and forward each time the hand is turned
-over in what the spectators consider to be merely the preliminary to
-the actual trick. Then say, "Now, I will turn my hand over as slowly
-as possible, and ask some one to hold my fingers firmly so as to
-render it utterly impossible for me to move them." Of course, as the
-positions of the dice have been changed each time you turned your hand
-over, you have now only to keep them still to effect an alteration.
-This ruse invariably silences sceptics.
-
-The trick is also capable of further development if the dice be
-properly arranged. By placing the two fives face to face, the numbers
-will read one-three, three-one, six-four, four-six. Hold the dice in
-the fingers so as to cover one three-one and one six-four. The visible
-numbers will then be six-four and three-one. Suppose the six-four is
-on the top, the twist of the fingers will expose the hidden six-four
-at the bottom, and the hidden three-one at the top. The two numbers
-will then appear to have completely changed places. The fact that, in
-one instance, the four and the one are where the six and the three
-were previously will not be noticed if the performer is careful to
-always call the numbers the same, viz., "Here we have six-four on the
-top and three-one at the bottom; six-four" (turn over), "three-one"
-(turn back), "change" (turn over), "three-one on the top, six-four on
-the bottom." A fresh combination can at once be obtained by placing
-any other numbers face to face, so that they be the same unit. This
-variation will be found very effective and dumbfounding.
-
-_To Cut a Person's Arm with a Knife, through the Coat, without
-Injuring the Cloth._--Turning to his next-door neighbour, who,
-I need scarcely say, must not be a lady, the performer seizes a
-knife and asks him whether he would like to have his arm cut. A
-bloodthirsty slash in the air will add emphasis to the question.
-The person questioned will invariably decline, with thanks, and the
-performer then affects to think that the reason for the negative is
-an objection to having the coat cut, and not on the score of any pain
-to be inflicted. He assures his neighbour, with great emphasis and
-earnestness, that any injury necessarily done to the cloth will be
-immediately remedied, and that no traces of a cut will remain. When
-it is begun to be realised that the cloth is not to be cut, a joke
-is anticipated, and consent to the operation will soon be obtained,
-especially if the performer alters his manner, and becomes persuasive.
-It is necessary, in order to invest the trick with interest, to work
-up a state of apprehension to begin with, as it is but a small thing
-in execution, and requires filling out. When the necessary consent
-has been obtained, the performer places a napkin or handkerchief over
-the biceps of his neighbour, and, introducing the knife underneath,
-commences to saw away at the arm. Presently the patient will give
-a sudden start, and, if at all weak-minded, he will shout "Oh!" as
-well. On being questioned, he will explain that he distinctly felt
-the knife cut into his arm, which is, indeed, precisely the feeling
-communicated to him. The secret of the trick is simply a common pin,
-which, under cover of the napkin or handkerchief, the performer takes
-from his vest, or wherever it may be concealed, in the left hand. Both
-hands are introduced under the napkin, the right hand sawing away with
-the knife, with the blunt side against the coat. Great care must be
-taken to employ a new knife, as old ones frequently have their backs
-rather sharp, and the cloth might be cut in reality. Press pretty
-firmly with the knife, sufficiently to make the patient feel it, and
-then gradually push the pin through close beside it, pushing only
-when pressure is put upon the knife. In time it will work through
-the clothing--a quantity of which rather assists the illusion--and,
-entering the flesh slightly, will cause a sensation precisely as
-though the arm really were cut. The performer at once stops, and
-either sticks the pin into the napkin or in its former place of
-concealment, or else drops it on the floor. The trick may be repeated
-upon other patients; indeed, it is not easy to appreciate it unless
-it has been actually performed upon one. The pin need only be dropped
-when the performer notices looks of suspicion directed at his fingers.
-He has others concealed about him, naturally. Black pins should
-be used as being less likely to be seen, especially when dropped;
-although so common an object as a pin upon the floor, even if noticed,
-would scarcely excite suspicion. Still, it is always best to think of
-every contingency, and provide for it, or, haply, experience may teach
-the lesson in a harsh manner.
-
-_Corks_ are generally handy at a dinner table (at set dinners tricks
-would scarcely be introduced), and, being easily palmed, form
-excellent _media_ for small conjuring. The cork should be held by the
-tips of the first and fourth fingers, lengthwise, and it then palms
-right across the hand, the sharp edges (do not choose a ragged edged
-cork) giving a splendid hold, especially as the article is so light.
-Corks are very easily swallowed, being either placed (apparently) in
-the mouth by the hand palming them, or else put into the other hand
-first. Houdin used to regale himself at friends' houses by a dessert
-of corks, brought on in a sauce-boat or soup tureen, especially
-chosen because it concealed the hand when thrust in. The performer
-continually took out corks, dropping the ones palmed as he did so,
-until he had apparently eaten a dozen. A good deal of natural chewing
-should be indulged in, and the changes continually rung upon the
-various palms and passes taught in this book. Finally, the performer
-says he can eat no more, as he is full up. As evidence of this, he
-extracts from his ear the last cork he ate, and, after (apparently)
-replacing this in the bowl, he is taken with a spasm, and another
-cork is taken out of his mouth, the supposition being that it had
-been unable to find room below. It is, of course, rolled into the
-partially opened lips from the palm. It is quite open to the performer
-to reproduce a number of corks from his person in this way, when the
-company will imagine that he really secreted those he pretended to
-swallow. This effect will be heightened if the performer has gone to
-the dinner with half-a-dozen corks in his pocket. As a _finale_, he
-says: "The rest are here in my pocket," and produces them all at once,
-throwing them carelessly into the bowl. If he has performed the rest
-of the trick properly, the company will think him quite capable of
-secreting half-a-dozen corks in his pocket without being observed, no
-one dreaming for a moment of any previous arrangement.
-
-_Swallowing a Knife._--Performed after the following method, this
-illusion can be carried out most effectively: Taking a large knife--a
-carving-knife is not too large--the performer lays it in front of him,
-right and left. He turns up his coat sleeves, as far as they will go,
-and then, squaring his elbows, so as to bring the forearms across
-his body, he places his hands along the knife, one hand overlapping
-the other, so as to completely hide the knife from view. In the case
-of a large knife, some parts of it--the ends--will be hidden by the
-wrists. Nipping it with the thumbs, or with one thumb only, it is
-raised from the table, the hands keeping their somewhat constrained
-position upon it. One hand is now brought to the mouth, the other
-being raised, and an apparent attempt made to swallow, the hands
-appearing to tilt the knife down the throat. The performer, however,
-suddenly begins to choke, and the attempt is relinquished, the knife
-being laid upon the table again. It is, however, immediately raised
-again, as before, but the second attempt is no more successful than
-the first. The knife is once more taken in the hands, and, in the act
-of picking it up, is brought just beyond the edge of the table, and
-allowed to fall into the lap. It must be barely raised from the table,
-or else the drop will be observed. The hands are, for the third time,
-brought to the mouth, as before, when, of course, the swallowing is
-successfully accomplished. The performer has taken the precaution to
-have a napkin lying loosely upon his lap, in which the knife at once
-becomes hidden. The illusion is a very complete one, especially if the
-performer takes care to make each of his three movements of the hands
-to the mouth precisely the same, the knife being brought beyond the
-edge of the table at each abortive attempt, and not at the last one
-only. If the performer pleases, he may refrain from turning up his
-coat sleeves, and, when the trick is finished, show them to be empty.
-Everyone will suppose that the knife has gone down the sleeve, and
-it, perhaps, provides an extra effect to show that it has not done
-so. As the position of the hands is somewhat unusual, the performer
-should be explaining, during the performance of the trick, that the
-true secret of knife-swallowing lies in the steadiness with which
-the knife is passed down the throat, this steadiness being better
-given with two hands than with one. As soon as the trick is safely
-accomplished, the performer should get his legs well under the table,
-and, taking the knife with one hand, place it under his knees, where
-it must be gripped, or else stick it in his boot. The hand is supposed
-to be placed below merely to procure the napkin, which is instantly
-produced, and the performer's lips carelessly wiped with it. He can
-then push his chair away from the table, and, leaning back, so as to
-expose his lap, join in the conversation, or, better still, at once
-commence a fresh trick. The thoughts of the company diverted, the
-knife may presently be brought to light from under someone's coat,
-or the performer may simply secrete it in his napkin, and place them
-together upon the table.
-
-A smaller knife can be very effectively swallowed as follows: A
-cheese-knife is placed on the table, edge downwards, the left hand
-retaining it in that position by holding it near the point of the
-blade. It is then picked up by the right hand, the first and second
-fingers of which nip the back of the blade, close to the point, about
-half an inch of which is purposely left visible. The rest of the
-knife lies along the inside of the hand, the handle being concealed
-by the wrist. The handle is brought to the mouth, the knife being
-held upright, and the left hand, by means of gentle taps, thrusts it
-gradually downwards, until it wholly disappears down the throat. This
-illusion is managed within an inch or so of the end of a precisely
-similar knife to that supposed to be swallowed. This the performer has
-concealed between two fingers, and, when the knife is picked up, it is
-brought into position at the ends by means of the left hand, which is
-all the time busy helping the right one. The knife is, of course, at
-once dropped into the lap, the eyes of the company being fixed upon
-the little piece visible, which they naturally take to be the actual
-point of the knife. With the palm of the hand a few taps should be
-given the fragment, so as to cause it to slide out of sight, but still
-held between the fingers. The tapping is continued with the left hand,
-although it is performing upon nothing, the throat of the performer
-giving forth choking sounds, to assist the deception, until the
-knife may be fairly supposed to be swallowed. The fragment of knife
-is treated precisely as a coin held by the finger palm, and may be
-placed in the vest pocket, under the plea of getting out a toothpick.
-It should have its ragged edge nicely smoothed, so as not to cut the
-fingers.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER VIII.
-
-TRICKS WITH CARDS.
-
-     THE VALUE OF CARD TRICKS--THE CARDS--WHERE TO PROCURE
-     THEM--THE DOUBLE-HANDED PASS--SINGLE-HANDED PASSES--THE
-     DIAGONAL PASS--THE FALSE SHUFFLE--TRICKS WITH PASS AND
-     FALSE SHUFFLE--TO CAUSE A CARD TO SHOW ITSELF--THE ATTACHED
-     CARD--THE CONGENIAL ACES--THE REVERSED CARD--THE TRAVELLING
-     CARD--THE LADY'S OWN TRICK--A RAPID CHANGE PASS--METHODS
-     FOR USING SAME--THE CHANGE--ITS USES--THE PALM--ON PALMING
-     A SINGLE CARD--ON PALMING MANY CARDS--ON VANISHING A
-     PACK--METHODS FOR USING THE PALM--TRICKS COMBINING PALM AND
-     CHANGE PASS--THE SLIDE--ITS USES--THE FORCE--ON FORCING
-     PACKS--LA CARTE GÉNÉRALE--SYMPATHETIC CARDS, OR "HOLD
-     THEM TIGHT!"--HOW TO PASS A CARD THROUGH A PERSON--TO
-     DIVINE A CARD THOUGHT OF--METHOD OF MAKING A CHOOSER
-     THINK OF A CERTAIN CARD--A CARD MADE TO APPEAR ANYWHERE
-     IN THE PACK--CARD BOXES--TRICKS WITH SAME--HOW TO THROW
-     CARDS--THE REVOLUTION--PREPARED CARDS--CUT PACKS--LONG
-     AND BROAD CARDS--PRICKED CARDS--CHAMELEON CARDS--METHODS
-     AFFECTED BY BUATIER AND HOUDIN--HOUDIN'S SUPERIORITY--THE
-     TRAVELLING CARDS--THE ASSEMBLY: METHODS FOR PALM, PASS
-     AND CHANGE--THOUGHT-READING EXTRAORDINARY--GAME AT
-     NAPOLEON--LIGHTNING CHANGE--CONCLUSION.
-
-
-Having shown the beginner what can be done with the ordinary objects
-of everyday use, I will now endeavour to instruct him in the
-skilful manipulation of cards. By his success or failure in this
-particular branch of legerdemain will his reputation as a conjuror
-be made or marred. Card tricks, more than anything else, demand
-sleight of hand pure and simple, and success with them can only be
-attained by assiduous practice. To the learner some of the following
-directions will at first appear impossible of execution, owing to the
-unaccustomed positions in which the fingers have to be placed; but
-a little resolution will soon overcome all obstacles, and when once
-success, however trifling, has been achieved, greater results will
-speedily follow. In conjuring, as in most things, everything that is
-at all worthy of accomplishment requires some little trouble; and the
-learner must, therefore, not be disheartened if his early efforts are
-not crowned with success commensurate with his wishes. There is no
-disguising the fact that card tricks which owe their accomplishment to
-sleight of hand (and they are the only ones worthy of the conjuror's
-consideration) are difficult--in many cases exceedingly so; but this
-fact ought only to make one extra energetic in mastering them. Amateur
-conjurors of every grade I have met with, but those skilful with cards
-I can count upon the fingers of one hand.
-
-Before everything, let me inform the reader of one fact, not by any
-means universally known, which is that the cards generally used by
-conjurors are considerably smaller than those in ordinary use.[A]
-I will not say that it is impossible to conjure successfully with
-ordinary cards, because I know of very clever conjurors who use
-the full-sized card, but they have strong hands; but the advantage
-of using smaller ones is so marked that anyone thinking seriously
-of practising sleight of hand should provide himself with some
-small-sized packs. Many use the French cards, but I find them far
-too flimsy for many things. The best are those made by nearly all
-the large English card manufacturers for conjuring purposes. Bancks
-Brothers, Glasshouse-street, London, are, perhaps, as good as anyone.
-Should the reader be unable to procure these small cards, he can
-provide very fair substitutes by having an ordinary pack shaved at the
-edges, and so reduced in size.
-
-To enumerate every card trick individually would necessitate a
-separate volume, so numerous are the varieties of changes capable of
-being introduced. All the teacher can do is to instruct in the general
-principles, by means of which the results are brought about, and to
-give illustrations of the actions of the same. Accident or design will
-enable the performer to vary his tricks in hundreds of ways.
-
-The chief things to be learnt at first are:
-
-1. The pass.
-2. The false shuffle.
-3. The palm.
-4. The change.
-5. The slide.
-6. The force.
-
-
-THE PASS.
-
-With the foremost of these, as the most important, I will first deal.
-The use of the pass is to transfer a given card from one portion of
-the pack to another. In nine tricks out of ten, a card is chosen
-and replaced in the centre of the pack, which is then shuffled. If
-this were in reality done without any previous interference on the
-performer's part, he would be at sea as to the position of the chosen
-card, and so rendered totally unable to find it when he wanted to
-do so. To avoid this _contretemps_ he, by means of the pass, brings
-the card either to the top or the bottom of the pack, and executes a
-shuffle which, although it appears to mingle all the cards, in reality
-leaves the chosen one in its original position. If a chosen card is
-placed in the centre of a pack, it divides it into two portions, and
-the effect of the pass is to reverse the positions of these portions,
-the upper one becoming the lower, and _vice versâ_. It will therefore
-be seen that if the card is to go to the top of the pack it must, when
-replaced, and before the pass is made, form the uppermost card of the
-lower portion, and when it is to go to the bottom it must form the
-bottom card of the upper portion. Except in very special instances,
-the card is usually required at the top, and this, for the sake of
-uniformity, I shall assume in my examples to be the case.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 26.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 27.]
-
-For the purpose of learning the pass, it will not be necessary to
-assume that a card has been chosen, but let the learner take the pack
-in the _left_ hand. The little finger is inserted in the centre of the
-pack, thereby dividing it into two portions, the upper one of which
-must be held by the fingers as securely as the unusual circumstance
-will admit (Fig. 26).[B] The right hand is now brought across the
-left hand, as in Fig. 27, the _lower_ portion of the pack being held
-between the thumb at one end and the second and third fingers at the
-other. The state of affairs is now this: The upper hand holds the
-lower portion and the lower hand the upper. Now, in order to alter
-the positions of the two halves of the pack, the left hand must draw
-off, under cover of the right hand, the upper portion, and, working
-as though it were a hinge, replace it beneath the lower one, which
-is slightly raised by the right hand during the operation, so as to
-facilitate its execution. The cards should not be held in a horizontal
-position, but at an angle of fully 45 deg., or even more, the
-declension being towards the right hand. The movement should first be
-practised as slowly as possible, and with a few cards only. It will be
-time enough to increase the speed when a good action has been secured.
-One little point must be borne in mind, and that is that that half of
-the pack which was originally the lower one, and therefore held by the
-right hand, must always be kept hard against the root of the thumb
-of the left hand whilst the pass is being made, it working there as
-if hinged. At first the two halves, in passing each other, will make
-a scraping noise, sometimes very loud. This noise must be studiously
-avoided, as the pass must be noiseless as well as invisible. When
-making the pass before an audience, move the hands up and down or from
-side to side, to cover the movement. It is sometimes required to pass
-a single card from the very top of the pack to the very bottom. This
-can, of course, be done in the foregoing manner, but the quickest way
-is to simply press the fingers of the left hand (the hands being in
-position for the pass without the little finger inserted) on the top
-card, and then execute the hinge movement. This will pull the top card
-off and slip it to the bottom; but it is hopeless to expect to do this
-without some slight noise, although that can be almost nullified by
-immediately running the thumb sharply across the edges of the cards,
-and so causing a similar sound to be made. Such is the double-handed
-pass.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 28.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 29.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 30.]
-
-There are also various single-handed passes, one or two of which,
-at times, come in very handy. They are very difficult to master,
-and are best learnt with two cards only at the very commencement.
-The neatest, and in every way most effective, is the following: Hold
-the pack by the ends of the fingers and thumb, the first and fourth
-fingers acting as supports, by being slightly bent under (Fig. 28),
-and allow a portion of the cards to drop from below (Fig. 29). This
-portion push back towards the thumb by means of the first and fourth
-fingers, until it will permit of the upper portion dropping down, and
-so becoming the lower (Fig. 30). The asterisk denotes the chosen
-card, which is passed from the centre to the top of the pack. Although
-three positions are here shown, in order to make the action of the
-pass clear, it must by no means be thought that there should be three
-distinct movements. When the beginner can execute from thirty to forty
-passes in the minute, he may consider himself tolerably proficient. It
-will assist the action if the fingers are well raised and the thumb
-held a little low, thereby causing a better fall to be made; also
-considerable swing should be given to the hand, to cover the shifting
-which takes place. With practice this pass can be made without
-detection.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 31.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 32.]
-
-The pass shown at Figs. 31 and 32 is a fairly good one, but much
-more difficult than any other. The middle and third fingers are
-inserted in the pack, the bottom portion of which is held by the four
-fingers, two above and two below. The upper portion is held between
-the roots of the thumb and forefinger. The fingers draw out the lower
-portion and place it upon the upper one. This pass is useful when it
-is required to pass a card from the bottom to the top. Under most
-circumstances, the pass first described (Figs. 28, 29, and 30) is
-preferable, except when the top card has to be passed to the bottom,
-when the following method is sometimes adopted. Push off the top card,
-which is the one to be passed, by means of the thumb, until it lies
-well over the ends of the fingers. Stretch the fingers out straight,
-and the card will be drawn completely off the rest of the pack,
-which is quickly raised by means of the forefinger, and placed over
-the card. A good backward and forward swing will assist the action
-considerably.
-
-Experience has taught me, however, that the pass shown at Fig. 31,
-&c., is the best one for getting a card from the top to the bottom
-single-handed. The cards are so firmly gripped by the fingers that
-the pass may be executed, no matter what position the pack is held
-in, whether end on, sideways, or upside down. The beginner will find
-that the thumb has but little difficulty in dragging off the top card,
-especially if very slight pressure indeed be put upon it to commence
-with. If an examination is made of the root of the thumb, a line will
-be found to run half way round it, joining other lines on the inside,
-where the flesh is loosest. The card should be held just there.
-Matters will be greatly facilitated if the right hand, whilst placing
-the pack in the left, holds it for an instant. The thumb of the left
-hand then draws the card off an eighth of an inch, which will be quite
-sufficient to enable the card to be seized by it at the root. But the
-aid of the right hand should be dispensed with as soon as possible.
-The passing of cards by means of one hand only is not suspected by
-the general run of spectators, who are, however, always suspicious
-directly the two hands are brought together.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 33.]
-
-The _learner_ should always use the double-handed pass, practising the
-single-handed ones in private, until he has attained that confidence
-in his skill which is afforded by frequent exhibitions before his
-friends, &c.
-
-An easy, but somewhat clumsy, single-handed pass is depicted at Fig.
-33. The third finger is inserted in the pack, and the top portion held
-between it and the middle finger, the rest of the pack being between
-the first finger and thumb. The top portion is then twisted round in
-a semi-circle in the direction of the arrow, and so brought beneath
-what was originally the lower one. The objection to this pass is that
-it disarranges the cards a good deal. The best way of avoiding this
-is to move the hand towards the table whilst making the pass, so that
-the edges of the cards can be set square at once on its surface. The
-motion must be made as if it were merely intended to place the pack
-upon the table.
-
-
-THE DIAGONAL PASS.
-
-This is a very useful variety of the two-handed pass, by means of
-which cards placed simultaneously in different parts of the pack are
-at once brought together. Say, three cards have been selected by
-various spectators. The performer presents the pack to each in turn,
-requesting to have the card chosen placed in any portion of it. The
-chooser thereupon pushes the card between the others, which are not
-opened out by the performer, but merely presented in a compact body.
-The card is not permitted to be pushed quite home, the performer
-withdrawing the pack in time to prevent this. The pack is presented
-to the two other selectors of cards, and, when the three have all
-been placed in it, the performer apparently pushes them home with
-the right hand. What he actually does is thus described: Nip the
-three cards by the still protruding portions between the thumb and
-middle finger, across their width, and, in the act of pushing them
-into the pack, turn them obliquely sideways sufficiently to cause the
-right-hand top corners to project a quarter of an inch from the pack.
-The length of this projecting portion will be rather more than an
-inch, and is easily hidden from the spectators by means of the first
-and second fingers of the left hand. The top left-hand corner must be
-pushed down out of sight, and it will then be found that there are
-two considerable projections on the side and bottom of the pack. The
-right-hand one is hidden by the palm of the hand, and the lower one by
-the little finger. The pack, as it appears at this stage of the trick,
-held in the left hand (the right hand being removed for the sake of
-clearness), is shown at Fig. 34.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 34.]
-
-As the cards are supposed to be pushed home along with the rest of the
-pack, it is advisable to actually remove the right hand for a short
-time, the performer commencing to say what he is about to do with
-the cards. When he subsequently brings the hands together again, for
-the purpose of making the pass, the thumb and second finger of the
-right hand should again nip the upper end of the pack. A simultaneous
-twisting movement is made with both hands, the right hand turning the
-pack to the right, whilst the left turns the three cards to the left,
-until they are clear of one another, when the motions are reversed,
-the three cards being placed either on the top or at the bottom, as
-the performer may desire. He will find it easier to place them at
-the bottom, as they come more naturally there. The position of the
-left hand remains the same throughout, the three cards being held in
-position by the pressure of the little finger at the lower right-hand
-corner. The making of the pass must be covered by a slight swinging
-movement of the two hands in any direction. Some performers, finding
-it rather difficult to push home several cards into the desired
-position simultaneously and neatly, make the pass each time a card is
-placed in the pack. It is open to the learner to adopt this method if
-he so pleases, but he is more liable to detection; besides which, the
-feature of the pass is the showing the cards all in different parts of
-the pack, and then apparently pushing them home at one and the same
-time.
-
-An alternative method is to push the cards down, with the projecting
-corner on the thumb side of the left hand, and then, by straightening
-the cards at once, leave half an inch or more of the whole width of
-the chosen cards projecting from the bottom of the pack, instead of
-having them diagonally across the pack, as is shown in illustration.
-A trial will show the learner that this method is an expeditious one,
-but my reasons against its use are twofold. Firstly, too much of the
-cards to be passed is exposed, and, secondly, the act of pushing them
-down is extremely likely to carry along with them indifferent cards
-intervening between two of them. This is especially likely to be the
-case with cards that are at all worn. The reason for this is that
-there is no stop to the body of the cards, which stop is provided, in
-the method shown at Fig. 34, by the little finger, during the whole
-of the operation. The act of pushing the cards transversely down, from
-the opposite side of the pack to that depicted, renders it impossible
-that the little finger can be in position on the lower side of the
-cards at the most critical time, the commencement, to prevent any but
-the desired ones from being pushed down. Its presence just at the
-corner seems to me to be very essential to the effective performance
-of the pass, combined with security from mishap.
-
-
-THE FALSE SHUFFLE.
-
-This the conjuror will find a very useful adjunct to the pass. There
-is nothing very difficult about it, but it is necessary to be somewhat
-bold in executing it. The two methods of shuffling in ordinary use are
-the perpendicular and the horizontal. The perpendicular is the most
-business-like, and I have no doubt that it is used by most of my male
-readers who are card-players. Ladies, I am aware, mostly patronise
-the horizontal shuffle, in which the cards are passed from right to
-left, or _vice versâ_, alternately over and under. To illustrate
-the perpendicular method, suppose the card to be at the bottom of
-the pack, just passed there, and it is desired to keep it in that
-position. By applying pressure with the fingers and thumb, the top
-and bottom cards will be retained in the left hand when the right
-hand draws away the rest of the pack, which is then shuffled over the
-two. The operation can be repeated hundreds of times without fear of
-a mistake. With the card at the top, the action is more complicated,
-though not difficult. The pressure with thumb and fingers must be made
-as before. This will bring the chosen card from the top to second from
-the bottom. Commence the shuffle a second time, and the card will
-be the bottom one of those held in the right hand, the one recently
-beneath it having been drawn off by the fingers of the left hand. It
-now remains to continue shuffling vigorously until the chosen card
-alone remains in the right hand, which then leaves it on the top of
-the pack in its original position. For this shuffle, which I prefer
-to any other, I have to thank myself. It is utterly impossible for
-the eye of anyone, be he the most practised conjuror, to follow the
-positions of the one card, even supposing that an opportunity for
-minute investigation were allowed, which it scarcely would be during
-a performance. When exhibiting before a select company of extra
-sharp people who have vague notions of false shuffles and passes, it
-is sometimes advisable to bring the chosen card to the top, with
-one card or more above it. You can then say, "Now, it is utterly
-impossible for me to know where the card is. You see it is neither
-at the bottom nor next to the bottom" (throw bottom card off), "nor
-is it at the top" (throw as many cards off the top as are above the
-chosen card). More than this the spectators can hardly expect you to
-do. In the horizontal shuffle, with the card at the top, draw the
-card off between the first and second fingers, and put all cards
-which are shuffled above it between the first finger and thumb. This
-will form two packs, divided by the first finger. The final movement
-in the shuffle is the replacing the lower half on the upper; but I
-prefer bringing this about by means of the pass. With the card at the
-bottom, one has merely to shuffle the cards in the ordinary way, just
-taking care that the bottom card is shuffled last by itself to the
-top, where it may be left; or it may equally easily be shuffled to
-the bottom again by simply retaining it in the hand last. This is the
-simplest shuffle of all, but it will not deceive enlightened people.
-I find it an excellent method to combine two methods of shuffling.
-Great rapidity of action should be studied; everything, however, being
-practised very slowly at first, until the proper method is secured.
-The false shuffle is very useful in covering the pass. The pass should
-be made, and the shuffle at once proceeded with, without allowing a
-fraction of a second to elapse.
-
-Leaving the beginner to overcome at his leisure the various
-difficulties connected with the mastery of single-handed passes, I
-will describe some tricks performed by the aid of the pass, assisted
-by the false shuffle alone, commencing with the most simple. Lest the
-reader should say, "Oh! but no person in his senses would be deceived
-by that simple thing," I will observe that he should endeavour to suit
-his audience to his skill. The learner should commence by allowing
-a card to be selected from the pack, which he then cuts near the
-centre, and requests the person who selected the card to place it upon
-the lower portion. He then replaces the upper portion, taking care
-to allow the little finger to intervene between the two, so as to be
-ready for the pass, which must be made on the first opportunity, and
-the pack handed to a spectator to hold. Now say that you will cause
-the card chosen to rise from the centre of the pack, where it is
-supposed to be, to the top, and then let the holder of the pack show
-that such has actually been done. By inserting the finger beneath the
-card before making the pass, it will be brought to the bottom of the
-pack, whither you can afterwards command it to go. In these instances
-the effect will be spoilt if any shuffling takes place; but, in most
-of the following, false shuffling should be resorted to, attention
-being called to the fact that the cards are well mingled, and that
-you, therefore, cannot possibly know the position of the chosen card
-in the pack.
-
-_To Cause a Card to Show itself on the Top of the Pack._--Bring the
-card to the top, and, holding the pack in the right hand, push it off
-with the thumb of the left hand about half an inch, and then throw the
-pack violently on the table or floor. The resistance of the air will
-cause the uppermost card (the chosen one) to turn completely over,
-without losing its position. The effect is very good indeed.
-
-_The Attached Card._--Bring the chosen card to the top, and give the
-pack to be held by one corner tolerably firmly, between the finger,
-and thumb. See that it is held neither too tightly nor too loosely,
-and then suddenly strike the cards upwards with the hand. Give a good
-strong blow, and all the cards, with the exception of the top one,
-will fly into the air, the chosen card remaining in the fingers. If
-the card is brought to the bottom, the cards must be struck downwards
-to the floor, which method certainly has the advantage of causing less
-litter. The effect is increased if two cards are chosen, one being
-brought to the top and the other to the bottom. The cards are then
-struck--only moderately hard in this instance--sideways, when the top
-and bottom cards will remain in the holder's fingers.
-
-_To Catch Two Cards in the Air, out from the Pack._--A better way
-with two cards is, after bringing one card to the top and one to the
-bottom, to take the pack firmly between your own thumb and fingers,
-and jerk it upwards. This will cause all the cards to fly towards the
-ceiling, except the top and bottom ones, in a bunch. Before the cards
-fall, you make a dash at them, and affect to catch the two chosen
-cards in the air out from the rest. This is a very finished illusion.
-The audience, having their eyes upon the pack, do not notice the two
-cards between the performer's fingers, but the dash at the pack must
-be made immediately.
-
-_The Congenial Aces._--Select from the pack the four aces (four cards
-of any other denomination would serve equally well, but aces are best
-for effect), and allow the pack to be thoroughly examined for the
-purpose of showing that there are no others contained in it. Give one
-ace to one person, another to a second person, and the remaining two
-to a third. Have the first ace placed at the top of the pack, the
-second at the bottom, and the third and fourth in what the audience
-will suppose to be the middle of the pack, but in reality between the
-top and bottom cards brought together by means of the pass. As you
-turn to the third person holding aces you pretend to open the pack
-in the middle, but in reality make the pass, but without bringing
-the two portions together again. The two remaining aces are thus
-innocently placed between the two already restored to the pack, which
-you instantly close up, whilst calling particular attention to the
-fact that you do so with all possible deliberation and slowness. Now
-command all four aces to join company in the centre of the pack. On
-the pack being opened, the command will be found to have been obeyed.
-The trick can be varied by placing a red ace in the centre and a black
-one on the top or bottom, and then causing them to change places by
-means of the pass. But the most startling change of all is when
-two aces of one colour are placed in the centre, and the two of the
-other colour, one on the top and one at the bottom, and then made to
-change places. The company cannot realise that this can possibly be
-accomplished in so brief a space of time; but it is simple enough. It
-should always be produced as a final effect, the performer saying,
-"Now I will show you something more remarkable still." He then places,
-say, the two red aces in the centre of the pack, and one black ace on
-the top and the other at the bottom. In order to convince the company
-thoroughly that things are as stated, the pack is turned over and
-opened slightly, fanwise. In showing the cards thus, it will be very
-easy to insert the little finger between the two red aces unperceived,
-and the double-handed pass is made in the act of turning the pack
-over. It is instantly placed in the hands of one of the company,
-who may be asked to blow upon it, or to perform any other operation
-equally unlikely to bring about any magical change, and then the cards
-can be examined without the performer approaching them again. But,
-in such cases, much depends upon how the pack is examined, and it
-should always be done under the performer's directions. For instance,
-he would say, "On the top was a black ace; will you please look at
-the top card now?--you will see that it is a red one. At the bottom
-was also a black ace; turn the pack over, please, and you will find
-a red one there also. In the centre were two red aces; kindly look
-there, and you will find the black ones." By this means, the whole of
-the company are informed of what has taken place, which would only be
-unsatisfactorily done if it were left in the hands of the temporary
-holder of the cards, who only thinks of satisfying his own curiosity.
-
-The single-handed pass (Fig. 28, &c.) may be employed in this trick
-to great advantage, whenever it is required to bring cards from the
-outsides to the centre. Where cards, already in the centre, have to
-be brought to the top or bottom, the insertion of the little finger
-is necessary, and so the double-handed pass has to be employed. In
-such cases, the employment of the pass depicted at Fig. 33 would
-be possible; but the performer would have to execute it in a more
-masterly manner than I have yet seen exhibited. For the first phase
-described, the single-handed pass (Fig. 28, &c.) is perfect. Two
-aces are placed, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the
-pack, and as the performer turns to the holder of the two others, he
-executes the pass, leaving the cards open, precisely as depicted at
-Fig. 30, turning the hand slightly downwards, so that the ace in the
-middle shall not be visible. It then appears to the spectators as if
-he had merely opened the cards slightly; and, when the two aces are
-inserted, the top half is allowed to fall to, and the pack given there
-and then into the hands of one of the audience.
-
-_The Reversed Card._--This is not at all a bad termination to a trick.
-Bring the chosen card to the top, and then pass it to the bottom
-with the two-handed slip pass previously described; but, in passing,
-cause it to turn upside down. This, it will be found on trial, is
-very easily managed by keeping the face of the card always against
-the pack. Now make the ordinary pass, and so bring the card to the
-middle, and then throw the pack along the table, when the chosen card
-will appear in the middle, face upwards. If you like, you may ask the
-audience whether the pack shall be reversed and the chosen card found
-face downwards, or _vice versâ_. It does not matter which is selected,
-as it is only necessary to turn the pack over before spreading it out,
-in order to bring about a reversal of affairs.
-
-_The Travelling Card._--By attaching a hair to a waistcoat button, and
-affixing the other end, by means of a tiny bead of wax, unperceived,
-to the chosen card, it can be made to walk out of the pack at the
-performer's command by a slight motion of the body. The cards should
-be spread face upwards upon the table, and the effect of one card
-disengaging itself from the rest is a very comical one. The waxed end
-of the hair should be held in a finger nail, so as to be at hand.
-Another method is to bring the card to the top, and then, holding the
-pack upright in one hand, with the faces of the cards towards the
-audience, pretend to pluck a hair from the head, and then to wind it
-rapidly round the pack with the disengaged hand. Pretend to pull at
-the imaginary hair, and, with the first and second fingers of the
-hand which holds the cards, work up the chosen card from the back.
-The effect is very comical. Two or three cards, selected by different
-people, may be treated in the same manner, when it is as well to come
-forward, after the first card has risen, and, making the pass, show
-that the chosen cards are not on the top. Before continuing, the pass
-must be again made to bring the cards back, the little finger having,
-of course, all the while divided the two halves of the pack. The trick
-should be practised before a looking-glass to ensure that the working
-of the fingers is not observed. It will be found necessary to allow
-the cards to well cover the finger roots. The performer should stand
-well away from the audience, and be certain that no one has a side
-view of his hand.
-
-_The Lady's Own Trick._--Say that you have now done quite sufficient
-yourself, and think it time someone else had a turn. Bring the card
-to any portion of the pack you please, so long as you know where it
-is. Take sixteen cards from various portions of the pack (you may
-have them selected if you please), taking care that the chosen card
-is included in the number, and arrange them in four divisions. Now,
-say that this trick must be done solely by a lady, and, giving your
-wand to one of the fair sex, ask her to point to any two divisions.
-The exact words you will use are, "Kindly tell me which two divisions
-I shall take." The word "take" is intentionally ambiguous, as, if one
-of the two divisions pointed at contains the chosen card, on which
-you are, of course, keeping a sharp eye, you will understand it to
-mean that you are to take those two and continue with them. If, on the
-other hand, they do not contain the card, you will assume that they
-are to be removed, and throw them aside accordingly. Two divisions
-will now remain, and you ask the lady to point to one of them, using
-the words, "Now, which do you prefer of the two?" This is, again,
-ambiguous, and you can do as you wish about taking or leaving the
-division pointed at. Four cards now remain, and you ask that two of
-them shall be selected, and, on two cards remaining, you repeat the
-request. If the chosen card is then pointed at, you allow it to be
-taken up; if the other, remove it, leaving the chosen card to be
-picked up by the chooser. You must endeavour to impress spectators
-with the idea that it is all sleight-of-hand, and _never do it twice_.
-Some tricks (not very many, though) will bear repetition, although
-it should always be avoided if possible. If there is no help for it,
-endeavour to vary the method as much as possible.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 35.]
-
-Another very rapid single-handed pass is depicted at Fig. 35. As
-it is only useful for passing one or more cards from the top to the
-bottom, or, rather, from back to front, it is not in general use, but
-forms almost a separate trick by itself. The cards, which should not
-exceed twelve or fifteen in number, should be held at the top corners
-by the first finger and thumb, and the third finger inserted beneath
-the card to be brought to the front. This card is then, by means of
-the middle, third, and little fingers, which hold it, brought from
-behind and passed round the others, care being taken to bring all
-together evenly. In executing this pass, the pack is first held up
-with the faces of the cards towards the audience, and is then turned
-downwards for a moment. When the pack is again held up, it is seen
-that the front card (the bottom one) has changed. The trick can be
-thus worked: Place secretly at the back of the pack three of any
-denomination of card, say, the fours. At the front, place the other
-four, which suppose to be the four of clubs, and request one of the
-audience to say into which other suite the card shall change. You will
-know the order in which the three fours at the back are placed, so you
-will only have to place the third finger beneath the one named and
-pass it to the front. If it is the actual top card, you will bring it
-forward alone; but if it is the second or third, those above it must
-come forward as well. As this pass cannot be effected without noise,
-it is always best to pretend to pass the card chosen as the one into
-which the original four is to change from some cards held in the other
-hand. Ruffle these cards with the thumb and say, "Did you not hear it
-go?" The slight noise heard will be accounted for by the cards passing
-from one pack to the other. If a duplicate four of clubs is held at
-the bottom of the second pack, it can be exhibited as the one changed
-in the other pack. But the best trick performed by means of this pass
-is by the aid of two duplicate cards, say, the knave of clubs and the
-ace of hearts. A pack must be held in each hand. At the top of the
-right-hand pack put the ace, and at the bottom the knave. At the top
-of the left-hand pack put the knave, and at the bottom the ace. The
-cards at the top are placed there secretly; those at the bottom openly
-before the audience. Hold the faces of the packs towards the audience,
-and, calling particular attention to the positions of the cards, say
-that you will make them change places. Turn the packs face downwards,
-with a flourish, executing the pass with both hands, saying, "Presto!
-pass. Did you not see them go?" On holding the cards up again, it will
-be seen that the knave has gone over to the left-hand pack, and the
-ace to the right-hand one. This is very effective indeed.
-
-
-THE CHANGE.
-
-This, as a sleight-of-hand feat with cards, takes precedence, for
-bare-faced daring, of, perhaps, any other. It consists in deliberately
-exchanging a card held in one hand for another in the pack held in the
-other hand, and this in full view of the audience. Such a feat may
-appear at first sight impossible, but, with a little attention and
-practice, it will become as easy as any other, although it will always
-demand some care and address in execution. There are various methods
-by means of which the change is effected, of which the following
-three are perhaps the best. For simplification of description we will
-suppose that the ace of diamonds is to be exchanged for the ace of
-clubs.
-
-_First method_: Hold the pack, with the ace of clubs on the top, in
-the left hand, between the first finger and thumb. The other fingers
-should be so disposed under the pack as to leave a space between the
-first and middle fingers. This space, is for the reception of the card
-to be exchanged, in this instance the ace of diamonds, which is held
-between the first and middle finger of the right hand. To effect the
-change, bring the hands momentarily together, and place the ace of
-diamonds between the first and middle fingers of the left hand; the
-thumb and first finger of the right hand taking, at the same time,
-the ace of clubs from off the top of the pack. Just before executing
-the change, the thumb of the left hand should push the ace of clubs
-slightly off the pack, so that it may be in a favourable position for
-the finger and thumb of the right hand to seize. The action must, of
-course, be instantaneous and unaccompanied by the slightest hesitation
-or bungling. There must also be an auxiliary movement of the body
-from right to left, without which it is exceedingly difficult, if not
-impossible, to execute the change unperceived. The left hand must also
-be taken away from the other, at the same moment, the feat being
-practised until it can be accomplished in one movement, the hands
-not dwelling together for the most infinitesimal period of time. The
-learner should first practise by saying to himself, "Now here I have
-the ace of diamonds, and, by simply rubbing it on this table" (here
-give the body a half turn from right to left, and execute change), "I
-will transform it into the ace of clubs." This form of address should
-be used when exhibiting the change in this its most simple form before
-spectators. The chief principle to be engrafted on the mind is, that
-the first half of the change is performed with the right hand and the
-second half with the left--the two movements being interwoven, as it
-were, with the body swing. On no account must the hands be brought
-suddenly together and then parted as if something had been snatched
-away. This method is the one in general use, and, for ordinary
-purposes, I can scarcely recommend any other. By its means, it is as
-easy to exchange two, three, or more cards for others as a single
-card. The cut (Fig. 36) illustrating this change shows the two hands
-in actual contact. It will be seen that the actions of leaving the one
-card and taking the other are simultaneous.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 36.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 37.]
-
-_Second Method_: By the first method it will be seen that the card
-first shown is left, after the change, at the bottom of the pack.
-This result is not always desirable. When the cards have to be, as
-is sometimes the case, changed back into their former positions, the
-card must be left at the top at each change. In this instance, the
-ace of diamonds must be held between the thumb and first finger of
-the right hand; the ace of clubs being, as before, at the top of the
-pack, and slightly pushed off by means of the thumb. On the hands
-being brought momentarily together, the ace of clubs is seized between
-the first and middle fingers of the right hand, the ace of diamonds
-being left on the top of the pack. The thumb of the left hand is
-utilised in detaining the ace of diamonds, which, without its use,
-would probably fall on the floor. The first finger of the left hand
-must be kept well out of the way, or it will interfere with the smooth
-passage of the cards. Fig. 37 represents this change just as the
-hands are brought together. Noise is more likely to be made by this
-change than by the preceding one, so care must be taken to avoid it
-as much as possible. The "three card trick," so much in vogue amongst
-card-sharpers in wheedling money out of the pockets of greenhorns,
-becomes very amusing when worked by means of this change. The usual
-shifting about of the cards upon the table must be executed in the
-most childishly simple manner, which will not much matter, as you will
-take care to speedily change the card to be found, for one on the top
-of the pack. When the spectators have amused themselves for some time
-in endeavouring to find out a card which is not there at all, you will
-change it back again.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 38.]
-
-_Third Method_: Hold the pack in the left hand, with the ace of clubs
-at the top. Take the ace of diamonds in the right hand, between the
-first and middle fingers, and, bringing it briskly across the pack
-from front to back, take off the ace of clubs by means of the first
-finger and thumb, the ace of diamonds being left in its place. The
-little finger of the left hand should be curled up behind the cards,
-and so prevent more than the top one being removed, as will sometimes
-be the case if this precaution is not observed. This change is shown
-at Fig. 38.
-
-Besides the part it takes in regular set tricks, the change is of
-the utmost utility to the conjuror in cases of emergency, especially
-when he makes, as he infallibly must at various times, a mistake. On
-eventually producing a card which turns out to be a wrong one, the
-performer must not appear in the least discomfited, for that would
-commit him at once, but ask the chooser of the card if the one now
-exhibited really is what he or she states it to be. Of course, an
-affirmative will be received in reply, and the performer must say,
-"Well, I would not for worlds contradict you, but really I think
-in this case you are wrong. Will you, madam" (here give the card,
-rapidly changed in the transit to someone else), "say if this card is
-the seven of diamonds, which this gentleman says it is?" As it has
-been changed for the ten of hearts, or whatever the desired card may
-be, a laugh will ensue, and it will appear as if the climax of the
-trick had been arrived at, and no one will know that you intended
-doing anything else. One of the great arts in conjuring is that of
-turning all mistakes and unexpected occurrences to the best advantage,
-and a thorough knowledge of all the various artifices and dodges is
-necessary to accomplish this.
-
-
-THE PALM.
-
-"Palm a card!" exclaims the reader, "how can one possibly palm a
-card?" Not after the manner of a coin, certainly; but, after the
-proper method, the palming of a card--_i.e._, the concealing it
-unnoticed in the hand--is not at all difficult. It is as important as,
-and, next to the pass, more used than, the other sleights with cards,
-there being a continual demand for its assistance. To palm a card in
-the right hand, take it in the left, across the middle, and place it
-in the right, so that the top left-hand corner is against the inside
-of the little finger, and the bottom right-hand corner against the
-fleshy part of the thumb. This pressure is quite sufficient to hold
-the card, but other parts of the hand and fingers will render a slight
-assistance. This, unless one possessed an enormous hand, would be
-impossible of accomplishment with the ordinary playing-cards, hence
-the necessity for using those of smaller dimensions. When the learner
-can palm the card tolerably well, he should learn to secrete it from
-its position on the top of the pack, under which circumstances the
-palm is mostly used. The right hand must press upon the pack, and
-when it is felt that the card is in position it must be slid off
-sideways, not lifted. The hand containing the card should not be
-held unnaturally flat, but considerably curved, care being taken not
-to bend the corners of the card to any extent. The wand will, as
-usual, be of use here, as, if held between the finger and thumb, it
-will assist in disabusing the minds of the audience of the idea that
-anything is contained in the hand. It is not very likely that they
-will think so, for the idea that it is even possible to hold a card in
-the hand, without its being discovered, never occurs to anyone. The
-wand can also be held flat in the hand across the card, which is as
-good a way as any. Palming is not by any means confined to a single
-card, any number, up to a whole pack, being rendered invisible by this
-method. When two or more cards are to be palmed from the surface of
-the pack, they must be first slightly dislodged by the thumb of the
-hand holding them, and held a very little--not more than a quarter of
-an inch--above the others, just sufficient to enable the other hand to
-palm them rapidly without disturbing the pack. The palm is, of course,
-executed right in front of the audience, who never dream of what is
-going on. To entirely vanish a pack, take it in the right hand, across
-the back, lengthways, the thumb being at one end and the fingers at
-the other. Stand sideways to the audience, and, bringing the hands
-together, make a perpendicular swinging motion once or twice, as if
-about to toss the pack towards the ceiling. Make a final and vigorous
-toss, as if you had done so, and, with the left hand, press the cards
-into the right hand. The wand should be under the arm during this
-operation, in order that it may be at once seized by the thumb of the
-hand concealing the cards. If it be not handy, the lappel of the coat
-must be brought into requisition. It causes a good effect if the cards
-are afterwards found inside the coat of one of the audience, with whom
-you affect to be displeased thereat. You can also go down among the
-audience, and pretend to give someone the pack with the left hand,
-which must, of course, be so disposed as if it really contained the
-cards. To do this requires a little confidence, and care must be taken
-to hold the inside of the hand well towards the body, or detection may
-easily ensue when one is quite surrounded by eager, prying eyes. The
-simplest trick performed with the use of the palm is to ask someone
-to look at the top card on the pack held in your left hand, and to
-replace it. In the right hand you have a card palmed. Ask the name of
-the card just looked at, and, on being told it, affect surprise, and
-say that you fancy there must be some little mistake--you feel quite
-certain that the card is not what it is stated to be. Of course, the
-party who looked at the card, and who probably allowed it to be seen
-by others, will be positive, so you say that you will show that you
-are right. Bring the right hand over the cards in a similar manner
-to that employed when about to perform the third change (Fig. 38),
-and, with one movement, leave the one palmed on the top and pick it
-off again. The picking off will be done very slowly, to show that you
-really do take the top card. Finish up by palming the card originally
-looked at, and remarking that you cannot understand how the mistake
-occurred, "for here is the card in my pocket." Produce it from thence,
-the hand containing the card being merely plunged into the pocket, and
-slowly withdrawn, holding the card in the tips of the fingers.
-
-Another very effective method is to stand sideways to the audience,
-and hold the pack perpendicularly (the length being horizontal) in
-the left hand, with the faces visible. In the right hand have a few
-cards palmed, with the faces towards the hand. Suppose the seven of
-hearts to be at the bottom of the pack in the left hand. Say that you
-can change it by simply passing the hand across it, which you then do,
-leaving one behind. If two or three are left by accident it does not
-matter, the chief object aimed at being smoothness. Care will have to
-be taken to have the end of the fingers of the left hand protruding
-well, so as to be in readiness to take the card thus left on the seven
-of hearts. The motion of passing the right hand over the left should
-be an upward one, and the performer should practise to dwell as little
-as possible over the pack.
-
-The palm is also invaluable when anyone insists upon shuffling the
-pack, so as to make sure of mingling the cards well. The card secure
-in the performer's hand, the pack may be shuffled for a whole week
-without much harm being done. With the palm and the pass shown at
-Fig. 35 combined, a very pretty trick can be performed. It is
-somewhat similar to one already described. Take four cards of any
-denomination, and, cutting the pack into two halves, place one of the
-four at the bottom of one half. Place the remaining three at the top
-of the other half, which give to be held by a spectator, the three
-cards being previously palmed, and put on the top of the other cards,
-as you take them up to show the card at the bottom. Tell the person
-holding the cards, which are supposed to contain the three, to keep a
-very tight hold, and, tapping his pack with the wand, affect to take
-one of the cards away and pass it into your pack. Give a flourish, and
-pass one card to the front. The slight noise made by the pass will not
-signify if you say, "Ah! you heard it go?" Repeat this operation with
-each of the cards, when you will show all four at the bottom of your
-pack, whilst the three will be found to have vanished from the one
-given to be held by one of the audience.
-
-_The Royal Marriages._--This is a very pretty variety of the foregoing
-trick. Take the four queens from the pack, and place them on the
-table, remembering the order in which the suits run. Take the four
-kings (in the same order as the queens), and have them put in one
-portion of the pack, which you have divided as before. If the kings
-are placed in the centre, you can make the usual pass, palm them, and
-put them, unperceived, on the top of the other portion of the cards,
-and then let someone shuffle till he is tired. The trick now proceeds
-very much as before, except that you commence operations by placing
-one of the queens on the bottom of the pack held by you, which has
-the four kings on the top. The lady is then supposed to call for her
-husband, who, as in duty bound, arrives with all despatch. Then place
-another queen at the bottom, and cause another king to arrive; and so
-on until all have appeared. The effect of this trick will be lost if
-the king of clubs arrives to console the queen of hearts, and so on.
-They must come together in suits.
-
-As the pass employed in this trick becomes difficult to execute when
-many cards are held in the hands, eight or ten only should be taken up
-in the first instance, as eight will be added during the performance
-of the trick.
-
-
-THE SLIDE.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 39.]
-
-This is a very simple, but not, therefore, any the less useful, little
-deception, which deserves to be brought more into use by conjurors
-than it is. It consists merely in sliding back, in a particular
-manner, the bottom card of a pack, with the fingers of one hand, so
-that the other hand may remove the one next to it, and yet appear to
-actually remove the bottom card. The particular method of holding
-the pack is shown at Fig. 39. The cards are taken, face downwards,
-in one hand, and the first and second fingers push back the bottom
-card to the extent of from half an inch to an inch. Damp a finger
-of the other hand, and apply it to the bottom of the pack, drawing
-away the last card but one instead of the last. Thus, if, as in the
-illustration, the seven of hearts is at the bottom, and the seven of
-clubs next it, the red card will be exhibited to the audience at the
-bottom of the pack, which is then turned over. The seven of hearts
-is then ostensibly taken from the bottom of the pack (the seven of
-clubs being taken instead), and then made to change, whilst covered
-by the hand of a spectator, from the heart to the club suit. This
-is the simplest form in which the deception can be employed. It is
-very useful in demonstrating to the audience that a chosen card is
-neither at the top nor the bottom of a pack, when it is actually at
-the bottom. A card or two can be taken from the top, and then a few
-from the bottom, the actual bottom card being slipped aside. After
-taking off cards in this manner, always ask whether you shall take
-any more away, and so disarm the suspicion that you know the position
-of the card, and have only removed a certain number of cards so as to
-ultimately reach it. Should anyone not be satisfied, but demand to
-have the pack turned over, you must comply, making the pass as you
-turn the cards over. This will bring another card to the bottom; but,
-if you do not remove the finger from between the two portions, the
-pass can afterwards be repeated, and the cards brought back to their
-former positions. This is a ruse which will naturally occur to most
-conjurors when performing.
-
-
-THE FORCE.
-
-This is the last of the elementary principles to be learnt, and in a
-highly important one. It is hardly a feat of sleight of hand, although
-requiring considerable practice and determination to carry out
-properly. The act of forcing a card consists in inducing the chooser
-of a card to select from those proffered by you any particular card
-you please. As will hereafter transpire, it is highly essential for
-some tricks that a particular card, and none other, be chosen. The
-best method is as follows: Have the card which you desire to have
-selected at the bottom of the pack, in which the finger is inserted
-ready for the pass. As you advance for the purpose of presenting the
-cards, make the pass and allow the middle finger to remain under
-what was the bottom card, now somewhere in the middle. Spread out
-the cards, keeping them in constant motion, and as the chooser's
-hand is put forward to select a card, the middle finger should run
-the desired card into it. This action must be performed as naturally
-as possible. There must be no distinct motion of _pushing_ the card
-into the hand, the cards being so manipulated that it always appears
-as if they were only just ready as the chooser's hand reaches them.
-Usually the difficulty of forcing a card is very small indeed, persons
-unacquainted with the ruse taking the first card that reaches their
-fingers with charming simplicity. In the event of a failure, do not
-appear in the least degree disconcerted, but "force" the card on some
-more tractable person, and then ask a third party to choose between
-the two cards selected. You will explain that your reason for having
-two cards chosen is to prove that you do not "force" any card, and
-then say, "Now, which card shall I take?" If the card you want is
-indicated, say, "This one, then, I am to use for my trick;" but if the
-other card is pointed at, then say, "This card I am to take away,"
-and suit the action to the word. By this means you will appear to
-have given the audience a free choice, and at the same time obtained
-your own private ends. The beginner is sure to be nervous in forcing
-a card, and he must endeavour to overcome the feeling as quickly as
-possible. Some performers (I won't say conjurors) use what is called
-a "forcing pack," viz., a pack consisting entirely of cards of one
-particular kind, which will, of course, be that which is required for
-the trick. As, however, it is utterly impossible to allow such a pack
-to be examined, and highly disastrous to allow any number of the cards
-to fall or otherwise become seen, the conjuror should disdain to
-seek such adventitious aid as that afforded by a "forcing pack," the
-possession of which generally causes the appellation of "duffer" to
-attach itself to the owner.
-
-With a command of the foregoing "elementary principles" the performer
-may attempt anything with the cards, taking care, however, always to
-rehearse any new combination carefully, lest it prove too much for
-him in the hour of trial. As previously stated, tricks with cards are
-without end, and the conjuror may vary his causes and effects at will.
-I give, however, a few of the most favourite tricks, so as to afford
-an idea of what may be attempted by the learner.
-
-_La Carte Générale._--This is, perhaps, as pretty a trick as can well
-be conceived. Force a card, say the eight of hearts, have it replaced
-in the pack, and re-force it on someone else so far removed from the
-first chooser that the possibility of their seeing that they have both
-selected the same card is avoided. Have the card replaced in the pack
-and re-force, repeating the operation four, five, or six, or even more
-times, according to the size of the room and number of the audience.
-Now and then it is as well to pass the card to the top, palm it, and
-then have the pack shuffled by one of the audience, or, at least, to
-shuffle it yourself. When you have forced the card a sufficient number
-of times, bring it finally to the top of the pack, from which select
-haphazard a card. Show this card to one of the choosers, and ask if it
-was the one selected. A negative will of course be given. Look neither
-surprised nor satisfied, merely exclaiming "No?" inquiringly. Show the
-card in turn to each of the persons who selected, asking if it belongs
-to them. When you have completed the round, turn to the first chooser,
-changing the card unperceived for the one (the eight of hearts) on
-the top of the pack, and holding it in front of the person, face
-downwards, so that no one can see what it is, say, "Well, since this
-card belongs to nobody, will you kindly tell it to go away?" As the
-words "go away" are uttered, run the thumb sharply along the edges of
-the cards held in the left hand, and "flip" the eight of hearts with
-a finger of the right hand, so leading the audience to believe that
-some miraculous change had taken place. Now hold the eight of hearts
-to the person whom you addressed, saying, "Is not that your card?"
-On receiving, as you will, a reply in the affirmative, turn the card
-face downwards and proceed to the next chooser of a card, and so on,
-until all are satisfied. As all are supposed to have chosen different
-cards it is imagined that each card is invisibly changed for the
-next one required. Commence another trick immediately, or otherwise
-divert the attention of the audience, or the drawers of cards will
-begin to "compare notes," and so discover that they all drew the same
-card. Although this discovery does not actually spoil the trick, it
-diminishes the effect immensely. It adds to the effect of the trick if
-the performer pretends to place each card, as chosen, upon a table,
-or other prominent place. Upon each occasion, however, he must change
-the forced card for an indifferent one. The last time the eight of
-hearts is actually placed with the rest. The supposed chosen cards are
-then held up, fanwise, together, and the choosers asked if they do not
-see their cards amongst them. As they all see the eight of hearts,
-they reply in the affirmative, and thus the idea that only one card
-has been selected is very unlikely to be entertained. To effect this
-valuable addition to the trick, great facility with the change is
-absolutely necessary, as it has to be so frequently executed.
-
-_The Sympathetic Cards._--Palm a few (say, four) cards, and ask one
-of the audience to take any number, without any reference to their
-specification, from the pack. Suppose eight are taken: how many is
-quite immaterial. Borrow a handkerchief; and after satisfying all that
-there is nothing whatever in it, ask for the eight cards, to which
-number add, unperceived, those you have palmed, and place the whole in
-the handkerchief with great deliberation. Fold the handkerchief up,
-and ask someone to hold it very firmly. Now have some cards drawn
-from the pack. "Any number you please," you will say carelessly,
-taking particular care that neither more nor less than four are
-chosen, the "force" being here brought into play. You now ask the
-person who selected the first batch how many are in the handkerchief,
-and the answer in this instance will be eight. "Eight, and four I have
-here, will make twelve, will they not? Now, sir," addressing the party
-holding the handkerchief containing the cards, "please to keep a firm
-hold whilst I pass these four cards into the handkerchief to join the
-other eight." Make a movement as though you threw the cards towards
-the handkerchief, palming them, and then have the handkerchief opened
-and the cards counted. The beauty of the trick is that the audience
-apparently selects the number of cards in each instance, the idea
-of any previous calculation on your part taking place being thereby
-precluded. Be careful to call attention to the number of cards in the
-handkerchief, and to the number to be passed into it, or the effect of
-the trick will be lost. This trick is sometimes performed without a
-handkerchief, the cards being given to be held in the hand only. Which
-method is the better is purely a matter of opinion, and the learner
-may follow which he pleases. Do not allow the drawer of the second
-batch of cards to examine the faces of them, or it will be noticed
-that they did _not_ pass into the handkerchief, should anyone be 'cute
-enough to look for them. This possible _contretemps_ can be avoided
-by having duplicate cards palmed in the first instance, in which case
-the faces of the cards should be shown to the audience, who will be
-asked to remember them. This is decidedly an additional feature to the
-trick, but it entails far more trouble. It is for the learner to try
-these little things, and then retain or relinquish their use as he
-finds it assist or trouble him.
-
-Another way of performing this trick is to ask one of the company to
-count thirty cards from the pack, and then to cut them roughly into
-two parts. Taking one of the parts, ask a spectator to count them.
-Suppose the number is sixteen. Taking them momentarily in the hands,
-for the implied purpose of describing exactly what you wish done, you
-place the four palmed cards upon the sixteen, and then instruct the
-spectator to hold them very securely. Now count the other heap. There
-will be fourteen cards, which number you announce to be quite correct,
-sixteen and fourteen together making thirty. Pick the cards from the
-table, and, in giving them to someone to hold, palm off four, taking
-the wand in the hand to cover the constrained position of it. Now you
-command four cards to pass from the heap last picked up to the one
-first given to be held, and, when the cards are counted, this will be
-found to have taken place. The trick may be reversed with success; the
-ten heap having the palmed cards secretly put back, and given to be
-held again, the twenty cards heap having four abstracted before being
-finally parted with. The cards are then commanded to go back to their
-original places. This method will possibly be found more difficult
-than the first one, in which a handkerchief is used.
-
-_The Permeating Card._--Have a card chosen, and, bringing it to the
-top, palm it. Ask someone who is seated to hold the cards in two
-hands, over the head, holding the pack in the desired position, and
-about six inches beyond the person's reach. This will cause him to
-rise slightly from his seat, when you instantly slip the card beneath
-him, saying at the same, "No, don't stand up; pray be seated," and
-allow the pack to reach his hands. The attention of the audience must
-be directed to the pack, or the action of placing the card beneath the
-holder will, perhaps, be perceived. The manoeuvre requires a little
-care in execution, and it will be necessary to be as close as possible
-to the person operated upon, and at his side. Ask for the name of the
-card, and then command it to pass through the holder of the pack, who,
-on rising at your request, will find that he has been seated upon it.
-This trick usually causes much hilarity.
-
-_Divination of Thought._--This is an ambitious and daring experiment.
-Hold the cards upright, and fanwise, before one of the audience (a
-lady for choice), and run them rapidly from right to left, or _vice
-versâ_, in such a manner that only a very small portion of each card,
-one excepted, is visible. The bottom, or front, card is carefully
-concealed by the hand, so that it cannot be seen. The cards are run
-so rapidly across that it is impossible to recognise any of them
-by the very small portions of them exhibited by you; but one you
-allow to be very much exposed, and on that one you place a finger,
-and continue pushing the rest over in a rapid manner. Whilst thus
-running the cards across, you ask the lady to kindly think of any one
-of the cards she sees. As you take good care to show only one card,
-you may rest assured that that is the one thought of, although it is
-advisable, on being told that a card has been thought of, to inquire
-if it were actually seen in the pack. Keeping the finger on the card,
-turn the pack over, and then make the pass. The card can then be
-produced after any method the performer pleases, but he should first
-ask the name of the card (at which he has taken a glance), as there is
-considerable uncertainty about forcing a card upon a person's notice
-in this manner. In the event of the chooser naming a card other than
-that manipulated by the performer, he must at once look through the
-pack for it, and first palming it, boldly declare that it is not in
-the pack, which he will give to be inspected. The card named can then
-be produced from someone's pocket, &c. The method of passing the cards
-fanwise from side to side, so as to expose the face of one card only,
-should be practised in front of a looking-glass until the learner
-is perfect. Perfection is the only degree in which it is allowed to
-exhibit conjuring tricks, especially those with cards.
-
-_To Cause a Card to Appear in any Position in the Pack, Counting
-either from the Top or from the Bottom._--This, a very favourite
-diversion in card tricks, is capable of being performed in many ways,
-the best of which are given here. The method of procedure is to
-bring the card either to the top or the bottom of the pack, after
-due shuffling, &c., and then to ask one of the audience to name the
-position in which it is to appear. If you have brought the card to
-the bottom, then say, "At what number from the bottom shall the
-card appear?" It will not answer to count it from the top. Suppose
-the fifth card is decided upon, all you have to do is to slide back
-(Fig. 39) the bottom card, which is the selected one, and draw away
-the next card instead. When four have been thus extracted, draw away
-the card itself, and the trick is done. This is the only method used
-when the cards are counted from the bottom. In counting from the top
-proceed as follows:
-
-_Method 1_: Bring the card to the top and then make the pass in such
-a manner that the two halves of the pack are facing each other,
-after the method previously described in dealing with a single card.
-This will cause nothing but the backs of the cards to be visible at
-both top and bottom. Hold the pack in the left hand with the thumb
-turned underneath it, and the fingers curled round the front side.
-The selected card is at the bottom, and it is required to produce it
-fifth. (For the sake of simplicity, I will suppose that the card is
-required in this position in each of the methods given.) Count off,
-one by one, four cards from the top, and then, whilst affecting to
-examine the last one, or to recount those taken off "to make sure,"
-thus drawing attention away from the left hand, turn the pack rapidly
-over. This will bring the chosen card atop, and you have then only
-to take it off and show it. The reversion of the pack must be very
-rapidly and quite noiselessly made, and care must be taken that the
-cards set evenly at the edges, or the audience will perceive that one
-half of them are reversed: and although the elucidation of the trick
-will not of necessity follow, yet it is just as well to avoid the
-discovery if possible. If the pack be at the same moment handed to one
-of the company, with a request to have the next card looked at, to see
-if it be the right one, the action of reversing will be less likely to
-be remarked.
-
-_Method 2_: Bring the card to the top, and hold the cards in the
-left hand as if about to deal them. Do not hold them quite squarely,
-but let the thumb push off the upper ones in such a manner that each
-card overhangs slightly the one beneath it. Now commence to take off
-apparently the top card, but in reality the one immediately beneath
-it. This is accomplished by exerting more power with the first finger
-of the right hand than with the thumb thereof, the thumb of the left
-hand at the same time putting sufficient pressure on to the top card
-to detain it in its position. The top card is taken off with much
-ostentation, when it is required for production. This deception
-is capable of immense development, if assiduously practised, it
-being possible to deceive those who actually know what is taking
-place. If the learner has this method at his command, he need never
-resort to any other, for he will never be discovered. This practice
-of dealing the second card in lieu of the first is a common dodge
-amongst card-sharpers, who are thereby able to retain all the good
-cards, which they have previously marked, for themselves. I strongly
-recommend the adoption of this method in preference to all others, but
-it must be well executed.
-
-_Method 3_: Bring the card to the top, and count the cards off in
-regular order one by one. As the first card removed (now the lowest
-of those dealt off) is the selected one, the fifth will naturally be
-a wrong card. You appear surprised, and say that you must have made
-some mistake in the counting. Gather up the five cards, the selected
-one being at the bottom, replace them on the top of the pack, and ask
-the chooser of the card to count them off himself. This time, the card
-will, of course, turn up in its proper place. This is the simplest of
-all the methods, and is now and then seen through; but not often. On
-counting the cards off for the first time, they must on no account be
-turned face upwards. If this were done, it would be at once perceived
-that the chosen card was on the top in the first instance.
-
-_Method 4_: Bring the card to the top, and hold the pack in the left
-hand, in a position similar to that shown at Fig. 38, the little
-finger being in this instance not curled up behind the cards. Place
-all four fingers of the right hand well over the top card, almost
-covering it, and the thumb well under the bottom card. Draw the hand
-sharply away, bringing with it the bottom card by means of the thumb,
-which it will be as well to damp a little unperceived. The rapid
-motion will prevent the audience from noticing what has actually taken
-place. When the time has arrived for so doing, show the chosen card
-very slowly indeed, or even ask one of the audience to remove it, to
-show that it really is in the desired position. In counting off the
-underneath cards, use a fair amount of rapidity, and be careful not to
-draw away more than one card at a time. The action of drawing off the
-cards must be made towards the body, and not outwards.
-
-_Method 5_: Bring the card to the centre of the pack, keeping the
-finger upon it, and, when you have counted off four cards, make the
-pass, thus bringing the card to the top. This method should only be
-used when some sharp person insists upon looking to see if the card is
-at the top or bottom of the pack.
-
-After bringing the card to any number from the top or bottom, you
-can offer to perform the still more surprising feat of causing it
-to appear at any place indicated by the insertion of a pen or paper
-knife between two cards. To perform this feat, which, by the way, is
-a variation of my own, hold the pack as in Fig. 39, face downwards,
-and, presenting the end to one of the audience, ask to have indicated
-the place in which the card is to appear. When this is done, hold
-the bottom portion by the finger and thumb of the left hand, across
-the cards; and insert the first finger of the right hand, which is,
-of course, holding the upper portion, into the space made by the
-instrument of indication, from the front. Ask whether the person is
-quite sure that the place indicated is the right one, and whether
-another would not be preferred. This is to show that it really does
-not matter what position is indicated. On receiving a reply in the
-affirmative, draw off the top half rapidly, bringing with it, by means
-of the ends of the fingers, as taught in describing the "slide,"
-the bottom card also, and hold the whole up to the audience. This
-manoeuvre defies detection, and possesses the advantage of bearing a
-fair amount of repetition. Before commencing, it as well to show that
-the card is neither at the top nor the bottom. As it is at the bottom
-all the time, the slide will have to be brought into play, in order to
-enable another card to be drawn away from the bottom and exhibited.
-What lends great finish to the trick is the bringing the first finger
-over the ends of the upper cards, as by this means the slipped card
-can be immediately brought close against the others, and not allowed
-to stand out away from them, which would give the audience the idea
-that the trick had been clumsily performed, even if it did not afford
-a clue to the secret of it.
-
-_Card-boxes._--A well-known, but, when well executed, very effective,
-trick is performed with the aid of one or two boxes, known as
-"card-boxes." They are about half an inch deep, and sufficiently large
-to hold a card very easily indeed; that is to say, there is a good
-eighth of an inch to spare all round the card when it is in the box.
-The boxes are black inside, and are furnished with a thin piece of
-wood, also blackened, which is placed loosely within and fills up the
-entire interior space. This piece of wood is the secret of the box,
-for by its means a card is made to appear and disappear. Suppose that
-the box is wide open, and in the right-hand half is placed the card,
-whilst the left-hand half contains the piece of wood. If, on the box
-being closed (which movement must be rapidly executed, or the wood may
-unexpectedly fall out) the left-hand half is turned over on to the
-right-hand half, the card contained in the latter will necessarily
-be covered by the blackened piece of wood, and will appear to have
-vanished entirely when the box is re-opened. By simply turning the box
-over, the card will be made to appear.
-
-The trick is performed by means of a duplicate card, which can
-either be forced, and, after being placed in the box, made to return
-invisibly into the pack whilst the latter is being held by one of the
-audience, or the box may contain one of the duplicate cards in the
-first instance. The other one can then be forced, replaced in the
-pack, brought to the top, and palmed. The pack may then be examined,
-after the card has been shown to be in the box, to prove that it
-really has gone from it. The proper time for replacing the card in the
-pack is immediately after the person has finished the examination.
-You take the cards from him, and, placing the palmed card on the
-top of the pack, make the pass, and so bring it to the middle; you
-can then perform the operation of passing it invisibly from the box
-back again to the pack, where it will, of course, be found. Opinion
-is divided on the question of handing the box or boxes round for
-examination. If this is done, the trick decidedly attains lustre
-thereby, but, of course, the false wooden bottoms must be concealed
-about the performer's person, and slipped in whilst retiring to his
-table. In showing the boxes round with the false bottoms in them, keep
-a finger on the latter, and knock the boxes about a good deal with
-the wand to show they are solid, &c. In "passing" the card, either
-from box to pack, or _vice versâ_, make a great show of taking it from
-either place by means of the wand, on the end of which you seriously
-declare you can distinctly see it. Conjurors are able to make great
-capital out of doing simply nothing at all; and as it is impossible,
-when performing with nothing, to make any mistakes, then is the time
-to do the most extraordinary things. The trick with the boxes can be
-varied by having two duplicate cards of different denominations, one
-of each kind being concealed in a box. Say the cards are the six of
-clubs and king of hearts. Force these cards from the pack and place
-the drawn king in the box containing the six, and the drawn six in
-the box containing the king. You have only to turn the boxes over to
-effect the change, although you of course affect to bring it about
-by magical means. You may then remove one six and one king from the
-boxes, leaving one of each still concealed, and, placing them in the
-pack, bring them to the top, palming them and proceeding as directed
-for one card only. This makes a very pretty trick. The boxes are best
-purchased from a conjuring repository, where they can be obtained
-cheaply.
-
-_To Throw a Card._--In a large room, throwing cards from one end to
-the other has a very good effect. It is astonishing how few people can
-throw a card, seeing how easy the feat becomes with a little practice.
-But I suppose it is just this practice which stands in the way. The
-card should be held across its end, the end of the first finger just
-turning the outside corner. When in position for throwing, it should
-rest upon the middle finger, which will be curved slightly for the
-purpose. Bend the arm back until the card almost touches the chest,
-and then throw it with considerable force from you, taking care to
-give it a spin with the end of the first finger. If this spin, the
-secret of the feat, is not given, the card will not travel three
-yards, whereas a good thrower can send one thirty or forty. For long
-throws, ordinary heavy cards should be used, but care must be taken
-to elevate the trajectory, as such cards hurt severely when they
-strike the face with full force, and serious injury might result if
-one struck the eye. Mehây used to place one card across the back of
-the left hand, and flick it off with the first finger of the right.
-People with strong fingers may try this method, which will, however,
-never send the cards farther than eight or ten yards. Some throwers
-merely seize a corner of the card between the finger and thumb, whilst
-others hold it between the first and second fingers--the latter being
-a favourite method.
-
-_The Revolution._--This, as an interlude, has a very pretty effect.
-Take a full pack of ordinary cards, and throw them obliquely on the
-table, so that they spread nearly across it, each card resting upon
-the one next it. Run the eye along the cards, and see they are all
-even, as a break will spoil the feat. Place the hand well under the
-first (the lowest) card, taking care not to disturb the position
-of those immediately next to it, and turn it suddenly over in the
-direction of the other cards, which will, each in its turn, be made
-to reverse their positions on the table. The first card must be more
-pushed than lifted over; indeed, that end of it which is towards the
-other cards must always remain on the table as if hinged there. If
-they have turned over in good order, they may be turned back again by
-the same means. The success of the feat depends upon the neatness with
-which the cards are thrown down in the first instance. Simple as it
-appears, very few persons can execute it neatly, or with many cards.
-When the line is very long, considerable force will have to be applied
-in turning over the first card. The cards may also be spread in the
-shape of an arc, which has a still prettier effect, but considerable
-practice will be required in laying the cards out. A more difficult
-method still is to lay the cards along the forearm, and turn them over
-there. Many will be the spills, however, in practising this feat.
-
-_Prepared Cards._--Under the heading of "Sleight of Hand," the
-words "prepared cards" may seem out of place; but one of the chief
-articles in my creed is that a conjuror should know everything
-appertaining to his art. Besides this, many tricks with prepared
-cards require considerable sleight of hand in their performance; and
-not infrequently their introduction is the means of defeating an
-antagonistic and inquisitive element which will sometimes introduce
-itself into an audience, members of which possess just that "little
-knowledge" which is said to be "a dangerous thing."
-
-_Cut Packs._--In some instances, it is very useful to have the edges
-of the cards shaved off obliquely, so that one end is broader than the
-other. When a card is taken from the pack, the performer should watch
-and see if it is turned round whilst in the possession of the drawer.
-If it be not turned, then he must reverse the position of the pack
-before the card is returned to it. The cards may then be shuffled
-any number of times, and the performer will always be able to find
-the card by the fact of its broad end being where the other cards are
-narrow. This ruse is but little known among amateurs. It saves a good
-deal of passing, but it will not obviate the necessity for forcing.
-
-_Long and Broad Cards._--This, a most useful preparation, consists
-merely in having one or more cards in the pack a shade longer or
-broader than the others. I, myself, never use more than one card so
-prepared. When not forced, or otherwise actually in use itself, it is
-very useful to place over or beneath other chosen cards, which will,
-by its means, be easily found when wanted. My preference is in favour
-of a broad card, as opposed to a long one: it is more easily found
-by the finger when preparing to make the pass. As one cannot procure
-single cards longer or broader than others, it will be necessary to
-have the other cards shaved down a little, omitting, of course, those
-intended to be longer or broader than the rest. It is not necessary
-to go to a card manufacturer in order to have these operations of
-cutting and shaving performed; any stationer or card-plate engraver,
-who possesses a paper-cutting machine, will be able to do all that is
-desired.
-
-_Pricked Cards._--An excellent method for detecting given cards is to
-have them pricked in the corners, very nearly through, with a needle.
-The hole, or, more properly speaking, the indentation, should be made
-on the back of the card, so that the face presents a little mound to
-the touch. The card should be marked in each corner, so that it will
-not matter which end of it comes to hand first. When it is desired
-to mark more than one card in the same pack by this method, one card
-should have one hole in each corner, another card two holes, another
-card three holes in a triangular form, another card a line of holes
-along each end, and so on. It will, however, be seldom necessary to
-mark many. Card cheating is to this day often practised by this means,
-cards of value of a certain suit being detected by the dealer as he
-deals them out.
-
-_The Chameleon Card._--Have two cards chosen, and bring one to the
-top and one to the bottom. Take the pack, face upwards, and make the
-single card slip pass from top to bottom, reversing the card during
-the process. This will bring the two chosen cards back to back. Openly
-take them up by one corner, but show only one card. Ask the name of
-the other card, and, blowing on the two in the hand, turn them rapidly
-round, and thus show the one at the back. Replace the cards at once in
-the centre of the pack. Care will have to be taken that the cards are
-very even when back to back, or it will transpire that two cards are
-in the fingers, and not one only. This trick is sometimes performed
-with the aid of prepared cards, the two--duplicates of which must,
-in this instance, be "forced" from the pack--being gummed together
-back to back. Supposing the cards to be queen of hearts and ten of
-spades, the performer would thus proceed: Bring the ten to the top,
-and the queen to the bottom, unknown to the audience. Produce, as a
-single card, as if taken from the pack (you will, of course, have them
-concealed about you), the prepared cards, showing the audience the
-ten. In the left hand you will hold the pack, displaying the queen.
-Prepare for passing the ten (_vide_ Fig. 35), which is at the back,
-to the front, and then say, "Hey, presto, pass!" Turn the prepared
-cards rapidly round, and at the time execute the pass, when the change
-will have been effected. Palm the prepared cards, and give the pack
-round to be examined. This method is useful when the performer is able
-to execute the pass peculiar to the trick with one hand only. As this
-is a very pretty effect, which may be introduced in all manner of
-emergencies, two illustrations are given (see Figs. 40 and 41).
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 40.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 41.]
-
-A very excellent variety of this trick is that described by Houdin in
-his work on "Conjuring," and communicated to me by Professor Hoffmann,
-to whose research the conjuring world is not a little indebted. Most
-of us have seen the three cards forming a portion of the marvellous
-and heterogeneous pennyworth offered to the public by a versatile
-itinerant vendor. When spread open one way, the seven of spades only
-is visible, and on being shut up and opened the reverse way, graceful
-female figures or donkeys' heads meet the view; Houdin's trick is
-framed upon this model, but, of course, very much elaborated and
-improved. Indeed, it was a peculiarity of Houdin's that he never did
-touch anything without improving it. The directions for the trick
-under notice are as follows: Have a pack made with plain white backs,
-each card being divided by a line diagonally from corner to corner.
-Of the halves thus formed, one is to represent queen of spades, and
-the other the ten of hearts. On the back of each card paint the ace
-of clubs. Have a heap of cards near you, the three uppermost cards
-of which are duplicates of those in the prepared pack, arranged in
-an order which is known to you. If you prefer it, these cards can at
-first be forced from an ordinary pack, and then given to be held in
-the audience, which heightens the effect of the trick. Take one of
-the three cards--for example, the ten of hearts--and, after showing
-it to the audience, say that the fact of placing it with those held
-in your hand (the prepared pack) will change them all into tens of
-hearts. Taking care that the ten of hearts halves are farthest from
-you when the cards are held faces downwards, as they must be, place
-the card at the bottom, and, after a little nonsense, spread them all
-out fanwise, with the faces towards the audience. Close them again,
-and remove the ten of hearts. Then take up next card, the queen of
-spades, and place that at the bottom, having previously taken care to
-turn the pack round so as to bring the court card halves to the fore.
-Repeat the operation of opening the cards as before, and reclose them,
-discarding the queen. Now take up the ace of clubs and place it at the
-bottom, or anywhere else you please. Give the cards a flourish, so as
-to enable you to turn them completely over, and then open them once
-more, this time displaying the backs to the audience. It is as well
-to have the top card of the prepared pack quite plain at the back, as
-it is not always possible to avoid showing it whilst performing the
-trick. When the aces are shown, this card can be passed to the middle,
-where the absence of an ace on its centre will not be noticed. The
-beauty of this trick is considerably enhanced if the prepared pack be
-palmed, and another ordinary one shown round for examination. When
-this pack is returned to you, you place upon it the hand in which the
-prepared cards are palmed, and, saying, "Now I take a few cards from
-this pack," affect to do so. This at once disarms all suspicion of
-any preparation. There is no necessity for using more than eighteen
-or twenty prepared cards, and that number can easily be palmed with a
-little practice. Some advise changing the packs altogether, but this
-method I cannot recommend, as it entails a deal of extra trouble,
-without a commensurate meed of effect. In "Grand Magic," a method
-for changing packs of cards will be described in its place, and the
-learner can then choose for himself. When well executed, there is no
-prettier trick than the one described above.
-
-_The Travelling Cards._--This is a pretty trick, and one that is
-always much commented upon by spectators who have seen it neatly
-performed. The performer has a couple of cards chosen, which he brings
-to the top of the pack; then, addressing the company, he refers to
-the notion that the sleeve of the coat is employed by conjurors
-for their concealment. He deprecates the attempt, made by many
-performers, to deny the immense aid afforded by this portion of the
-attire, especially for the effective concealment of eggs, pigeons,
-cannon-balls, and other articles equally easy of manipulation (this
-as sarcastically as he pleases), and says he will now proceed to
-demonstrate, conclusively, in what way the sleeve is employed. "So far
-from there being any difficulty, ladies and gentlemen, in concealing
-cards, in the sleeve, for instance, it is a very easy matter to cause
-them to travel up or down with great rapidity, and invisibly. My
-waistcoat, as you see, contains nothing." The performer cannot very
-well unbutton and open his waistcoat before the company, so, to show
-it is empty, he places his hand inside, and performs the action of
-emptying sufficiently vigorously to dislodge anything that might be
-there. He next palms a dozen or more cards from the top of the pack,
-and then, extending the left arm, ruffles the edges of the remaining
-cards. This act, he explains, has had the effect of sending a card
-up his sleeve, and he affects to watch its progress. A jerk of the
-arm is made, the contraction being caused, the performer says, by the
-passage, by the card, of the elbow. Plunging the right hand into the
-vest, the cards palmed are dropped there, one card only, taken from
-the bottom, being slowly extracted. A second card is made to pass in
-the same way, and another indifferent card extracted. The performer
-now asks the choosers of the two cards on the top at what numbers
-they shall pass up the sleeve. This feat is easy of accomplishment,
-as the cards are taken from the bottom until the proper number has
-been reached. When the cards in the vest have been exhausted, more can
-be palmed, and the operation continued until all the pack has been
-employed; but this finish is by no means necessary to the success of
-the trick, which may be considered concluded when the two selected
-cards have been withdrawn, although it is as well to continue passing
-cards until no more are left in the vest.
-
-_The Assembly._--In this trick, four cards are laid separately on the
-table, in a row, and upon each card three more are placed from the
-pack, making four heaps of four cards each. The company themselves
-select one of the four heaps, which is found to consist entirely
-of the four cards that were only just previously laid upon the
-table, apart from each other, the remaining three heaps consisting
-of four different cards each. To accomplish this, the performer
-commences operations by picking out of the pack four cards of any one
-denomination, say, the knaves. This is far better than having four
-different cards selected, as the trick is one of startling effect,
-and four picture cards are better for the purpose, apart from the
-fact that no one in the company is called upon for an effort of
-memory. The performer gives the four knaves to one of the company,
-and seizes an opportunity for palming three cards. He now allows the
-four knaves to be placed upon the top of the pack, which he holds in
-the left hand, supplementing secretly the three palmed cards. He then
-proceeds to deal off the four topmost cards, one by one, placing them
-in a row, divided by a few inches, saying, as he does so, "Here I
-place one knave, here a second, here a third, here a fourth." After
-he has placed the fourth card, which will naturally be the only one
-of the four that is really a knave, upon the table, he pauses for a
-moment or two, and then turning it over remarks, pensively, "Ah! the
-knave of diamonds," or whichever it may be. This is really to let
-the spectators see the only knave there is, in order to convey the
-impression that all the rest are knaves also, they being led to fancy
-the performer looks at the suit of it for the purposes of the trick.
-The remaining three knaves are now, of course, on the top of the pack,
-the three palmed cards and one knave having been removed from above
-them. It is open to the performer to place these three at once on the
-top of the fourth knave, and this is generally done, but I do not at
-all advise it. Invariably make a pass at this point, so as to bring
-the three knaves to the centre of the pack, keeping the place where
-they are well defined by a finger, or by a break in the pack. I then
-place the three cards now on the top upon one of the three ordinary
-cards, emphasising the fact that they come from the top. I then open
-the pack a little lower down, and taking three cards from there, place
-them upon another ordinary card. The middle of the pack, where the
-three knaves are, is now reached unsuspiciously enough, and they are,
-of course, placed upon the fourth knave. Three more ordinary cards,
-from still deeper down in the pack, are placed upon the remaining
-ordinary card, as much deliberation being paid to this last card
-as to any other, or the conjuror's manner may reveal that he has
-accomplished what he wanted, however unknown its precise nature may
-be. The selection of a heap then proceeds precisely as described in
-_The Lady's Own Trick_, first two, and then one being removed. The
-four knaves are then shown together in the supposed selected heap.
-
-A second method depends upon the neat execution of the pass, and is
-to be commended because, each time three cards are placed upon one of
-the four lying upon the table, they are first shown to be ordinary
-mixed cards, and not knaves. Three cards are palmed, and placed upon
-top of the four knaves, as in the first method, and the three ordinary
-cards and one knave are placed in a row, as before. Three mixed cards
-are then taken from any part of the pack, their faces shown casually,
-and they are then put upon an ordinary card. This is gone through
-three times, the knave being left till the last. As if by mistake, the
-performer places the three cards, which he has shown to be mixed ones,
-upon the cards in his left hand, instead of upon the knave on the
-table. At this instant the three are passed to the bottom, the right
-thumb at once taking off the three knaves, as though they were the
-cards just placed there by mistake. On no account must the performer
-make any apology; he need merely say, "Oh! that's wrong; they must
-go here," and place the cards upon the knave. One must be perfect in
-making the pass before attempting this method; but it is very easy
-indeed to pass so few cards as three from top to bottom.
-
-A third method is also accomplished by means of the pass, and is
-preferred by many conjurors. The four cards are shown, and, as they
-are being put upon the pack, the little finger is passed between the
-third and fourth, three cards thus being above it. The insertion of
-the little finger is in all cases greatly facilitated if the cards are
-spread a little, fanwise, at the moment of placing them on the pack.
-The three topmost cards (knaves) are immediately passed to the bottom,
-leaving one knave on the top, and the little finger kept between them
-and the rest of the pack. This card is then placed upon the table, its
-face being accidentally (?) shown to the spectators, and three others
-(ordinary cards) successively laid beside it. Three ordinary cards,
-always taken from the top, are then placed upon each of the ordinary
-ones lying singly upon the table, the audience seeing their faces each
-time, and then the pass is made, bringing the three knaves from the
-bottom back again to the top. These three cards are then placed upon
-the other knave, which brings about the desired state of affairs. As
-these three knaves cannot be shown to be ordinary cards, as was each
-preceding set of three cards, I here recommend the conjuror to make
-use of a little ruse of mine. It is to take off from the pack four,
-instead of three, cards, the three knaves thus having an ordinary card
-beneath them. Holding the edges even, so that only the lowest card
-can be seen, the performer says, "Now I once more take three cards,
-and"--here he turns them over, and, spreading them slightly, discovers
-four cards, so he continues, "Oh! I see, I have taken one card too
-many." He then removes the underneath card, and places the remaining
-three upon the knave. To show the faces of three out of four heaps of
-cards and not those of a fourth, causes suspicion to be thrown upon
-the latter. By adopting the ruse described, this is ostensibly done;
-at any rate, sufficiently so to satisfy the spectators, which is all
-that is desired.
-
-A fourth method is bolder still, and calls for a masterly execution
-of the change. Matters progress precisely as in the second method,
-except that the three knaves are always slightly pushed off the top of
-the pack, ready to be exchanged at any moment. It is just as easy to
-change three cards as one by the method illustrated at Fig. 36. The
-fourth time is perhaps again the most favourable for the substitution,
-as the performer may cover the action of changing by handing the pack
-to be held. Holding the pack, with the knaves on the top, in the left
-hand, and the three ordinary cards in the right, he should turn round
-suddenly to someone on his extreme left, and somewhat behind him, when
-every opportunity will be afforded for executing the sleight. Or the
-act may be gone through by giving the last three cards to someone on
-the performer's left to place upon the remaining uncovered knave, when
-the same facility for an exchange will be afforded.
-
-Yet a fifth method remains, which is a very fine one indeed, if the
-performer should happen to be an adept at changing. To attempt this
-method, he must be absolutely perfect in this sleight. The four knaves
-are first thrown down upon the table, faces upwards. One is then taken
-in the right hand, and three cards put upon it from the top of the
-pack, held in the left hand. That is what the performer appears to do,
-but, in reality, as he approaches the pack with the knave, the change
-is effected, the knave being thereby placed at the bottom of the pack.
-As he executes the change, the performer says, "I will now take three
-more cards from the pack," and, under cover of the quite natural
-action of bringing the knave into proximity to the pack, the change,
-if only adroitly executed, will pass unnoticed. The three cards
-required are drawn off by means of the right thumb, and the heap of
-four placed at a corner of the table. A second knave is similarly
-treated, followed by a third. Three knaves are now at the bottom of
-the pack. The performer may now either make the pass, bringing the
-three knaves to the top, and then place them upon the fourth, or else
-he may say that he will take three cards from the bottom of the pack,
-to show that it is immaterial to him from whence they come. As the
-feat of changing three times in succession is materially assisted by
-some freedom of movement, it is as well to place the four heaps at
-the corners of the table, wide apart, the performer being thereby
-compelled, in the eyes of the company, to move about a good deal. The
-one great feature connected with this method is, that the four knaves
-are shown faces upwards, until the very moment of their being placed
-in a heap. In each of the last three methods, the selection of the
-knave heap proceeds as described in the first method.
-
-The five methods described give the conjuror his choice according to
-his greater facility with the pass, the palm, or the change; and he
-will also find that they are capable of far wider application, in
-connection with other card tricks.
-
-_Thought-reading._--Give the pack into the hands of a spectator,
-and allow one card to be secretly chosen. Replaced in the pack, it
-is passed to the top (or bottom), and a furtive glance taken at it,
-the palm being employed, if necessary. Let three cards be chosen in
-this manner, a fourth being forced, consequently previously known.
-The object of this diversion is in order that the last card selected
-may be placed in the pack by the chooser, and the cards immediately
-shuffled, which will distract attention from the fact that this was
-not done in the other cases, which, however, could be done after the
-performer had glanced at the card, if necessary, which it is not, as
-it draws out any trick too long to have the cards frequently shuffled.
-The performer must be careful to remember the cards, and by whom
-drawn. Taking the pack in his hand, he presents one end of it to a
-card drawer, explaining that he is about to give an exposition of
-thought-reading. Although there is no reason for failing, it is as
-well not to make this announcement any earlier, in case of anything
-going not quite rightly. The performer makes a great fuss about the
-necessity for looking full in the eyes of the person drawing the card,
-and pretends to arrive at the designation of the card by slow degrees,
-saying to himself, but audibly enough to be heard, for instance, "A
-red card--hearts--one, two, three, four, five, six, seven spots;" and
-then, loudly, "The seven of hearts." Every incidental occurrence in
-the behaviour of the persons whose thoughts are being read must be
-taken advantage of; a want of alacrity in obeying instructions, for
-example, tending to make the reading more difficult, the subject being
-even left for the time being, and returned to after other cards have
-been revealed. This trick has the advantage of bearing considerable
-repetition.
-
-A second method is as follows: The performer holds the cards in one
-hand, and presents them to a spectator to cut, with the injunction
-that the underneath card of the cut shall be removed, looked at, and
-remembered. It is immaterial how many cards are thus chosen. As they
-are selected they are replaced in the pack by the person choosing, the
-performer turning his head away, if necessary, whilst this is being
-done; or they may be put back together, and the pack shuffled by the
-company. Simply by placing one end of the pack in the chooser's hand,
-whilst holding the other end himself, the performer is enabled to
-name the cards as before. This phase of the trick is accomplished by
-means of a "cut force." Glancing at the bottom card, the performer
-makes the pass, keeping the two packets apart by means of the little
-finger. The card which the performer has seen is now at the bottom of
-the upper half, and the pack is presented for cutting. As the four
-fingers are along one side of the pack, and the thumb along the other,
-the cut must be made lengthwise; and, as the little finger keeps
-the pack open at the back, it must be made there. The person cutting
-will notice nothing. Whilst the card is being examined, the performer
-glances at the fresh bottom card, and, when the upper half of the
-pack is returned to him, once more makes the pass, and presents the
-cards to another person to be cut. Four cards are quite sufficient
-for the effect; but, if the performer can remember others, he is
-quite at liberty to increase the number. The finish of the trick
-will depend upon the performer's ability to simulate the possession
-of thought-reading powers. If he has been showing any card tricks
-previously, with success, he may commence this one by saying, "I have
-an idea that many here fancy I have a method for forcing certain
-cards upon persons, such cards being previously known to me. Now, in
-order to render such a proceeding quite impossible, I will ask this
-gentleman to shuffle the cards thoroughly, so that I cannot know the
-position of any one of them, and then have the cards cut haphazard."
-This explains why the cut is used, and at once makes the trick appear
-stupendously difficult.
-
-The "cut force" here described may be successfully employed for the
-purpose of reproducing cards that have been previously chosen, thought
-of, &c.; one of the company being made to cut the pack at the very
-spot where that card is situated, after shuffling, &c.
-
-If the company appears still sceptical about the powers of mind
-claimed by the performer, he may give a final convincing proof.
-Placing the pack entirely in the hands of the company, he desires them
-to select two or three cards. These cards are gathered by a spectator,
-and given to another to hold, and afterwards placed by him in the
-pack. The performer then presents his hand to each chooser, and reads
-the cards as before. Unless the performer can execute the change with
-certainty, he must not attempt this method, or ruinous exposure may
-await him. About the first portion of the trick all is fair and above
-board, the company selecting the cards as they please. The performer,
-taking the pack in his left hand, then says, "Now, in order that I
-may not get a sight of the cards, will some gentleman kindly gather
-them in his hand?" Whilst this is being done, the performer must
-watch narrowly whose card is placed first, whose second, &c. Taking
-the three cards from the hand of the collector, the performer turns
-to a spectator on his left, requesting him to hold them between his
-hands. As he turns, he makes the change, the three chosen cards being
-left at the bottom, and three indifferent ones removed from the top,
-and given to be held. Great caution is necessary to keep the cards
-well covered by the upper hand, so that the performer shall not see
-them--his actual anxiety, of course, being lest any one else should
-do so. By this time he has glanced at the bottom card, and, making
-the single card slip pass, sees the next also, and the third soon
-afterwards. Affecting to see mistrust in the faces of the company, the
-performer says that perhaps it would, after all, be better to have the
-three cards in the pack. For this purpose the pack is handed to the
-person holding the three cards, who is directed to shuffle them with
-the rest. The trick then proceeds as before. If the change is properly
-executed, the effect of this trick is extraordinary, because the three
-cards have, apparently, always been in full view of everyone; and even
-if the performer had accidentally seen the face of the lowest one, the
-others have certainly never been visible to him.
-
-_A Game at Napoleon._--The performer forces five cards in succession,
-as quickly as he can, and remembering the whole five. Practice in the
-preceding trick will enable him to accomplish this, at first, rather
-difficult task, in public, it being simple enough to remember five
-cards when one has nothing else on hand at the same time. It is best
-to force all five cards on one person, who retains them. If forced
-upon different people, they must be afterwards collected in one hand.
-Giving the pack to another of the company, the performer asks for any
-five cards to be given him. This done, he tells the holder of the
-forced cards that he is about to play a game at "Napoleon" with him.
-For the sake of effect, he may allow one half of the company to see
-his hand, the other half looking over the hand of his opponent. In
-this way, universal interest is excited. Should the opponent have a
-poor hand, the performer may give him the choice of saying how many
-tricks he will declare. Should the opponent have at all good cards,
-however, then the performer must say, "I declare first." What he
-declares will, of course, depend upon the cards; but, in nearly every
-case, he can go "Napoleon," one condition of the trick being, as he
-will explain just before playing the hand, that the opponent must
-play the cards as called for by the performer, who, of course, must
-not make his antagonist revoke. With this proviso, it is wonderful
-how often it is possible, even with the least promising cards, to win
-all five tricks; the cases in which four only are possible being very
-rare. A couple of sample hands will be instructive.
-
-FIRST HAND.--The opponent's cards are:
-
-[Ad] [10d] [Kh] [Jc] [7s]
-
-The performer's being:
-
-[Jd] [2d] [10s] [4s] [3h]
-
-He declares "Napoleon," and the hand is played as follows:
-
-1. Performer plays [10s] and calls for [7s]
-
-2.    Do.          [4s]       Do.      [Kh]
-
-3.    Do.          [3h]       Do.      [Ad]
-
-4. Performer plays [Jd] and calls for [10d]
-
-5.    Do.          [2d]       Do.      [Jc]
-
-Had the performer's highest diamond been less than the opponent's ten,
-then only four tricks would have been possible.
-
-SECOND HAND.--The opponent's cards are:
-
-[Kc] [9c] [Qh] [Ad] [8s]
-
-The performer's being:
-
-[10c] [5c] [7h] [2h] [5d]
-
-He declares "four," and the hand is played as follows:
-
-1. Performer plays     [7h] and calls for [Qh]
-
-2. Performer calls for [9c] and plays    [10c]
-
-3. Performer plays     [2h] and calls for [Ad]
-
-4.       Do.           [5d]     Do.       [Kc]
-
-5.       Do.           [5c]     Do.       [8s]
-
-Should the opponent, by any chance, hold an overwhelmingly superior
-hand, such as, for instance, five high cards of one or two suits,
-and the performer low cards of the same suit or suits, the latter
-must say, as soon as he realises the state of affairs, "Ah! I see,
-I haven't the ghost of a chance against you with this hand; have
-I?" at the same time throwing down his cards, faces upwards, and
-demanding a fresh hand. Of course, the astonishing part of the trick
-to the spectators is the fact of the performer being able to call the
-opponent's hand, card for card, and no one cavils at the absurdity of
-permitting him to do so utterly regardless of the general rules of the
-game.
-
-The performer can, of course, make sure of winning the whole five
-tricks every time, if he prearranges to give a poor hand to his
-opponent; but a great deal of the fun lies in the fact of good cards
-falling to insignificant ones. If the performer arranges to have
-five fairly good cards, three of them of one suit, with a big one
-at their head, on the top of the pack, it may be as well, as, when
-he asks for five cards, they are sure to be given him from that
-position ninety-nine times in a hundred. Should the five cards drawn
-prove, by accident, the masters of them, then, of course, shuffle the
-pack before asking for a hand from it. Personally, I like as little
-prearrangement as possible about the trick.
-
-_The Lightning Change._--This is an effective trick of my own, and
-the outcome of practice at the single-handed pass shown at Figs. 31
-and 32. The performer has several cards selected haphazard. How many
-is not material, but four or five will be sufficient. These he has
-placed in the pack in the ordinary way, and brought to the bottom;
-an extra card, not one of those chosen, being added last of all. The
-order in which the cards were replaced in the pack should be noted.
-The performer stands sideways to the audience, with the left arm
-extended, the pack being held in that hand perpendicularly, and not
-horizontally--the faces of the cards, and not the backs, visible. The
-thumb should lie well across the centre of the undermost card, and
-the performer should ascertain by feel that he has it in his grip
-before continuing the trick. The card that is exposed to view is the
-added one, and it conceals the first card gathered in of the chosen
-ones, which is naturally the undermost. The chooser of this card is
-requested to name it, when the performer informs the company that,
-if they watch closely enough, they will see the one card change into
-the other. Anyhow, if they are unable to see it, they will infallibly
-hear it. As this pass cannot be made noiselessly, the latter is a
-very necessary remark to make. The change is not effected with the
-hand held stationary--no pass ever is--a rapid movement, some six
-inches in extent, and somewhat circular, being made towards the body
-and back again. It is only a fraction of a second in duration, but by
-the time it is completed the pass must be accomplished. Each card is
-made to appear in turn, the performer taking care not to attempt the
-pass until he feels the card well gripped by the root of the thumb;
-otherwise, a fiasco may easily result. The pass may also be effected
-whilst turning the pack face downwards and back again very rapidly,
-but I do not find this method quite as good as the partially circular
-movement towards the body, the cards sometimes flying out of the
-fingers in a body, which is destructive to the success of the trick,
-and highly disconcerting to the performer. The feat is ostensibly
-exhibited as one of skill, and, when properly executed, invariably
-affords astonishment; for, although the company are apprised of the
-actual moment at which the cards change, and even hear the movement,
-they can see nothing of what takes place.
-
-This concludes the series of card tricks, and also the first part,
-Drawing-room Conjuring. I have not pretended to describe--and,
-indeed, the feat would be quite impossible--every trick capable of
-being performed with the various articles mentioned. Every conjuror
-who is what is popularly, if somewhat bluntly, termed "worth his
-salt," will find out little dodges and variations in the course of
-practice and exhibition; and I would advise no one who discovers a
-method for arriving at any given result which comes to him easier
-than any described by me, to follow my instructions in preference to
-his own ideas. This advice more particularly applies to card tricks.
-Conjuring, it must be borne in mind, is not like cricket, or rowing,
-or shooting, or anything else; there is no _legitimate_ means of
-arriving at anything through its medium. The wished-for result must be
-produced by fair means or by foul.
-
-Many tricks included in the first portion may be successfully
-introduced on the stage. This is essentially the case with the more
-showy card tricks.
-
-
-FOOTNOTES:
-
-[Footnote A: Since this was written, a great change has come over the
-fashion connected with playing-cards, the large, heavy card giving
-way rapidly to a smaller and more flexible article, the American
-round-cornered cards occupying a prominent place.]
-
-[Footnote B: Some conjurors (myself included) use the third finger,
-but the little finger is the better one to employ, as it is more
-removed from observation. It is more difficult at the commencement,
-the digit being so weak; but the better execution it ensures repays
-the extra trouble.]
-
-
-
-
-PART II.--GRAND, OR STAGE MAGIC.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER IX.
-
-GENERAL REMARKS.
-
-     PREPARATION--WHERE, AND TO WHOM, TO GIVE ARTICLES TO BE
-     HELD--ON THE PUNISHMENT OF MEDDLERS--ON THE REPETITION OF
-     TRICKS--REHEARSING--"PATTER"--ADDRESS--IMPERTINENCE AND
-     AUDACITY--ON PLAYING THE BUFFOON.
-
-
-The learner has now arrived at that point where he will quit the
-humble drawing-room, understood in its ordinary sense, and essay to
-grander flights on the stage. It is true that this stage may, after
-all, consist only of the back drawing-room, the front one serving
-as the auditorium; but, in a conjuring sense, it is a drawing-room
-no longer. It is the exclusive domain of the performer, in which
-he will work his spells of enchantment unmolested by busybodies
-indulged in too close a view. In this exclusiveness consists the
-main difference between the two branches of conjuring. In what may
-be aptly termed impromptu conjuring, the performer is greatly at the
-mercy of his audience, who may at any moment, if so disposed, seize
-upon him and wring from him his secrets. He is beset with difficulties
-on all sides, and must exhibit a total invulnerability. In stage
-performances, he has matters much more his own way. To a great extent,
-he can control circumstances, to which he is constantly liable to
-fall a victim when exhibiting in a humble way. He can so arrange
-matters that one effect follows another in a most natural manner--a
-state of affairs which it is almost impossible to bring about under
-any other system of arrangement. So far stage conjuring possesses its
-advantages; but, unless the conjuror has gone through a course of
-training such as has been set before him in the preceding chapters, he
-would be quite unable to avail himself of them. The performer, with
-a limited amount of skill in execution, could never succeed in true
-legerdemain on the stage, where it is far more difficult--in most
-cases impossible--to cover a mistake or clumsy movement. Everything
-must be reduced to an absolute certainty. To ensure this, the learner
-must engraft on his mind the single but important word "preparation."
-Effective preparation is the great secret of success in stage
-conjuring of any magnitude: without it, things are tolerably certain
-to result in what is expressively termed a "bungle." The reader will
-discover, as I progress, what is meant by "preparation" quite speedily
-enough, so I will not now enlarge on what will sometimes prove a
-somewhat tedious operation. I once asked a well-known conjuror how
-he liked conjuring for its own sake. "As far as conjuring itself
-goes," he said, "I could perform all night; but what settles me is the
-everlasting preparation." I must say, that my ideas on the point are
-marvellously like his.
-
-There are many axioms which belong equally to either branch of
-conjuring, and which it is well for the learner to bear in mind at the
-outset. By getting into the way of acting up to them from the first,
-they soon cease to be irksome, and so assist, instead of detain, when
-anything important is being undertaken. One important thing is to be
-careful to give borrowed articles to be held, when it is required to
-do so, in a part of the room as far removed from the owners of them
-as possible. This rule need not be observed when the article is not
-to be changed; but it is so seldom that this is the case, that the
-possibility of its occurring is hardly worth while considering. It can
-never do any harm to remove an article which is not to be changed far
-from its owner; but a great deal of harm may be done by substituting
-one article for another in such proximity to its lawful possessor
-that that individual is able to discover the fraud. If this care be
-not taken, the most perfect dexterity will be thrown away. In a large
-room, full of strangers, one can perpetrate the most barefaced deeds,
-such as giving a substituted ring, which is in every respect totally
-unlike the original borrowed one, to be held openly in the fingers.
-Neither the holder nor the owner of the ring will know that the
-article is not the one which was borrowed.
-
-Where possible, always give articles, when they are not too ponderous
-or awkward, into the custody of members of the weaker sex. Ladies, as
-a rule, have much less self-possession than men during performances,
-and, besides, are naturally anxious (and not without some success) to
-do everything that is asked of them in the most graceful and effective
-manner possible. These causes conduce to the result which the
-performer so much desires, viz., an absence of that inquisitiveness
-which ultimately leads to a private and premature examination of the
-article in custody. This axiom applies only when an article is to be
-held passively. Under no circumstances must the performer cause a
-lady to rise from her seat; rather let the trick be shorn of some of
-its effect. When the assistance of one of the audience is required,
-select an intelligent-looking man, who will not be likely, from either
-incompetency or malice, to act exactly contrarily to your directions.
-Unfortunately, a large number of block-heads and malicious persons,
-with intelligent and winning expressions of countenance, do exist.
-On meeting with either individual in a dangerous shape, make him
-look ridiculous by giving him something big and cumbersome to hold
-above the head, in a conspicuous position (such as when standing on
-a chair), and let him remain there during the whole of the trick, or
-even longer, if he will put up with it, selecting someone else to
-render you the assistance you require. Be careful not to allow it to
-be palpably seen that you are hoaxing the person, or offence may be
-given to more than one: and conjurors must always strive to keep their
-audiences in the best possible humour.
-
-Never perform a trick twice. If the performer is weak enough to give
-way on this point, he must expect to have the secrets of half of his
-tricks the common property of his audience in a very short time. Such
-interludes as swallowing an egg, orange, &c., and finding it at the
-elbow, point of the toe, or other unexpected place, one may repeat
-with tolerable frequency, although it is as well to vary the precise
-method a little each time. The reason such feats are comparatively
-safe to repeat is, that they come unexpectedly. If people knew that it
-was intended to vanish any particular article, they would keep a sharp
-look-out, and endeavour to discover what really became of it; but, as
-the performer is particularly careful not to warn his audience of what
-is about to be done, the movement is executed before anyone has had
-time to think. I wish to lay particular stress on the suicidal policy
-of performing the same trick twice during the same evening, as I know
-it is a weakness to which young beginners are much addicted.
-
-Conjurors must never fail; that is to say, they must never allow the
-audience to see that they have failed in arriving at any desired
-result. The surest method of avoiding this is to practise and rehearse
-everything, down to the minutest detail, in private, so as to be
-able to present it in its perfect form to the audience. The beginner
-feels a little awkward and stupid in rehearsing at first, but when he
-discovers, as he soon will, the necessity for it, he will soon become
-used to it. The great thing is to begin well, and this is best done if
-two persons commence studying together, in which case one will act as
-a critic to the other. My plan--and I recommend everyone else to adopt
-it--during the first six months, was to write down everything I had
-to do or say, accompanied by the most minute stage directions. Each
-hand and foot had its proper position at a given moment. Book in hand,
-my fellow-student would take up his position as audience, and keep me
-rigidly to my stage directions, besides giving such hints as seemed
-to him to be necessary. At first, this kind of thing feels somewhat
-irksome, but the good results derived will soon make themselves
-manifest, and compensate for all trouble. I have frequently spent
-a whole evening in getting perfect in a single trick, which would
-perhaps be rehearsed ten or twelve times. The properties of each trick
-should be written on a separate card.
-
-One thing of paramount importance is the talk to be used with
-each trick. At the outset, this should invariably be written out
-beforehand, and committed to memory, if not word for word, very
-nearly so. By this means, one is best able to avoid a repetition of
-any well-marked points, which would pall upon the audience, and cause
-them to fancy the performer before them to be a man of limited ideas.
-At the same time, great care must be taken to avoid making anything
-approaching a speech, which is even worse than saying nothing at all.
-People come to conjuring entertainments expecting to see sleight of
-hand performed, and not to listen to speeches, however beautiful
-they may be in themselves. What is wanted is something to accompany
-the trick, just as a pianoforte-player accompanies a singer. If this
-simile be borne in mind, the learner will not go far wrong. The
-only occasions on which nothing should be said are when some feats
-of dexterity--corresponding to the runs and scales of the expert
-vocalist--are being performed: a verbal accompaniment would only spoil
-them. On the other hand, a very poor trick can be made a good deal of
-by the introduction of a few lively sallies, mingled with allusions
-to topics of the day, which will be made to appear to bear upon the
-matter in hand. I shall give but very few examples in my descriptions
-of tricks, for I think that a conjuror should be, before everything
-else, original; and this he would not be if he only repeated what
-other people had to say. I hope the reader is impressed with the
-absolute necessity of being as well up in "patter" as in sleight of
-hand.
-
-Address in execution is another thing which cannot be too attentively
-studied. It is not enough that an orange is successfully vanished;
-the operation should be performed with all possible grace. This will
-naturally be impossible if the performer is not well up in his trick;
-but this he must not fail to be. The learner must study to acquire a
-manner that is neither hurried nor slow. Some tricks it is necessary
-to do with extra dash and rapidity; but the extra speed will never
-require to be sustained. As a general rule, audiences prefer a suave
-and easy style--one which appears free from the slightest exertion.
-Being in a hurry is the way to forget many little but telling points;
-whilst being too slow is the way to weary the audience. The worst
-possible style to adopt is that which impresses the audience with
-the idea that conjuring is nothing but a mere cheat--a swindle--from
-beginning to end. This impression is given when the performer wishes
-to appear extra sharp, and endeavours (to use a common idiom) to
-thrust everything down people's throats, whether they will or not.
-Always endeavour to impress spectators that they are being deceived by
-skilful manipulation, and not "bamboozled" by talk.
-
-Be careful not to substitute impertinence for impudence. Too many
-beginners err in this respect. They mistake the precise nature of
-the impudence required by the conjuror. A better name for it would
-be audacity. To be successful out of the ordinary way, the conjuror
-must be audacious and venturesome now and again, although it is as
-well not to tempt Fortune too much or too often: the jade may fail at
-an awkward pinch. The warning not to play with edged tools should be
-taken to heart by the conjuror.
-
-On no account play the buffoon, as I have seen conjurors do before
-now. When a laugh is raised, it should be with, and not at, the
-performer. Also, on raising a laugh at anyone's expense, let it be
-done in a polite and inoffensive manner, unless, of course, it be a
-punishment for previous misbehaviour.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER X.
-
-THE TABLE AND DRESS.
-
-     THE TABLE: ITS HEIGHT--THE BODY--THE SHELF--THE
-     LEGS--VANISHING AND CHANGING TRAPS--ON USELESS MECHANICAL
-     ARRANGEMENTS--SIDE TABLES--HOW TO PASS ARTICLES DOWN TRAPS:
-     VARIOUS METHODS--THE DRESS: POCKETS--THE VEST--HOW TO
-     COMMENCE--INTRODUCTORY TRICKS.
-
-Of very important assistance in Grand Conjuring are the specially
-prepared tables, of which one, two, or three will be used, according
-to the size of the room. These tables differ from ordinary ones, in
-the first place, by being considerably higher, their height being from
-2ft. 10in. to 3ft. This is to render it unnecessary for the performer
-to stoop when taking anything from or placing anything upon the table,
-as the action would take away a great deal from an effective execution
-of many things. The next important difference (unknown, however, to
-the audience) is that the body of the table is a hollow box, of which
-that side which is unseen by the spectators is perfectly open, and
-is furthermore provided with a protruding shelf, technically called
-the _servante_. This shelf is one of the conjuror's most invaluable
-assistants. It is always at hand to receive any article which it is
-desirable to get rid of, and is a patient holder of others which it
-may be required, at a particular moment, to produce from an invisible
-source, but which are too large to be concealed about the person. This
-shelf should be about 5in. or 6in. broad, and should have the ends
-either rounded or cut off obliquely. If this is not done, the shelf
-will be noticed by persons standing or seated at the extreme sides
-of the auditorium. The edge should be furnished with a small raised
-beading, to prevent articles from falling off. The depth of the body
-of the table should not exceed 6in., or it will excite suspicion and
-remark. If the shelf is fitted to the body of the table by means of
-hinges, it will be found a great convenience. It will never become
-mislaid or knocked about, and so be either missing or useless when
-most required; and it also enables one to use the body of the table as
-a means for conveying the bulk of the conjuring apparatus. The legs
-should be made to screw on and off, so as to increase the portability
-of the whole; but see that the worm of the screw is long and deep, or
-the table will be unsteady.
-
-But, if the back of the table is mysterious, the top of it is still
-more so. For the speedy, easy, and complete vanishing of objects,
-particularly solids, it has been found convenient to fit the tops
-of tables with spring traps, which, yielding to certain pressure,
-resume their position when it is removed. Judiciously used, these
-traps are very useful, and the results attained by their use are
-most bewildering. In a table 36in. by 18in. (a very convenient size)
-there should be a round trap, 3-1/2in. to 4in. in diameter, in each
-front corner, and an oblong trap, 9in. by 5in., in the centre. These
-traps are made of zinc; but I would recommend no one to attempt
-manufacturing them at home whilst they can be purchased so reasonably
-at conjuring trick repositories. I would certainly recommend having
-the table itself made, under personal supervision, by a carpenter,
-who will let the traps into the top of the table. The ordinary
-price for a 4in. trap is about 7s. 6d. There are many elaborate
-mechanical traps devised for changing articles, but I have never
-found them of much assistance in the hands of amateurs, so cannot
-conscientiously recommend them. There are also several methods for
-arranging piston rods, which work up and down by means of a string
-drawn by a confederate at the side or rear, or by electricity. But
-such assistance is so seldom required by the amateur conjuror, that
-I cannot recommend him to encumber his table with more than three
-traps. Everything beyond this he will find an unnecessary expense.
-The amateur will also find that his sphere will be continually
-changed, one day performing at this friend's house and the next day at
-another's. Hence he will be unable to produce the results which are
-attainable only by those who, like professional conjurors, have sole
-dominion over their stage and its surroundings at all times. As these
-chapters are written solely for the edification of amateurs, and not
-for the purpose of training up professionals, I shall not launch out
-into descriptions of things impossible to the great majority.
-
-When the size of the room permits of it, the performer should have,
-besides his oblong table in the centre, one or two small round tables
-at the sides. These tables should be of the same height as the large
-one, but only about 18in. in diameter. They should be provided with
-one round trap and a small _servante_. The border should have a deep
-fringe. The tops of all three tables should be covered with a check
-pattern, in order to hide the lines of the traps. On a perfectly plain
-surface these might be noticed. Do not forget to provide the smaller
-traps with bags to receive the articles passed through. An egg would
-make an unseemly mess inside the table, whilst an orange or a lemon
-would descend with a thud sufficiently loud to reveal to the audience
-what had taken place. The centre trap, being used almost exclusively
-for vanishing live stock, need not be furnished with a bag.
-
-Whilst on the subject of traps, I will describe the method for
-passing articles through them. Supposing an orange has to be made to
-disappear. After showing that it is a real orange and perfectly solid,
-&c., place it upon the trap, the spring of which must, of course, be
-strong enough to bear the weight without giving in the least. Turn
-up your sleeves very deliberately, and then place the hands around
-the orange as if about to take it up in them. Screened by the front
-hand, the rear one presses the trap down quickly, and the orange
-falls through, the hands being brought together as though holding
-it. Advance towards the audience a step or two and commence rubbing
-the hands together, gradually making the circumference of the hollow
-smaller and smaller until the orange appears to have been rubbed away.
-The action of vanishing the article must be assiduously practised,
-for the hands must not dwell perceptibly on the table, but appear to
-actually take up whatever they are supposed to. When pretending to
-rub it away, the eyes must be directed attentively to the hands as if
-interested in the experiment. When passing one article into another,
-as an egg into a lemon, place the lemon just in front of the trap,
-and, holding the egg in the rear hand, pass it down the trap under
-cover of the front hand, which will at the moment be just closing upon
-the lemon. The two hands then take the lemon, and, after rubbing it
-about a little, show it _minus_ the egg, which you will say is inside.
-In the drawing-room, without the table, the same results would have
-to be arrived at by means of "vesting." The present instance affords
-an excellent illustration of my remark that drawing-room conjuring is
-more difficult than grand conjuring.
-
-Another method for vanishing articles through traps is to fix a cord
-to the under side of the trap, and, by means of a tiny pulley and
-staples, bring it to a hole in the end of the table, on the outside of
-which a knot is tied. The article can be then placed upon the trap and
-covered with a hat, &c., and made to disappear by pulling the cord. It
-is better to have the cord belonging to the right-hand trap coming out
-at the left-hand side, and _vice-versâ_; otherwise the audience would
-be likely to notice the action of the hand pulling the cord, from its
-close proximity to the hat. By standing at that end of the table
-which is opposite to the hat, the performer can turn sideways, and
-point with his wand to the hat or tap it, when the action of pulling
-the string will be concealed by his body. In covering any article with
-a hat, be careful that the front or back part of it is towards the
-audience. The arch formed by the side brim of the hat of the present
-day enables one to see anything placed underneath it, and it must be
-admitted that it would be rather awkward if any of the audience saw
-the article suddenly drop into the body of the table. The uses of the
-large trap will be dilated upon at another time and place.
-
-The uses of the _servante_ being to hold things as occasion requires,
-they will make themselves manifest in due course.
-
-_Dress._--The conjuror's dress will command a great deal of
-consideration, the disposition and capacity of the pockets being of
-considerable importance. I will first take the coat, which will, of
-course, be a dress one. The whole of the inside of each breast of
-this should be one huge pocket, the opening of which is perpendicular
-instead of horizontal, and about two inches from the edges, so as to
-just escape observation. This enables large objects to be concealed,
-and yet easily got at. The tail pockets are not used in performing,
-so can be either entirely absent or else made in the usual way. One
-tail, however, should have a large pocket about five inches deep at
-the bottom, and right across its width. This pocket should be made
-very loose so as to be always open to a slight extent, for it will
-often have articles dropped into it at all sorts of odd times. Some
-conjurors have copper wire in the edge to keep it open when required.
-
-The vest is extremely important. It should be split right up the back
-and then re-joined by three bands of broad elastic. This is to enable
-one to put large articles in the breast without causing any unusual
-wrinkles or bulging. For vesting purposes, some have a strip of thin
-leather, about two inches broad, sewn round the bottom, inside, but I
-do not find this sufficiently safe. I usually have some fine elastic
-run in the hem by means of a bodkin. It should be tight enough to
-hold an egg (a heavy, slippery thing, and awkward when dropped)
-securely; but it must not pull the vest out of shape. The only extra
-pockets required in the trousers are one at each hip, covered by the
-tails of the coat. They should be about three inches long by one and
-a half in depth, and constructed so as to be always partly open. They
-are very handy for receiving such articles as coins, little balls,
-rings, pocket-knives, &c., which it is desirable that the audience
-should not see. Little pockets, of a similar nature, are sometimes
-used behind the lappel of the coat; but those in the trousers are
-far superior, as they are got at by the perfectly natural action of
-dropping the arm. The inside turn-up of the sleeve of the coat I have
-also seen similarly employed, but have not noticed any particular
-advantage to be derived therefrom.
-
-Starting now with his prepared tables and mysterious suit, and armed
-with a fair amount of manipulative skill, the learner ought to be able
-to bid defiance to the world, and to boldly attempt anything within
-his particular scope or province that he has seen anyone else do.
-
-Before commencing, always say a few words, to the effect that you are
-there to conjure, and not to make speeches; so you will not detain
-the audience with a history of conjuring from the year 1, but proceed
-to show them what can be done in the present year. In family circles,
-more talking should be done than in public places, where an impressive
-style should be cultivated.
-
-_Introductory Tricks._--Besides, by means of the few words the
-performer addresses the company before commencing, it is quite in
-order that he should introduce himself to the spectators magically;
-that is to say, give them at once some little evidence of his skill,
-without any formality of explanation. A well-used trick for this
-purpose is that of causing a flower to appear instantaneously at
-the button-hole. Just as the performer is about to step forward, he
-perceives that he has forgotten his flower, but explains that the
-omission is very soon rectified, as he notices a bouquet in the hands
-of a lady, or some flowers in a coiffure, or about a costume. Asking
-permission, and taking it at once, the wand is waved in the direction
-of the visible flowers, and the button-hole then touched with it, when
-instantly a flower appears. The flower is an imitation one, and is
-attached to a piece of elastic, which passes through the button-hole,
-and inside through the one next below, so that it may be fastened to
-a vest button, or elsewhere. When the performer comes on, the flower
-is concealed under the left armpit; so that, when the button-hole
-is touched with the wand, all that is necessary is to raise the arm
-slightly, when the flower, being released, flies instantly into
-position.
-
-Another common, but very effective, practice is to come on the stage
-with the gloves on. As they are taken off the hands, they melt away,
-apparently, for nothing more is ever seen of them. Elastic is again
-at the bottom of this, one end passing round the wrist of the glove,
-whilst the other is fastened round the biceps of the arm, or attached
-to the brace. The glove is removed, care being taken not to let it
-slip too soon, and, when held between the two palms, is allowed to
-go, when it flies, unperceived, up the sleeve. The performer must not
-dwell at all upon the fact that he is doing anything magical, but act
-as though his gloves were merely performing their usual evolutions on
-being taken off for the day.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XI.
-
-SLEIGHTS AND PROPERTIES FOR GENERAL USE.
-
-     HOW TO PRODUCE ARTICLES FROM THE WAND--ARTICLES PRODUCED
-     FROM THE PERSONS OF THE COMPANY--VANISHING OBJECTS FROM THE
-     HANDS--EXCHANGING ARTICLES--MESMERISING A DOVE--MARKING A
-     CARD IN COURSE OF PERFORMING--PASSING HANDKERCHIEF OVER
-     FLAME OF CANDLE--THE CONJUROR'S SHUFFLE--THE DEVIL'S
-     HANDKERCHIEF--COIN HANDKERCHIEF--FLYING RING--MAGICIAN'S
-     EGGS--PRODUCTIVE EGGS--COIN-VANISHING TUMBLER--MAGIC
-     PLATEAU.
-
-
-_Sleights._--Often, in the description of a trick, the learner is told
-that a handkerchief, coin, egg, orange, or other article has to be
-made to disappear or appear by sleight of hand. In the descriptions
-here given, my own methods naturally appear in preponderance over
-those of others; but it is a mistake for conjurors to confine
-themselves arbitrarily to any such, whose soever they be, or whatever
-their nature. The peculiar means for magically vanishing or producing
-an article which has seemed to me to be most convenient under the
-conditions governing the particular trick under notice, I have always
-laid the most stress upon; but it is very likely that, were half a
-dozen experts to write upon the same tricks, they would each vary more
-or less in the precise means by which the same results were arrived
-at. This is only as it should be, the success of a conjuror, like that
-of an actor, depending, in a very great measure, upon his originality
-or individuality. The reader will notice that I frequently describe
-a trick, and then give one or more alternative ways of doing it, the
-last-named being usually methods I have seen adopted with success by
-other conjurors. In order to save endless repetition, I give here a
-few sleights which the learner should be incessantly practising, just
-as he would the pass or the palm. Some of the feats actually form
-small tricks in themselves, but are only introduced by the performer
-as suddenly inspired interpolations in the course of a trick, of
-which they may, as a fact, really form part. For the disappearance
-of a coin or coins, the various palms provide; the method described
-in connection with the cups and balls (page 55) suffices for the
-evanishment of marbles, nuts, and articles of that size; whilst the
-palming of cards has been specially treated. The other sleights which
-I have found most necessary are as follows:
-
-_To Produce an Egg, Orange, &c., from the Wand._--This daring feat
-is certainly one of the most wonder-inspiring description. The
-performer says, "I now require, for my trick, an egg. I presume none
-of the company happen to have such an article about them; and, as
-I have forgotten to provide it myself, I must make an appeal to my
-wand, which rarely fails me in such cases." Standing sideways to
-the audience, the performer holds his wand in the fingers, at arm's
-length, and then, suddenly running his hand along it, upwards, as
-though squeezing it, he produces, from the very top, the egg. As his
-sleeves are turned well up, and nothing has been visible in either
-hand, the mysterious appearance of the required article is quite
-inexplicable. It is thus managed. The egg may be either upon the
-shelf at the back of the table, or under the vest band. I prefer the
-latter place of concealment, because the performer is better able to
-carelessly show his hands quite empty just previous to the production
-of the article; whilst a longer time must elapse between the secretion
-of the article in the hand and the moment of its appearance on the
-top of the wand, if it be placed upon the shelf. Apart from this,
-going behind the table should always be avoided where possible. It is
-the easiest thing in the world to get down the article from the vest
-in the act of turning round. It should find its way at once to the
-very centre of the hand, the root of the thumb gripping it, and the
-fingers should either seize the coat flap, or the wand should be put
-into it. The _modus operandi_ may be simply described as follows: The
-wand is lying upon the table and the performer comes forward, showing,
-by rubbing them together in the act of speaking, that his hands are
-empty. When he has uttered the words "in such cases," he wheels round
-_to the left_, for the purpose of fetching the wand from the table,
-and when his back is fairly towards the audience, he gets down the egg
-in the right hand, which then seizes the coat flap. A very important
-matter must here be observed. The article vested must always be
-placed on that side of the body which is opposite to the hand that
-is to bring it down. If, in the present instance, the egg were upon
-the right side of the performer's body, taking his vest buttons as a
-central line, the act of getting it into the right hand could not be
-achieved without sticking out the elbow, which would at once reveal to
-the company that the performer was carrying out some manoeuvre with
-that hand, and, when he turned round, they would immediately fix their
-eyes upon it, and keep them there, to the serious detraction of the
-proceedings following. The golden rule must be followed of glueing,
-as it were, the upper arm and elbow to the side. Then the forearm
-and hand may do as they please, with impunity. The getting down of
-an article from the vest need occupy only a half-second of time, so
-the performer turns briskly to the table, his every visible action
-and look being, of course, concentrated upon the matter in hand--the
-fetching the wand from the table. With the right hand, containing
-the egg, holding the coat flap lightly and naturally, the wand is
-picked off the table with the left, the performer's right side being
-towards the company. Holding the wand for a few moments in the left
-hand, and looking at it amusingly, as though wondering quite as much
-as the company how it is going to accomplish its task, the right hand
-is brought boldly to the front, and the wand placed in the fingers.
-The back of the hand is, of course, towards the company. The fact of
-its containing a bulky article will naturally cause it to be somewhat
-curved, so it is necessary to cause it to look as flat as possible.
-This is best managed by straightening the fingers and bending the
-wrist outwards, the whole length of the fingers being thus presented
-to the view of the company. It will be found that the wand, pressing
-against the article in the hand, assists towards keeping it in its
-place there. In the case of an egg, care must be taken not to put on
-too much pressure. The wand must be held by its middle portion, and
-should not remain in the right hand for more than a couple of seconds,
-at the outside. It is then re-taken by the left hand, but by the lower
-end, the right hand simultaneously making the upward "squeeze;" the
-article being produced at the tips of the fingers, when they reach the
-top of the wand, it being allowed to drop from the palm into the bent
-fingers just previously. The illusion is complete when the sleight is
-performed with neatness and dash, the article appearing to actually
-come out of the wand, although everyone knows how impossible it is
-for it ever to have been there. An article so mysteriously produced
-should, by all means, be given for examination. It is surprising
-what very large-sized oranges can be produced by this means, when
-the performer has once acquired sufficient boldness. Audacity is the
-chief ingredient in the sleight, and the learner will acquire it by
-beginning with small-sized articles. Brilliantly-coloured articles,
-such as oranges, or perfectly white ones, as eggs, make the best
-appearance.
-
-_To Produce Articles from the Persons of the Company._--Here audacity
-plays a very important part indeed, as the performer goes in amongst
-the spectators and finds such oranges, eggs, lemons, &c., as he may
-want, in their hair and apparel. In the _Gant de Paris_ (page 228),
-I have seen a performer use an orange, a lemon, an egg, and a walnut,
-all of which he has found upon the company within a very few seconds
-of time. A description of how this is done will suffice as a guide to
-the learner how to proceed in all similar cases. The walnut should be
-palmed, and the lemon held in the same hand, the other hand holding
-the orange, both hands of course seizing the coat. The egg is vested.
-Coming on to the stage from behind, the performer proceeds rapidly
-into the very midst of the company, and says, "Can any one lend me
-a kid glove for a few minutes?" then, turning suddenly towards a
-male spectator--with long hair, if such a one be handy--"I beg your
-pardon, sir, but I see a something in your hair; what is it?" Whilst
-this is being said, a rapid dash is made at the addressee's hair, the
-orange being slid to the ends of the fingers, and produced with all
-slowness. It is given a second spectator to examine, who is discovered
-to have a lemon in his hair, or inside his coat. Whilst the lemon is
-being produced, and all eyes are intent upon it, the empty hand gets
-down the egg. This is found in the hair of a third person, whilst
-the walnut is discovered on the tip of the nose of a fourth. When
-the performer afterwards collects all four articles into his hands,
-it will never occur to the company that so much bulk could have been
-deliberately palmed by him in their very midst. As a matter of fact,
-it is easier to do these sort of things in the midst of a numerous
-and rather closely-packed company, than in the presence of a meagre
-and widespread one, and the performer should always go where the
-spectators are thickest.
-
-_How to Cause Large-sized Objects to Appear to Vanish from the
-Hands._--By large objects are meant eggs, oranges, ladies'
-handkerchiefs, gloves, small birds, &c. The sleight-of-hand conjuror
-should embrace every opportunity for a display of his skill,
-handkerchiefs being swallowed and reproduced elsewhere, and other
-articles thrown away or made to pass imperceptibly from out of the
-hand into thin air, nothing being left of them when the hand is
-opened. In order to bring about these things, all that the conjuror
-has to do is to adapt, to the altered circumstance of having larger
-articles to deal with, what he has been taught in connection with the
-palming and passing of coins. Take, first, the apparent placing of
-an article in the mouth, and swallowing it. The method adopted will
-vary, according to the size of the article. If it be a comparatively
-small one, such as a walnut, then the action depicted at Fig. 7 must
-be followed, the article being palmed in the right hand, the back
-of which must necessarily be turned towards the audience more than
-is shown in the sketch, by reason of the more bulky nature of its
-contents, and the fingers of the left hand rounded in a way suggestive
-of containing the article supposed to be put into them. The right
-hand then takes the wand, which, in these cases, must _always_ be
-carried under the right armpit. Should the article not be swallowed,
-the wand strikes the closed fingers of the left hand, which are
-simultaneously opened and shown to be empty. The success attending
-this method will depend solely and entirely upon the neatness with
-which the palm is executed, and the article apparently placed in the
-left hand. It must not be ostensibly thrown there, as is the case with
-a coin, but deliberately put in, the fingers of the right hand, after
-the execution of the palm, forming as though they actually held the
-article, those of the left hand closing around them, as if taking it
-firmly in charge. It is always as well to actually place the article
-in the left hand at least once, thereby silently impressing the
-company with what is to be done with it. The palming of a walnut is
-quite as easy as that of a coin, and the pass must be regarded as a
-very simple one to learn.
-
-Eggs, oranges, lemons, and solid articles of that size, must be
-treated according to the action shown at Figs. 8 and 9, facility
-in executing which will render the accomplishment of what is now
-described very easy. As the article is not a coin, it must not be
-held between finger and thumb, but made to rest upon the very tips
-of the fingers of the left hand, which is held perpendicularly for
-the purpose. It is thus very conspicuously in sight of everyone. It
-is allowed to rest there for a few seconds, when the right hand is
-brought suddenly in front of it, and the action gone through of taking
-it. At this instant, the orange (say) falls into the hollow of the
-left hand, which is immediately dropped to grasp the coat flap, whilst
-the right hand apparently puts the orange into the mouth, a muffled
-noise being made indicative of the mouth being full. Before the hand
-is removed, the mouth is closed, when it is as well to bulge one of
-the cheeks out with the tongue, and then make three or four desperate
-attempts (ultimately successful) at swallowing, accompanied by choking
-sounds. A smile should then illumine the face of the performer, who
-appears to have enjoyed the operation, and the orange, if it is wanted
-again, may be produced at the right elbow, or brought round from the
-back of the neck, rolled along by the tips of the fingers. A very
-effective sleight with which to quickly follow the foregoing is as
-follows: Place the wand under the left armpit, and hold the orange
-in the fingers of the left hand, as above described. Open the legs
-slightly, and then apparently take the orange in the right hand and
-smash it into the right leg, just above the knee. The orange must be
-apparently vigorously snatched out of the left hand, which at once
-mechanically finds its way to the wand, that article being grasped
-by the thumb only, the fingers and palm concealing the orange. The
-performer allows a second to elapse, and then, briskly taking the
-wand in the right hand, rolls the orange from behind his left thigh
-to the front. It does not in the least signify what the company fancy
-actually happened with the orange, so long as they are not allowed
-to suspect that it never left the left hand. Obliged to account for
-the phenomenon, the theories formed will be various, the majority
-polling for a tubular communication between sleeve and sleeve, viâ
-the performer's back. As the orange is apparently smashed into the
-leg, the performer will find it necessary to stoop slightly. This
-sleight should follow the preceding one before the spectators have
-begun to recover from their wonderment at seeing the orange apparently
-swallowed and then reproduced. A cigar, or article of the like shape,
-can be similarly treated if it be held in the left hand between the
-tips of the middle finger and thumb, the broad end being against the
-thumb. As the right hand covers it, in the act of apparently taking
-it, the broad end is allowed to fall against the root of the thumb,
-and the hand turned slightly over and then allowed to hang down at
-the side. A very little pressure on the part of the middle finger
-will suffice to keep the cigar in position. The right hand must
-conform itself as closely as possible to the shape it would assume
-if it actually contained a cigar. This sleight will come in handy in
-conjuring at table.
-
-A more complete method of vanishing is as follows: Take the article in
-the right hand, and hold the waistband of the vest by the left. Toss
-the orange, &c., twice or thrice in the air, and then whip it swiftly
-beneath the vest, which will be partly raised by the left hand. The
-two hands thus brought together should be closed one over the other,
-as if they contained something, which something you will then proceed
-to gradually rub away. As you have nothing whatever in the hands,
-you will be able to execute this portion of the deception with great
-confidence and ease. When you slip any article beneath the vest, the
-body should be partially turned from the audience. Quickly done, the
-movement will never be noticed, and it is one of the most perfect
-deceptions practised. The vest is never thought of by an audience
-as being a place for the concealment of articles, and so it escapes
-notice, and everyone wonders where the vanished article can have gone
-to. The vest is also an excellent place in which to carry such things
-as eggs, lemons, &c., which may be required during any trick.
-
-_To Change an Article._--This is executed very much after the manner
-of the preceding, with this exception: the left hand contains the
-article concealed, which is to be exchanged for whatever is held in
-the right. Say, for example, that the right hand holds an orange,
-which the audience, of course, examines. The left hand conceals, say,
-an apple. The orange is vested in the orthodox manner, and the hands
-brought together as directed, but this time they contain the apple.
-Rub them a little, and exhibit the apple, which can be brought back to
-its original shape--an orange--if the performer pleases. On no account
-must the conjuror inform the audience what he is about to do, or he
-may find the ideas of the spectators anticipate his actions, which is,
-to say the least, awkward. These actions of vanishing or exchanging
-can be done when one is actually surrounded by people; but the hands
-must be quick and must appear natural: for instance, when supposed to
-contain an orange they must not be compressed so as to barely leave
-space within them for a walnut. Nothing but careful practice will
-ensure a satisfactory result, for the least bungling will lead to
-detection. I need hardly say that it enhances one's reputation greatly
-if one can be said to have "changed a real orange into a real apple
-under our very eyes" without the aid of any gaudy boxes or canisters.
-By all means allow the orange to be squeezed and the apple to be eaten.
-
-_To Vanish Handkerchiefs._--Not being solid bodies, handkerchiefs will
-require different treatment, and present the greatest difficulties,
-which are fully compensated for by the superior effects produced. In
-the first place, the performer must be careful to borrow a lady's
-small handkerchief, if for the purpose of vanishing. In performing
-_The Knots_ (page 218) a small handkerchief is generally included
-amongst those borrowed. It is not used for the trick; but the
-performer says he is very fond of such handkerchiefs, and forthwith
-rolls it up in his hands, pops it into his mouth, and swallows it.
-Whilst the company are wondering, he suddenly pulls the handkerchief
-out of his leg. This is a most wonderful sleight, and one the conjuror
-must endeavour to become perfect in. He should begin with a small
-piece of muslin, which rolls up very tight and easily. This he takes
-between the two hands, the left hand below, with its back turned
-somewhat towards the company, and rolls it sharply round and round,
-until he feels that it is well balled. Then, with the right hand, he
-apparently takes it up, the left hand really retaining it by means of
-the thumb, and grasping the coat-flap, as in other cases, or the wand
-under left armpit. The right hand apparently conveys the handkerchief
-to the mouth, where the choking and swallowing performance is gone
-through. After a pause of a couple of seconds, the conjuror looks
-curiously down at his leg, and, pouncing at a spot in the rear of the
-thigh, just above the knee-joint, presses the handkerchief there,
-to enable the fingers to obtain a hold of a very small portion of
-it. It is then at once jerked forcibly away, when it will appear to
-the spectators precisely as though it had been pulled out through
-the cloth. The different movements must all follow one another with
-regularity and swiftness, and yet the performer must not appear to be
-hurrying himself in the least. If the handkerchief experimented upon
-be large, some risk is run of a portion appearing from the left hand.
-Even with small handkerchiefs this will, at times, occur; but if the
-performer carries out the movements of the right hand properly, the
-eyes of the company will be directed solely to that.
-
-The same sleight is employed in feigning to throw back a handkerchief
-to its owner, the action of throwing being employed instead of
-affecting to place the article in the mouth. In this case, it is as
-well to pivot round at once, vesting the handkerchief in so doing, and
-then at once inquiring, with empty hands, if the handkerchief arrived
-at its destination all right. It may be afterwards produced from the
-interior of a spectator's coat, by being whipped quickly in and then
-produced very slowly and at extended length. If this reproduction
-is to follow quickly, then do not vest, which is only done for the
-purpose of showing the hands empty. If the performer pleases, he may
-plunge his hand into his breast, and produce the handkerchief; but it
-will cause less wonderment, and no amusement at all.
-
-Small birds present considerable difficulty, the object being to
-conjure with the bird without injuring it. A bird cannot be palmed,
-like a walnut, nor can it be rolled up, like a handkerchief. But,
-strange to say, the very difficulty of the feat assists the performer.
-In the first place, the company never suspect that the bird is about
-to be made to disappear, unless the performer is weak enough to
-forewarn them; and, secondly, never having experimented, they do
-not suppose for an instant that the bird will be simply retained in
-the hand all the time, as it really is. All the conjuror has to do
-is to hold the bird in the right hand, outside the wings, and head
-downwards, the tail pointing up the wrist, and then affect to put it
-in the left hand, which is bulged so as to appear to hold it. The wand
-must be under the right armpit, and the right hand seizes it at once,
-the left hand being struck and opened, showing the bird to be flown.
-The sooner the bird is reproduced the better. The most unlikely, and
-therefore the best, place to produce it from is the bottom of the
-trouser--a lively course of speculation as to how it got there being
-thrown open to the company. If it be desired to get rid of the bird
-altogether, the performer must pivot round and vest. There is not much
-chance of the bird moving in that position, but, of course, it will be
-better for the performer to make an early exit, and relieve himself of
-the encumbrance.
-
-Doves are made to disappear by means of the shelf at the back of
-the table, or the pocket directed to be made at the bottom of the
-coat-tail. The shelf vanish is more open to suspicion, but I have,
-nevertheless, found it enormously successful, when properly managed.
-The performer, in the first instance, must not announce, by word or
-deed, that the disappearance is about to take place. Standing to the
-left (_his_ left, facing the audience) of the table, and slightly to
-the rear of it, he takes the dove in the right hand. Walking briskly
-past the table, at the back, he casts his eyes upwards, and just as he
-reaches the extreme corner of the table, makes a movement of tossing
-the bird into the air. It is, instead, placed gently (not dropped, or
-thrown) upon the end of the shelf, the brisk pace of the performer
-carrying him at once a good yard beyond the table, from which spot
-the dove is apparently cast into the air. The success of the sleight
-depends very much upon the exactness with which the performer imitates
-the actual throwing of a bird into the air, and the fearlessness with
-which it is conducted. Any symptom of a glance at the shelf would be
-fatal. The bearings must be taken whilst stationary, and the rest
-carried out with the eyes fixed earnestly on the ceiling. Rabbits and
-guinea pigs may be similarly treated; but large-sized rabbits are
-unsuited, since it is not easy to place them upon the shelf. When
-the pocket is used, supposing it to be in the right coat-tail, as it
-probably would be, the performer should stand with that side away from
-the audience, and ascertain, by means of the right hand, if the mouth
-of the pocket be open. Lean slightly over to the right, and then,
-taking the dove in the right hand, make a movement of casting it into
-the air, straight upwards, whither the eyes are directed. It is, of
-course, left in the pocket, head downwards. An attempt to place it
-there tail first would be likely to lead to disaster. As this sleight
-may be performed away from any table or chair, it is, of course, to
-be preferred. It is, undoubtedly, more difficult of accomplishment
-than the shelf vanish, requiring more neatness in depositing the bird;
-for, if the downward sweep be too vigorous, it will have the effect
-of disturbing the coat-tail, which will be momentarily seen, pushed
-out behind the performer, by the company, and the place of concealment
-thereby betrayed. It need hardly be pointed out that, in either case,
-the hand must grasp the bird firmly by the body, clasping the wings
-tightly down. If it be felt struggling in the pocket, the performer
-should bow himself off at once.
-
-_Mesmerising a Dove._--The apparent mesmerising of a dove makes, of
-itself, a capital effect, leading the audience to pay high respect to
-the necromantic powers of the conjuror. Also, it makes an admirable
-introduction to the vanish. The bird is taken in the right hand,
-outside the wings, and laid upon its back on the front edge of the
-table, so that the head just projects over. The beak is now taken
-in the left hand and the head turned backwards, as far as it will
-go. When held in that position for a few moments, the hands may be
-removed, when the bird will lie perfectly still. It will not always
-do this at the first, or even the second, attempt, but perseverance
-will always be rewarded with success. The performer must be as gentle
-as possible, and go slowly to work. We need not stay to discuss the
-reason for the singular phenomenon, it being sufficient for our
-purpose to know that the bird will lie still when placed in the
-proper position. The performer waves his hands over the bird, as
-though mesmerising it, and then he may take one of the feet in his
-fingers and actually raise the bird, by one of its legs, completely
-off the table. This will require the greatest delicacy and patience
-to accomplish, operations being discontinued the instant the bird
-shows any signs of fluttering. Anything approaching a jerk will rouse
-the bird, so the lift must be made as gradual and as imperceptible
-as possible. The reader will, doubtless, be able to appreciate the
-sensation that will be caused when, the mesmerising accomplished, the
-bird immediately afterwards vanishes from sight, no one knows whither.
-
-_To Exchange Borrowed Rings for Dummies._--With a single ring, and
-in a small way, this may be done by means of the finger palm (Fig. 3),
-the dummy being already held in the left hand, between the roots of
-the fingers, and a feint made of placing the borrowed one into it.
-(See "Tricks with Coins," _b_, p. 11). This does very well for the
-drawing-room, in which domain the following method may also be adopted
-when two or more rings are borrowed. Have the dummies screwed up
-in a piece of paper, which hold in the left hand, and cover with a
-precisely similar piece of paper, open. Into this latter place the
-borrowed rings, and screw up. All that is now necessary is to reverse
-the positions of the two parcels, the left hand carrying away the
-borrowed rings, the right taking the dummy ones, the paper containing
-which is, of course, not opened again during the trick. The same
-method should be adopted with large audiences when a borrowed watch
-and chain have to be exchanged; but the following method is far away
-the best to adopt on the stage with rings.
-
-For the purpose of collecting rings borrowed from the audience, the
-conjuror should provide himself with an ebony wand, rather thicker
-than an ordinary penholder, and about eight inches in length. If he be
-performing with an assistant, that person should do the collecting.
-Upon the wand are already placed the dummies, covered by the hand
-holding it by one of its ends. The wand is presented the persons
-lending the rings, who slide them on. The performer remains well up
-the stage, and, the assistant, turning towards him, changes the wand
-from one hand to the other, securing the borrowed rings under the
-latter, and spreading the dummies along the wand. This can be quickly
-effected, and the assistant at once turns round facing the company,
-presenting the wand, with dummy rings, to the performer, who takes it;
-the borrowed rings remaining in the assistant's hand, dropped at once
-to his side. The performer at once draws attention to himself, and the
-assistant makes off with the rings for whatever purpose may have been
-previously arranged. An assistant must be something of a conjuror to
-possess the necessary _sang froid_ for effecting the exchange without
-drawing attention to his movements, so the performer may have to
-execute it himself, in which case he would place the dummy rings in
-some conspicuous position, and pass behind the scenes momentarily on
-the strength of some plea, which would suggest itself according to
-the trick in course of performance.
-
-_How to Show the Hands Empty whilst still containing Coins._--In
-many tricks with money ("Hold them Tight!" for instance) it may be
-advisable, or even compulsory, by reason of the doubt of a spectator,
-to show that the coins are not in the hand, whilst they really are so.
-With a single coin to manage, the reverse palm will suffice. When two
-or more are in the hand the coins must be slid inside the doubled up
-fingers which hold the wand, placed across the hand. The really empty
-hand is opened, and the one containing the coins also, as far as the
-performer dare. Now, if he held the fingers doubled up without the
-wand in the hand, the spectators would know where the coins were; but,
-seeing the wand, the partial closing of the hand seems natural enough.
-Of course the hands are boldly thrust out, the performer saying the
-while, "It is pretty plain that I haven't the coins, for here are my
-two hands both wide open. Now sir, what have you done with them?" &c.
-Unblushing audacity is again the order of the day. A capital effect
-is made if, after showing the hands apparently empty, the coins are
-abstracted from the hair or beard of a spectator. One never knows when
-such a sleight may be wanted. When it is, it is as well to know what
-to do, so as to prevent exposure.
-
-_To Mark a Card, in the Course of Performing, so as to be able to
-Recognise it again._--This is a very useful little dodge, as by
-its means the machinations of the obnoxious person in this book
-denominated Mr. Interference may be defeated. It is only requisite
-when it becomes absolutely necessary to convince the company that you
-do not know the position of the card in the pack. It is necessary to
-get at least a portion of the card in the hand, when, from the upper
-side, an indentation is made in the card with the thumb nail, one of
-the fingers, on the under side, performing the office of pressure
-pad. The card need not be removed from the hand of the chooser, the
-performer merely touching it momentarily whilst explaining what
-he wishes done. It is as well to make the mark near the centre of
-the card, as then it is more easily found. After it has been made,
-the pack may be given the company, the card placed in it, and the
-whole well shuffled by anyone. The card will at once be recognised
-by the slight projection that has been made on the under side.
-Should a repetition of the ruse become necessary, the performer must
-either leave the card originally marked out of the pack, or else
-make two marks on the next; but it is better to leave the first one
-out. As the whole of the pack is not used--at least, not under my
-instructions--some spare cards are always lying unused upon the table.
-This spare heap is always exceedingly useful, as cards such as the
-one under notice may be placed in it, whilst others, which may be
-presently wanted, can lie upon the top, ready at hand.
-
-_To Pass a Handkerchief over the Flame of a Candle without Burning
-it._--This is a remarkable effect, which only requires confidence
-to ensure its successful execution. The performer has a lighted
-candle standing upon the table, and when in possession of a borrowed
-handkerchief for a trick, he introduces the sleight as an interlude.
-Grasping the handkerchief by one corner, in such a way as to spread
-it somewhat with the fingers, he holds it in front of the candle, and
-then draws it upwards and backwards, right over the flame, almost
-extinguishing the latter in so doing. The handkerchief should be an
-ordinary white one, and the flame will be seen by the spectators to
-be eating into it, apparently. There is not the least necessity to be
-in any hurry, the action of drawing the handkerchief over the flame
-being a steady and deliberate one. It may be repeated as often as the
-performer chooses, but not made anything of by him, the impression
-to be conveyed being that the power of placing a handkerchief in the
-flame of a candle without injuring it is one necessarily possessed by
-him, as a matter of course. This sleight will come in particularly
-_à propos_ if it precedes a trick in which a handkerchief is burned.
-It is not advisable to try the feat with a scented handkerchief, it
-being just possible that the spirit contained in the perfume might
-ignite.
-
-_The Conjuror's "Shuffle."_--Nearly all good conjurors preface
-their card tricks with an exhibition of shuffling, a process always
-conducted in the showiest manner possible, although, by the time it is
-completed, it is possible that the position of the cards has not been
-interfered with in the least. As the term "shuffling" is only employed
-for want of a better one, and it is merely a question of exhibiting
-skill, this does not signify. When a conjuror wishes to shuffle the
-cards, he adopts the specious method generally in use--if he can.
-According to whether he be a genuine adept, or only a performer of
-an inferior order, so will the phenomena exhibited to the spectator
-in this connection vary. In the one case, the performer, holding the
-cards in the two hands, suddenly opens them very wide apart, the cards
-spreading, after the manner of a comet's tail, from one hand to the
-other. For an instant they form an aerial arc, when, before they can
-fall to the ground, the hands are brought smartly together, collecting
-the cards by the action. This movement is repeated twice or thrice.
-This is what the genuine man does. The impostor ostensibly does a
-very great deal more, for he begins by parting and bringing the hands
-together again, as one does in playing the concertina, several times,
-the cards acting the part of the concertina perfectly. He then tosses
-the cards about from hand to hand in the most _nonchalant_ manner, the
-cards invariably following one another in an unbroken stream which
-assumes serpentine and other shapes, at the will of the performer.
-They are spread along the conjuror's arms, and over his chest, and are
-invariably gathered in again without a single one being allowed to
-fall. The feats performed appear to be nothing short of marvellous,
-until one becomes possessed of the interesting fact that the cards are
-all sewn together, so that the whole thing is merely child's play.
-Now, although I have seen conjurors with good reputations using these
-prepared cards, I entirely disagree with their use myself. In order
-to deceive the public, one must not be particular about the means
-employed; but here it is a question of one conjuror setting up to be
-vastly superior to others, the facts of the case being precisely the
-other way. As a matter of fact, these prepared cards are only used
-when the performer is so wanting in skill that he cannot execute the
-genuine shuffle. Looking, as I do, upon the use of these cards as
-being unworthy anyone but a music-hall performer, I never hesitate
-to expose the fraud whenever it is perpetrated. I shall, of course,
-describe nothing in connection with it, but pass on to the genuine
-article, which may be at once recognised by the noise accompanying its
-execution, the fraudulent method being quite noiseless. As the feat
-is really difficult of accomplishment, its study must be conducted by
-easy stages. The pack, which should be composed of small cards (the
-large English ones being very unsuitable), thirty or so in number,
-is held lengthwise in the right hand (left hand if the performer is
-very decidedly left-handed) by the thumb at one end, and the first,
-second, and third fingers at the other end, the body of the hand
-making an arch over the cards. The left hand is held out, a little
-lower than the elbow, in front of the body, with the fingers spread
-out, and slightly curled upwards, the first finger a great deal more
-than the rest. Now, if the cards be squeezed by the fingers and thumb
-of the right hand, they will bend thus, [downward curve]; but if, just
-as the pressure is put on, the fore finger of the left hand pushes
-the centre of the pack from below, the opposite curve will be taken,
-thus, [upward curve], which is the one wanted. With the cards thus
-bent, they must be held over the left hand, and more pressure then
-applied, when they will "squirt" into the left hand, their foremost
-ends striking against the up curled forefinger, and so being prevented
-from falling to the floor. In making the squeeze, it will be found
-that the middle and third fingers use more influence than does the
-first finger, which is merely an auxiliary at the commencement. The
-greatest power of all must be exerted by the thumb, which is always
-pushing the cards forwards with considerable force. The learner must
-content himself with merely "squirting" the cards from the right hand
-into the left, at a distance of two or three inches only. When he can
-do this easily and smoothly, and without dropping any on the floor, he
-may increase the distance to six or eight inches. This is about the
-greatest distance he will be able to attain by simple "squirting."
-In order to make a more effective show, he will have to give to the
-right hand an upward movement at the moment the cards are pouring
-from it. This will tend to increase the distance between each card,
-but as, at the same time, it kills the forward _momentum_, the cards
-would simply fall to the ground were they not prevented from so doing.
-To accomplish this, the left hand must follow them up quickly. For
-an instant of time they will poise in the air, and then commence to
-fall; but, at that moment, the left hand comes upward with a rapid
-sweep, bringing the cards together against the right hand. By not
-attempting too great a distance at first, the learner will progress
-more rapidly; and he should not be satisfied until he can compass a
-distance of two feet. Great experts can accomplish very much more than
-this. As proficiency is attained, the "shuffle" should be made more
-across the body, the direction being from the left hip towards the
-right shoulder, this being more showy. A very difficult, but highly
-effective, method is to make the "shuffle" the reverse way, _i.e._,
-downwards. The left hand is held nearly shoulder high and the cards
-"squirted" into it, the right hand sweeping downwards in the direction
-of the right hip. The performer must always direct his practice
-towards making the cards remain as long in the air as possible. To
-this end, the movement of the right hand must be exceedingly rapid,
-so that all the cards are visible to the spectators at once; and
-the longer the left hand dallies, the more rapid must be its motion
-towards the right hand. It must be distinctly understood that the two
-hands do not move simultaneously, there being two decided movements,
-one following the other. Old cards are useless for this feat, as they
-come off in batches, and have no spring. American cards are a trifle
-too thin, and are only good when new, whilst the regulation English
-whist card is too thick; therefore a medium thickness must be chosen.
-The finest quality cards will be found the cheapest to use, as they
-stand the strain better. Inferior cards soon become demoralised by
-the rough treatment to which the "shuffle" subjects them. After using
-a pack faces downwards for some time, turn it over, and use with
-the faces upwards, changing back again when the spring of the cards
-becomes weak.
-
-PROPERTIES.--Besides the auxiliary articles mentioned in
-connection with various tricks, there are some that are of general
-application which the conjuror should always have in readiness. They
-are here enumerated and described:
-
-_The Devil's Handkerchief._--The peculiar use of this article is
-that anything wrapped in it is made to disappear when the performer
-desires, by simply shaking out the handkerchief. The secret lies in
-the fact that there are two handkerchiefs, three of the four sides of
-which are sewn together, the fourth being left open, so as to form a
-bag. The article to be made to disappear is apparently placed under
-the handkerchief, but really into the bag, and it is usual to give
-this to be held by one of the spectators. Later on, the performer
-takes the two upper corners of the handkerchief, and, asking the
-spectator to loosen his hold, gives it a vigorous shake. The company
-look in the air, or upon the floor, expecting to see the object there,
-but of course it is at the bottom of the bag. Cards are successfully
-vanished in this manner, as also watches, eggs, and articles not more
-bulky than they. The handkerchiefs should be of a sombre colour, and
-have a decided pattern. This will tend to conceal the contour of the
-article inside the handkerchief after it has been made to disappear,
-although the performer invariably retires with it to the stage, out
-of harm's way. Some performers use handkerchiefs sewn up on all four
-sides, and having merely a slit, from four to six inches long, made in
-one handkerchief.
-
-_The Coin Handkerchief._--This is an ordinary coloured handkerchief,
-into one corner of which, by means of a small extra piece of
-stuff, is sewn a piece of metal (to avoid unnecessary sinking of
-capital) resembling a coin. The performer should have on hand three
-handkerchiefs prepared with pieces of metal to represent sixpences,
-shillings, and half-crowns. For the latter, a penny will do admirably,
-and it will also act for florins and pennies, the public not being
-able to appreciate the slight difference in size when felt or seen
-through the folds of a handkerchief. The shilling handkerchief will
-answer admirably for halfpennies. A borrowed coin is apparently folded
-in the handkerchief, which the performer has drawn carelessly from his
-pocket, and not had lying in state upon a table, but palmed instead,
-the dummy being presented in its place, and given to be held. The
-palmed coin is then secreted in the place to which it is presently to
-be magically transported. To cause the coin, supposed to be wrapped
-in the handkerchief, to disappear, the performer shakes it by one or
-two corners, as in the case of the _Devil's Handkerchief_. Each of
-the three prepared handkerchiefs should be of the same pattern, so
-that, if more than one are used on the same evening, no remark will be
-excited as to the appearance of a new property upon the scene.
-
-_The Flying Ring._--This is a dummy ring, attached to a piece of
-elastic passing up the sleeve, with the other end fastened to the
-brace, or elsewhere. On a ring being borrowed, it is apparently placed
-in a handkerchief, the _Flying Ring_ being substituted, and held by a
-spectator, of course through the handkerchief. At a given signal the
-ring is released and at once disappears up the performer's sleeve.
-
-_Magician's Eggs._--These are merely blown eggs, which should always
-be used when the employment of solid ones is not imperatively
-necessary. Their lightness enables the performer to palm them with
-considerable ease, and the same peculiarity renders them less liable
-to break; and, when they do, by chance, crack, no disconcerting
-emission of glutinous contents ensues. Besides this, a stock can
-always be kept on hand ready for any performance, which cannot be done
-with real eggs. Imitation eggs are made in indiarubber. These are
-of everlasting wear, bodily, but the exterior paint wants renewing
-occasionally, in order to maintain the resemblance to the real
-article, at no time any too exact.
-
-_Productive Eggs._--These are blown eggs containing lengthy slips of
-coloured paper, rolled up tightly. The introduction of the paper is
-thus managed. The egg blown and dried, a slit is made along one side
-with a piercing saw or fine file. A wire is then passed longitudinally
-through both thick and thin ends, one end of the paper inserted
-through the slit, and rolled up by means of the wire, twisted from
-the outside, until the egg is full. A piece of cotton is attached to
-the loose end of the paper, and the slit and holes in the ends of
-the egg closed up with plaster of Paris. At the conclusion of any
-trick in which real eggs have been used, one can be exchanged for a
-prepared egg, which is then broken, and the paper extracted, the piece
-of cotton at once showing where the loose end is to be found. Into
-a good-sized egg some fifty or sixty feet of paper may be secreted.
-The paper may be purchased at conjuring shops in large rolls; and the
-conjuror will find it better to prepare a quantity of eggs at a time.
-
-_The Coin-vanishing Tumbler._--This is an ordinary tumbler, with a
-horizontal slit at the side, on a level with the interior bottom,
-large enough to allow of the passage of a half-crown. If the tumbler
-be held in such a manner that a finger closes the slit, liquid may
-be poured into it. This should be done casually, and not professedly
-for the purpose of showing that there is nothing peculiar about the
-tumbler, such a suggestion being unnecessary and dangerous. The
-company would naturally say, "If there be really nothing wrong with
-it, why does he not place it in our hands for examination?" A coin
-placed in the tumbler may be got into the hand at any moment _viâ_ the
-slit, the top being covered with cards, &c., to prevent the exit of
-the coin that way: as if coins were in the habit of leaping out of
-tumblers into which they have been placed, and deceiving audiences!
-Nevertheless, an audience is invariably satisfied when inanimate
-articles are covered up, and so supererogatorily prevented from
-performing acts which are not possible to them.
-
-_The Magic Plateau._--This is a glass plateau, in form like a school
-slate, there being a broad fancy wood border, glass taking the place
-of the slate. The plateau is held like a tray in the hands of the
-performer, and coins are placed upon it, which disappear when it is
-waved in the air. The secret lies in the fact that the wooden border
-is undermined, and, when a sideways movement is given to the plateau,
-the coins disappear underneath. The plateau is then carried with that
-side in which the coins are concealed, downwards. It makes a trick of
-itself, but is more useful as an adjunct to other tricks. As it is
-advisable to have a very narrow frame, shillings should be used: in
-no case coins larger than a florin. The plateau is also of great use
-when the performer is desirous of changing several borrowed and marked
-coins for some of his own. Taking the plateau, with the marked coins
-upon it, in the right hand, he pretends to pour them off into the left
-hand, where the conjuror has his own coins concealed. The marked coins
-disappear under the frame, and the concealed ones are exhibited. When
-the reappearance of the coins on the plateau is desired, they may be
-shaken out of the frame as easily as they were sent there; but I do
-not advise this addition, as it is very likely to give a clue to the
-mystery. The article is not difficult of construction, and the fact of
-the greater part of the material being transparent glass, lends it a
-desirably innocent appearance.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XII.
-
-TRICKS WITH CARDS.
-
-     HOW TO VANISH AND RECOVER A PACK--THE EGYPTIAN POCKET; HOW
-     TO MANUFACTURE CARDS--THE MISSING LINK--ASCENDING CARDS;
-     VARIOUS METHODS--THE CARD-HOLDER--WHAT APPARATUS NOT TO
-     USE--THE SALAMANDER CARD--A LEGITIMATE USE FOR "FORCING"
-     PACKS--HERRMANN'S BOUQUET--A HUMAN HEN--THE HATCHED
-     CARD--THE WAND, AND HOW TO MAKE IT--MORE ABOUT APPARATUS.
-
-
-Nearly every modern conjuror of any pretensions to skill commences
-with a card trick. There is something about a good card trick well
-executed that always takes with an intelligent audience. When a
-performer does not commence with the cards, it is generally because
-he does not possess skill enough to do anything effective with them,
-although he will generally make a virtue of necessity (at which
-conjurors are particularly apt), and give some totally different
-reason.
-
-_Vanishing a Pack._--When the time is limited, none should be wasted
-in preliminaries; but, when possible, the performer should always
-vanish the pack, by palming it, and find it either at the elbow or
-sole of the boot, or else in possession of one of the audience; or
-he can pretend to give it into the hands of a spectator, and then
-discover it some distance off, with someone else. To execute this
-properly, the cards should be palmed in the right hand, which affects
-to put them into the left hand. The right hand should take the wand
-or lappel of the coat, and the left be disposed, palm downwards, as
-though it held the pack. Such a little exhibition of skill makes a
-good impression at once, and puts the spectators on the alert from the
-very commencement.
-
-_The Egyptian Pocket._--One of the very best sleight-of-hand card
-tricks is that introduced by Herrmann, who, a few years ago, was
-such a favourite throughout Great Britain. He called it the Egyptian
-Pocket, though, for all the name implied, it might as well have been
-called the Nubian, Chinese, Japanese, or Brazilian Pocket. One of the
-audience took a pack round, and allowed four cards to be drawn from
-it. These cards were afterwards gathered in by the same person, who,
-after mounting the stage, placed them in the pack, which was then
-well shuffled. The pack he placed in his breast pocket, and then drew
-out, one by one, three cards of those selected in the audience as
-they were called for. The fourth card, however, he failed to find,
-and was told to search the pack for it. The search proving fruitless,
-he was told to manufacture the card, and, on expressing his ignorance
-of the proper method to pursue, was directed to blow into his pocket,
-where the missing card was then discovered. He was found, however,
-to have blown too hard, for his vest contained a perfect avalanche
-of cards; whilst his nose, on being squeezed, gave forth a stream
-of them, amidst roars of laughter. The method for performing this
-trick is as follows: Place upon your centre table two bulky packs of
-cards, and step forward with a third pack in your hands. Ask someone
-to assist you, and give him the pack in the shape of a fan, directing
-him to ask certain ladies, four in number, whom you will indicate
-with your wand, to select one card each. On this being done, take the
-pack from his hand, and direct him to receive the four cards, faces
-downwards, on the flat of one hand. Whilst this is being done, step
-on the stage, but never take your eye off the operations that are
-going on, for you must notice whose card is placed undermost, whose
-next, and so on. Request your volunteer assistant to kindly step on
-the stage, and, opening the pack in the middle, ask him to place
-the four cards inside. Close the pack, keeping the finger inserted
-where the cards were placed, ready for the pass, and inquire if the
-person on the stage with you possesses an inside breast pocket to his
-coat. If it is outside, it does not much matter, but the inside one
-is better for the trick. On receiving an answer in the affirmative,
-ask to have the pocket emptied. Whilst this is being done, sometimes
-amidst much amusement, by reason of the miscellaneous character of
-the contents of the pocket, make the pass, bringing the four cards
-to the top, and, opening the pack slightly, carelessly run the eye
-over them. It is always as well to know them, in case of an accident
-occurring. Palm them, and give the rest of the pack to your assistant
-to shuffle. Taking the pack back, replace the palmed cards upon it,
-re-palming the top card only, and bid your assistant place the pack
-in his pocket. Feel the outside of his pocket, under the pretence of
-seeing that everything is all right, but in reality to give the cards
-a bend, crosswise. This bend will cause the back of the uppermost card
-to be the first met with by a hand entering the pocket. Now inquire
-of the chooser of this said top card--which, as you have palmed the
-original top one, will be the third one gathered in--what the name of
-her card is. You will affect to do this haphazard, and not as though
-you selected that particular person to inquire of. On receiving a
-reply, desire your assistant to put his hand quickly--"very quickly
-indeed, sir"--into his pocket, and draw out a card. If you have
-arranged everything properly, this will be the desired card. Now ask
-the chooser of the second card what the name of hers is, and repeat
-the operation. Do the same with the first card, and then with the
-fourth. By thus apparently dodging from one lady on one side of the
-room to one on the other side, it will still more appear that you are
-indifferent whose is asked for. This last card will not, of course,
-be forthcoming, and after a few fruitless attempts to produce it,
-plunge the hand, in which the card is palmed, into the pocket, and
-draw out the pack, leaving behind the palmed card. The assistant looks
-through the pack, but does not find the card, and you say, "Well,
-sir, you must make one, I suppose." On hearing that he does not know
-how, say, "Oh! it is as simple as possible. Take this wand in your
-right hand, and open your coat with the left. Good. Now blow into your
-pocket." The card will be found there, and your assistant, thinking
-it is all over, will be about to retire, when you, having just palmed
-one of the packs from the table, detain him with the remark that,
-"Although you did the trick very well, sir, for the first time, yet,
-owing to your inexperience, you unfortunately blew a little too hard.
-See here, sir, what you have inside your vest!" You then plunge the
-hand containing the cards rapidly inside his vest and draw out one
-card only, then another, another, and so on, and finally say that,
-as you do not know how many more there are, he had better take them
-out himself. Whilst he is doing this, palm the other pack, and say,
-"Have you any more cards, sir? No! Excuse me, but will you allow me
-to finish my experiment?" You then place your hand to his nose, and,
-compressing the hand, cause the cards to shoot forth in a stream on to
-the floor. Immediately it is over, shake hands with your assistant,
-and say you are extremely obliged. This will ease his mind of the idea
-that you meant to make a fool of him.
-
-Sometimes, in drawing the cards from the pocket, the assistant will
-accidentally take them from the bottom, instead of from the top. In
-this case, they will be wrong cards, and you must say, "Ah! you don't
-do it quickly enough; this is the way," and, plunging your hand in the
-pocket, draw out the desired card, giving the pack, at the same time,
-a good bend, when you can allow the assistant to try again. About
-thirty cards will make the best pack for this trick, and great care
-must be taken that it does not contain two cards of a kind, for if one
-of these duplicates is chosen, and it is the fourth card, _i.e._, the
-one which is missing at the last, it (its duplicate) will be found
-in the pack when it is gone over, and all your blowing in the pocket
-performance, which is the great feature in the trick, will be knocked
-on the head. I have actually seen this occur. All the performer could
-do was to palm the card and pretend to pass it into the pocket, where,
-of course, the duplicate was found; but it was a very weak finish.
-
-_The Missing Link._--This is another very telling card trick, and
-one that has made the fame of more than one amateur conjuror. A
-card is chosen from the pack and torn into shreds. The pieces, with
-the exception of a single one, which is given into the custody of a
-spectator, are then put into a little box, piece of paper, &c., and
-made to disappear. The card is then found restored in some part of the
-audience, but it is noticed that a small portion of it is missing.
-The single piece, which was given to a spectator to hold, will be
-found to be of the very size and shape required, thus proving that the
-performer restored the actual card that was destroyed.
-
-For this trick, some slight prearrangement will be necessary. In
-the first place, a card (say, the six of hearts) must have a small
-piece torn out from one of its sides. This mutilated card must then
-be secreted in some out-of-the-way place in the auditorium, or, what
-is still better, in the pocket of one of the audience, of course
-some time before the performance begins. I once had it sewn up in
-the lining of a coat, and on another occasion inserted in the sole
-of a boot: but, in such instances as these, care must be taken that
-the article containing the card is to be worn on the evening of the
-performance, or a fiasco will result. It is, however, always worth
-while to run a little risk for the sake of increased effect. The small
-piece torn from the card is carefully kept, and, whilst the trick is
-being performed, should be on the table, concealed by any trifling
-object that may be upon it at the same time.
-
-"Force" (see instructions for "forcing") a card, exactly similar
-in every way to the one you have previously mutilated and concealed,
-and then ask the chooser to tear it up. Whilst this is being done, go
-to your table for your box or piece of paper, according to which you
-may elect to use, and bring with it, concealed in the fingers, the
-little piece of card. Then have the pieces, which should be reduced
-as nearly as possible to the size of your secreted piece, placed in
-the box or paper and, putting your fingers among them, affect to take
-out one piece, but, in reality, show the one you already had in your
-hand, and give it to a spectator to hold very tightly, or if he likes,
-to put it into his purse. If you have plenty of time on your hands,
-and wish to make extra fuss, you can have it put into an envelope and
-sealed by the audience, which certainly improves the effect. A very
-pardonable joke here comes in well. On giving the portion of the card
-to be held, say to the gentleman, "Will you kindly keep the piece,
-sir?" and then, affecting to notice reluctance in his looks, "No! then
-I must apply to a magistrate, who will, I have no doubt, bind you
-over to keep the _peace_ for six months or so, whilst I shall only
-trouble you for a bare six minutes." If you have had the pieces put
-in paper, you can roll it up into a ball and vanish by palming in the
-right hand, whilst affecting to place it in the left, after the manner
-previously described for vanishing objects. A box can be treated in
-the same manner, or you can give the trick extra finish by having two
-boxes exactly similar, one being filled with chocolate creams or other
-comfits, and exchanged for the one containing the torn-up card. The
-box should be a small round one, and can then be treated exactly as if
-it were a coin, and palmed.
-
-The pieces are then commanded to pass to wherever you have originally
-concealed the torn card, which will be found in due course. You
-exhibit it triumphantly, not affecting to notice the absence of a
-portion of it at first and, when you do make the discovery, you must
-appear overcome with bewilderment. Then suddenly remember the piece
-you have given to be held, and have it fitted to the card, which it
-will naturally make quite complete. Then, if you have used boxes, have
-the box supposed to contain the pieces opened by the lady who chose
-and tore up the card, and present her with it and its contents. Most
-conjurors leave the trick here, but, if the performer pleases, he can
-go still further, and render the card quite complete again. This is
-easily managed with the use of a card box (see p. 127), which can
-have a perfect card concealed in it. The incomplete card and piece are
-put in, and the box turned over. This latter phase is not absolutely
-necessary for the success of the trick. When, as is sometimes the
-case, it is found to be impossible to conceal the mutilated card
-satisfactorily in the audience, the card box will have to be used in
-the first instance.
-
-This trick is best introduced in the middle of a performance, when the
-production of the card from the person of one of the audience will
-look more genuine than it would if it took place at the commencement.
-
-_The Ascending Cards._--For this trick some little preparation is
-also necessary, and a certain amount of apparatus will be required.
-Three, four, or more cards are chosen, and then shuffled up in the
-pack, which is put into a metal or cardboard receptacle of the size of
-a pack of cards. At a word of command, the cards ascend, one by one,
-from the pack, without any apparent agency.
-
-The apparatus required for this trick consists of the case, which can
-either be made to conceal the cards entirely, or may have the front
-cut out so as to show the face of the foremost card, a small border
-being left for the purpose of preventing the cards from falling out.
-This case is divided into two divisions, the rearmost one being much
-smaller than the other, and just large enough to hold about ten
-cards. To the top of the dividing partition affix a piece of fine
-black silk, which allow to hang over the smaller division. Into this
-smaller division now introduce a card, which, as it is put in, must
-have the silk under it. Now introduce a second card, but pass the silk
-over this one instead of under it. Put in a third card with the silk
-under it, and a fourth with the silk over, continuing the operation
-according to the number of cards you intend performing with. When
-the silk is pulled, it will cause those cards which have it passed
-beneath them to ascend. The same effect would be caused without the
-intervention of intermediate cards, but then they would all rise at
-once, whereas the trick is to make them do so singly. The performer
-must have all this arranged before commencing, and also have the
-silk passed out either at the back (which is to be preferred, where
-possible) or the side of the stage, where an assistant is stationed,
-holding the end of it. If at the side, then a small staple or pulley
-must be fixed in the back of the table and the silk passed through it,
-otherwise a direct pull will not be obtained. The case holding the
-cards can either be made to fit in the neck of a decanter by means
-of a cork on the under side, or can be permanently fixed to a tall
-stand. I prefer the decanter myself, as an opaque stand always causes
-suspicions of mechanical assistance to arise in the minds of the
-audience. The decanter should be given for examination.
-
-The performer must force duplicate cards of those arranged in the
-small division of the card-case, of course taking no notice of those
-over which the silk passes, as they will never be exposed, and, asking
-the audience to remember the names of them, have them put in the pack
-and shuffled. The rest of the trick follows as a matter of course.
-The pack is placed in the larger front division of the case, and, as
-the chosen cards are called for, the assistant, who must have a view
-of the cards from his place of concealment, pulls the thread. A very
-commonly practised piece of humour is to include a knave in the forced
-cards, and to place two in the small rear division of the card-case.
-The one that is to appear first is put in upside down, court cards
-with one head only being used. It is upbraided for thus making its
-appearance, and it is replaced in the pack--still upside down--but in
-the front division. The second time, the other knave appears, right
-side up. The marvel of the audience is how the card managed to reverse
-itself in the pack. These card-cases can be procured from any of the
-vendors of conjuring apparatus.
-
-A better arrangement is the following, which enables the performer
-to have his case examined by the audience--always a great advantage.
-It will require a little construction on the part of the performer
-himself, unless he is more fortunate than I ever was, and can find
-someone to carry out his ideas for him.
-
-Instead of having the tin case made with partitions, let him have it
-quite plain, and just large enough to take from thirty-five to forty
-cards. This will bear any amount of examination, and a pack of cards
-should always be put in it before the audience, to show that it is
-entirely filled therewith, and so cannot possibly be made to contain
-any mechanical contrivance. The performer's little arrangement lies in
-a few cards, which, with others, are lying carelessly upon his table.
-These cards are prearranged with the silk exactly as just described
-for the small partition of the case, the end of the silk being
-affixed to the top of the undermost card. When the performer returns
-to his table with the pack, he should place it, whilst arranging his
-case in the decanter, with the loose prepared cards, which should
-then be picked up with it, the pack being undermost. The trick can
-then proceed as usual, and the case be handed round for examination
-afterwards. Great care must be taken not to disarrange the silk whilst
-picking up the cards, as any fault in this respect cannot possibly
-be remedied. The more simple and free from apparatus the method of
-performing this trick, the better it will be appreciated.
-
-A third method, quite original, which I have adopted with unvarying
-success, the performer, will, I expect, prefer to any of the
-foregoing. It is the only method which does not call for the forcing
-of the cards; and its general surroundings are so simple that I find
-conjurors themselves sometimes puzzled to explain how the result
-is brought about. The performer has the usual bottle, which it is,
-perhaps, as well to open before the company. It should be of perfectly
-clear glass, and some fluid should be left in to give it steadiness
-during the performance of the trick. The card-holder should have the
-front side open, a quarter-inch flange being left on each side, to
-prevent the cards from falling out, and the inside coloured black.
-The silk, by means of which the chosen cards are to be made to rise
-out of the pack, has a small round cloth-covered button attached to
-the free end, and this button must be lying upon the table, in a
-convenient position. The performer first comes forward, and gives the
-bottle and card-holder into the hands of the company for examination.
-The examination concluded, he takes the articles to the table, and, as
-soon as possible, drops the button into the bottle. He next fits the
-holder into the neck, taking care, as he does so, to cause the thread
-to pass over the top of it. He now brings forward his pack, which he
-gives up entirely into the hands of the company, who select three
-cards. As many people nowadays have some idea of the "force," this
-at once disarms suspicion in a remarkable manner, and puts off many
-knowing ones, who are sure to have seen the trick before, otherwise
-performed, it being a very favourite one with conjurors. The performer
-now takes the pack back to the table, getting a picture card to the
-front, as he does so. If he chooses, he may ask the selectors of the
-cards to mark them with pencil, and whilst this is being done, he
-goes with the pack to the table, where he places it carelessly into
-the holder, taking care that the thread passes over the top of the
-cards. It also passes over the front of them, but, as a picture card
-is in front, it is not seen, as it would be if a card with much white
-showing were there. For this same reason, the inside of the holder is
-coloured black. The three cards are now fetched from the audience,
-faces downwards, so that the performer, as he will explain, cannot see
-them. It will not assist him in the least if he does; but audiences
-invariably think an immense deal attaches to the fact of the performer
-seeing a card, and it is as well for all conjurors to conspire to keep
-up the delusion. Laying the cards first upon the table, he takes up
-one, and places it amongst those in the holder, some three or four
-from the front. As the card is pressed down, it takes the silk with
-it, care being taken to keep the latter as near the middle of the
-card as possible. The second card is now placed a few cards farther
-in the rear, and the third still farther back. It will be necessary
-to keep a finger of the disengaged hand upon the top of the card or
-cards in front of the one being placed into position, or the downward
-pressure will cause a corresponding, but premature, upward motion to
-be imparted to those already in position, which would spoil the trick
-at once. Whilst the cards are being thus placed in the pack, the
-performer must be careful to keep the company engaged in conversation.
-The trick then proceeds as usual; but, at the conclusion, the
-performer, seizing the bottle in one hand and the holder in the other,
-separates them, and comes rapidly forward to give them and the cards
-for examination. The assistant keeping firm hold of the thread, the
-button is drawn out of the bottle, and no trace remains of the medium
-by which the ascension was accomplished. I take some pride in this
-little arrangement, which, I need scarcely say, is not elsewhere made
-public.
-
-To force three or more cards, pass them all from the bottom to the
-centre together, and not one at a time. Always be very particular
-about showing round the decanter or bottle, the most innocent portion
-of the whole apparatus. Where convenient, it causes a good effect to
-have a bottle of champagne opened on purpose. Give some of the wine
-away, and use the bottle half emptied, saying that you must keep some
-of the spirits in it for your trick.
-
-_The Salamander Card._--A card is chosen and torn in halves. One half
-is given into the custody of the audience, and the other placed in
-a cleft stick or crayon-holder, and burnt over a candle. The ashes
-are put into a piece of paper, which is rolled up and made to vanish
-by sleight of hand, the method used being one which ought, by this
-time, to be familiar to the performer. A letter here arrives addressed
-to the performer, brought in by an attendant at the door by which
-the audience has entered. The performer asks one of the audience to
-open it for him, as he cannot stop in the middle of a trick. Inside
-the envelope, which is sealed, is found another, and, inside that,
-another; and so on until a fifth or sixth is reached. Inside the
-innermost of all that half of the card which was only an instant
-before burnt before the eyes of the audience is found, as is proved by
-fitting it to the portion in the custody of a spectator.
-
-This trick is thus managed: The cleft stick, which is an ordinary
-piece of firewood rounded and smoothed a little, has a cleft at each
-end. A metal crayon-holder, with double ends, also serves the purpose
-admirably. In one end, the performer has fixed the half of a card,
-which must be one of the pack from which the card is to be chosen,
-doubled up tolerably small. This end he conceals in his hand, and then
-has the half of the card which is to burnt doubled up and placed in
-the cleft in the other, retaining the stick in his hand all the time.
-On turning round to his attendant (who must know his part, and have
-rehearsed it once or twice) for a candle, he reverses the ends of
-the stick, and, removing the piece of card just placed in it, gives
-it to his attendant whilst in the act of taking the candle. If the
-attendant is not very proficient, the performer may go to the side
-and stretch the hand containing the abstracted piece of card behind
-the screen or curtain, and so effect the transfer. The attendant
-should stand with one hand open and the candlestick in the other (of
-course, out of sight). The performer will call out for the candle,
-but, receiving no answer, will go quickly to the side, where he will
-obtain it. The stick, with fictitious card in it, he must have in the
-other hand, which must be outstretched all the time, and never for an
-instant removed from the view of the audience. If this is not done,
-no suspicion will be attached to the fact of his going to the side.
-The instant the attendant receives the piece of card, he must slip
-it inside the small envelope, which will be arranged, in order with
-the others, beforehand (the outside one being already addressed, as a
-matter of course), and either take it round to the front himself or
-deliver it to the servant who is to take it into the room. Too much
-rapidity cannot be exercised in executing this portion of the trick.
-When once the letter is delivered, the performer has nothing more to
-do in the way of exerting his skill, but has merely to do a little
-talking, and eventually have the letter opened. Indeed, in this trick
-there is but little sleight of hand to be exhibited; but a bungler
-would nevertheless make an egregious muddle of it. It requires great
-neatness of execution. For instance, in turning round for the purpose
-of reversing the position of the stick in the hands, great care must
-be taken that no movement of the elbows is visible. The movement made
-must be confined to the arm below the elbow, or even to the wrists
-only. This movement of the wrists must be practised, as it is a highly
-essential one and has to be brought into use frequently. If any of the
-audience see the arms moving, they know, or surmise, that something is
-going on, even though they cannot divine what it is.
-
-Although not absolutely necessary, it is as well always to force a
-card for this trick. The card can then be doubled up with the pips
-outwards if the prepared end of the cleft stick contains a portion of
-a similar card. For frequent performances of this trick and _The
-Missing Link_, it will be advisable to have what I have previously
-described as (but condemned the open use of) "forcing packs," viz.,
-packs the cards of which are all of one denomination and suite, as
-it will not do to tear up cards from ordinary packs. They are easily
-obtainable at conjuring repositories or card manufacturers.
-
-This trick is also exceedingly effective when a borrowed letter or
-other document is used instead of a card. In large public audiences, a
-bank note or other paper of value may be borrowed. It is easy to have
-a piece of a note of the "Bank of Elegance" in the concealed cleft,
-in imitation of a bank note. On important occasions the performer
-should always have three or four sticks prepared with various coloured
-papers, so as to be ready for any emergency. The preparation is
-trifling, and the sticks not used will do for another time.
-
-It is quite immaterial which way it is done, but sometimes I tell the
-person to whom I give the stick and candle not to burn the paper, but
-to "put it in the candle." When I notice that it is in a fair way
-to be burned I look in another direction, as if not noticing what
-is going on, and am horrified on turning round to find the paper
-destroyed. This answers best when the material burnt is a borrowed
-paper.
-
-Most conjurors perform this trick with the aid of a square wooden
-ladle, which possesses a movable flap similar to that of the "card
-box," and worked by twisting the handle round. This flap releases a
-fictitious paper, whilst it covers up the borrowed one. The excuse
-given for using this ladle is that the performer does not want the
-audience to suppose, as they would do if he handled it, that he
-changes the paper. This excuse is poor and weak, as it puts the idea
-of fictitious substitutions (the heart and soul of stage conjuring)
-into the heads of people who would otherwise never have dreamed of
-such a thing.
-
-The arrangement of the premises very often makes the employment of the
-envelopes one within the other impracticable. As a substitute method,
-I here give one of my own, which, whilst it is not as amusing as the
-first one, is far more wonderful and inexplicable to the company.
-
-Subsequently to borrowing a piece of paper or bank note from one
-of the company, the performer shows round a piece of glass tube,
-say four inches in length, having both ends hermetically sealed by
-being melted up. This piece of tube is folded in a piece of paper,
-and given into the custody of one of the company. The trick is gone
-through, as above described, except that the burnt paper is found
-restored inside the tube, which, of course, has to be broken before
-the contents can be recovered by their owner. This, on the face of it,
-is, of course, an utter impossibility; but it is thus accomplished.
-Glass-blowers, and those who have studied practical chemistry, know
-that to construct such a glass receptacle as that above described,
-all that is necessary is a piece of tube and a spirit lamp. The tube
-is held in the flame by the hands, and, as the glass melts it is
-drawn asunder, the result being that the two new ends thus formed
-collapse, and, cooling, take the form of points. Behind the scenes
-the assistant is provided with a piece of tube, eight or ten inches
-in length, one end of which has already been melted up. So soon as he
-receives the piece of paper from the performer he folds it up small,
-and pushes it down the tube as far as it will go. Then he melts this
-tube some three inches up, which will be far enough removed from the
-paper to keep it from being burned, and by this means the paper has
-become hermetically sealed inside a glass receptacle. If the assistant
-has had the necessary practice, the operation should not take long.
-When it is concluded, the assistant brings the glass on, and, under
-pretence of fetching away the candle, which the performer has placed
-upon the table, leaves it upon the shelf. The empty tube is upon the
-table, and the performer, in fetching it, takes with him, secretly,
-the one with the paper inside. This is very easily concealed in the
-hand if one end be pressed against the root of the thumb, the other
-end being pressed by the middle finger. The empty tube is shown, as
-also a piece of paper, in which it is ostensibly wrapped, the one with
-the paper inside being substituted. This substitution is effected by
-having the one tube concealed in the left hand, the empty tube being
-apparently transferred to it, but really palmed, as above directed.
-The right hand at once seizes the paper, and covers the tube in the
-left hand with it, and the wrapping-up is immediately proceeded with,
-as no further exposure may be permitted. If the performer prefers it,
-the assistant may wrap the prepared tube in paper, similar to that
-used by the performer, who then conceals the parcel under his vest.
-In this case, the empty tube is wrapped up by one of the company,
-the performer giving the parcel the necessary resemblance to the
-other (each should have twisted ends), and the exchange may be made
-subsequently. After the parcel has been opened, for the purpose
-of showing the tube with the paper inside, the performer must not
-approach it until the owner of the paper has broken it open with a
-hammer (the use of the wand for this purpose has less appearance
-of premeditation about it), and identified his property. I do not
-recommend the use of a card for this trick, as therein the spectators
-might find some explanation of its wonderful character. By employing a
-piece of a letter belonging to one of them, complete mystification is
-secured.
-
-The restored card may be reproduced from a candle, by way of variety.
-The performer has on his table two or more candles; on no account
-brought on purposely for the trick. It will not matter in the least
-how long they have been burning, so that a good portion of them be
-remaining. As though struck with a sudden inspiration, the performer
-suggests, in his happiest manner, that the destroyed article be found
-inside one of the candles. The company not objecting (spectators,
-anticipating amusement from them, never object to the conjuror's
-suggestions in these cases), the owner of the paper or chooser of the
-card is requested to say which candle shall be employed. One being
-pointed out, and extinguished, it is taken out of the candlestick and
-put upon the table, where the performer proceeds to cut it in two with
-a knife, affecting great pains in making the portions exactly equal.
-He now asks which half he shall take, and, when the person asked
-says, "the right" (or left) half, he must inquire, "Which right [or
-left]; mine or yours?" The chosen half is again cut in two, and one
-of the portions chosen, that portion being again divided. The pieces
-remaining will be an inch or so long, and one is selected of these.
-This the performer gives to the person most interested amongst the
-spectators, on a plate, along with a knife, and, when it is cut open,
-the paper or card is found inside.
-
-The way this is done is simplicity itself. The candles are all
-ordinary ones, so it really does not matter to the performer which
-is chosen, although he will do well to exhibit anxiety on the point,
-by way of effect. Neither does it matter to him which portion of the
-cut-up candle is eventually chosen, he having previously given off the
-piece of paper or card to the assistant, who has placed it in a small
-piece of candle, which the performer has safely secured under his vest
-whilst he is cutting up the chosen candle. When the last stage of the
-cutting is finished, the prepared piece is got down and exchanged in
-the usual manner for the innocent piece. It is then brought forward on
-the plate, and the remainder follows, as a matter of course.
-
-_The Obliging Bouquet._--This trick resembles to a great extent _The
-Ascending Cards_, and was one of Hermann's many masterpieces. As
-performed by him, it outshone, in exquisite neatness and effect, all
-other card tricks; but the amount of skill and daring necessary to
-carry it properly through is considerable, and persons of nervous or
-uncertain dispositions had better consider well before they attempt
-it. At the same time, those with the requisite skill and nerve may
-earn incalculable glory by including this trick occasionally in
-their programmes. The description of it (never before made public)
-is as follows: A bouquet of real flowers is handed to a lady in the
-audience, and three or four cards are then chosen from the pack. These
-cards are made to disappear. One by one they are then seen to rise
-from the bouquet, which is still held by the lady.
-
-As in _The Ascending Cards_, a case for holding cards is required,
-but in this instance it is made of zinc, and just large enough to take
-about eight cards. The outside is painted dark green. This case must
-be prepared beforehand, with cards, as described in _The Ascending
-Cards_, with the exception that human hair is substituted for silk.
-It is also as well either to have the intermediate cards, _i.e._,
-those over which the hair passes, fixed permanently, or else to have
-partitions of the same material as the case. The loose end of the hair
-should have a tiny bead of wax on it, and the case must be placed in
-the centre of the bouquet, in such a position that, although it is not
-visible from the outside, yet the cards will have a tolerably free
-passage for their ascent. If possible, bring the mouth of it just
-beneath two buds of roses, which will give to the slightest pressure,
-and allow the card to come up between them. The hair should hang down
-between the buds, passing between the stalks. The greatest care must
-necessarily be taken in arranging all this, and the trick rehearsed
-within an hour of its performance, to make sure of everything being
-safe.
-
-Bring the bouquet on, and, selecting the lady least likely to
-interfere with your arrangements (this selection should be made whilst
-you are on the stage performing other tricks), ask her to kindly hold
-the bouquet for you, calling attention to the fact that the flowers
-are real ones. If possible, always have the bouquet held in the front
-row of the audience, and take care that the hair is towards you
-all the time. Now "force" duplicate cards of those in the bouquet,
-and then cause them to vanish as you please. As looking the most
-skilful, I prefer palming to any other method, on all occasions. If,
-from knowing the cards as you "forced" them, you are aware who took
-particular cards, you can ask the person who chose the duplicate card
-of the first in the case, the name of it, and then desire that one
-to rise from the bouquet. On hearing the name of the card, or just
-before, advance to the bouquet, and ask the holder of it if she saw
-the fairies bring the cards to the flowers, or any other fanciful
-question you please, and then, under the pretence of having it held
-a little higher or lower, or a little more to the right or to the
-left, advance the hand to the bouquet, and so obtain possession of
-the end of the hair. A good deal of deceptive action must now be
-introduced, the wand being put into the hand holding the hair, which
-must then be pulled very slightly indeed, and if the card rises the
-strain can be continued. Just before the card shows itself, say, "No!
-I am afraid the fairies have been disobedient to-day." This will
-momentarily remove the interest of the audience from the bouquet, and
-attention will be directed to you, as if inquiring what will be done
-next. This is the opportunity you must seize for causing the card to
-rise, and then exclaim, "Ah! there is one, after all." Run the card
-up quickly, and take it out of the bouquet, or, if it appears to be
-very loose, allow the holder of the bouquet to remove it. If, at this
-juncture, you fancy your temporary assistant is at all suspicious, at
-once take the bouquet to someone else; but on no account take this
-step if all is going on well. Ask the name of the next card, which
-cause to rise in the same manner, and repeat the operation with the
-remaining card or cards. As the hair becomes gradually longer, you
-will be enabled to stand a little further off on each occasion. You
-must contrive to alter your attitude as often as possible, and also
-endeavour to look quite unconcerned. The best way to assume this by
-no means easy appearance, is to affect to be rather more amused at
-the ascension of the cards from the bouquet than the audience itself.
-One ticklish point is in ascertaining whether everything is in order.
-This never reveals itself until the first pull is made, when, if there
-is anything wrong, a jerk will be felt by the holder of the bouquet,
-and, in all likelihood, a clue to your secret will be given. If you
-only so much as fancy that anything is wrong, take hold of the bouquet
-with your disengaged hand, without taking it away from the holder of
-it, and have it held a trifle higher or lower. This will enable you
-to give a precautionary pull without allowing any strain to be felt.
-Such a thing as a hitch ought not to take place, for the previous
-arrangements should be so perfect as to do away with all possibility
-of such an occurrence. The cards all out of the case, inquire, for
-the sake of effect, if there are any more chosen ones that have not
-appeared, and then take the bouquet round, allowing people to smell
-at it, &c. This is really to enable you to remove the case from the
-bouquet, but ostensibly to show that the flowers are real. The best
-way of removing the case is through the stems of the flowers, and for
-this purpose it is made of zinc, it being a weighty metal. As it is
-a small affair, it can easily be palmed. The bouquet should be then
-presented to the lady who held it during the performance of the trick,
-with the request that the flowers should be examined to see if there
-be any preparation about them.
-
-Taking into consideration the difficulty in performing the trick, the
-desirability of having as small a case as possible, and the usual
-shortness of hair, it is advisable to force only three cards, although
-three or four hairs may be employed. When I first saw Herrmann perform
-this trick, I was simply appalled at the audacity required to perform
-it successfully; but experience has taught me that, with practice,
-it is as easy as many other tricks which are not one quarter so
-effective. The difficulties to be overcome are causing the first card
-to rise without being discovered, and removing the case. It will be
-found that if the bouquet is held a little lower (only a few inches)
-than the hand holding the hair, there will be less likelihood of any
-strain taking place. If the performer pleases, the chosen cards can
-be torn up or burnt in the first instance, but the destruction is a
-needless one.
-
-_The Hatched Card._--A chosen card is destroyed or made to disappear,
-and on an ordinary egg (selected from a number) being broken, it is
-found inside.
-
-Before describing the trick itself, I will give a unique method
-(Herrmann again) for obtaining the eggs. A rehearsed assistant will be
-required, and he must have in his mouth an egg, and, besides, either
-a portion (either end) of the shell of, or a wooden or porcelain
-imitation of, one. Under the vest band, and sustained by the elastic
-thereof, you have four more eggs concealed. You come on with your
-assistant, whose mouth is then empty, and, telling the audience that
-you will require an egg, ask him if he has taken the egg powder you
-gave him, and whether he thinks he can give you any eggs. On receiving
-his reply in the affirmative, tell him to fetch a plate. This he does,
-and, at the same time, pops the egg and real or imitation portion
-of shell into his mouth, all done in an instant, so as to avoid
-suspicion. He now takes up his position in the centre of the stage, a
-little "up," with the plate held before him and elbows close to his
-sides. You stand beside him, and place your rear hand upon his head.
-He then slowly exhibits the egg, which, with the forward hand, you
-then extract with seemingly immense difficulty. Whilst the forward
-hand is thus engaged, the rear one takes an egg from the vest, and
-you cross over behind the assistant, and are just about to take the
-plate from him when he exhibits the shell, which, to the audience,
-appears to be another egg. You exclaim, "What, another! you must have
-taken too much powder," and then advancing the forward (late the rear)
-hand, you slip the egg palmed in it half into your assistant's mouth,
-and then proceed to drag it forth with the same difficulty which
-attended the abstraction of the first one. The rear hand has by this
-time another egg in it, and you go round behind the assistant, only
-to find him exhibiting another egg, which you extract, as before. The
-process is repeated until all the eggs are gone. It is not advisable
-to use more than five eggs, for precautionary reasons, and that
-number is quite sufficient to excite wonder. The assistant must be
-careful not to allow the shell inside his mouth to be seen whilst you
-are removing an egg just "laid." If you can find anyone with a mouth
-capacious enough to contain two eggs (small ones will do), secure him
-as an inestimable treasure. No trick being more conducive to laughter
-than this one, extra care must be taken with it. The performer should
-move about in an easy and unostentatious manner, and endeavour, by
-word and mien, to keep up the impression that the whole of the trick
-lies in the assistant's mouth. The use of the extra egg end is not
-absolutely necessary, for the palming can begin with the first egg,
-the one originally in the mouth being kept there till the last, when
-it may be allowed to fall out into the performer's outstretched palms.
-Either method is effective. Show the eggs round on a plate, and have
-one selected with which to perform the succeeding trick. For that, the
-following apparatus will be necessary.
-
-Make, either of wood or metal (tin, brass, zinc, &c.), a hollow wand
-(open at one end, and closed at the other), painted or varnished on
-the outside, so as to resemble in every little particular the wand
-you ordinarily use. If the latter has ivory or brass tips, then your
-imitation wand must have the same. There is not the least necessity
-for running into any expense, for, by going to a working tinman or
-walking-stick maker, the thing can be obtained for a shilling. I much
-prefer wood to metal, and would recommend its use. This imitation need
-not be made of real ebony, although it should be of tolerably hard
-wood. Fitting inside there must be another piece of wood, an inch
-shorter than the interior of the wand itself, which should move up
-and down pretty easily, but not loosely. Commencing exactly 2in. from
-one end, cut a slit 1in. long, and, making a little peg of wood, or
-providing yourself with a small brass round-headed nail, which must
-be afterwards coloured to match the wand, drive it into the sliding
-piece of wood, which must be pushed up against the closed end of the
-wand at the time. By holding the wand at the closed end, and placing
-the thumb on the little peg, the sliding piece of wood can be made to
-move up and down as easily as can the pen or pencil inside an ivory
-holder. By making the slit the same length as the space left at the
-open end of the wand, the sliding piece will not protrude when the peg
-is pushed down by means of the thumb. The sliding piece should also be
-blackened all over, as, if left white, it might show through the slit
-or at the exposed end, which, however, should never be turned full
-towards the audience at any time.
-
-It is now open to you either to force a card or to have one selected
-haphazard. If the card is to be forced, then you can have the wand
-loaded beforehand. This is done by doubling up the card until it is
-only 1in. wide, rolling it up, and putting it into the wand, which you
-can then leave on the table handy. If the card is not to be forced,
-the wand must be behind, and the card chosen before the egg-laying
-performance (supposing you find your eggs in that way) takes place.
-Have only about twenty cards to select from, and let your assistant
-know what they are. They can be arranged in sequences or suits, for
-greater convenience. When your assistant retires, after producing the
-eggs, he takes the pack of cards with him; and whilst you are showing
-the eggs round he looks through the nineteen cards and finds out which
-one is missing. He then takes a duplicate of this, and puts it into
-the wand. For the sake of expedition, you should have a duplicate
-of each of the twenty cards in readiness. I remember once finding
-myself without a duplicate of a selected card, and I had actually to
-go forward and, under the plea of placing it in an exposed position,
-"where everyone could see it," effect a change. I left a dummy card on
-the chair (the "exposed position,") face downwards, and carried off
-the chosen one in triumph, feeling very much relieved. This method
-of having a card or cards chosen from a pack, the cards of which are
-known, does not belong particularly to this trick, but can be used in
-many others. It is only worth while to take the trouble when your
-audience is a particularly sharp one, and not likely to be imposed
-upon by a "force." The egg and card both chosen, you may do what you
-please with the latter, so long as you get rid of it, and, taking the
-egg, which you have previously had minutely examined and held up to
-the light, to show that it is empty, upon a plate, give the plate to
-be held by a spectator, and then break the shell by means of the open
-end of your prepared wand. Immediately you are well through the shell,
-push the peg along by means of the thumb, and the rolled up card will
-be forced into the egg, whence have it extracted by a spectator. If
-you please, one of the audience may hold the egg whilst you break the
-shell. I need hardly mention that, before you bring your wand into
-play, you should make a fuss about passing the card into the egg. The
-reader, by this time, will take that as a matter of course. Always
-have a cloth or handkerchief handy in this trick for wiping egg and
-fingers.
-
-The preceding six card tricks, used judiciously, that is to say, not
-too frequently, should, with those described in "Drawing-room Magic"
-(_La Carte Générale_, for instance), last a conjuror a lifetime.
-They are the very best I have seen performed, for they combine
-sleight of hand with a minimum amount of apparatus; indeed, the
-articles I have directed to be used are hardly worthy of the name,
-the nearest approach to it being the card-cases and the hollow wand.
-There are a number of tricks sold in which cards rise from demons'
-heads, imitation plants, and pedestals; but these are all exceedingly
-expensive, and are nearly all worked by electricity. Besides this,
-there always seems to be an artificial effect about such things. For
-all the audience know, there may be a small boy concealed in the
-demon's head, or in the huge flower-pot in which the "Magic Rose Tree"
-is generally stood. At any rate, the idea of "sleight of hand" is not
-conveyed, and, if for that reason only, I will have none of them.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIII.
-
-TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS AND GLOVES.
-
-     THE RESTORED HANDKERCHIEF: ITS VARIOUS MISFORTUNES--THE
-     CONJUROR'S PISTOL--SUN AND MOON: A TOTAL ECLIPSE--THE
-     DISSOLVING KNOTS--THE DECANTED HANDKERCHIEF--THE MELTING
-     HANDKERCHIEFS--THE ELASTIC GLOVE: HOW TO ACCOMMODATE ALL
-     SIZES.
-
-
-_The Restored Handkerchief._--This title will doubtless apply to many
-tricks with handkerchiefs, so, if the performer thinks it too general,
-he can find another of his own for this particular trick. Herrmann
-called it Le Mouchoir Serpent, from the fancied resemblance to a snake
-which the handkerchief was made to take at one stage of the trick. For
-it the performer must have prepared a lemon, with a small handkerchief
-inside. The way to operate on the lemon is as follows: Cut off one
-end--the apex is the best--and then, by means of a spoon, take out
-the whole of the interior, being careful to remove the inner white
-skin. Push in the handkerchief, replace the portion of lemon which
-you cut off, and sew it carefully on with yellow cotton or silk. The
-first lemon or two are rather tiresome to prepare, but after a time
-the job can be done very quickly and neatly. The method of sewing
-which should be adopted is that known as "under-sewing," and it will
-be necessary to guard against including the handkerchief itself in
-the stitching. As the handkerchief placed inside is meant to be
-subsequently destroyed, it need be of the very commonest description
-only. It can be obtained for three-halfpence. On the centre table have
-a small scent-bottle, with methylated spirits, a lighted candle, a
-common plate, and a knife. Concealed in the palm of one hand are about
-ten pieces of cambric, each about three inches square, and properly
-hemmed. Under the vest is a piece of cambric two inches broad and
-about four feet long, doubled, not rolled, up. Behind the scenes are a
-couple of pieces of thin wrapping paper about nine inches square. In
-the hand not occupied by the pieces conceal the prepared lemon, and
-advance to the audience. Pretend to see something in a gentleman's
-hair, and, after fumbling in it, produce the lemon. Let several
-persons smell at the fruit, taking care to present the better-looking
-end, in case your sewing has not been very successful. Of course, the
-lemon must not leave your hand, except to be tossed once or twice in
-the air, to show that it is real. Place this lemon on a side table,
-and there leave it, with the sewn-up end from the audience.
-
-Now borrow a small handkerchief, the smaller the better but do not
-take one that is much ornamented with lace. Turn to a gentleman, and,
-whilst asking him to stand up, roll the handkerchief up carelessly in
-the hand, and, working it round the bundle of pieces which you have
-concealed, bring it underneath and let the pieces appear at the top.
-This can be done in an instant whilst you are talking with the person
-whom you wish to assist you. Give the bundle of pieces, which the
-audience will think is the handkerchief, to him, with instructions to
-rub it gently in the hands. You have, in the meantime, taken care to
-keep the exchanged handkerchief well concealed in the palm. Retire to
-the stage, and, whilst mounting it, vest the handkerchief and take in
-its place the doubled-up long piece, which keep concealed by means
-of the wand. Ask your assistant how he is getting on, and explain
-that you wish him to rub the handkerchief so small that it can be
-passed inside the lemon. After a little rubbing has taken place, ask
-him to open the handkerchief out, to see if it is any smaller. Of
-course, when he attempts to do so, it will drop about in pieces, to
-everyone's astonishment. Affect great annoyance, and advance, saying
-that the trick is now spoilt all through the handkerchief being
-_rubbed the wrong way_. Collect the pieces together, and, rolling
-them up, exchange them in the hand for the long piece. This exchange
-may at first seem very daring and difficult, but, if care is taken
-always to have the piece or pieces concealed well down in the hand
-before the substituted article is removed, there need be no fear of
-detection; only the performer must go right at it, and not falter in
-the least. Give the long piece to your assistant, and tell him to rub
-it this time with the left hand. Whichever way he rubs you must say
-is the wrong one, and finally ask him to give you one of the pieces
-that you may show him what you mean. In his attempt to give you one
-of the supposed pieces, he will unroll the long piece amidst much
-laughter. After suggesting that the gentleman pays for the destroyed
-handkerchief, rub it up in the hands and "pass" it into the lemon. For
-this purpose, it may be rolled up on the table, and passed down a trap.
-
-Instead of "passing" with the hands, it is in every way neater and
-more effective to use a conjuring pistol, which is loaded with the
-handkerchief and then fired. This pistol will have to be provided
-with a large tin funnel, so constructed that the tube portion, which
-must fit the barrel of the pistol closely, extends for a long way
-inside the funnel. When a handkerchief, or similar article, is rammed
-into the funnel, care is taken that it goes around the tube so that,
-on the pistol, which has been previously loaded, being fired, the
-flash passes harmlessly down the tube. The mouth of the funnel must
-never, by any chance, be seen by the audience. These pistols, which
-are exceedingly useful at all times, can be purchased at conjuring
-repositories; but it is easy for anyone possessing an ordinary pistol
-to have it fitted with a funnel by a tinman.
-
-Suppose the long piece either "passed" or fired out of the pistol,
-take the lemon and cut it open with the knife, and pull out the
-handkerchief that was already in it. Pretend to advance for the
-purpose of returning it to its owner, but suddenly discover that
-it smells of lemon. Say that you will put some scent on it, and,
-placing it upon the plate, saturate it with spirits from your bottle.
-Whilst advancing a step or two, to inquire if it is enough, your
-stage attendant enters and quietly sets light to the spirits with the
-candle. You turn back and nearly burn your fingers, and start aside
-horror-stricken.
-
-A slight scene now takes place between you and your attendant, who
-insists that you told him to set fire to the handkerchief. Run down
-to the audience with the plate and its blazing contents, asking the
-owner of the handkerchief to take it in its present state. Turn back
-and drop it on the floor of the stage, and then go behind the scenes,
-where quickly take the original borrowed handkerchief from the vest,
-and wrap it in one of the two pieces of paper (it will add to the
-effect if you scent the handkerchief a little), which hold in the
-hand covered by the second piece of paper, open. During your absence
-your attendant has been dancing about, affecting to burn his fingers,
-&c. When the handkerchief is nearly burnt out, snatch up the remains
-of it quickly and pop it into the open piece of paper, roll it up
-rapidly and exchange for the real handkerchief in paper, vesting it
-at once, or a severe burn may ensue. This is done whilst hurrying
-towards the owner of the handkerchief, to whom you say that you have
-done the best you can, and are sorry that you have only the ashes of
-the handkerchief to offer; but that if she will leave her address,
-you will forward a new one in the morning, &c. Finally, you have the
-supposed ashes blown upon, and then tear open the paper, revealing
-the handkerchief. If you have scented it, call attention to the fact.
-
-If I wanted to test a conjuror's ability, I should give him this trick
-to perform. No duffer could ever get half way through it; and yet, by
-attention to the rudiments of palming, &c., it becomes easy enough.
-There can be no two opinions about the effect produced. The principal
-portions should be rehearsed with your attendant.
-
-A very amusing variation to this trick is the following: Purchase two
-cheap sunshades of a precisely similar pattern. They should be small,
-and the covers of light alpaca. From one carefully strip the cover, so
-as to leave the ribs bare, and, at the end of each rib, fasten a piece
-of cambric exactly similar to those used in the rubbing-away episode.
-This sunshade have lying upon the shelf at the back of the table,
-rolled up in paper. In one of the large side pockets have concealed
-the cover, rolled up and tied with very fine thread, that may be
-easily broken. Upon the table have lying a piece of paper similar to
-that in which the sunshade upon the shelf is wrapped. At the opening
-of the trick, show this sunshade round, and then proceed to wrap it
-up in paper, on the table. You will always have some extra sheets,
-and behind one of these the one sunshade is exchanged for the other.
-Give it to be held in the company. Then borrow a hat, and secretly
-introduce the cover, placing the hat on a side table. When the trick
-has proceeded as far as the discovery of the small pieces in the hands
-of the spectator who is rubbing the handkerchief, place them in the
-pistol and fire at the sunshade held in the company. Great amusement
-ensues when the bare ribs are discovered, with the pieces of cambric
-flying from them. These are then taken off, and the trick proceeded
-with, as before described, the cover being discovered in the hat at
-any convenient period. Break the thread, and shake it out well before
-bringing to view, so as not to suggest any idea of its ever having
-been rolled up tightly into small bulk.
-
-_Sun and Moon._--This is another amusing trick, in which handkerchiefs
-are destroyed and restored in a most lavish manner. Beyond the
-preparation of a couple of handkerchiefs, and the use of a conjuring
-pistol, no apparatus is required, if the trick be performed after the
-following method, which is according to my own arrangement, and in
-keeping with my belief in sleight of hand as opposed to apparatus.
-
-Purchase three common coloured cotton handkerchiefs, all of precisely
-the same pattern, and from the centre of one of them cut a circular
-piece some three or four inches in diameter. Replace this with a white
-piece, so that you have a coloured handkerchief with a white centre.
-Take a white handkerchief, and cut from its centre a circular piece
-just a trifle smaller than that from the coloured handkerchief, which
-latter then sew in the centre of the white handkerchief. A friend
-of yours in the audience should have the second of the coloured
-handkerchiefs in his pocket, and receive instructions to the effect
-that, when you ask for a handkerchief in a particular manner (you
-can easily arrange a sort of by-word between yourselves), he is to
-offer this particular handkerchief, which you tardily accept. This
-is one of the very rare occasions on which I permit myself to have a
-confederate in the audience; and I only do it because (1) a really
-capital trick would otherwise be impossible of performance, and (2)
-because it is not at all necessary that your confederate should know
-anything about the trick. I always say that it is necessary for me to
-have in such-and-such a trick a coloured handkerchief, _merely for
-effect_, and it is rarely that people bring coloured handkerchiefs
-with them, so, to avoid disappointment, &c., &c. If the person who
-officiates be a dullard, he will be none the wiser, and if he be a
-relative, as he should be, he is tolerably safe. Coloured handkerchief
-No. 3 you have rolled up in a piece of paper and placed in your
-capacious breast pocket. Besides these, you must have in the palm of
-one hand an ordinary white handkerchief concealed. The two prepared
-handkerchiefs already described are done up in paper in the shape
-of a ball and placed upon the shelf at the back of the table, on the
-top of which are lying a few loose sheets of paper similar to that in
-which the handkerchiefs are wrapped. Also on the table are two plates,
-some methylated spirits, a lighted candle, two pairs of scissors, or
-else two sharp knives, and a funnel pistol. Advance to the audience,
-with the white handkerchief concealed in the palm, and borrow two
-handkerchiefs--one a white one, at hazard, except that you endeavour
-to let it be one somewhat similar to your own, and the other, the
-coloured one, from your friend. Exchange the white handkerchief for
-your own, as in the preceding trick, and vest it, and then give both
-white and coloured handkerchiefs to be held by separate persons.
-Each handkerchief should be held horizontally by the two hands, one
-holding the very centre of it, and the other grasping it a few inches
-away. Give the scissors or knives to two other persons, and bid them
-mark the handkerchiefs. At first some hesitation will be shown at
-cutting the handkerchiefs, but you must say there is no fear. From the
-position in which each handkerchief is held, it will be incumbent on
-anyone cutting between the hands of the person holding it to take a
-piece clean out of the centre. When this cutting is over (you might
-do it yourself, only it looks more genuine and creates more fun to
-have it done by the audience), say that there will be no mistaking
-the handkerchiefs now, for they are marked with a vengeance. Now take
-the mutilated coloured handkerchief and the white piece, and put them
-on one plate, the the mutilated white handkerchief and coloured piece
-being put on the other. Pour spirits on both, and set fire to them.
-When they are well ablaze, pretend to discover that you have made
-the mistake of mixing the colours, and endeavour (fruitlessly, of
-course) to take out the burning pieces. Remark that it is a very bad
-job, as you had hoped to have shown a specimen of your skill, but now
-everything is spoilt through your forgetfulness. Your stage attendant
-can attend to the burning of the handkerchiefs, if you so please,
-in which case you can give him a good blowing up, and threaten to
-discharge him on the spot. The more penitent he can manage to look,
-the better it will be for the effect of the trick. Take the ashes, and
-put them in a piece of the paper which is on the table, and, whilst
-affecting to put this in a second piece, exchange it for the prepared
-handkerchiefs in paper on the shelf. This method is very easy, and
-is thus performed: Stand at the end of the table, and, with the hand
-that is nearest the audience, raise a piece of paper partly from the
-table, but not so much as to enable the audience to see under it, and
-behind this temporary screen the exchange can be effected by means
-of the rear hand with impunity, providing it is done quickly but not
-hurriedly, and with the eyes turned towards the audience, to whom the
-performer is impressively descanting on the many vicissitudes which
-chequer a conjuror's career. Directly the two parcels are safely
-exchanged, go forward and give the paper to be held by one of the
-audience. An ordinary pistol can now be let off, or a word of command
-given, and the paper then opened. Affecting not to notice that there
-is anything wrong, you proceed to return the handkerchiefs to their
-respective owners. Laughter will, of course, ensue, and you will
-then appear to be overwhelmed with confusion. Borrow a hat, put the
-handkerchiefs in it and take them out again, and finally drop one on
-the floor. The action of stooping to pick it up will enable you to
-bring the opening of the hat against your breast, and you must seize
-this opportunity of slipping the roll from the breast pocket into
-it. Go back to the table and place the hat upon it, and then, taking
-up the funnel pistol, ram the handkerchiefs into it, with the remark
-that you may as well get rid of them altogether. Fire the pistol, and
-then ask if anyone saw anything pass into the hat, as you fancy you
-did. Go to the hat and produce the roll, which open, and show the
-coloured handkerchief. Spread this out, to show that the centre is
-perfectly restored, and, whilst going forward with it, take the white
-handkerchief, unperceived, from the vest, and roll it up inside the
-coloured one. Then say, "Ah! but we have not the white handkerchief
-yet; well, perhaps we shall be able to find it." Rub the coloured
-handkerchief in the hands, with the white one inside, and, finally,
-open both and return to their owners. This finale is, perhaps, the
-most difficult part of the trick. Take care when the funnel pistol
-is fired that you either stand it upon its broad end, or else place
-it upon the table with the mouth from the audience. Although, to the
-audience, an enormous amount of destruction appears to be going on,
-such is not really the case, as two handkerchiefs only are destroyed
-in the trick.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 42.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 43.]
-
-_The Knots._--I call this trick by a simple name, because extreme
-simplicity is its prevailing feature from beginning to end. The last
-few tricks described have all had apparatus, to some extent, as a
-component part; this one is all sleight of hand. In "Drawing-room
-Magic" (p. 65), I gave directions for untying a knot by word of
-command, and noted at the time that an enlargement of the trick would
-be given in "Grand Magic." We have now arrived at the enlargement.
-In the minor trick, the knot is tied in a peculiar fashion by the
-performer himself; now the knots are to be tied by various members of
-the audience, and it is this which gives the trick such a marvellous
-appearance. The performer advances, and begs the loan of several
-handkerchiefs. He takes two of those proffered, and, advancing
-towards one of the audience, presents just four inches (on no account
-more) of one end of each handkerchief, one being crossed over the
-other, with the request to have them tied together in a knot. The
-reason for crossing one end over is to induce the tyer to make either
-a "granny" or a reef knot, which are the knots easiest to undo--that
-is, after the conjuror's method. Fig. 42 shows a "granny" knot. The
-general appearance of a reef knot is somewhat the same, so it does
-not require a separate sketch, and the mode of proceeding will be in
-both cases similar. For convenience of description, I have depicted a
-dark-coloured and a white handkerchief, and the performer will do well
-to take this hint, and always, where possible, borrow handkerchiefs
-varying in colour or texture, in order that the sinuosities in the
-knots may be easily followed by the eye. As the performer wants a knot
-that is tied neither too loosely nor too tightly, he must keep his
-eye upon it whilst it is being tied. If it is loosely done, he must
-say, "Don't be afraid of tying it up tight, sir [or madam]; pull as
-hard as you like." In the event of a too literal acceptance of his
-words, he should take the handkerchiefs at once. Even when the knot
-is tied as hard as a stone, the performer takes it in the hands, and,
-with the remark, "Oh! this is not half tight enough yet," pretends
-to pull it up with all his force. What he really does is to take the
-small end of one handkerchief in one hand, and the body of the same
-handkerchief on the other side of the knot in the other. By pulling at
-these hard, and, where they do not give easily by wriggling them as
-well, the end of the handkerchief will be pulled out quite straight,
-as in Fig. 43. It will there be seen that the white handkerchief
-has been manipulated upon, and that the dark handkerchief is now
-really only tied _round it_. In some cases, the greatest difficulty
-arises through some malicious person tying an extremely hard knot. If
-the performer pulls too hard, he will, in all probability, rend the
-handkerchief without making things much better. In this case, he must
-endeavour, whilst borrowing another handkerchief, for the continuation
-of the trick, and under concealment of the same, to loosen the knot
-a little in the ordinary way, and then he can straighten the end
-openly later on, as though trying if all the knots were secure. It
-is not often that the amateur will, at the outset of his career,
-find much difficulty of this kind, for his audiences will not be of
-the antagonistic class. Suppose everything has gone favourably, the
-performer then takes another handkerchief, and has that tied on also,
-of course to a disengaged corner, and so goes on with four, five,
-or six, each knot being operated upon as soon as it is tied. If he
-notices that anyone is tying a reef knot, he should at once audibly
-remark upon it, as the public has a great idea that a reef knot is the
-most difficult to untie, whereas it is really the easiest of all. When
-anyone goes in for a multiplicity of twists, one end being wound round
-the other several times, let the performer rest easily in his shoes,
-for he has only to pull that end round which the other one is coiled,
-and five or six coils will make no difference; at the same time, he
-must appeal to the audience whether it is fair, &c., for effect. When
-the required number of handkerchiefs have been tied together, and all
-the knots have been operated upon _secundum artem_, the performer
-retires to the stage, and, taking a chair or low table (the chair
-for preference), proceeds to place the handkerchiefs in a pile upon
-it after the following manner: Knot No. 1 is held between the tips
-of the finger and thumb in such a manner that the main body of the
-straight end lies along the palm of the hand. The loose portion of
-the handkerchief is then opened out by the left hand and covered over
-the knot, which is placed, at the same time, upon the chair; whilst,
-under cover of the handkerchief, the little finger of the right hand
-is drawn up by a contraction of the hand as closely to the knot as
-possible, and there grasps firmly the main body of the straight end.
-By straightening out the hand again, the end will be pulled right out,
-and the handkerchiefs parted. All this must be done quickly. If the
-end, as it often will, requires two pulls to draw it clear, it is best
-to lift up the handkerchief, and exhibit the knot again, to show there
-is "no deception," or on any other plea, before giving the second
-pull. Proceed after the same manner with all the knots, each one being
-covered with a separate handkerchief, taking great care that none of
-them slip off the chair during the operation, or it will be shown
-that the knots are already undone. The handkerchiefs should either be
-trailed on the floor or hung over the back of the chair, where they
-will not become confused or get under the performer's feet, and so
-receive an undesired tug. For the purpose of diverting the attention
-of the audience during this operation, the performer should make some
-jocular remark concerning each knot. He should say something about
-having at length come to the "knotty point," and then describe each
-knot, whether correctly or incorrectly will not much matter. One, he
-must say, is the reef knot, another the Gordian knot, and another a
-weaver's knot. The last made will generally be a true lover's knot,
-about which the performer may remark, before small audiences, that it
-was a _knotty_ (naughty) person who tied it. The performer has only to
-wave his wand over the heap, or to blow upon it, and then lift off
-the handkerchiefs one by one. The beginner will do well to try only
-three knots as a commencement, and to have them tied by ladies, who,
-as before explained, are always the best to fly to in risky cases.
-Whilst the knots are being tied, hang the handkerchiefs already joined
-over one arm, where they will be out of the way of danger, and in the
-way of assisting the performer by concealing any covert proceedings
-on his part in untying obstinate knots. The knot depicted at Fig. 44
-I have christened the _bête noire_ knot, and such the performer will
-find it whenever it is tied for him. If he does not put the ends of
-the handkerchiefs crossed into the hands of the person whom he
-requests to tie a knot, he will find the _bête noire_ appear with
-marvellous rapidity. When it or any other difficult knot appears, the
-only thing to be done is to untie it covertly, and do it up again
-after the matter described in "Drawing-room Magic." This may seem
-a very cool direction to give, but is the only one appropriate to
-the occasion, and the performer must make the best of a bad job. I
-have often untied a knot whilst mounting the steps of the stage, and
-had everything done up again by the time I reached the chair. The
-performer must practise by tying for himself the most intricate knots
-imaginable; or, if he learns with a companion, let the two tie knots
-for each other. Silk handkerchiefs are, as a rule, the best; they
-slip easily and do not tear readily, which latter quality is not the
-lesser advantage: it makes one very uncomfortable to have to return
-a handkerchief with one end hanging by a thread. This trick is one
-of the few which it is impossible to purchase. Let every conjuror be
-careful in his performance of it, and only give it "by request," or on
-special occasions, for it is worth half a dozen apparatus tricks put
-together.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 44.]
-
-Although very good indeed, the following method, in which one
-handkerchief only is used, is not so effective as when several are
-employed. The performer takes a large handkerchief, and ties a single
-knot in it, near the centre. He does not pull this knot tight, but
-leaves a loop large enough to receive his hand, or, at least, several
-fingers. Holding this loop in one hand, and presenting the two ends,
-side by side, with the other, he has another knot tied upon the first
-one. Whilst passing to another person, one end is pulled out straight,
-of course whilst ostensibly tightening the knot, and another knot
-is then tied; the end before straightened is again pulled at, and
-another knot tied, and so on until the handkerchief is all knots.
-The performer takes a pull at the straight end to ensure its running
-easily, and also pulls it through as far as it will come without
-actually untying. He then covers the bunch of knots with the loose
-centre of the handkerchief, and gives the whole to be held in the
-hands of a spectator. As the trying of many knots will have caused
-the centre of the handkerchief to become tightened up, it will be
-necessary for the left hand to take some time in opening it nicely.
-The time thus gained is just sufficient to enable the right hand to
-work out the straight end through the many folds; the movement being
-naturally screened by the open portion of the handkerchief in the
-left hand. Ask the person to whom the bundle is given to hold, to
-feel that the knots are still there. He will feel the hardened folds,
-and will mistake them for the knots. Always borrow a handkerchief for
-this trick, or the audience will infallibly think that the knotted
-handkerchief is rapidly exchanged for another. If anyone starts tying
-a _bête noire_, you can stop him at once by saying that there will be
-no room for anyone else to tie a knot. This method is much easier than
-its forerunner, but, as before stated, it is not half so effective.
-
-_The Decanted Handkerchief._--The performer comes forward with an
-empty decanter, which is examined, and then completely covered with
-a cloth and given to a spectator to hold. The performer takes a
-second decanter, and places in it a handkerchief, also previously
-examined, and stands upon the stage. At the word of command, the
-handkerchief vanishes suddenly from the second decanter, which is
-not covered, and, on the cloth being removed from the first decanter
-by a spectator, the handkerchief is found inside. This pretty trick
-is thus performed: Procure two toilet water-bottles--by courtesy
-called decanters--with as wide necks as possible; also two silk
-handkerchiefs, precisely similar. Scarlet is a serviceable colour for
-the purpose; and the handkerchiefs should be of very fine material,
-in order that they may be rolled up into a very small space, and
-not more than 15 in. square--rather less, if anything. Behind the
-scenes the performer folds up one of the handkerchiefs small enough
-to be concealed under the fingers when they are holding the neck of
-the bottle. If three fingers are sufficient, so much the better; but
-even if four are used no uninitiated person would ever suspect that
-anything would be concealed in so audacious a manner, especially
-as not the least clue has been given by the performer as to what
-is to be subsequently performed. The bottle shown round, a cloth
-is produced and covered over it, the handkerchief concealed in the
-fingers being popped into the bottle during the process. As it should
-at once spread out, it is not advisable to "double" it up tightly in
-the act of folding, but rather to "bunch" it, as it will then spring
-open the more readily. The bottle should be completely wrapped up in
-the cloth, bottom and all, and the spectator into whose custody it
-is placed must be enjoined to place one hand on the top and another
-at the bottom. The performer now proceeds with his other bottle and
-the visible handkerchief. Around his left wrist he has attached a
-thick eyeglass cord, which passes up the sleeve, round the back, and
-down the right-hand sleeve, where it has a short hook attached. In
-order that it may be readily found, this hook should be fixed in the
-inside of the coat cuff. The performer shows round the handkerchief,
-leaving the second bottle on the table, and, as he turns to fetch that
-article, the hook is got down and fixed firmly into the _centre_ of
-the handkerchief. It is then pushed down the neck of the bottle by
-the performer, the pushing down being conducted in such a way as to
-suggest the extreme difficulty of getting the handkerchief into the
-bottle. The wand may here be used with effect to ram it down. Standing
-with his right side towards the audience, the performer holds out
-the bottle, and announces his intention of causing the handkerchief
-to fly from it into the one held by a spectator, the holder being
-enjoined to keep a good watch, &c. At the word "three" (counting
-"one, two, three," slowly, always adds to the effect, by preparing
-for a climax), the performer thrusts out both hands to their fullest
-extent, when the handkerchief will fly out of the bottle up the right
-sleeve, its passage being shielded by the right hand, which must, of
-course, be disposed preliminarily so as to afford a free course to the
-handkerchief. If the performer, holding the bottle in the right hand,
-presented his left side to the company, many spectators might be able
-to see the handkerchief fly up the sleeve. With the right side towards
-them, they only see it disappear suddenly from the bottle. The length
-of the cord will require adjustment, and it should be as short as the
-conjuror can conveniently manage without cramping the movement of the
-arms. Some performers use a piece of stout elastic, which certainly
-has the property of causing a self-acting, rapid disappearance; but
-when once the hook is in the handkerchief, and the latter in the
-bottle, a constant hold must be kept on the elastic to prevent a
-premature flight, which would at once destroy the trick. The spectator
-holding the bottle is asked to remove the cloth and examine the bottle
-as much as he pleases, and the performer then hands the second bottle
-for examination, which has not been done before. A trick so very easy
-of management, and yet so effective, should be a favourite one with
-amateurs.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 45.]
-
-_The Melting Handkerchiefs._--The performer comes forward with a
-soup-plate in one hand and two silk handkerchiefs in the other. The
-plate, after being shown empty, is placed upon the ground, inverted,
-whilst the performer takes the handkerchiefs in his hands, and
-commences to roll them up in them. He rubs his hands together, and, on
-opening them, the handkerchiefs are found to have melted completely
-away. The soup-plate is then raised by one of the company, and the
-handkerchiefs are found beneath.
-
-The soup-plate portion of the trick is thus easily managed: The
-performer has balled up under the fingers of the hand holding the
-plate duplicate handkerchiefs of those he holds openly in the other
-hand. They are of very fine silk, and so are easily concealed. As
-he boldly shows the inside of the plate, where the fingers are, the
-spectators never suspect the presence of the handkerchiefs, or of
-anything else. As the plate is laid carelessly upon the floor, it is
-drawn a few inches towards the performer, the side that is towards
-the company scraping the ground. In this way the handkerchiefs are
-got underneath. The melting away of the handkerchiefs is accomplished
-with the aid of the plain-looking implement depicted at Fig. 45. It
-is constructed of wood, is hollow, and is blackened on the outside.
-Through the end is a hole, and through that is passed a piece of
-stout elastic, having a knot on the inside. On the side seam of the
-vest is sewn a ring, and the end of the elastic, after being passed
-through this, is brought round the back and left side, and fastened
-securely to a button in front. This great length is necessary for
-the facile performance of the trick. When at rest, the wooden holder
-rests against the ring on the vest. After the performer has finished
-placing the plate upon the floor, he retires to the stage, and stands
-sideways to the company. Supposing the holder to be on his right side,
-that side would be nearest the company. First of all, the sleeves are
-turned very far back, and then, under cover of the right forearm,
-the left hand seizes the holder, and, drawing it out of concealment,
-places it in the right hand, where the handkerchiefs are being held.
-The performer may get out the holder before this, if he pleases--the
-proper time for so doing being whenever a favourable opportunity
-presents itself--and keep it palmed in the right hand. The arm will
-always prevent the elastic being seen by the company. With his arms
-outstretched, and the hands together, the performer proceeds to gather
-in the handkerchiefs by slow degrees, the fingers of the left hand
-pushing them into the holder. When they are all pushed home, the hands
-are opened slightly, the left hand only being moved for this purpose,
-and the holder, thus released, flies back until stopped by the ring.
-The performer continues rubbing away the handkerchiefs, still supposed
-to be in his hand, and he must act as though they were being rolled
-into an ever-decreasing ball, the final kneading being done by the
-tips of the fingers of the right hand, working in the palm of the left
-hand. All that now remains is to have the plate lifted. The trick may
-be prolonged and varied if the performer has a second holder on his
-left side containing handkerchiefs of other colours to those first
-used. By getting this holder out and rolling up the handkerchiefs from
-under the plate, the new handkerchiefs may be got out and the old
-ones substituted. Or the trick may be done the other way round, and
-the change executed first, the second handkerchiefs being found under
-the plate. There is no reason why this trick should not be even more
-elaborated, and further changes of handkerchiefs made. This may be
-done by means of a holder, some four inches in length, open at each
-end, and connected with the elastic by a metal fork-shaped piece,
-upon which it swivels by means of a pin passing through the centre.
-Each side can contain handkerchiefs of different colours, the pin
-through the centre preventing their becoming mixed with one another,
-and a variety of changes made, which will be intensely bewildering
-to the spectators, especially as the performer each time gives the
-handkerchief for examination, and shows his hands empty. The perfect
-simplicity and completeness of the method of vanishing permits of
-its being repeated any number of times, each successive change or
-disappearance causing fresh wonderment. Care must, however, be taken,
-in each instance, that the handkerchiefs are pressed well home in the
-holder, as an exposed portion might be seen as it flashed under the
-coat; whilst there is still greater danger of its subsequently working
-out and becoming slowly visible to the company. If the great length
-of elastic which I have recommended were not employed, the performer
-would not be able to stretch his arms out to their full extent in
-front of him; and it is highly essential for effect that the hands
-should be as far removed from the body as possible. The ingenuity of
-the performer will enable him to employ the holder in many tricks in
-which handkerchiefs take part.
-
-_Le Gant de Paris._--For this trick, which will bring the performer's
-utmost skill into play, the following articles will be required: An
-orange, a lemon, and a walnut, all embowelled. The walnut contains a
-small kid glove, the lemon contains the walnut, and the orange the
-lemon. Besides these, the performer has a whole orange, lemon, and
-walnut, which he can either bring forward, or, for preference, find in
-persons' hair or on their noses. He has, also, concealed separately
-under the vest, a tiny glove, not more than three inches in length,
-and another quite ten inches long. These will be best manufactured at
-home under personal supervision, and they should be well made. The
-three fruits, produced or discovered, are placed in various positions
-on the table, or tables, care being taken that the lemon is situated
-conveniently near a trap. Opportunity must be taken for exchanging the
-orange for the prepared one. There are many ways for doing this. One,
-which is as good as any, is to give the perfect orange to the stage
-attendant, telling him to place it upon the table, and then at once
-engage the audience with something else. In going towards the table,
-the attendant effects the exchange. Other methods, such as having the
-prepared orange on the shelf, and exchanging it with the other whilst
-calling attention to the lemon--carrying it in the breast pocket, and
-exchanging it when the back is turned to the audience--will readily
-suggest themselves. It is impossible to set down any hard-and-fast
-rule for such _minutiæ_ as these. Sometimes the disposition of the
-stage, or of the audience, will necessitate the adoption of a method
-that would, under other circumstances, be impossible of introduction.
-The small glove is now brought down and kept concealed in the palm,
-and a kid glove, of the same colour as the one inside the prepared
-walnut shells, borrowed. Express your intention of making it pass
-inside the walnut, and observe that it is a little too large. Saying
-that you will make it a little smaller, proceed to rub it in the
-hand, and eventually exchange it for the tiny glove, which produce,
-and give to a gentleman to fit upon the hand. Of course, it will be
-too small, and you will inquire what size glove the gentleman wears.
-You affect to misunderstand him, and clap on ten sizes more. Thus,
-if eight and a half is said, you exclaim, "Eigh_teen_ and a half!
-That's a very large size, sir. But perhaps you think I can't make one
-so big. I will show you." It is sure to be explained that eight and
-a half, and not eighteen and a half, was the size mentioned, but you
-affect not to hear the correction, and proceed to rub up the small
-glove, having previously got down the large one. Make a great fuss of
-stretching, and finally produce the large glove, allowing the small
-one to drop inside it. The original borrowed glove in the meantime
-vest, if you have not done so already. Now proceed to the table, and,
-rolling up the large glove, with the little one inside it, tightly,
-pass it down a trap, and affect to rub it away into the walnut. Take
-up the walnut and vanish it by sleight of hand, pretending to pass it
-into the lemon, which get rid of, along with the nut, down a trap, and
-finally cut open the orange. Take out the lemon and cut that open,
-and produce the walnut. Ask one of the audience, on that side of
-the auditorium which is opposite to where the owner of the borrowed
-glove is seated, to open the walnut, at the same time getting down
-the borrowed glove from the vest. Take the glove from the walnut in
-one hand, and, pretending to place it in the other, whilst advancing
-towards the person from whom it was borrowed, effect an exchange. This
-must be done with all possible neatness and skill, or, at the last
-moment, the trick will fail. Supposing that you take the glove from
-the walnut with the left hand, the right should contain the borrowed
-glove. The left hand then makes a rapid movement towards the right, as
-if placing the glove in it. The glove in the left hand is in reality
-concealed, and the one in the right hand revealed. Half an hour's
-practice will make a wonderful difference in the execution of this
-pass, which will often have to be used, sometimes in cases of great
-emergency. On cutting open prepared oranges, lemons, &c., always be
-careful to throw the skins behind you, or elsewhere away from the view
-of the audience, who are not likely to be deeply impressed in favour
-of your skill after a close examination of the remains of the prepared
-articles. If the triple combination of orange, lemon, and walnut is
-at first too difficult, try the dual one of lemon and walnut only. It
-is still very effective, and there is far less to think about. If the
-performer is limited as to traps, the large glove can be fired at the
-walnut from the pistol tube. The variation is quite unimportant.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIV.
-
-TRICKS WITH COINS.
-
-     THE INVISIBLE FLIGHT: THE GLASS--THE BOXES--OTHER
-     APPARATUS USED IN THE TRICK--THE BANKER--HOW TO COLLECT
-     MONEY--THE MONEY TUBE--THE MULTIPLYING TRAY--HOLD THEM
-     TIGHT! OR, SKILL VERSUS STRENGTH--THE MONEY CHANGER--HINTS
-     UPON MANNER--THE CRYSTAL PLATEAU--THE MONEY-PRODUCING
-     CANDLE--THE FLIGHT--COIN AND WORSTED BALL TRICK.
-
-
-_The Invisible Transit._--This is a remarkably effective coin trick.
-Several coins are inclosed in a little box, which is stood in a
-position close to the audience. An empty tumbler is placed upon a
-chair or table far away on the stage, and the performer, abstracting
-the coins one by one from the box, "passes" them into the distant
-glass, into which they are heard to fall. On the glass being brought
-forward, the coins are poured from it, and the box into which they
-were put is found to be empty.
-
-The tumbler used should be coloured and opaque, or semi-opaque. Into
-it is fitted a zinc plate, depicted at Fig. 46. This plate is,
-it will be seen, divided into two unequal portions, which are then
-hinged together. B is an arm which, in the position shown in the
-sketch, prevents the flap C from opening; and E is a tiny pin fitted
-into C for the purpose of preventing the arm B going too far, and so
-becoming difficult to control. At D is a pin which, first connected
-with the arm B, runs through the plate, and then through the bottom
-of the tumbler. Underneath, it is provided with another arm (A,
-Fig. 47), the position of which should correspond with that of B.
-The pin D should be considerably larger than the holes (they should
-be round ones) in the glass and zinc plate, and those portions of it
-which are to pass through the said holes must be filed down to the
-necessary thinness. By this means two shoulders will be formed, which
-will prevent the plate from coming down too far, and thus keep a space
-clear between it and the bottom of the tumbler. This space should be
-about three-quarters of an inch in depth. The best method for fixing
-A to D is to have a tiny hole through the protruding end of the
-latter, through which a cross-pin can be passed. It will be seen that
-so long as the arm B is kept against the pin E, or anywhere near it,
-the flap C cannot possibly open, even though the tumbler be inverted.
-The shifting aside of the arm A will cause a simultaneous and equal
-movement on the part of B, and, when the glass is again inverted,
-whatever has been concealed in the space beneath C will fall out.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 46.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 47.]
-
-The performer will also require two little boxes, resembling each
-other in every particular. If nothing else be at hand, then little
-fancy cardboard boxes may be used, but it is by far the best to have
-a couple turned out of some light wood. The turner should receive
-directions to turn them both out of the same length of wood, which
-should have some slight imperfection running through it, as this will
-cause each box to be naturally marked in a similar manner. Should
-one lid have a little knot in it and the other be without such a
-blemish, it can be faithfully imitated by making a hole in the wood
-and running a little shellac into it. The boxes should be turned as
-lightly as possible, consistent with strength, and should just admit a
-half-crown. The interior depth should be that of six half-crowns. One
-of these boxes the performer conceals under the vest band. The tumbler
-he loads with four or five half-crowns, placed in the space under C,
-and the arm B is turned into position against E. This glass is placed
-upon the table. In one outside trouser pocket is a half-crown.
-
-The preparations made, the performer advances with five other
-half-crowns and one of the little boxes, and gives the whole into
-the hands of a member of the audience, with the request to have the
-box examined and the coins placed in it. Whilst this is being done,
-the concealed box is got down from the vest into the left hand. The
-box, with the money in it, is taken by the right hand, and apparently
-put into the left. It is, however, palmed, and the empty box shown
-instead. The performer executes this movement as he is passing to
-another portion of the audience, to whom he will explain matters
-briefly. This passing about the room is highly essential in concealing
-many movements, and the conjuror's actions should be well mapped out
-beforehand, and not left to accident. As I am describing the trick,
-the money should be put in the box by someone on the conjuror's right.
-It then becomes natural for the performer to place the box in his left
-hand, in order to exhibit it to those on that side of the room. The
-learner will find, as he progresses, how highly important it is to pay
-attention to these apparently small, but by no means insignificant
-matters. The performer's motions should balance, as it were; and
-his great study should be to make actions that are absolutely
-indispensable to him appear to be perfectly natural, if not the only
-ones that could be suitable to the occasion.
-
-The empty box is then placed in the fingers of the right hand, in
-which the box containing the half-crowns is still concealed. The
-performer brings a chair close to the audience, and places upon it the
-empty box, first shaking the hand once or twice to show that the money
-is still inside. The coins rattling in the hidden box will appear to
-be in the one which is really empty. Care must be taken to keep the
-back of the hand towards the audience, and to allow it to hang down
-considerably, so as to do away with any possibility of an accidental
-exhibition of the palmed box.
-
-The performer now proceeds to his table, pocketing the box with coins
-as he does so in as noiseless a manner as possible. He then takes
-the tumbler in one hand, and, rattling it hard with his wand all the
-time, turns it upside down to show that it is empty. On turning it
-back again the rattling must be repeated. This rattling, the reader
-will readily comprehend, is for the purpose of covering the slight
-clinking of the coins that are confined within. It is a good plan to
-have a piece of baize or cloth on the bottom of the tumbler, inside.
-This will deaden the sound of the clinking when the tumbler is being
-replaced upon the table. The performer now returns to the little box,
-previously getting the half-crown from the pocket into his palm, and
-feigns to abstract one coin from it, the palmed coin being shown.
-This, with appropriate explanation, he "passes" into the tumbler,
-into which it is distinctly heard to fall. The whole of the coins
-are, one by one, abstracted from the box, and made to pass into the
-tumbler. The methods of extracting them should be varied. One can
-be taken out by means of the wand, another caught in mid-air, the
-next be found at the tip of someone's nose, and the next in somebody
-else's hair, whilst the last will probably be found attached either
-to the performer's elbow or to the sole of his boot. This variety of
-movement keeps the audience amused, and, consequently, distracts their
-attention, which might, perhaps, be employed in watching other matters
-somewhat too narrowly. The same system of variation should be observed
-in "passing" the coins, three or four different passes being brought
-into use. The last "pass" may be effectively made with the reverse
-palm, by the method described on page 8 for throwing the coin away.
-The palm can then be shown perfectly empty, the coin being recovered
-as the performer proceeds towards the glass.
-
-The mystery of the coins being heard to fall into the tumbler has
-yet to be explained. The explanation is, that the conjuror's stage
-assistant is concealed behind the scenes, in a position as proximate
-to the tumbler as possible, with another glass and some coins. The
-performer and assistant must have an understanding between them, and
-when the assistant hears the word given he drops one coin into the
-glass, allowing a short time for the supposed journey. The word "pass"
-is the one commonly used, and is the best, for the conjuror is using
-it all through the performance, and it does not, therefore, excite any
-particular attention. It is as well to vary the speed with which the
-coins travel. The first two should occupy from a second and a half to
-two seconds in travelling from hand to tumbler. The next the conjuror
-should say will take a little longer, it being a very old coin and,
-consequently, weak. Five seconds will be quite long enough for this,
-and the next can be despatched with the command, "Presto, pass!" This
-should arrive at its destination in half-a-second. If no arrangement
-on this head has been made beforehand, the performer must take care
-to speak loudly and distinctly. This co-operation of performer and
-assistant has already been explained in connection with _The Shower
-of Gold_.
-
-Sometimes, with the view, I imagine, of making the trick appear still
-more difficult, the tumbler is covered with a borrowed handkerchief,
-pocketbook, programme, &c. When this is done, the assistant must cover
-his glass with a handkerchief, and so cause the sound of the falling
-coins to be muffled. I have seen an assistant commit an absurd error
-of using only one coin. The sound caused by one coin falling upon
-others in a glass is very different to that of a coin falling into an
-empty glass.
-
-The use of the two little boxes in this trick is an idea of my own.
-Other conjurors invariably use a box with a hinged lid, which has
-a horizontal plate on a level with its upper rim. This plate has
-four slits in it, and into each slit is placed a half-crown. By an
-exceedingly ingenious mechanical arrangement, a coin is made to drop
-into the body of the box each time the lid is shut down. The performer
-affects to abstract one in the manner just described. The chief
-objection to this box is its great expense; otherwise, it is a very
-good piece of apparatus.
-
-Another piece of apparatus that is also frequently used in conjunction
-with the trick is what is called the Half-crown Wand. This is a hollow
-tin wand, with a sliding piston inside it. One end is divided into
-two parts, which are hinged. A half-crown, that has been cut into
-three portions, is concealed in this opening top, and by means of a
-complexity of hair springs, and the action of the piston, moved by
-the thumb from the outside, the three fragments are pushed out, and,
-ranging themselves side by side, cause the appearance of a half-crown
-on the end of a wand. All I can say about this piece of apparatus is,
-that it is a pity the inventor's ingenuity was not directed towards
-making something else. I believe, though, that the article sells well,
-as it does away with the last piece of sleight of hand left in the
-trick, and so gives lazy people and duffers a chance.
-
-_The Banker._--In "Drawing-room Magic," a method for collecting
-coins from the air, &c., and passing them into a hat through the
-crown, was explained. Before larger audiences, the trick is capable
-of being much more elaborated. Going down amongst the audience, the
-performer collects quantities of coins from the heads and persons of
-the audience. There are various methods of executing this. One is
-to keep a coin palmed, and then produce it from the hair, whiskers,
-beards, sleeves, elbows, &c., of different spectators, a motion of
-throwing it into the hat being made each time it is produced, and
-the hat shaken, to cause the resemblance of a coin falling into it.
-Another method, which I hardly like as well, although successfully
-adopted by some good performers, is to dip the hand into the hat, and
-gather some coins quickly in it. These coins are kept in the palm of
-the hand, and concealed by the two outside fingers, and the thumb
-pushes one forward as it is required for production. The coins, in
-this instance, are actually tossed in the air and caught in the hat,
-which is of itself a great advantage, but the chances of detection are
-considerable. Nevertheless, the effect is very fine when the conjuror
-moves rapidly about, picking coins indiscriminately from everyone
-around. It is possible to hold a great number of large coins in the
-hand without detection ensuing. The third method is somewhat similar.
-The coins are gathered in the hand from the hat, but, instead of being
-reproduced singly, they are all swept from the head of a spectator
-into the hat. Coins invariably drop on the floor when the latter
-method is adopted, and the conjuror is enabled to take a fresh dip
-into the hat unperceived, whilst busying himself about the recovery
-of his property. What I recommend is a happy mixture of all three
-methods. Whichever is adopted, the performer must be exceedingly rapid
-in his movements, never stopping in one place, and accompanying his
-movements with a running commentary, such as, "Ah, one more on your
-nose, sir. Thank you, sir, just a few in your hair. Madam, a little
-one hiding itself under your bow, and, I declare, another in your
-fan." A lady's muff, when handy, can be well employed. It should
-be taken in the hand containing the coins, which are allowed to
-run through into the hat. A good variation, too, is to snatch a hat
-from a person's head or elsewhere, and dropping a few coins into it,
-immediately toss them about, and then pour them into your own hat. The
-larger the audience, the better this money collecting will succeed. It
-is a great feature in a performance, and always takes well.
-
-A little piece of apparatus which, although I never use it myself,
-many find very useful for the magical production of coins, is what is
-known as the "money tube." This is a long flat tube of tin, japanned
-on the outside. It is just wide and deep enough to admit of the coins
-in use passing easily through it, and no more. At one end, on the
-outside, it is furnished with a broad flat hook, for the purpose of
-suspending the tube from a buttonhole or slit in the interior of the
-performer's vest or coat. The bottom end is furnished with a lever
-arrangement on the outside, which for half-crowns would be thus
-constructed: In length it would just exceed the width of a half-crown,
-and each end be furnished with a peg about a quarter of an inch long.
-In the centre is drilled a hole, and on the tube is a bifurcated
-projection, also with a hole through it. The lever is placed in its
-position, and a pin passed through it and the projection. A joint will
-thus be formed very similar in appearance to the centre joint of an
-umbrella rib. In the tube (exactly underneath the pegs, which must be
-towards the tube) pierce two holes, and under the upper half of the
-lever fix a small piece of spring, tolerably strong. The apparatus
-is then complete. The spring causes the upper half of the lever to
-rise, and, as a natural consequence, the lower half to be depressed.
-The lower peg thus prevents anything that may be in the tube from
-passing out at the end. So soon, however, as any pressure is put upon
-the upper half of the lever the lower peg rises and allows the coin
-to escape. The upper peg, descending at the same time, prevents the
-escape of any other coins that may be in the tube. The method for
-using the tube is to fix it securely under the vest or coat flap,
-with the bottom end all but exposed. When the performer requires a
-coin, all he has to do is to curl his fingers under the mouth of the
-tube, and press the upper portion of the lever, when a coin will
-fall into his hand. As the operation is invariably accompanied by
-a slight clattering, however careful the performer may be, the hat
-should always be shaken for the purpose of smothering the sound made
-by the tube. A small band of elastic on the coat or vest will serve
-to keep the tube steady. The lever lies transversely across the tube,
-and not straight along it. This enables the little pegs to pass into
-the triangular spaces left between two coins, the edges of which are
-touching. It is not advisable to produce many coins in a short space
-of time by this method, as the frequent repetition of the movement of
-the hand might easily be noticed.
-
-An effective continuation is to apparently cause the coins to pass
-through the crown the reverse way, _i.e._, from the inside to the
-outside. For this purpose, the performer must retire well up the
-stage, concealing, as he does so, several coins in the palm of the
-hand, one being shown at the ends of the fingers. The hat is held
-out, crown downwards, in the other hand, and the coin in the fingers
-then tossed high in the air. Whilst it is descending the thumb gets
-another coin in readiness, and as the coin in the air falls into the
-hat the one brought from concealment is put against the crown and
-instantly pulled sharply away from it. The effect is as if the coin
-thrown in the air had passed through the crown of the hat, and was
-caught by the performer as it came through. Considerable practice must
-be undertaken, as it is indispensable that the fall of the descending
-coin into the hat and the production of the fresh one at the crown
-be precisely simultaneous, otherwise the effect will be weakened,
-if not altogether spoilt. The hat must contain some coins at the
-commencement, otherwise the accumulation of those thrown into the air
-and subsequently caught in the hat, would, of course, be noticed. The
-effect is improved if the crown of the hat be turned slightly towards
-the audience at the moment when the coin is supposed to come through
-it. As the eyes of the spectators always follow the coin in the air,
-the slight motion of the thumb in getting a fresh coin in readiness is
-never perceived. Large coins tell best, and about six should be used.
-
-When the performer has sufficiently amused the audience in this way,
-he can proceed with the trick under notice. For it he will require--at
-least, he will find it advisable to have--an oval tray of japanned
-tin. To all appearances, the tray is only an ordinary one, but it has
-a double bottom, the space between the two bottoms being a little more
-than the thickness of a half-crown, or whatever coin the performer
-may be in the habit of using. The rims of the two bottoms are joined
-all round, with the exception of a portion at one end, which is left
-open to the extent of a little more than the width of the coin in use.
-Two strips of tin, soldered firmly in their places, extend from each
-side of this opening, in parallel lines, to the other end of the tray,
-and so form a passage between the two bottoms capable of receiving a
-quantity of coins, ranging in number according to the length of the
-tray or the will of the performer. When the tray is tilted to any
-extent, the open end being the one that is depressed, the coins will
-naturally slide out one after the other. If the space between the
-double bottoms is too deep, the rearmost coins will overlap those in
-front, and so cause an obstruction. The tray is loaded with (say)
-five coins, and so brought on. Fifteen (a few more or less will not
-matter) coins are then taken from the hat, and placed upon the tray,
-which is then put into the hands of a spectator, who must be enjoined
-to rise for the purpose, and to keep very steady, so as not to upset
-the coins. A boy's cap is then borrowed, and put into the hands of
-another spectator, who is placed in a position close to and facing the
-holder of the plate. In the absence of a cap, a handkerchief, held in
-the form of a bag, will answer as well, if care be taken to arrange
-it so that none of the coins can escape and fall to the ground. The
-performer retires to the stage, and explains that, when he counts
-"three," the holder of the tray is to pour, as rapidly as he can, the
-fifteen coins into the cap, the holder of which is directed to close
-the cap immediately this is done. As the performer has taken care to
-place the tray in the assistant's hands, with the opening from him,
-it follows that, when the fifteen coins are poured from the surface
-into the cap, the five from the concealed receptacle will accompany
-them. A very distinct mark should be made upon the tray so that the
-performer can readily distinguish one end from the other. When the
-cap is closed, the performer counts five more coins into his hand,
-and "passes" them into the cap, the holder of which is then requested
-to count out the coins upon the plate, to show that the number has
-been increased by five. All counting of coins should take place both
-before and afterwards, or the audience may fail to perceive what
-has been done. The trays sold at conjuring repositories are nearly
-always round; this is a bad shape, as there is nothing to induce the
-holder of the tray to tilt it as the performer desires. When it is
-oval, it is only natural to pour the coins off the narrow end. It is
-also impossible to notice from any distance if a round tray has been
-shifted, accidentally or otherwise. A couple of inches difference will
-cause the trick to fail, for the coins will not pour out; and some
-people who are in the secret are malicious enough to be capable of
-wilfully turning the tray round for the purpose of spoiling the trick.
-The name of "The Banker" is given to the trick, because the performer
-supposes the holder of the cap to be the banker, and he then shows how
-he pays in his money. The great effect of the trick is derived from
-the fact that the performer never approaches the custodians of the
-money after once giving it into their hands.
-
-_Hold them Tight!_--The performer takes a few coins--four half-crowns
-or florins will be found the most suitable--and also a strong
-white cotton handkerchief. He then asks the assistance of one of
-the spectators, stating his predilection for a very strong man. The
-more burly the volunteer, the better he will suit the conjuror's
-purpose. Seat him on a chair a little on one side, and facing the
-audience. Place the coins in the centre of the handkerchief, which
-then invert, and grasp the coins through it from the outside. This
-is done openly and deliberately, and the assistant is requested to
-hold the handkerchief firmly between the two hands a few inches
-below the coins. He is then asked if he thinks it possible for the
-performer to pull the coins through the handkerchief without making
-a hole, or to get them out without interfering with the assistant's
-hand. The answer will invariably be a negative one, and the performer
-then says, "Very good; that is your opinion. I will now see what the
-audience think about it." With this, the performer steps forward with
-the coins and the handkerchief, and explains to the audience that it
-is a trial of Strength _versus_ Skill between the strong man on the
-stage and himself. He then requests someone to place the coins in
-the handkerchief, so that there shall be fair play, the handkerchief
-being spread over the performer's left hand for the purpose. When the
-coins are placed in the handkerchief, they should be grasped through
-it by the thumb and first and second fingers. The performer then turns
-suddenly to the person on the stage, and says, "I trust you are not
-nervous, sir; you look very pale." This will cause everyone to look
-at once at the person addressed, who will, if under the glare of
-footlights or other strong gas, infallibly bear a pale appearance.
-But whether he looks pale or not will not matter, the diversion being
-made for the purpose of distracting the attention of the audience
-from the performer for a moment or two. Whilst all eyes are directed
-towards the assistant, the performer turns the coins over twice in the
-handkerchief, a fold of which is taken at each turn, and the coins
-thus enveloped. The coins are then grasped in the right hand, and a
-good shake given to the handkerchief for the purpose of straightening
-it as much as possible. The result of this manoeuvre is that the
-coins are simply hidden in a couple of folds on the _outside_ of the
-handkerchief, the supposition indulged in by the audience being that
-they are _inside_, and that the handkerchief has been merely inverted
-as before. This folding and turning is not easy to accomplish quickly
-and neatly. The coins must be held firmly, and the fingers then turn
-them over inwards, the thumb being raised to allow them to be pushed
-well under it. Before the fingers are removed, the thumb descends
-and nips securely that portion of the handkerchief pushed over with
-the coins by the fingers, and retains it whilst the second turn is
-being made, the same process being repeated. With the fold well made,
-the performer may venture to allow that portion of the handkerchief
-containing the coins to hang downwards, and even give a slight jerk to
-cause the coins to jingle. This will totally disarm suspicion. It is
-much easier to hold the handkerchief, with the coins, in one hand and
-make the folds with the other, but the proceeding is unbusinesslike
-and provocative of suspicion.
-
-The handkerchief is then put into the hands of the seated assistant,
-as before, the performer holding that portion containing the coins.
-A tremendous mock struggle ensues, the performer allowing himself to
-be pulled nearly over once or twice, which will cause him to remark
-that he has made a mistake this time, and has met with someone a
-little too strong for him. All the time he is working a finger into
-the folds, which he quietly undoes, and, under cover of the left
-hand, gets the coins out into the right. With this hand he takes his
-wand, which is held under the armpit during the trick, and continues
-pulling with the left. After a while, he says that it is no use, and,
-relinquishing his hold, asks to have his money given back to him. Of
-course, the assistant knows nothing about it; but the performer points
-out the fact that there is no hole in the handkerchief, consequently
-_he_ cannot have the coins. Under the plea of finding out where they
-are concealed, the performer taps with his wand on various portions
-of the assistant's person. When he reaches either the elbow or the
-knee, he allows the coins in the hand to rattle against the wand at
-each tap, and it will appear to the audience that they are concealed
-up the assistant's arm or leg. Grasping the sleeve or trouser, the
-performer turns it up a little, and rattles the coins out on the
-floor. If found in the trouser, the assistant should be asked to place
-his foot upon a chair. It is very easy to jerk the coins a few inches
-up the sleeve or trouser leg as it is being turned up; they will then
-fall out naturally. The reason I give directions for using a strong
-pocket handkerchief is because the continued pulling will sometimes
-cause a sharp-edged coin to cut through. I never use any but my own
-handkerchief, for this reason.
-
-There is another method of folding the coins in the handkerchief,
-which surpasses the one above described for neatness, and it may be
-executed in full view of the audience, with their eyes specially
-directed upon the performer's hands, instead of momentarily diverted.
-The coins, in this instance, are taken between the finger and thumb
-of the left hand, and held perpendicularly. With the right hand, the
-handkerchief is thrown over them. This the performer does close to his
-temporary assistant upon the chair; upon which he says, "That is all
-very well: you know that the coins are safe inside the handkerchief;
-but I must also convince the rest of the company." Suiting the action
-to the word, the performer advances a few paces, performing, as he
-does so, the following manoeuvre: With the right hand inverted,
-_i.e._, the palm turned upwards, the coins are seized between the
-first and middle fingers. Simultaneously the left hand is shifted a
-couple of inches backwards, and the right hand, turning over in that
-direction, places the coins once more between the left finger and
-thumb, but this time there are two thicknesses of the handkerchief
-intervening. That half of the handkerchief which is hanging on the
-side nearest to the company is now raised by the right hand, when
-the coins will be exposed to view. The act of shifting the left hand
-back a couple of inches has caused the fingers of the left hand to be
-covered by a false fold of those dimensions. The company, therefore,
-cannot see the said fingers, the performer making doubly sure by
-holding his hand as low as possible, without exciting suspicion. Now,
-after having shown the coins, if the performer merely turned back the
-half he had lifted, no particular result would be arrived at; but the
-learner, who is, of course, following me with coin and handkerchief in
-hand, will at once see that, if that half of the handkerchief which
-is hanging on the side nearer the performer be turned over along with
-the one that has been raised to show the coins, in the direction of
-the company, the result achieved is that the coins are on the outside
-of the handkerchief, but enveloped in the 2in. fold. This turning
-back of two halves, instead of one, being the vital part of the
-whole thing, must be done with great carelessness. Indeed, the action
-of turning the rear half over with the right hand is a mistake: all
-that is necessary is to drop the left hand with a good shake, when
-both halves will fall on the same side, as naturally as possible.
-These little things require a good deal of explanation, but it is a
-really very simple manoeuvre, which I divide into four distinct
-movements, viz.: First movement--placing the coins under handkerchief,
-in left hand; second movement--turning over coins with right hand,
-and seizing again with left thumb and finger (see Fig. 48); third
-movement--dropping left hand and raising front half of handkerchief
-with right hand; fourth movement--releasing handkerchief with right
-hand and shaking two halves over with left. When the fourth movement
-has been completed, the right hand should seize the handkerchief
-just below the coins, which can then be struck upon the left palm,
-carelessly, but hard, so as to indirectly convey the idea of their
-being contained in a bag, made by the handkerchief. There need be
-no fear of the fold becoming loose if the handkerchief be gripped
-firmly; and the boldness of the act will disarm suspicion. The very
-security of this fold renders it more difficult to work the coins
-out when the "trial of strength" comes on, and the assistant must be
-made to hold the handkerchief some distance away from the coins, so
-that the performer's hands have plenty of space to work in. Whilst
-the assistant is thus holding the handkerchief, it is a good plan to
-allow that part in which the coins are folded to hang down--whilst the
-sleeves are being turned back, for instance. This will keep up the
-impression of their being enclosed in a bag.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 48.]
-
-_The Money Changer._--This trick is accomplished by means of the first
-deceptive fold described in _Hold them Tight!_ Its simple nature may
-cause it to appear easy of execution; but let not the learner foster
-this delusive idea, for the slightest bungle will spoil the trick,
-which depends entirely upon sleight of hand.
-
-In the left hand the performer has three pennies concealed. Three
-half-crowns and three pennies, all marked by various members of the
-audience, are then borrowed. The three half-crowns are first collected
-in the right hand, and given into the custody of one of the audience.
-The pennies are next collected, in the right hand also, and then the
-performer begs the further loan of a couple of handkerchiefs. Just
-as he is stepping forward to take the proffered articles, he says
-to one of the audience, "Would you kindly hold these pennies for an
-instant?" and, making a "pass" (Fig. 11) towards the left hand,
-exhibits and hands the coins therein concealed. The idea conveyed by
-the performer is that, the coins being in his way whilst borrowing
-the handkerchiefs, he wants to be rid of them for a short space of
-time. This covers the action of the pass, which might otherwise appear
-suspicious, as being unnecessary and meaningless. Take the first
-handkerchief in the right hand, and let the second hang over the
-left shoulder. Now go at once to the holder of the half-crowns, and,
-taking them from him, place them in the centre of the handkerchief,
-previously spread over the right hand, which contains the marked
-pennies. Turn briskly to another member of the audience, executing as
-you do so a single turn only of the coins in the handkerchief with the
-fingers of the right hand, the coins that are in the hand itself going
-over as well. Take that portion of the handkerchief which contains
-the coins in the left hand, grasping the whole securely. Remove the
-right hand from underneath, and with it grasp the handkerchief some
-four or five inches from the coins, and then reverse the positions of
-the hands, handkerchief and all, the right being above and the left
-below. The pennies which were recently in the right hand will now be
-in a bag, as it were, formed by the handkerchief. The half-crowns are
-still on the outside, hidden by one fold of the handkerchief, and held
-by the fingers of the left hand. Request the person to whom you have
-advanced to stand up, and inform him that you wish his right hand to
-take the place of yours, and that he is on no account to relax a firm
-hold for an instant, or to allow any coins either to enter or escape.
-As you say this, dance the coins two or three times up and down in
-the left hand, which hollow as much as possible, and the half-crowns
-will fall into it. Their clinking will not signify in the least, as
-it will be attributed to the coins in the handkerchief. Then give the
-handkerchief into the custody of the person selected, the left hand
-simultaneously finding its way to the handkerchief hanging from the
-left shoulder, which it takes. The same manoeuvre is then repeated,
-the handkerchief being spread over the left hand with the half-crowns
-in it, and the right eventually securing the substituted pennies. All
-that remains to be done is to command the coins in the handkerchiefs
-to change places, which feat is apparently accomplished. The great
-peril of the trick lies in the necessity of repeating the action of
-folding. To avoid detection, the performer must be always on the move,
-and endeavour by gesture and speech to continually direct the general
-attention of the audience to the persons whom he is addressing. The
-most dangerous person is he from whom the coins are taken before being
-put into the handkerchief. The best method for disarming him is to be
-very profuse with thanks for his kindness. By the time you have done
-thanking him, your object has been accomplished. It is strange what a
-trivial thing is required for the purpose of distracting the attention
-of the audience, whether collectively or individually, if the
-performer can only assume an appropriate expression of countenance.
-On the other hand, the least appearance of anything approaching to
-bewilderment only tends to make the audience doubly sharp. "Hallo!"
-they will think, "he is in a fix," and forthwith the minutest action
-is devoured.
-
-In this trick, the effect of manner will make itself manifest in a
-marked degree. It is evident that, if anyone in the audience fix his
-eyes intently upon the performer's hands from the commencement of
-the trick to the finish, never removing his gaze for an instant, he
-is bound to notice the turns that are made. Now, it is impossible for
-a conjuror even to keep his eye upon every member of his audience
-for the purpose of noticing who is and who is not watching him. The
-utmost he can do is to make such diversions as are best calculated to
-accomplish his ends in a general way. If anyone in the audience be
-particularly sharp, and will not be taken in, it cannot be helped.
-
-I make these remarks in this place because a good opportunity presents
-itself: they are of universal application. It is only another sermon
-on the old text, misdirection.
-
-It is as well to borrow either very thick handkerchiefs or else
-coloured ones for this trick. Thin white handkerchiefs will reveal
-the nature of the coins contained in them under certain conditions of
-light. The person who temporarily holds the substituted pennies should
-be enjoined to close his hand. This is to prevent him from whiling
-away the time by seeking for the marks. A person might do this merely
-out of curiosity, and without any malice whatever. When practising,
-it is best to commence with a single coin of each sort, then two, and
-finally three. Four coins would only make the trick more difficult,
-without increasing the effect. With one coin only, the trick is
-very poor; besides, it naturally appears to the audience to be more
-difficult for the performer to transmit a number of coins from one
-spot to another than to perform a like feat with a single coin.
-
-_The Crystal Plateau._--This is a very pretty, but almost unknown
-trick. Hanging by a couple of cords at the back of the stage is an
-oblong plateau, composed simply of a frame and a piece of glass.
-The performer borrows three marked florins or half-crowns, which he
-can either hold in his hand, or place in the little box described
-in _The Invisible Transit_. He calls attention to the plateau,
-the transparent nature of which seems to render any examination
-unnecessary, and announces that, not only will he cause the coins to
-invisibly leave his hand (or the box), but they shall do so one at a
-time, and affix themselves to the glass of the plateau. This is done,
-the coins appearing one after another upon the face of the plateau,
-from which the performer removes them, and hands them back to their
-owners.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 49.]
-
-This fine effect is thus managed: The plateau (Fig. 49) is composed
-of two pieces of glass, one behind the other. The front piece is
-fixed firmly into the frame, but that in the rear is only loosely
-fastened. An indiarubber band, passing across the lower portion of the
-latter, keeps the two glasses close together at their lower edges,
-but at the top they are kept apart to the extent of about twice the
-thickness of a half-crown. From the upper part of the frame three
-spaces are cut out, wide enough to admit a coin, and deep enough
-to cause a coin dropped in from that point to fall between the two
-glasses. To keep the coins temporarily suspended, three holes are
-drilled through the rear glass, just below the places for the coins,
-and little pegs inserted therein. To each of these pegs is attached
-a thread, held in the hand of the assistant behind the scenes. The
-latter should be immediately in rear of the plateau, in order that
-he may get a straight pull. When the performer cries "Pass," one
-peg is pulled out, and the coin it supported falls between the two
-glasses. As these approach each other by degrees, the falling coin
-sticks fast about mid-way, appearing to the company--and, for that
-matter, to the performer, too, so perfect is the deception--to be
-stuck on the surface of the front glass, supposed by the company to be
-the only one. When all three coins have thus made their appearance,
-the performer proceeds to the plateau, and, placing a hat beneath it
-with one hand, opens the rear glass slightly out from the front one,
-the coins thus falling out. The marked coins have, of course, never
-left the performer's hand, three of his own having been placed in the
-little box, if that was used; and it is very easy for him to palm
-these in the hat, and produce the marked ones, as though taken from
-it. To pass them, one by one, from the hands, they must be held in
-the left hand, and palmed singly with the right. If the performer is
-skilful enough to palm them one over the other, so much the better,
-otherwise the palmed coin must be got rid of in the little trouser
-pocket each time, whilst the contents of the left hand are being
-exhibited.
-
-_The Money-producing Candle._--The performer commences by stating
-that the next trick will be performed with a quantity of shillings.
-He will want so many that the company can scarcely be able to supply
-them, so he will not put them to any trouble, especially as he has
-perfected a new invention by means of which money can be manufactured
-out of candles. He either borrows a hat, or takes a plate, which
-should be given for examination, and then approaches a candle, which
-has been burning for some time on the table. Turning up his sleeves,
-and indirectly showing both palms to be empty, he places his thumb on
-one side of the candle and the fingers on the other, near the bottom,
-and draws the hand upwards, as though squeezing the candle. Two or
-three quick movements are made, and then a shilling appears in the
-performer's fingers as though it had been taken out of the very flame.
-The coin is placed in the plate, or hat, and, after the palm has again
-been shown empty, a second shilling is squeezed out of the candle,
-_viâ_ the flame. This is repeated a great number of times, a quantity
-of shillings being produced, with which a trick should be subsequently
-performed, the candle experiment, in itself, being of insufficient
-length.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 50.]
-
-The secret lies in the candle. This is a brass cylinder, covered with
-white paper (Fig. 50), a piece of candle being introduced into
-the top, and lighted. This introduction must be neatly done, and
-some wax from the candle scraped over the junction, so as to hide
-it. Inside the cylinder is a spiral spring arrangement, precisely
-similar to the cylindrical sovereign-holders sold, from which one
-coin at a time is extracted by a simultaneous pressing and drawing
-action. Such a holder, placed inside the imitation candle, with the
-opening downwards, would be the very thing (for sovereigns), provided
-an opening were made just below it sufficiently large to permit the
-insertion of a finger with which to withdraw the coin. The spiral
-spring continually presses the coins from above, keeping the lowest
-one always at the opening, it being prevented from falling by a narrow
-projecting rim inside, which leaves a large portion of the central
-space of the coin free to be acted upon by the inserted finger. The
-side of the candle upon which the opening is situated is, I need not
-say, turned away from the spectators, and, as the performer slides his
-hand slowly upwards, a finger brings away a coin--the movement being,
-of course, continued evenly, and no stoppage made at this particular
-moment. With a little practice, the coin can be extracted with
-wonderful facility. Before commencing, the performer should show that
-there is no preparation about the candlestick, by turning it upside
-down, and banging it upon the table. The candle is grasped by the
-hand, for the purpose of removal, over the spot where the opening is,
-and it may then be shown on all sides; but I do not advise that the
-performer should draw attention to the candle. No hint of a prepared
-candle should be given the spectators, who are not at all likely to
-think of such a thing unless it is suggested to them, particularly
-if the performer advances boldly, candle in one hand and candlestick
-in the other, and exhibits them. It will be found that an imitation
-candle to take shillings will have to be a fairly large one, so the
-conjuror must use his judgment, and have one for sixpences only,
-if his exhibition of an abnormally large candle be likely to draw
-suspicion towards it. For large stage performances a candle capable
-of taking florins might be used. The candle can be profitably used
-incidentally to vary the collection of money in the air (see page
-14, &c.), a coin being now and again placed visibly into the hat,
-instead of "passed" magically through the crown, and a fresh one
-obtained from the candle, just as would be done from the money tube
-(see page 239).
-
-_The Flight._--This is a method for causing five coins to disappear.
-It is a very useful interlude when the performer is hard up for
-something to do, and when it is desirable to lengthen out the
-entertainment.
-
-Take five well-worn half-crowns (your own or borrowed; marked or not),
-stand sideways to the audience, right side to the front, and extend
-the left hand, palm upwards. Hollowing the hand slightly, place one
-coin upon the tip of each finger. Place the right hand upon the left,
-the corresponding fingers of each hand meeting at the tips, so that
-the coins are held firmly between them. Give the hands a half turn, so
-that the back of the right hand is towards the audience, and hold them
-in this position for a few moments, the eyes being directed upwards,
-as though the remainder of the trick were to be in connection with the
-ceiling. Give the hands two upward and downward sweeps, increasing in
-vehemence, and at the third bring the points of the fingers together.
-This will cause the coins to lap one over the other in tolerably good
-order, when they must be pushed firmly between the root and first
-joint of the right thumb, breadthwise (see Fig. 5). The action must
-be executed as the hands descend for the third time, and with such
-speed that the coins must be secure in position when the hands are
-brought up again, when they will affect to toss the coins hard up at
-the ceiling. This takes some little doing, as there must not be the
-slightest pause in the upward and downward swing. The coins can be
-reproduced from the person of the performer or from the audience, or
-they need not be reproduced at all.
-
-The feat is capable of being introduced into tricks where five coins
-are made to disappear. Unless each finger has an occupant, it does not
-look complete, so it is not advisable to introduce the variation where
-four coins, or fewer, are employed.
-
-_Coin and Worsted Ball Trick._--A very good trick indeed is performed
-with a ball of worsted and a coin. Have a flat metal tube broad enough
-to admit with ease the coin intended to be used, and wind round
-one end of it a quantity of worsted, so as to form a large ball,
-completely closing up one aperture, the other end being left open and
-protruding half an inch or so. Place this in a pocket or a bag, or
-behind a screen. You must have a duplicate coin palmed, which change
-with the borrowed one, and give to be held in a handkerchief. The coin
-would, of course, be marked. When the worsted ball is in a bag, or
-behind a screen, the coin must be dropped down the tube, which is then
-withdrawn, and the ball compressed in the hand so as to obliterate
-all traces of an opening. It is, however, a much neater way to have
-the ball and tube in the pocket (it will have to be a side pocket);
-another ball being sent round to be examined before anything is done.
-When the coin is in the prepared ball, and the tube withdrawn, it
-can be exchanged with the other. When this has been successfully
-accomplished, give the ball to be held high in the air, and, taking
-the substituted coin, "pass" it inside. Now have the ball placed in a
-tumbler, which is held by one person, whilst another pulls at the end
-of the worsted, and so unwinds it. In the centre will, of course, be
-found the borrowed article.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XV.
-
-MISCELLANEOUS.
-
-     ON APPARATUS, AND ITS USES AND ABUSES--HOUDIN'S
-     DIE--ADDITIONAL EFFECT--NEW METHOD--THE GOLD-FISH TRICK:
-     PISCICULTURE EXTRAORDINARY--THE BOWLS AND COVERS--THE
-     CLOTH--WHERE TO CARRY THE BOWLS--HOW TO PRODUCE
-     THEM--BAD AND GOOD INNOVATIONS--HOW TO CAUSE THE BOWLS
-     TO DISAPPEAR--MISHAPS--GOLD FISH AND INK--THE GLOBE--THE
-     LINING--THE LADLE--HOW TO FILL IT--THE CARD--THE TRICK
-     IN A SMALL WAY--TRAVELS OF A GLASS OF WATER--GOLD!
-     GOLD! EVERYWHERE--THE HEN FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD--THE
-     BEST BREEDS: NO. 1, NO. 2, AND NO. 3--HOW TO HATCH
-     YOUR EGGS WITH DESPATCH--DECAPITATION NOT FATAL TO
-     FOWLS--"KLING, KLANG"--HOW TO STAND FIRE--THE INTERCEPTED
-     BULLET--THE WANDERING GINGER-BEER BOTTLE--THE PLUME AND
-     THE SEED--COOKING MADE EASY: HAT VERSUS SAUCEPAN--A
-     LITTLE ACCIDENT, AND HOW TO RECTIFY IT--THE FLAGS OF
-     OLD ENGLAND--A NUT FOR BLACKSMITHS TO CRACK--THE DRAWER
-     BOX--HOW TO MAKE IT--WHEN TO USE IT, AND WHEN NOT--THE
-     CONE--BACCHUS' DOVECOTE--HOW TO PREPARE THE BOTTLE--HOW
-     TO MESMERISE AND CAUSE A DOVE TO DISAPPEAR--THE
-     WINE-DRINKING CRYSTAL BALL--BACCHUS' MAYPOLE--ON PROGRAMMES
-     AND TITLES--HOW TO MAKE THE BOTTLE--THE ACCOMMODATING
-     BOTTLE--HOW TO "WORK" IT SUCCESSFULLY--ANOTHER METHOD--THE
-     MESMERIC SUSPENSION WAND: TWO METHODS--THE MAGI'S BRAZEN
-     ROD--THE BALLS--HOW TO CHANGE THE RINGS--THE SHOWER OF
-     PLUMES--THE FAIRY FLOWER--THE VASE.
-
-
-However great the respect which one may have for sleight of hand pure
-and simple, it is quite undeniable that a set performance is greatly
-improved by the occasional introduction of some neat-looking, but
-not gaudy, apparatus. Under this head need by no means be included
-self-acting machinery, during the performance of which the performer
-acts as a mere puppet. All the apparatus mentioned in this work will
-require adroit handling; and the conjuror will do well to practise
-as thoroughly with each article as he would towards the acquisition
-of a feat of sleight of hand. Apparatus seems to have a malicious
-pleasure in going wrong, always on the most critical occasions, and,
-for this reason, the majority of skilful performers feel most happy
-when using very little of it. One thing may be taken for granted,
-viz., that apparatus, exhibited without the assistance of sleight
-of hand, and plenty of it, causes the performer to degenerate into
-a mere showman--opening a box here, and taking off a lid there. In
-introducing apparatus, the performer must lay a very great deal of
-stress upon the sleight of hand portion of the business, as though
-therein lay the whole of the trick, the apparatus being a mere
-necessary evil in connection with it. By engaging the attention of the
-company with sleight of hand, it is drawn away from the apparatus, the
-spectators being so convinced of the performer's skill that they do
-not so readily accuse him of trusting to gaudy boxes and canisters for
-his effects.
-
-Some of the apparatus described can be made at home, but, as a
-general rule, it is cheaper and more satisfactory to buy it at a
-conjuring repository. Low prices are the order of the day; and, as the
-articles are made by experienced men, they must be superior to those
-manufactured by persons new to the business.
-
-_Houdin's Die Trick._--Although this trick, sold everywhere for a
-shilling, must be as well known as any, I have found it appreciated
-by certain audiences, which have, by the way, invariably been
-drawing-room ones. Before a boys' school, or large public audience, it
-would not be advisable to exhibit it. The trick consists in placing
-a die upon the uppermost of two hats, covering it with a cover, and
-causing it to pass through into the lower hat. The secret lies in a
-hollow false die, which has five sides only, and which fits over the
-real die like a cover. The actual cover used in the trick fits over
-the dummy die. The method of performance is extremely easy. Place the
-dummy die in the breast pocket, in a handy position, and give the
-real one to be examined with the cover. Whilst this is being done,
-borrow two hats, and take them to the centre table, slipping the
-false die from the pocket into one of them when your back is turned.
-Place the hat containing the dummy on the table, crown downwards, and
-invert the other one over it. Now take the die and place it upon the
-uppermost hat, and explain to the audience as follows: "Ladies and
-gentlemen,--You have all kindly examined the die and cover, and found
-that both are genuine and free from trickery. I now take this solid
-die and place it upon this hat; but before doing so I will show you
-that the hat has no hole through the crown. [Take up hat, and hold it
-before the light, and bang it about a little, then replace and put
-die upon it.] The trick I shall perform will be to cover the die with
-this cover, and, on again removing it, it will be found that the die
-will have passed through the hat into the one underneath, thus [tilt
-the top hat so as to cause the die to fall into the lower hat]. Now
-that I have explained what is to be done, I will proceed to do it."
-Take the dummy die out of the hat (being careful to keep the open
-part from the audience, and leaving the real die behind), and place
-it, with the opening downwards, upon the upper hat, which you have
-replaced. You can pretend to cut through the hat, all round the die,
-with a penknife, making a noise with the nail to imitate the sound of
-cutting, and then, placing the cover over the die, give it a rap with
-the wand. Grasp the cover very tightly near the bottom, and raise it,
-bringing away the dummy die as well. Hold it up to the spectators, and
-rattle the wand inside, and then turn out the real die from the hat
-on to the floor. Whilst doing this with one hand, the other should be
-passed behind the table, and the dummy allowed to slide out of the
-cover on to the shelf. This latter effect is invariably omitted by
-conjurors, and the trick, in my opinion, spoilt, as attention to it
-enables the performer to hand round the cover for inspection after
-the trick is performed, thereby totally upsetting those who, having
-purchased the trick, fancy they know all about it. I have frequently
-been asked by such people how I do the trick, they little thinking
-that the apparatus I use is exactly similar to their own. The die,
-cover, and dummy can be purchased so cheaply that it is scarcely
-worth while for the conjuror to manufacture his own. If he wishes to
-exercise his ingenuity, let him try the following method, which is an
-improvement on Houdin's old one only inasmuch as it is not so well
-known.
-
-Procure a die some four inches square, with dummy and cover complete.
-A smaller size can be used, but I give the most effective for the
-trick. Now take five pieces of cardboard, each the size of one side
-of the die, and join them together with hinges of linen, not all in
-a row, but with one in the centre and the four others on either side
-of it. Lay these upon the centre of a large coloured handkerchief,
-and place another handkerchief, of a precisely similar pattern, over
-it. Sew the two handkerchiefs and cardboard together through the
-centre piece of card only, and then sew the edges of the handkerchiefs
-together all round. The two handkerchiefs are made to pass as a
-single one only. Before commencing, the dummy must be placed, opening
-downwards, upon the shelf, and the handkerchief should be lying
-carelessly upon a chair or side table. Show the die and cover round,
-and borrow two hats. Take the cover and hats to the table, and whilst
-one hand is placing one hat over the other, as in the first method,
-the other should place the cover over the dummy die on the shelf,
-which must thus be picked up. Show the inside of cover (_i.e._, the
-inside of the dummy), and place it upon the uppermost hat. Now take
-the die and place it upon the table, a few inches only from the
-back. Spread the handkerchief over it, and whilst taking hold of the
-centre piece of card of the internal arrangement across the middle,
-with one hand, from the outside, pass the other hand underneath the
-handkerchief, and, under cover of the same, place the die upon the
-shelf. The hand holding the handkerchief will all the time appear to
-be holding the die in the air a few inches from off the table. Fold
-the handkerchief carefully up, and the five pieces of card will give
-an exact resemblance of a die folded up in a handkerchief, which idea
-is what you wish to convey to the minds of the audience. Place this
-carefully upon a side table, and then explain that you are about to
-pass the die from the handkerchief invisibly under the cover. Raise
-the cover--and, along with it, the dummy die--once more rattle the
-wand inside, and replace it. Then take the handkerchief carefully by
-two corners and suddenly give it a hard shake in the air. The die
-that is supposed to be inside will not, according to the expectations
-of the spectators, roll upon the floor, but you will show it to be
-on the top of the hat by raising the cover only, and revealing the
-dummy. Remove the dummy from the hat to the table with two hands,
-as if it were solid, and act as if you were about to return the two
-hats. You, however, take one of them, opening downwards, and, bringing
-the brim on a level with the top of the table, but overhanging the
-shelf considerably, pop the die inside it with the other hand, which
-instantly takes up the second hat, and you advance with both. Before
-you have progressed very far, however, you say that, perhaps, after
-all, the audience would prefer seeing the die back again; and it is
-very evident that so large an object must be somewhere. Of course,
-no one will object, and you replace the hats one over the other, the
-one containing the die being naturally the lower one. The trick then
-proceeds as before described, the dummy die being carefully lifted
-with two hands upon the uppermost hat, and the cutting operation gone
-through. The difficult portion of the trick is getting the die from
-the shelf into the hat. This should be well practised.
-
-_The Gold-fish Trick._--Of the first three questions asked a conjuror
-by a new acquaintance, one will infallibly be, "Can you do the
-gold-fish trick?" When it was first exhibited, it caused intense
-excitement, and, the secret being fairly well kept, the trick is but
-little known even now. The performer advances with a shawl or large
-handkerchief, and, after waving it about, he produces from it a
-large glass bowl full of water, in which gold-fish are complacently
-swimming. I have heard the wildest suggestions made in explanation of
-the trick. One says the bowls of water come up a trap door, regardless
-of the fact that the cloth does not reach the ground, consequently
-anything coming up through the floor must infallibly be seen at once.
-Another explains that the performer has the bowls empty about him,
-and has an indiarubber reservoir of water up his back, with a pipe
-coming down the sleeve. Where the fish come from is not explained.
-No one seems to be able to think of the real secret--an indiarubber
-cover. The bowls are flat, not more than two inches deep in the
-centre, resembling gigantic saucers made of glass. The indiarubber
-covers are made exactly the size of the rim of the bowls, and have a
-broad turn-under edge besides. The bowls are filled with water, the
-fish put in, and the covers are then stretched over. To put them on
-neatly and with dispatch two persons are required, as some force is
-necessary to pull the indiarubber out sufficiently far to enable it
-to go on the bowl. Deep, round-bellied bowls should be avoided, as
-the covers cannot get a good grip upon them. As, with ordinary care,
-there is no possible chance of a leakage taking place, the bowls can
-be placed anywhere the performer pleases, and in any position. The
-favourite places about the person are inside the vest, which will
-distend sufficiently if prepared with elastic behind, and inside the
-large breast pockets of the coat. Some conjurors, however, prefer
-placing the bowls simply under the armpits, inside the coat, and it
-is surprising how remarkably safe they are in such a position. They
-are certainly less liable to cause any extraordinary distension of
-the performer's person, and are far more easily got at. But this is a
-matter entirely for the consideration of the performer. Some go so far
-as to put a bowl up the back, which to me seems making the trick as
-difficult as possible. Wherever the bowls are put, they must be pushed
-well back, so that all the distension takes place behind, and the
-performer must necessarily always face the audience during the trick.
-A bowl is also sometimes placed upon the shelf of the table; but a far
-better place than this is the back of a chair, made opaque on purpose,
-where the bowl is held by means of two large wire hooks. As three
-bowls are generally sufficient for most audiences, one can always
-manage to carry a sufficient number about one's person. I usually have
-one in the vest and one in each breast pocket.
-
-To produce the bowls, the performer takes a cloth by two corners,
-and, after waving it about a short time for effect, he throws it over
-one shoulder, allowing it to hang well down in front of him. If the
-bowl is to be taken from the left side, then the cloth must cover
-that side most, and the left arm must be held out so as to allow the
-right arm room to work. With the right hand, take the bowl from its
-hiding place, and hold it horizontally under the cloth, which then
-draw off the shoulder by means of the other hand, and let it hang over
-the bowl. Now, with the disengaged hand, grasp the indiarubber cover
-firmly on the edge of the bowl, through the cloth, and remove it from
-the bowl with a backward motion. This wants some little doing, as,
-although it greatly heightens the effect to spill a _little_ water, it
-looks clumsy to three parts empty the bowl. Lay the cloth carelessly
-aside and take up a fresh one for each bowl. Some conjurors, Dr. Lynn
-amongst them, use only one cloth, which is provided with pockets, into
-which the covers are stowed away; but this is a totally unnecessary
-innovation, and often obliges the performer to fumble about before
-he can get the covers into the pockets. The idea that the audience
-think more of the trick if the bowls are all produced from one cloth
-is erroneous, for in most instances the fact is not noticed; and
-when the performer uses a fresh cloth for each bowl the spectators,
-when they give the subject any thought at all, attribute it to the
-cloths becoming wet and so disagreeable to use a second time. By using
-several cloths, greater freedom of action is obtained.
-
-An innovation by Herrmann was calculated to make the trick even more
-wonderful than it is in its ordinary form. Herrmann, after producing
-no fewer than four bowls, used to go right amongst the audience, and
-there, from a borrowed handkerchief, produce a fifth. This bowl was
-carried either in the vest or in a breast pocket, and its production
-was the more extraordinary by reason of the handkerchief being held
-across the performer's breast by one of the spectators. It may be
-safely asserted that no such feat of daring has ever been performed by
-any other conjuror. Few men possessed such indomitable pluck and nerve
-as Herrmann, who, during a performance, was to be deterred by nothing.
-He took the precaution of using a very shallow bowl with sharp sides
-and a very thin cover. The instant the cover was off, the handkerchief
-containing it was rolled up in the hand and carried off along with
-the bowl as if by accident, to be immediately returned to its owner,
-_minus the cover_.
-
-The most recent addition to the trick is causing the bowls to
-disappear after production. The simple method for doing this is
-to have a double handkerchief, as described in the die trick,
-with a circular piece of cardboard, the size of the bowl to be
-made to vanish, inside. The bowl is placed upon the table, and the
-handkerchief spread over it. As one hand raises the card the other
-hand places the bowl upon the shelf. The handkerchief is then brought
-forward with great care, and then shaken out in the midst of the
-audience. A piece of wet sponge is kept on the shelf, and this is
-squeezed when the performer goes forward with the supposed bowl. A far
-better method than this is to use a bowl the top of which is entirely
-of glass and made in one piece with the bowl, the water and fish being
-put in through a hole underneath, which is stopped with a cork or
-plug. It must not be quite filled with water, and when produced the
-surface must be held a little from the audience, so that the glass top
-cannot be noticed. When the bowl is to be vanished, all the performer
-has to do is to cover it with the cloth, and thence quietly put it
-back into his pocket or vest. It must, of course, be done quickly.
-
-Some ludicrous mishaps have occurred with carelessly covered bowls.
-One celebrated conjuror produced two bowls with the contents of a
-third distributed impartially about his person, saturating his clothes
-and filling his boots. Another performer, a very skilful amateur,
-accidentally threw the whole of the water from a bowl into a lady's
-lap, much to the discomfiture of both parties. Had due care been
-taken, these accidents could never have taken place.
-
-The bowls and covers can only be obtained at conjuring repositories.
-
-_Gold-fish and Ink Trick._--This is another instance of astonishing
-and inexplicable effect produced by most simple means. A large globe
-(not a bowl, such as is used in the foregoing trick), full of ink, is
-produced. The performer ladles out some of the ink and sends it round
-on a saucer for examination. He also dips a white card into the globe,
-and brings it out dripping with ink. After this, he merely spreads a
-handkerchief over the globe, and instantly removes it, when the ink
-is found to have disappeared and its place supplied by pure water and
-gold-fish.
-
-The preparation for this trick is as follows: Procure a piece of
-black silk, in width about four-fifths of the height of the globe,
-and sufficiently long to go once round it on the inside. Sew the two
-ends together, so that a broad band is formed. To any part of the top
-edge fasten a piece of thin wire, which blacken. With this silk line
-the inside of the globe, and then pour in water exactly to the height
-of the top of it. The wire must be turned over the edge of the globe
-a little, so as to be easily found. When the globe thus prepared is
-brought on, it is impossible to tell it from one full of ink. The
-ladle, which will be best procured at a conjuring repository, is not
-an ordinary one, but has a hollow handle communicating with the bowl
-by means of a tiny hole. This hole is made where the stem joins the
-bowl, and at the upper end of the handle is another small hole. The
-hollow handle is filled with ink, and a finger or thumb placed over
-the uppermost hole, thus preventing the fluid from running out. When
-the performer puts the ladle into the globe, as if dipping some ink
-out, the thumb or finger should be removed from the upper hole, and
-the ink will then flow from the handle into the bowl of the ladle.
-The methods for filling the handle with ink are various. One way is
-to fill the bowl of the ladle with ink, and then apply suction to the
-hole at the other end. This is a very simple method, but, unless the
-person who applies the suction has a decided taste for ink, it is not
-a pleasant one to adopt. Another method is to exhaust the air from the
-handle by means of suction, and then put the ladle in ink; but this
-is even worse than the other. The way I get over the difficulty is
-by making the upper hole, which is never seen, large enough to admit
-the nozzle of a very small syringe, by means of which article the ink
-can be injected into the handle with cleanliness and dispatch. In
-purchasing a ladle, care should be taken to procure as plain a one as
-possible. A fancy ladle excites suspicion. If the conjuror does not
-mind a little expense, he will possess a most perfect article if he
-purchase a cheap plated sauce ladle, and then have the handle and stem
-fitted with a hollow back. This will be entirely free from suspicion.
-The card which is dipped in the supposed ink is simply a piece of
-card, about an inch and a half wide and a few inches long, with about
-half of one side of it blackened with ink or paint. The white side is
-shown to the audience, and it is then turned over with the peculiar
-twist illustrated in "Drawing-room Magic," Figs. 19 and 20. It is
-then actually dipped into the water and brought out with the blackened
-side towards the audience. The water dripping from it will appear to
-the audience to be ink, and the deceptive twist can be again given to
-show that both sides are blackened.
-
-In apparently taking out ink with the ladle, and dipping the card
-in, care must be taken that the manner of the performer does not
-too forcibly impress upon the minds of the audience that he is over
-anxious they should believe there is actually ink in the globe. The
-ladling out and dipping the card in must be done tolerably briskly;
-for, if the audience have time, some of the members may suggest, what
-is only reasonable, that the performer should show the bowl round
-bodily. The trick is finished by a large, dark-coloured cloth or
-handkerchief being thrown over the globe, and instantly removed, the
-performer taking care to grasp the wire, which will, of course, be
-on his side of the globe, through the cloth, and so cause the silk
-lining to come away inside the cloth or handkerchief. I do not believe
-in introducing rock work into the globe, as it gives the audience
-the idea of something fixed, and they thus obtain a groundwork to
-start upon. Water and fish are enough to manufacture from ink, in all
-conscience. The trick is also very effective when performed in a small
-way with a tumbler.
-
-_The Ubiquitous Glass of Water: First Method._--Procure two small
-tumblers, exactly similar in size, shape, and appearance. Fill one
-with water, cover it with a tight-fitting indiarubber cover, and
-place it in the breast pocket or inside the vest. These little
-covers are easily procurable, as they are universally sold as covers
-for jam-pots. They cost about sixpence each. Have a small double
-handkerchief or cloth, containing a circular piece of card, the size
-of the mouth of the tumbler, with a few stitches through it to keep it
-in the centre. Show the empty tumbler, and then fill it with water.
-Cover it with the handkerchief, and affect to take it up, but place
-it on the shelf. Advance very carefully with the supposed glass of
-water, and either stumble on the floor and drop everything, or else
-pretend to place the glass in someone's hands. If you stumble you
-must take care to avoid injuring the concealed tumbler. The glass and
-water vanished, it is now your business to find them again. For this
-purpose, you call in the aid of a spectator (a youth preferred), whom
-you request to stoop. Over his back spread the cloth or handkerchief,
-and, grasping that portion containing the card, raise it gently.
-Hold it a short time in the air, and then say that you will throw it
-into someone's pocket, indicating the particular person. Shake out
-the handkerchief or cloth again and then desire the person indicated
-to examine his or her pocket. Of course nothing will be found, but
-you borrow the handkerchief, which will have been taken from the
-searcher's pocket during the examination, and, waving it about, get
-the tumbler into it from the pocket, according to the directions
-given for producing the bowls of water and fish. Remove the cover
-and produce the glass and water, saying that you knew you had passed
-them into the indicated pocket. The cover being small, it can be
-easily removed and the handkerchief returned. It improves the effect
-a great deal if a small piece of wet sponge can be introduced beneath
-the cloth whilst the glass, presumably found in the youth's back, is
-being held, and then squeezed in imitation of the spilling of water
-from the glass. The sponge can be carried at the mouth of one of the
-large breast pockets, and, if carefully disposed, need not make the
-performer uncomfortable by wetting him. I have even seen the sponge
-attached to the under side of the prepared cloth or handkerchief,
-which is an excellent plan if the performer is careful not to expose
-that side, as the sponge is always at hand, and there is no necessity
-to introduce the hand under the covering, compression from the outside
-being equally effective in exuding the water.
-
-Some performers think it necessary to go through certain actions for
-the purpose of convincing the company that the handkerchief does not
-contain a card or other shape. I must confess that I regard such
-actions as being decidedly supererogatory, for there is not the least
-foundation for assuming that the audience suspect the existence of
-any such thing; and for the performer to do anything indicative of an
-anticipation on his part that the company are likely to divine what
-is the true secret of the trick is highly suicidal. However, all are
-not of my opinion, so, if any beginner thinks he would like to be able
-to draw the handkerchief through the fingers previous to using, he
-can easily do so. All he will have to do will be to run a couple of
-stitches from two adjacent corners to the centre of the handkerchief,
-and inclose his card in the triangular space thus formed. As it is now
-loose, when the handkerchief is held by one of the opposite corners,
-the card falls to the extreme border, and the bulk of the handkerchief
-may be drawn through the hands. When the handkerchief is held by that
-side which forms the base of the triangle, the card falls at once into
-position in the centre. A copper or brass wire ring, being heavier
-than card, is perhaps more serviceable, as it more readily falls into
-position.
-
-_Second Method._--For this a special tumbler will be required. It is
-a large one, with perfectly straight sides, and is furnished with an
-outside cylindrical shell, also of glass, which is not discernible
-from the glass itself when in position. This outside shell must be
-sufficiently large to slip over the hand of the performer, so it will
-be seen that it is of considerable dimensions. This fact is always of
-value from the point of view of effectiveness: the larger the article
-the performer can manage to successfully manipulate, the better. The
-performer advances with the glass and shell together, and fills the
-former to the brim with water. He then places the whole on the rear
-edge of the table, and covers with the cloth. Grasping the shell,
-from the outside, with one hand, and placing the other hand below,
-the glass is slid gradually off the table, when it will drop through
-the shell into the hand of the performer, which places it upon the
-shelf. The more rapidity there is employed, the better. The performer
-comes forward with the shell inside the cloth, and allows the audience
-to feel its shape, and also taps it with the wand, to make the glass
-ring. He cannot allow the shell to be actually seen, as the absence of
-any water would be at once noticed; but the satisfying of the senses
-of touch and hearing will be sufficiently convincing. Retiring to
-about the centre of the stage, the performer thrusts one of his hands
-through the shell, from the bottom, and, whilst supporting the card
-shape with the fingers, allows the shell to glide down the arm, inside
-the coat sleeve. The handkerchief is then shaken out, and shown to be
-empty. In this case, the glass is not reproduced, the trick depending
-for effect upon the apparent bringing of a very large glass, full of
-water, amongst the audience, and causing it to vanish before their
-eyes. In the first method, there is no tapping of the sides of the
-glass when in the handkerchief, or any feeling of its shape, which
-is, of course, a very great feature of this method. The cuff must be
-gripped by the third and little fingers, when the arm may be dropped
-without any fear of the glass shell falling to the ground.
-
-_Third Method._--This method is, in every way, vastly superior to
-either of the preceding, and, in clever hands, becomes perfectly
-marvellous to the uninitiated. Only one tumbler is employed. This
-should be of a substantial character, and requires to be fitted with
-a flat glass top, exactly the size of the top of the tumbler. To the
-under side of this should be cemented a slightly smaller circular
-piece, the size of the interior circumference of the mouth of the
-tumbler. The glass top cannot now possibly shift from its position.
-This top the performer has concealed under his vest or in his breast
-pocket, so that it is readily at hand. Without so much as approaching
-a table or chair he has the tumbler filled, and, as he covers it with
-the cloth, he gets out his top and places it into position. With the
-supposed object of, say, placing the tumbler upon a chair, so that
-some plea be instituted for bending the body, the tumbler is removed
-from the cloth and put into the pocket at the bottom of the coat tail.
-The performer now goes through any performance he pleases with his
-shape and sponge, and, at the proper moment, produces the tumbler
-again. In doing this, however, he must get both hands under the cloth,
-so that he may secrete the top in one of them. It would not do to lift
-this off from the outside of the cloth, as its extra presence would be
-noticed. Its size enables it to be readily nipped between the joints
-of the fingers and root of the thumb.
-
-As the performer does not approach the table, it is impossible for the
-audience to imagine what has become of the glass, filled, as it is,
-with water. There is no doubt that this method calls for more skill in
-execution than does the first, but the effect is immeasurably superior.
-
-_To Invert a Glass of Water._--This is an effect which may either
-be accomplished separately, or may follow the third method of the
-preceding trick. The performer places the tumbler upon the table,
-fills it with water, and, in the act of shifting its position, places
-the lid, unperceived, upon it. He is provided with a half-sheet of
-note-paper, which he places upon the tumbler, and then, covering the
-whole with one hand, inverts the glass upon it. He then addresses
-the company, remarking that they are, no doubt, familiar with the
-schoolboy trick of holding an inverted tumbler of water, with merely
-a sheet of paper to keep the contents from falling to the ground. To
-illustrate this, the performer holds the tumbler by the base in the
-disengaged hand, and removes the one below. In the ordinary way the
-paper would fall to the ground; but the performer has taken care to
-allow it to become slightly wetted, so that it adheres to the glass
-top. The performer now proceeds: "This any schoolboy can do; but I
-dare say you do not think it possible for me to remove this paper and
-yet retain the water in the tumbler. However, I will show you that
-such a feat is possible." Taking the paper by an edge, the performer
-gradually removes it, all the time affecting to hold the tumbler with
-the greatest steadiness, and keeping his eyes rigidly fixed upon it,
-as though momentarily anticipating some catastrophe, to avert which
-a concentration of all his energies is necessary. If he pleases, the
-performer may swing the tumbler into an upright position and back
-again, repeating the action three or four times. The paper may be
-eventually replaced, and the top removed inside it, or that article
-may be got rid of without the aid of the paper at all.
-
-A slight objection exists in connection with the use of the glass top,
-from the fact that it is liable to "talk," _i.e._, make a noise, as
-it is being placed in position. This does not signify on the stage,
-but, when performing before small audiences, it may be as well to
-use a piece of mica. As this has no sunken edge, it is not quite as
-secure as the glass top; but, with ordinary care, no mishap need be
-apprehended. In removing the paper from beneath, it will be necessary
-to adopt great caution in avoiding all approach to a sideways sliding
-movement, which would probably have the effect of shifting the mica,
-when a deluge would immediately follow. The paper must be boldly
-peeled off away from the mica. Mica may be purchased in sheets,
-and the conjuror should cut several sizes, both, for tumblers and
-wineglasses, and carry them in his pocket-book.
-
-When at a house, if even only for the evening, where he is likely to
-be called upon, he can soon obtain an opportunity for fitting the
-various glasses in use, by carrying a mica in the palm. Performed
-with a wineglass, the trick makes a very valuable addition to the few
-applicable to the table. In turning the glass back to the upright
-position, always place the hand beneath first, as, in removing it, it
-is then an easy matter to take away the mica.
-
-_The Shower of Gold._--The conjuror can perform this trick with the
-same tumblers and prepared cloth. One tumbler must be filled with
-imitation sovereigns (which are sold cheaply as whist counters) and
-placed upon the shelf. The empty tumbler is handed round, and then
-covered with the cloth, and apparently placed upon the table. It is
-instead rapidly exchanged, under cover of the prepared cloth--which,
-when held by the circular card, will sustain the idea that the
-tumbler is inside it all the time--for the one containing the coins.
-The performer now goes down to the audience, and continues to find
-in various ways either single coins or three or four of such at a
-time, which are "passed" into the distant tumbler by the various
-methods described in "Drawing-room Magic." As coins thrown from a
-distance would not in the ordinary way fall into a glass receptacle
-without causing any sound, it behoves the conjuror to imitate such
-sound. This is easily accomplished by having an assistant behind the
-scenes, stationed as close to the table as possible, and provided
-with a quantity of coins and a tumbler. When the performer "passes"
-any coins towards the tumbler, the assistant should, after a short
-lapse of time, allow some to pour into his tumbler. The attention of
-the audience is so riveted on the covered glass that the deception
-cannot be detected. Indeed, it is difficult for anyone who knows
-exactly what is going on behind to notice anything at all suspicious.
-The deception is a very perfect one, and is used in many ways by
-the best conjurors. Of course, performer and assistant must be _en
-rapport_ with each other, the one being careful to state loudly at
-each "pass" how many coins are being transmitted, and the other paying
-strict attention to what is going on. Supposing the performer finds a
-single coin, he will exclaim loudly, "Ah! madam, here is just _one_
-coin on the edge of your fan! Permit me." And, on finding several,
-he will say, "Ah! in your head, sir, quite a quantity of coins. One,
-two, three, four, _five_!" Sometimes, too, it is as well, for effect,
-to vary the speed with which the coins perform their imaginary aerial
-journey. "This one," the performer will say, "is, I see, a very old
-coin, so will go very slowly indeed;" or, "quite a new one, I declare;
-see how quickly it will travel." If the assistant be not listening,
-the effect will be absurd. The tumbler into which he drops the coins
-should be covered, or the sound will be too sharp. It should be a
-muffled sound.
-
-_The Egg Bag._--This is a bag which, although repeatedly shown to be
-quite empty, continues to give forth eggs. In its smallest form, it
-consists of a square bag, made from chintz, or similar material. One
-of the sides is double, and thus forms a secret compartment, the mouth
-of which is at the bottom of the bag, inside. The bag can be taken
-and turned inside out, to show that it is empty, and yet have an egg
-inside the compartment. The bag, on being turned back again, can be
-held upside down and shaken without the egg falling out, for it will
-still be sustained by the inner lining. To produce the egg, all the
-performer has to do is to put his hand inside the bag and take the
-egg out of the compartment. He can then replace it, and cause it to
-disappear. Sometimes the inner lining covers only about three-fourths
-of the real side of the bag, but it is best to have it almost the
-same size. If, in turning the bag inside out, the double side were
-accidentally shown to the audience, they would infallibly notice the
-mouth of an inner bag, if it were placed about three-fourths of the
-way down one side; but if it came on a level with the bottom of the
-bag itself, it would rarely be noticed.
-
-The larger egg bag, for the production of many eggs, is a very
-different affair, and requires some making. There are various
-patterns, the best of which I give: No. 1 is a chintz bag, about
-two and a half feet long, and of proportionate breadth. There is no
-double lining to it, but it is barefacedly provided with as many
-little pockets, each just capable of containing an egg, as one side
-can be made to take. These pockets have buttons, and the eggs are
-placed in them, and they are then fastened, their mouths being, of
-course, downwards when the bag is held in its proper position. The
-performer brings on the bag; and, after explaining that he has simply
-an ordinary chintz bag in his hands, proceeds to show that it is
-quite empty by turning it first upside down and then inside out. In
-performing the latter operation, that side which is provided with
-the pockets must, naturally be always turned towards the performer.
-The bag is then turned back again, and waved about, and, saying that
-he fancies something has been put into his bag by the fairies, the
-performer puts his hand inside, opening one of the pockets rapidly
-as he does so. The egg thus released is produced, and the bag again
-waved about. The operation of producing the eggs is continued until
-all are exhausted. It is perhaps better to open the pocket sometimes
-as the hand is withdrawn with an egg. This will enable the performer
-to compress the material round the egg, thereby released from the
-outside, before inserting the hand again to extract it, and exhibit
-its contour to the audience, who will then see that the egg is
-not placed into the bag by sleight of hand just previous to being
-withdrawn. No. 2 is made of any opaque material, a soft one for
-choice. Besides the ordinary mouth, it has two smaller ones, each some
-sizes larger than an egg, at the bottom corners. They are best made
-by simply cutting the corners off. The double lining is very small,
-it being only of sufficient breadth to take an egg. It is situated
-at the mouth of the bag and runs along the entire length of it. It
-has only one opening, a slit across the centre, and the eggs are put
-in through this. For safety's sake, it is as well to have the opening
-secured with a button. After the bag has been duly turned inside out
-and back again, and the slit (if closed) opened, the fingers are run
-along the top of the bag, where the narrow strip of inside lining is
-situated, and an egg squeezed out through the slit. This egg falls
-into the bag proper, which is then tilted sideways over a plate or
-a basket, or even a hat, and the egg thus caused to roll out of the
-open corner. No. 3 is similar in principle to No. 2, but has a net
-underneath, into which the eggs drop with very pretty effect. The
-corner openings are dispensed with, and the hand is inserted into the
-bag when an egg is to be taken out.
-
-What puzzles audiences as much as anything is that so many eggs
-are manipulated and yet not broken. The secret of this is that the
-eggs used are, with the exception of the one first produced, which
-is broken on a plate as a specimen, guiltless of the possession of
-any interior, the performer having taken the precaution of blowing
-them. This enables the performer to throw the bag carelessly on the
-floor and then to trample on it. Of course the trampling would be
-equally fatal to both blown and unblown eggs if the performer did not
-carefully avoid that portion of the bag which contains them; but the
-mere act of throwing a bag full of eggs in their original state on
-the floor would alone be disastrous to many of them. The method for
-holding a bag for the purpose of taking out an egg is to hold one
-corner between the teeth and the other in one hand stretched out.
-This leaves the other hand free for operation. Ordinarily, conjurors
-do not produce more than eight eggs. If the amateur wishes to perform
-the trick in really good style, he should have a bag made capable of
-producing at least two dozen eggs. For this, a large-sized chintz bag
-is recommended.
-
-_Incubation by Magic._--A very amusing trick can be performed when an
-entertainment is given in the country, or anywhere where a few very
-young chickens are procurable. Take four or five of these, and put
-them in a black alpaca or silk bag, the mouth of which is tied with
-cotton, and is easy to open. Place the bag on the shelf. Be provided
-with a blown egg, not too large, which palm. Borrow a hat, and find
-the egg in any way you please, and then retire to the stage. Place the
-hat on its side on the table, with the crown towards the audience,
-and the brim over the back edge, just where the bag is placed on the
-shelf. Do not place the hat in the desired position at once, but try
-it in various places first, and finally decide that the position in
-which you place it is the only secure one. Stand at the end of the
-table (R), and place the left hand on the brim of the hat, to
-hold it steady. With the right hand take the egg, and, after one or
-two feints, make a pass at the crown of the hat with it. Palm the egg
-and rub the hat, as if the egg had gone through it. This process of
-palming is not difficult when the egg has been made light, by blowing
-out the inside; the small end fits nicely between the two fleshy
-portions of the hand. Find another egg (_i.e._, the same one), in your
-leg, wand, or elsewhere, and pass it through the hat as before, and
-repeat the operation as often as you have chickens inside the bag.
-This bag will have to be introduced into the hat with the left hand,
-and the best time for doing this is when the right hand is engaged in
-finding another egg on any part of your person. It is not advisable to
-do it when the hat is first set down, as the eyes of the audience are
-full upon it. This is an illustration of misdirection. When you have
-"passed" the requisite number of eggs through the hat, raise it and
-bring it forward, remarking that not only have eggs passed through,
-but they have all become hatched. (The hatching can, of course, be
-done over a candle.) Great astonishment and amusement will be caused
-when you produce the chickens one by one. Before removing the last
-one secure the bag in the hand, for it will never do to allow the
-audience to see that. The egg you, of course, vest before commencing
-to reveal the contents of the hat. This trick is but little known,
-which is a pity, as it is a very simple one, and invariably causes
-great amusement. It also serves to vary the conventional list of
-tricks performed with hats.
-
-There is a capital method for collecting the eggs for this trick in
-place of finding each one with the hand, and "passing" it through the
-crown of the hat. The hat is loaded, as before, with the chickens in
-a bag, and placed upon a side table, as being the least suspicious,
-brim upwards. The performer now takes a handkerchief, which is lying
-carelessly about, and opens it out. It is then doubled lengthwise,
-perpendicularly, and, held by opposite ends; one end is tilted over
-the hat, when an egg slides out. The handkerchief is then opened
-out to show that it is perfectly empty, is taken up by two corners,
-folded, and once more emptied of an egg into the hat. This process is
-repeated as often as necessary, when the handkerchief is put aside and
-the trick proceeded with, as before described.
-
-The secret of the handkerchief is that on one side is suspended a
-blown egg, by means of a piece of black silk thread. A very thick,
-or, at any rate, opaque handkerchief, must be employed, so that by
-no possible chance can the shape of the egg be seen through it. The
-length of the thread will require nice adjustment, as will also its
-position on the handkerchief, for naturally it must not be long enough
-to allow the egg to appear below the lower margin of the handkerchief,
-when that article is held up by two corners, but must still have an
-inch or two to spare, to enable it to fall into the hat without being
-jerked backwards in the least, for so unnatural a movement imparted to
-a falling egg would at once undeceive the company. The position for
-the thread to be sewn to the handkerchief is about half way between
-the centre and a corner. The folding of the handkerchief must be done
-in a very easy manner, but without imparting a wavy motion to it, for
-the least lifting of the lower portion will expose the egg. When the
-handkerchief is folded the performer may go with it to various parts
-of the room, seeking where he can magically find an egg. The egg
-found, one of the company may be allowed to feel its contour through
-the handkerchief. The opening out of the handkerchief, after the egg
-has been poured from it, requires some attention. The lower end is
-released, and then the two upper corners are seized, one by either
-hand, and the handkerchief thrown wide open, showing the side to which
-the egg is attached. It is then thrown forward, so as to spread over
-the hat. By this act it has been turned completely over, the audience
-having seen both sides of it, whilst the egg has been peacefully
-resting inside the hat, the thread not being sufficiently prominent
-to become observed. The two corners nearest the performer, originally
-those belonging to the lower end of the folded handkerchief as the egg
-was tilted into the hat, are then taken, and the handkerchief drawn
-off from the hat towards the performer, with an oblique upward motion.
-The handkerchief is then in the position for refolding, and right for
-the discovery of a new egg.
-
-One defect which always struck me as being apparent in this method
-was the fact that the handkerchief could never be given round for
-examination. This difficulty I surmounted by the following method: The
-egg and thread I keep apart from the handkerchief until the actual
-moment for performing the trick arrives. At the loose end of the
-thread, the length of which has, of course, been previously adjusted
-to a nicety, I fasten a bent black pin; that is, a very much bent
-pin--a hook, in fact--with the head end very short and the pointed end
-very long. The egg lies in my capacious breast pocket, and the hook
-is fastened in a convenient position in the edge of the coat flap.
-The handkerchief is given round for examination, and returned to the
-performer, who, as he retires to the stage, fastens the hook into it.
-Before he turns for this purpose, he must have fixed his eye upon the
-place where the hook should go, and have grasped the handkerchief
-there, so that afterwards he may be able to conclude his movements
-without turning his eyes upon the immediate scene of operations;
-not that this need take very long. The pin hook must not be merely
-stuck through the handkerchief, such a hold being very insecure,
-but it must be put through and brought back again immediately. This
-will effectually prevent its slipping out during the manipulations
-to which the handkerchief is subjected. So soon as the pin is fixed,
-the performer faces the audience, if otherwise ready, and, taking
-the handkerchief by the two upper corners, stretches them out, when,
-by putting his hands away from him in front, the egg will be drawn
-out of the side pocket. The trick then proceeds precisely as before.
-If the performer deems it necessary to allow the handkerchief to
-be again inspected, which is a matter of fancy, he must, prior to
-commencing, place a white handkerchief in the hat, "in order that the
-eggs may fall soft, and not make an omelette," he will explain. When
-the requisite number of eggs have been found, the pin is unhooked,
-and the egg allowed to remain in the hat, from whence it is removed,
-folded in the white handkerchief. If the performer observes a suitable
-handkerchief amongst the company, he may borrow it, when, of course,
-the egg must be got rid of; but it is not often that this circumstance
-will occur. It must be admitted that connected with the whole of this
-trick there are a style and a neatness which are very different from
-the general run of conjuring tricks.
-
-_The Resuscitated Fowl._--This can either follow the trick just
-described, or it can form a separate trick altogether. It is very old,
-and has formed a portion of the stock performance of conjurors for
-hundreds of years. The head of a fowl is concealed in the hand, and
-a live bird seized. The conjuror engages in a mock struggle with it,
-endeavouring to seize its head, the object of the disturbance being
-to enable the real head to be turned down under one of the wings, and
-there held with one hand, and the loose head to be held on with the
-other hand, in its place. The stage assistant now advances with a
-large knife, and cuts off the imaginary head. The performer must make
-the deed as realistic as possible by causing the fowl to appear to
-struggle vehemently, and twitch its legs if possible. The head is then
-taken, and applied to the neck, the conjuror remarking that nothing is
-easier than to cause it to grow on again. Palm the loose head, and,
-at the same time, allow the real one to escape from its confinement,
-when it will at once appear to have suddenly grown on again. Release
-the fowl for a short run, to show that there is no mechanism about
-it. This trick is frequently performed by the very best conjurors,
-sometimes with a pigeon. The loose head must match the real one as
-nearly as possible, or the deception may be noticed.
-
-_"Kling-Klang."_--This is a pretty little trick, and does not take
-long to perform. Take a fancy coloured silk handkerchief, of a small
-size, not more than a foot square, at the utmost. To the centre of
-this attach a _blown_ hen's egg by means of a piece of thread 2in.
-to 3in. long. The end of the thread inside the egg is attached to
-the centre of a tiny piece of wood, such as a portion of a match,
-which can be pushed in, end foremost, through the hole at the end of
-the egg, but which, when once inside, will steadfastly refuse to be
-pulled out again. This method is far better than all other devices
-with cobbler's wax and glue. Two other silk handkerchiefs, quite
-opposite, in point of colour, to the one attached to the egg, will
-also be required, as will a toddy glass with a foot, and an ordinary
-egg, not blown. The last-mentioned article must be vested. One of
-the two handkerchiefs of a like colour fold neatly in the palm, and
-in the same hand take the blown egg, and, as a natural consequence,
-the handkerchief attached to it, which arrange neatly around the
-egg, so as to conceal the handkerchief in the palm. Place the other
-handkerchief in the toddy glass, and, with the wand under arm, emerge
-thus laden from the secrecy of "behind the scenes." Give the glass
-and handkerchief to one person, and ask him to examine them both,
-and then take from him the glass, to be held by another person. Then
-say, "I have here another silk handkerchief and an egg. The egg I
-will place in this glass, and then cover it with the handkerchief."
-Proceed to do this, taking care to slip in the concealed handkerchief
-_under_ the egg, and then retire to the stage, taking with you the
-second of the duplicate handkerchiefs. As you go to the stage, bring
-down the egg from your vest, and take the handkerchief in the hand
-which contains it. Turn to the audience, and ask the holder of the
-glass to shake it gently to show that the egg is still inside. The
-peculiar "kling-klang" made by the egg against the glass gives the
-name to the trick. A caution from you not to shake too strongly, as
-you do not want an omelette inside the glass, is sure to amuse. Now
-bring both hands together in front of you, and commence to draw in the
-handkerchief little by little. At intervals have the glass shaken.
-When a few inches only of the handkerchief protrude from the hand,
-draw near the holder of the glass, whom desire to cease shaking.
-When you have drawn the handkerchief completely into the hands, and
-feel that it is perfectly concealed, ask a spectator to hold out his
-hand, and suddenly produce the egg, which give to him. Without losing
-a moment, raise the handkerchief from over the glass by its centre,
-thus removing the egg at the same time, taking care to continually tap
-the glass with the wand during the operation, otherwise an accidental
-knock of the egg against the side of the glass would be heard, and
-the whole trick spoilt. Call particular attention to the fact of
-the egg which you produce being a genuine one, and then get away
-with your other properties as fast as you decently can. The trick is
-mostly performed with an imitation egg, instead of a real one. The
-egg is hollow, and has a great opening in one side. Into this the
-handkerchief is forced. There is no sleight of hand about this, and
-the egg cannot be given for examination, which is fatal.
-
-_The Harmless Shot._--Procure a substantial-looking muzzle-loading
-pistol, the larger the better, and get a tinman to make a tube that
-fits neither tightly nor loosely inside. One end of the tube must be
-closed, and the open end be furnished with a turn-over rim, which you
-colour or polish, so as to resemble as nearly as possible the muzzle
-of the pistol. If it comes easier, by all means reverse the process,
-and make the muzzle of the pistol resemble the muzzle of the tube.
-The tube should be at least two-thirds the length of the interior of
-the pistol barrel, and not about an inch and a half only. Now make a
-wooden ramrod, which will fit rather tightly into the tube--tightly
-enough to bring it away from the interior of the pistol when withdrawn
-after being rammed into it. The exterior of the tube should match the
-ramrod in colour and appearance, so that the fact of the one being
-within the other when held in the hand in that condition will not be
-detected.
-
-Advance to the audience with the pistol, ramrod, powder, caps, paper,
-and bullets. The tube is concealed somewhere about you. Give round
-one or more bullets to be marked by the audience, and, at the same
-time, give the pistol into the hands of someone for examination.
-If the pistol takes to pieces, so much the better, as it is highly
-advantageous for the audience to be quite convinced that there is
-no mechanical preparation of the performer's own devising connected
-with the implement. Have a fair charge of powder put in, and give the
-ramrod for ramming the charge. Whilst this is being done, get the tube
-into the hand, and, when the ramrod is returned to you, pass it into
-the tube, and then at once say earnestly, "I hardly think you rammed
-it sufficiently, sir." Without taking the pistol yourself, hold the
-muzzle in the fingers of the left hand, and ram with the right. The
-left hand must pinch the rim of the tube, which will thereby become
-disengaged from the ramrod, and remain inside the pistol. By this
-means the tube has become inserted in the pistol without any occasion
-for the pistol leaving the possession of the person assisting. The
-bullet or bullets are then dropped in by such of the audience as have
-marked them, the pistol being handed round by the volunteer assistant,
-who is also asked to put a piece of paper in as well. This piece of
-paper is very small, and is rolled up by the performer himself, who
-will, of course, take particular care that it is not bulky enough to
-jam in the tube. The performer now, without taking the pistol, puts
-in the ramrod and presses down the bullets--apparently. He, however,
-takes good care to avoid pressing them at all, but brings the hand
-holding the ramrod over the muzzle of the pistol, and so secures the
-tube. There is nothing in the action to excite the least suspicion;
-still, it is best to have the ramrod of such length that only an inch
-or so of it protrudes from the muzzle. If this particular be observed,
-then the hand must approach the muzzle on every occasion of ramming
-down a charge, and so no suspicion can possibly be excited by the
-action. The imaginary ramming is, of course, continued, the tube being
-moved up and down inside the pistol vehemently. Withdraw the ramrod
-and tube, carefully concealing the junction of the two, and have the
-pistol capped. Having secured the bullets in the tube, the next thing
-is to get them into the hand. As it is impossible to withdraw the
-rod from the tube in full view of the audience (it can certainly be
-done behind the table; but the unavoidably lengthened absence of both
-hands for the purpose would be fatally suspicious), the performer
-must necessarily retire behind the scenes. The best excuse is that of
-requiring a plate. Whilst fetching this, the rod is withdrawn from
-the tube, and the bullet or bullets shaken out. The paper ought not
-to stick, but it might; and so it is always as well to have a piece
-of wire with a sharp hook at one end in readiness. This abstraction
-of the bullets could be managed whilst the performer retires up the
-stage, and it would be advisable to do so if the bullets were certain
-to drop out, which, however, they are not. When the performer has a
-stage assistant, as he always should have when possible, the matter
-becomes much easier. The assistant holds the box of caps on or near
-the stage, and the performer goes to him for them, and gives him the
-wand with the tube on it in an offhand manner. The assistant then
-manages all the abstraction whilst the capping of the pistol is going
-on, and stands, just removed from sight, with the plate in one hand
-and the bullets in the other. The performer then has only to stretch
-his arm behind to receive the bullets first and the plate next, both
-in one hand. The bullets are held under the fingers, which are on the
-inside of the plate. The performer now holds the plate either in front
-of his face or at arm's length, and requests that the pistol may be
-fired at it. When this is done, the bullets are allowed to roll on the
-plate, which is brought simultaneously into a horizontal position, a
-kind of "grab" being made with it, as if catching the bullets in the
-air. I like this method better than catching the bullets in the mouth,
-as the performer can at once run forward with them on the plate,
-and the audience will be thus enabled to see for themselves that no
-substitution has taken place during transit.
-
-The difficulty of extracting the bullet or bullets I finally mastered,
-after various trials, by using a tolerably thick piece of cork for
-the purpose of closing the one end of the tube. When the performer
-retires up the stage, he holds the closed end in his hand and presses
-the ramrod against his body, thus forcing out cork, bullet, and paper
-with one vigorous push. The operation does not occupy a second, and,
-when the performer turns facing the audience again, the ramrod is in
-his hand as before. It will naturally occur to everybody that, if
-the ramrod fits tightly into the tube, the whole arrangement will
-be neither more nor less than a popgun, and the cork will be blown
-out as soon as the ramrod is inserted into the tube. To avoid such
-a startling result, the ramrod must, although fitting the tube at
-certain places, be made out of truth, so as to admit of an escape of
-air, or else the cork must have a hole burnt through it by means of
-red-hot wire. Piercing a hole through the cork will not suffice, as
-the nature of the material will speedily cause the opening to close up
-again. If this cork arrangement be used, then the performer need never
-leave the stage.
-
-I have given the learner what I consider to be the best method for
-performing the trick. A method which differs only slightly from mine,
-the principle being the same, is to use a tube barely two inches in
-length. This tube is dropped into the pistol by the performer, who
-takes the pistol entirely in his hands, for the purpose of ramming
-down the powder charge. As it lies secreted a long way down the
-pistol, it, of course, can never be seen. In pushing the ramrod down,
-it becomes fixed in the tube, and brings it away, the ramrod being
-the least bit tapered, to insure its going into the tube. It should
-be tapered at each end, so that there may be no bother about looking
-to see which end is the graduating one. The rest of the trick is
-performed exactly as in the other method. My objections to the use
-of the short tube are that, in order to get it into the pistol, the
-performer must secure actual possession of the firearm, and he must
-repeat the manoeuvre when he wishes to take it out again. Again, it
-is very difficult to conceal the point of junction of a short tube on
-a long ramrod. If the performer does not use the utmost caution, the
-tube will be noticed sticking on the rod as they are withdrawn from
-the pistol. The rim of the long tube is covered with the hand before
-the abstraction is made, and added to this is the fact that the pistol
-never leaves the hand of the volunteer assistant, which is a great
-feature in the trick. The only objection to the long tube I found to
-be the difficulty sometimes arising in abstracting the bullets; but
-my cork has now removed that difficulty. I have given both methods
-that the learner may choose for himself. Although I have said "bullet
-or bullets," because some conjurors employ one only and some three or
-four, I should, myself, never think of using more than one. The effect
-is the same, whilst the trick is made immeasurably easier to the
-performer. People may, perhaps, be a little more satisfied at seeing
-several bullets marked by different people, but it is just as easy,
-and quite as effective, to have one bullet thus treated. It will not
-matter in the least to the performer how many people mark it.
-
-Another method for performing the trick is to substitute for the
-marked bullet a blacklead one. This, on account of its lightness,
-the performer must himself drop into the pistol and see that it is
-so rammed that it is broken up. I would never advise anyone to adopt
-this method, although Houdin caused consternation amongst the Arabs by
-allowing himself to be fired at from a distance of a few paces. With
-his usual completeness he finished the trick by firing another pistol
-at a whitewashed wall, on which appeared a large splash of blood. This
-was managed by means of a ball of black wax, the inside of which was
-filled with blood. The Arabs were duly impressed.
-
-There are some pistols made with spring openings in the barrel,
-through which the bullet falls into the hand of the performer; but,
-in this case, the pistol cannot be examined, which fact is quite
-sufficient to taboo the method. Unless the pistol is given to be
-examined, and left in the hands of the spectators the whole time,
-there is, in my opinion, nothing in the trick.
-
-_A Bottle of Ginger Beer._--The reader will scarcely require to be
-told that one of the great deceits practised by conjurors is that
-of duplication. In order to apparently execute the impossibility of
-conveying a large solid body invisibly through space, the conjuror has
-to cause the article itself to disappear by any means at hand, and to
-produce another similar article, or counterfeit thereof, at the spot
-to which the original one is supposed to be magically transported. In
-the case of Houdin's die trick a counterfeit die was made use of, and
-in many of the coin tricks duplicate coins were employed. Whatever
-the article used, the method is almost invariably the same; and the
-public are often invited to witness the exhibition of a new wonder,
-which is in reality only a variety of what has been done in hundreds
-of ways before.
-
-One very effective variety of this particular deceit is the
-transposition of a ginger-beer bottle from one paper cover to another.
-The trick and its explanation are as follows: The performer brings
-forward a ginger-beer bottle and a glass, on a tray. If he pleases,
-he may have two ginger-beer bottles, and ask the audience to choose
-between them. He should ask them to select between the one on the
-right and the one on the left. If "right" is said, and the one with
-which the trick is to be performed is on the left of the audience,
-then the performer must say, "On _my_ right. Thank you"; and instantly
-take up that bottle without more ado, and uncork it. He then pours
-out the ginger beer, to show that it is genuine--so he says, but the
-real object is to keep the spectators from suspecting that there
-is anything "uncanny" about the bottle itself. The peculiarity of
-the bottle is that it either never had a bottom to it, or else that
-portion of it has been forcibly removed. Some few conjuring trick
-makers supply bottles without bottoms; but any lapidary will perform
-the desired operation should the performer himself be unsuccessful
-in accomplishing it with a hammer. The chief thing is to obtain
-two bottles that match exactly in colour. Height is not of much
-consequence, as that is not so readily retained by the eye as is
-colour; still, it is as well to have them match in that even, but
-colour stands first in importance. One of these bottles is placed
-upon the right-hand side of the shelf behind the table, and the other
-is fitted inside with either a piece of thick cork or gutta-percha.
-Whichever it is, it must fit very tightly, and be situated about an
-inch from the foot of the bottle. The cork must be left out until the
-last minute, or the fermentation of the ginger beer will cause the
-false bottom to come out unexpectedly with a "pop." This prepared
-bottle is the one that is brought on on the tray, with or without
-another genuine one, as the performer pleases. When two are brought
-on, the second one should always be left with the audience for them
-to open if they be so minded. It is sure to be examined with strict
-minuteness, and its unblemished innocence will reflect upon its late
-companion.
-
-Under his vest band the performer has a small apple, a walnut, or
-little ball. This he gets down as he retires to the table, and slips
-it in the lower cavity of the bottle, holding it there suspended
-by means of the little finger. He then places the bottle upon the
-left-hand front corner of the table, and on the corresponding corner
-he places a duplicate of the article which he has secretly introduced
-under the bottle. This duplicate will have been lying on the table
-all the time, and can, of course, be examined. The performer now
-takes two cardboard or paper covers, each just large enough to cover
-a ginger-beer bottle easily, and shows them round. These covers
-can be made with very little trouble, and the plainer they are the
-better, in my opinion. Spectators think no more of a trick because
-of a cover of many colours covered with gold or silver stars. A
-fancy paper on the outside is all that is required, for it will not
-do to look "beggarly." These two covers are now taken back, and the
-performer goes behind his table. With the left hand he places one
-cover very slowly and deliberately over the bottle, and calls very
-particular attention to what he is doing. The cover in the right hand
-is meanwhile being placed over the bottle on the shelf. The conjuror's
-whole attention, eyes and everything, must be engrossed on what he
-is doing with the bottle which is visible. Any glance which he may
-want to take for ascertaining the exact position of the bottle on the
-shelf must take place as he goes behind the table; any downward look
-after this would be fatal. Directly it is felt that the hidden bottle
-is safe in the cover, the latter must be brought into view again; and
-care must be taken that it is held a little obliquely, the mouth being
-towards the performer. As an additional security, it is always as
-well to have the inside of the covers blackened, or lined with black
-paper, and the inside and base of the second bottle treated likewise.
-Any accidental exposure will then not be so likely to be attended by
-serious results.
-
-When the first cover is fairly over the bottle, the second one,
-containing the other bottle, is placed over the little ball, or
-whatever it is. The performer next takes up his wand and says,
-"Now, what I am about to do is to cause the ginger-beer bottle and
-the little ball to change places. This, I am aware, anyone can do
-by simply lifting off the covers and altering the positions of the
-articles with the hand; but I shall do nothing so transparent. I will
-show you that the articles are still where I placed them, and that I
-have not already moved them from their positions." (The covers are
-alternately lifted, care being taken not to prematurely expose the
-wrong article.) "My method of procedure is as follows: First, I take
-out the little ball" (on the shelf there is a third article, similar
-to the other two, and this the performer palms in the left hand) "in
-this manner. You see, I simply run my wand up the side of the cover,
-and here I have the little ball in my hand." (Strike left hand with
-wand, and open it and put the ball on table.) "This cover is now
-empty. By means of my wand, I remove the ginger-beer bottle, large and
-cumbrous as it is, from the cover--here it is, see, on my wand!--and
-pass it gently, for fear of breakages, into the empty cover. This
-little ball I take thus, and pass into this cover, where the bottle
-was, not five seconds since." (Perform any pass with the ball, and put
-it back upon the shelf.) "On raising the covers, it will be seen that
-the change has actually taken place." Raise the left-hand cover first,
-grasping it firmly so as to ensure the bottle from slipping, and then
-show the second bottle on the right, bringing the left hand, at the
-same time, over the shelf, upon which the first bottle is permitted to
-drop, very gently, from the cover. Both covers should be afterwards
-shown round, although the trick can be repeated, i.e., done backwards,
-if the performer desires. If he does so, he should say, "Ah, I daresay
-everybody did not see how that was done, and, as I always like the
-method of my tricks to be understood by everybody, I will do it over
-again. There is no fun in a trick if one does not see how it is
-done." On removing the bottles at the close of the trick, care must
-be taken that the hidden ball, &c., is not knocked down on the floor,
-as is sometimes done by accident. This is a genuinely good trick, the
-opening of the ginger-beer bottle before the audience serving to throw
-that body off its guard.
-
-_The Flying Plume and Seed._--This is another trick in which
-duplicated representations play an important part, but the articles
-and methods employed are so totally distinct from those used in the
-preceding trick that one might follow the other in a performance, and
-yet both appear to be totally distinct in every way. There is a little
-simple apparatus in connection with the trick. First of all, a tin
-tube, 18in. long, and at least 1-1/2in. in diameter. It is provided
-with a cap at each end, fitting inside, and not over, as is usual. The
-tube also possesses the peculiarity of being divided longitudinally,
-by a tin partition, into two portions. This partition does not run
-down the centre of the tube, but takes a transverse direction from one
-side of one end to the opposite side of the other end. By this means,
-both ends are open to their full extent, and the tube can be shown
-briskly round, with the cap off, without anyone being able to detect
-anything wrong. Of course, only one end will be given for inspection,
-the audience not suspecting the existence of more than one opening.
-
-Then there is a vase, also of tin, but painted on the outside or
-japanned. This vase has a foot about 3in. high, which is hollow, and
-is connected with the body of the vase by means of a very large hole.
-This hole is hidden by a large domed cap on the end of a pin, which
-runs through the foot, and is furnished with a button underneath. A
-spiral spring inside keeps the cap down on the hole, but pressure on
-the button under the foot causes it to rise, and any seed that may be
-in the body of the vase will instantly run down into the foot. Two
-plumes of exactly the same colour and length will also be required.
-These plumes can be obtained at a cheap rate at any plumassier's. One
-of the compartments of the tube is secretly filled with seed, and the
-end opening that division is closed with the cap. This cap should bear
-a distinct mark to distinguish it from the other. In the vase there
-should be an egg, orange, lemon, or apple, &c., which must not be seen
-by the audience, and on the table there should be another similar
-article. Up the performer's sleeve, or in his side pocket, one of the
-plumes is secreted. The other plume is handed round and then thrust
-down the tube, which, to all appearances, it entirely fills. Place the
-tube on a chair or on the floor, and then take the vase, and into it
-pour a quantity of seed, going forward so soon as the article at the
-bottom is covered. Show the vase round full of seed, and then place it
-on another chair, the button being pressed and all the seed allowed to
-run away in transit.
-
-Now borrow either a hat or a handkerchief. If the plume is up the
-sleeve, then a handkerchief is required. Spread the handkerchief over
-the hand, as if showing there is nothing in it, and seize the end
-of the plume through it with the other hand. Draw the handkerchief
-smartly away with the plume inside it, and throw both on the floor. If
-the plume is in the pocket, then borrow a hat and slip the plume into
-it. The plume will curl round inside the hat, and remain firmly fixed,
-so the hat can be turned brim downwards without fear of the plume
-falling out.
-
-These preliminaries concluded, proceed as follows: Touch the tube
-with the wand and say you have taken out the plume, which you then
-"pass" into the hat or handkerchief, as the case may be. Now touch the
-vase with the wand, and say that you have removed all the seed, which
-you then command to go into the tube. Vanish the egg, or whatever
-it may be that you use, down a trap, and "pass" it into the vase.
-Nothing then remains but to open the tube, and to show the vase and
-handkerchief or hat. Millet is by far the best seed to use. It is
-light, and its spherical shape causes it to run smoothly. A conjuror,
-who was experienced enough to know better, persistently used rice for
-this trick. The result was extra delay, for the rice generally managed
-to clog somewhere, and always made a tell-tale rattling as it trickled
-into the foot. It made one tremble to look and listen. The trick is
-very easily managed, and creates a remarkably pretty effect. The
-conjuring shops supply the apparatus.
-
-_How to Make and Cook a Pudding in a Hat._--Procure a large size
-gallipot with nice thin sides. Have a tin lining made to fit the
-inside of this, and divide the lining into two portions by means of a
-horizontal division across the middle. The inside of a gallipot being
-somewhat narrower at the bottom than it is at the top, the lining
-will be taper, and consequently one partition will be larger than the
-other. Into the larger partition put a plum pudding, or cake, hot, and
-stand it on the shelf, without the gallipot. Borrow a hat, and, whilst
-busy about putting some paper at the bottom of it, and explaining that
-it is to prevent its being spoilt, take an opportunity of slipping
-the tin containing the pudding into it. Now take some flour, eggs,
-plums, sugar, and water, and mix them all up in the gallipot, to the
-accompaniment of some facetious remarks about your being a first-rate
-cook. Next pour the paste from the gallipot into the empty division of
-the tin, and, putting the pot momentarily into the hat, press it down
-well over the tin, which it will bring away, leaving the pudding alone
-behind. Now hold the hat over a spirit lamp (a candle would spoil the
-hat), and profess to be cooking the contents, which presently take out
-close to the audience and distribute. Some conjurors make omelettes
-and pancakes, which certainly make a good show, and are suggestive
-of being cooked on the crown of a hat. Some address is required in
-executing this trick, especially in getting the tin into and out of
-the hat. The knack of putting things into hats from the shelf neatly
-is one of the most difficult things to acquire, and the performer must
-never be nervous at the moment, or he will be certain to allow himself
-to be discovered. Sometimes the egg is first broken into the hat
-(_i.e._, the tin), and the flour and water afterwards mixed up in the
-gallipot. The effect of the contents of an egg dropping into a hat is
-certainly good.
-
-An amusing interlude, when borrowing a hat, is to apparently push the
-forefinger through the crown and then restore the hole supposed to be
-made by the act. This deception is managed by having a cast of a human
-forefinger made in either wax, gutta-percha, or plaster, and provided
-with a pointed wire at the thick end. This finger is concealed in
-the right hand, and the left hand put inside the hat. The right hand
-is then brought on the outside of the crown, and with the remark, "I
-fancy you have a hole in your hat, sir," an apparent effort is made,
-and a finger shown protruding through the crown. All that is done is
-to pass through the wire, which is held on the inside by the left
-hand. After making a few sharp movements simulating a finger in the
-act of being shaken, bring the right hand on to the crown again, and
-make as though considerable exertion were required in order to get
-the finger back again. The dummy is, of course, merely secured in the
-right hand, and the hat immediately shown ostentatiously round, so as
-to keep attention away from the right hand. The imitation finger must
-naturally be coloured to resemble the performer's flesh. The trick
-must not last long--a quarter of a minute is ample. If the finger
-remains through the hat for any length of time the audience will soon
-realise what the nature of the deception is. It should appear as if
-the finger had been just pushed through, shaken derisively, and then
-withdrawn.
-
-_The Flags of Old England._--Without any visible preparation, and
-from no conceivable source, the performer produces hundreds of
-flags with the hands. The flags, which can, of course, be of any
-colour, but, for obvious reasons, should be red, white, and blue,
-for preference, are thus made quickly: Procure some sheets of tissue
-paper, and cut them into slips of equal dimensions. A good size to
-commence with is 3in. by 1-1/2in., three of which will make a flag of
-4in. by 3in., a very nice size. For rapid pasting, place, say, the red
-slips one over the other, each one permitting just a quarter of an
-inch of the one beneath it to be seen. With one sweep of the brush a
-large number can be thus pasted. Perform the same operation with the
-blue papers, and the white ones will not require any paste at all.
-Join the three together, and, when dry, paste them on either very
-thin sticks or wire, or else on bass. The latter is far preferable to
-any other substance, and can be easily procured. Now make some flags
-about 6in. by 4in. in the same manner, and, if you choose, a few even
-larger still. Roll them all up very tightly in two or three bundles,
-and secrete them about you. I always place a bundle of small flags
-up each sleeve, the larger ones being either in the vest or in the
-large breast pocket of the coat. Take a little flag in each hand, and
-advance with them. Wave them about, and, lowering one hand, allow the
-bundle to slide into it from the sleeve, care being taken that the
-back of the hand is towards the audience. Bring the hands together
-immediately, and continue to wave them about for a few seconds, when
-commence to unroll the flags, and cause a few to appear first at the
-top, and then to fall on to the floor. Continue this, all the time
-moving about, until you find the supply getting low, when, with a
-downward sweep of the hands, extract the bundle from the other sleeve.
-This movement will be perfectly concealed by the numerous flags flying
-about. It will also be perfectly easy to obtain possession of the
-other bundles from the vest or pocket, if care be taken to raise the
-flags that are being exhibited, so as to conceal the motion of the
-hand. When the larger flags are being unravelled, the waving should
-increase. The effect of a quantity of flags coming from apparently
-nowhere is always very bewildering to an audience, and this is
-heightened when the larger ones appear. I remember producing one quite
-8ft. in length, with a complimentary motto, allusive to the season of
-the year, elaborated upon it. There is, however, no necessity to go to
-such a length as this. Buatier, instead of two flags to commence with,
-takes a bundle of coloured paper, which he rolls up, and then pretends
-to transform into flags. This is not at all a bad method, and, if
-the performer prefers it to my own, there is no harm in adopting it.
-Buatier decidedly makes a mistake, though, in producing the original
-paper after he has manufactured several hundreds of flags from it.
-This is not consistent.
-
-_The Chinese Rings._--Whether originally Chinese or not, is of little
-moment: the trick has received the name, and is known by it only, so
-I adhere to it. The trick consists in apparently accomplishing the
-evident impossibility of linking strong metal rings, that have no
-break or opening in them, one within the other. The secret of the
-trick lies in the fact that one of a number of rings is provided
-with a slit or opening, which is kept carefully concealed by the
-performer's fingers. As, however, one ring with an opening would not
-alone suffice to link several others together in a continuous chain,
-the rings are made in sets of three and two welded together, besides
-three or four single ones. The set of two I always dispense with as
-useless. There is not the slightest necessity for going to a conjuring
-repository to obtain the rings, for an ordinary smith can produce a
-much more serviceable article. My idea of a good ring is one made of
-iron wire fully 3/8in. in thickness and 9in. in diameter. Let the
-metal be well burnished, and see that the welding is properly done.
-The opening in the one ring should be 7/16in. wide so as to admit the
-other rings freely. Some rings have a slit merely, whilst others have
-the ends springing one into the other. These precautions are quite
-unnecessary, for the secret ring is never given round for examination.
-When the performer comes on, he has the open ring concealed either
-under his armpit, in his breast pocket, or in the vest; or he may have
-it hanging behind a chair, if he has one with an opaque back on the
-stage. The other rings he has in the hand, and gives them round for
-examination. Unless this examination takes place, there is nothing in
-the trick, for the audience would justly argue that all the rings have
-secret spring-bolt openings which are invisible at a short distance.
-To abstract the concealed ring without detection requires, at times,
-considerable address. A good way is to allow some of the others to
-fall, and whilst stooping quickly for them, get out the concealed
-one. Turning the back upon the audience, and deliberately taking the
-ring out from its place of concealment whilst walking towards the
-stage, is the method I usually adopt. When it is hung at the back of a
-chair, the bulk of the rings should be placed upon the seat, and two
-or three taken up in one hand; say, the right. In stooping to pick up
-some more rings with the left hand, the right, naturally enough, finds
-its way to the top of the back of the chair, and, as the ring will be
-suspended half an inch down, the end of one finger will be sufficient
-to obtain it.
-
-I lay some stress upon this recovery of the open ring, for in its
-neat execution lies the whole secret of the trick. If the performer
-feels that he has accomplished the feat without being observed, he
-may boldly assert that he knows that other conjurors perform the same
-trick with prepared rings--he does nothing so mean and despicable. As
-a rule, I disagree with any hint whatever that may give a clue to the
-secret of a trick; but this particular one is so widely known that I
-doubt if an audience of ordinary size could be found with everyone
-ignorant of its secret. Under these circumstances, the conjuror who
-wishes for success must be different to everyone else. If he is not
-"prepared to do or die," let him leave the Chinese rings alone.
-
-The method of "working" the trick is to first take up the open ring
-and one of the single ones, one in each hand. Unless the performer
-be left-handed, or ambidextrous, it is always advisable to hold the
-open ring in the right hand, the opening being between the finger
-and thumb. Stand at the front of the stage (if there are side boxes,
-then a little back), and let the open ring hang carelessly on the
-thumb, only broadside on to the audience. By turning up the point of
-the thumb ever so little, the opening is rendered quite invisible
-to spectators, who will think that two perfect rings are being held
-before them, they having no possible reason to suspect even that an
-open ring is anywhere about. Bang the two rings together several
-times, and pretend to make two or three attempts to fit one into the
-other, by what precise movement does not matter in the least.
-
-Presently slip the solid ring rapidly through the opening of the
-other, without ceasing for an instant the movements you have hitherto
-made, which continue as if the two rings were still apart. Soon you
-will work the two close together, and, by degrees, bring round the
-solid ring to the bottom of the open one, and then allow it to hang
-from it. Be careful, however, that the opening is never so much as
-approached by the solid ring after the latter has been passed through
-it. By a reversal of the proceedings, the ring must be taken off
-again, the two rings being held touching one another, and worked about
-as if still linked, long after the actual detachment has taken place.
-The audience are supposed to actually see one ring pass through the
-other, and the performer must cause this to appear to be done at the
-lower half of the open ring. Performers always make a grand mistake
-in hurrying over this, the opening part of the trick, which is really
-the most important part of it. Within reasonable bounds, the linking
-of the two first rings cannot be much too long drawn out. If he be
-possessed of sufficient daring, the performer may advance to one of
-the audience with the two rings linked, and give him one of them
-(the solid one, of course) to hold. Just as the ring is put into his
-hand, the disconnection should take place. This is an interlude, which
-the performer may use or not, according to how he feels in spirits,
-for conjurors are like race-horses, and are at times "in" or "out of
-form." Two loose rings can then be put on the open one, one at a time,
-and then removed and held together. The open ring can be passed over
-the arm out of the way, the opening being, of course, concealed, and
-some "business" can be gone through with the other two, which, as they
-never were together, can be separated without much difficulty.
-
-Some conjurors become breathless at the bare idea of allowing the open
-ring to leave the hand, whereas, when properly managed, there is not
-the least danger to be apprehended. When the ring is passed over the
-arm, the hand does not leave the opening until it is well embedded
-inside the elbow joint. It is bad policy to hold one ring continually
-in the hand, as the fact is extremely likely to be noticed. When a
-few evolutions have been performed with the single rings, including
-throwing one in the air and catching it on the open ring on its
-descent, the triplets should be taken up, and, after plenty of shaking
-about and turning round and over, an end one should be linked on. By
-linking up the other end as well, a square is formed. Give two rings
-of this to be held by different people, and tell them to pull. Give
-one or two jerks yourself, and at one of them disconnect, and then
-gradually appear to unlink the square, bringing, at last, the four
-in a single chain. Make a lot more flourishes, but merely bring the
-four side by side in one hand, hanging. Hold the open ring firmly,
-and allow the others to drop steadily. This they will do in two
-distinct stages or jerks, at each of which you make a movement with
-the disengaged hand as if controlling them. As a finish, it is usual
-to put all the rings in a bunch on the open one. When this is done,
-one of the solid rings should be made to sustain the rest for a short
-time in place of the open one, which may be allowed to hang down in
-the rear of the others, where it will not be seen. The solid ring thus
-temporarily used should be held alternately in several places, so that
-the audience, and especially such as know the secret of the trick,
-may see that there is actually no opening it. This is an excellent
-_ruse_ to adopt. When performing with the rings, always make a deal
-of clatter with them; it adds to the effect. An effective _finale_
-is to grasp the open ring by the solid part immediately opposite
-the opening, and, turning the whole bunch rapidly over, shake the
-other rings loose upon the floor, dropping the open ring amongst the
-rest. The apparent recklessness of this goes still further to disarm
-suspicion as to an open ring.
-
-It will be seen that, beyond obtaining the open ring, everything is
-what is understood as "hankey-pankey"--in fact, downright humbug--but
-it is humbug of a superior order. The performer who introduces it
-injudiciously and unskilfully will have reason to regret any imperfect
-study of this trick. There is not much true sleight of hand in it, but
-the perfection of "address" will be required.
-
-_The Drawer-Box._--This is not the name of a trick, but of one of the
-most useful pieces of apparatus which a conjuror can possess. I have
-purposely refrained from making any mention of it before, because I
-wanted to make the beginner an adept at vanishing and producing with
-his hands before I gave him an article that would save him the trouble
-at the loss of a large amount of effect. When a person is able to do
-considerable execution with his hands alone, there need be no anxiety
-about giving apparatus into them. It is only with the beginner that
-the danger lies, for he will say, "Oh! this box does all I want--at
-least, quite well enough for me--so why should I take the trouble
-to learn to do it without?" The expert is never too anxious to use
-apparatus, and invariably manages with as little of it as he can.
-
-Now, the drawer-box is an article of such peculiar handiness on so
-many occasions, that the temptation held out to beginners to use
-it frequently is too great to be resisted. It will bear a cursory
-examination, and yet, although crammed with any kind of article to its
-fullest extent, it is made to appear quite empty, by merely being shut
-and re-opened, and this in the midst of the audience; or the operation
-may, with modifications, be reversed, and the box shown first empty,
-and then full.
-
-Most of us must have seen the little cigar-case which is so handy to
-smokers who wish to keep a good brand of cigar to themselves. The
-drawer-box is made on exactly the same principle as this, only, of
-course, in an enlarged form, and in wood.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 51.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 52.]
-
-The appended sketches (Figs. 51 and 52) show the apparatus. I give a
-minute description of it here, as it is only in very large towns that
-the article is procurable, made in the manner it should be, so the
-conjuror can either get a cabinet maker to make him one, or, if he be
-anything of a carpenter, make one for himself.
-
-A (Fig. 51) is a lightly-made drawer, without any back end, and
-fits somewhat easily into F (Fig. 52), which should be made of
-3/8in. stuff, and strongly put together. B is another lightly-made
-drawer, smaller than A, into which it fits. A has a narrow combing all
-round the upper surface of the front end and sides. This serves to
-conceal the presence of B, which in reality looks like the inside of
-A. To perfect this deception, the open sides of A are, as depicted in
-sketch, made with mortises, and the end of B being allowed to extend
-a little each side, and also mortised, the two dovetail one into the
-other, and present a most innocent appearance. The knob D is not
-fixed, but has a slight perpendicular play. It is connected with a
-piece of flat metal, which extends from the knob to the upper portion
-of the wood, inside the combing, where it is furnished with a catch,
-which can be made by turning over the end of the metal and sharpening
-it a little. In B there is a slight incision made at C. When B is
-pushed home into A, and the knob D pressed downwards, the catch fixes
-itself into C, and thus keeps the two drawers firmly together. The
-action of shifting the knob up and down is very slight indeed, a
-1/4in., or, at the outside, 1/3in. play being ample. When the two
-drawers are thus fixed, they may be shown round, and no one not in the
-secret will suspect that there is more than one drawer. The more care
-and attention that is paid in fitting the drawers nicely together, the
-better.
-
-At the lower part of the back end of B will be noticed a protruding
-piece of wood, E. This fits closely against A when the two are closed
-together, but it plays an important part in the working of the box.
-In the body, F (Fig. 52), is cut a square hole, immediately under
-the point where the thumb is seen to be pressing. G is a flat spring
-let into the bottom of F, and fixed at the end farthest removed from
-the square hole. A square piece of wood, the same thickness as the
-bottom of the body F, and slightly smaller than the hole, is glued
-firmly on the free end of the spring, so that it is always in the
-hole. The exterior of the box should be painted or French polished,
-and the bottom covered with baize or cloth. The material should be
-glued on, the space covering the spring, and half an inch all round
-it, being left free. The apparatus is then ready for use, and is thus
-"worked": We will suppose that it is required to cause several apples
-to disappear. The drawer A, with B inside it, and the knob pressed
-firmly down, is shown in one hand, and the body F in the other. The
-apples are then put into A (really into B), which is then pushed into
-F. After the performer has pretended to extract the apples by magical
-means, he takes up the box with both hands, one hand grasping one end,
-with the thumb on the spring G (Fig. 52), and the other hand seizing
-the knob D, which it presses upwards, thus removing the catch from the
-slit C. With the thumb pressing as hard as possible on the spring,
-the drawer A is pulled out. The square piece of wood on the end of
-the spring G, being pressed inside the box, causes an obstruction to
-the inner drawer B through the medium of the protrusion E, and B is
-consequently held back in F. The drawer A, which is, after all, merely
-an outer shell, is shown instead, and the audience, not knowing of
-the existence of a double drawer, imagine that the one shown them is
-the one which they saw filled with apples. When the box is opened, it
-should be held sideways, with the top turned towards the audience,
-and when it contains such articles as apples, which easily shift in
-a very audible manner, it should be placed in this position on the
-table, before the contents are made to disappear. It would be stupid
-to pull out an empty drawer and then cause a rumbling to be heard. The
-audience would at once divine that the articles were kept back in the
-body of the box by some means.
-
-When the box is made so large that the hand cannot grasp it in the
-manner shown at Fig. 52, the closed end should be furnished with
-a knob matching that on the drawer A. This can then be held by the
-fingers, and so enable the thumb to find a purchase.
-
-A very good box is one made without the spring acted upon by the
-thumb. In its place is a loose metal peg, which drops in and out
-of the hole in the double drawer by the mere tilting of the box.
-This style of box is best made with both ends of the cover open, an
-increased appearance of innocence being thereby secured.
-
-With such a handy article at command as the drawer-box, which will
-vanish or produce anything at will, it will be easily understood that
-the beginner is extremely likely to be tempted into using it with
-too great a frequency. Let him beware of this, and, at the outside,
-use it not more than twice in the same evening, and then only under
-completely differing conditions, and after the lapse of a good
-interval of time. In a number of the foregoing tricks the drawer-box
-could be used with success, I grant, but not with any very great
-effect. In the trick with the large die and the handkerchief, it would
-be handy for causing the die to vanish. It could be used in _The Sun
-and Moon_, _A Bottle of Ginger Beer_, and in a dozen others, but the
-temptation to do so must be resisted.
-
-Popular usage has assigned the drawer-box the position of a regular
-"property" in a very effective trick performed with a large solid
-block of wood, familiarly known as the Cone. It can be made of any
-size, but it is as well to have it as large as possible, that is,
-not less than 6in. in height. When large, it is just as easy to
-manipulate, and is much more effective. The only desideratum is that
-it should go comfortably into the drawer-box. It should be well
-tapered from the base to the summit, which may be simply flat or
-fancifully turned. Over this block fits a thin shell, the _facsimile_
-of it--the die and dummy repeated, only in a different shape. The
-dummy shell is usually turned out of a piece of wood similar to that
-of which the block is made, and both are polished to match. It is
-essential that they be very smooth. All else that is required is a
-very tall paper cone, which passes very loosely over the shell, and
-a couple of apples, oranges, lemons, or any similar articles, both
-being placed on the shelf. The drawers, fastened, should be taken out
-of the body and stood upon it at one end of the table, and the cone,
-with the shell on it, at the other end. The performer next takes the
-paper cone and exhibits it. He then says, standing behind the table,
-"This cover, which is, as you see, made simply of paper, is for the
-purpose of covering this solid block of wood." The paper cover is
-passed over the cone and shell, which are grasped firmly with one hand
-and slid off the table on to the other hand. The shell is then grasped
-a little higher up, through the paper, and the solid block jerked out
-of it on the floor. The paper containing the shell cone is then laid
-flat on the table, with the closed end towards the audience, and the
-solid cone picked up and placed in the drawer, which is first shown
-briefly round. The drawer-box is closed and placed on a side table
-to the left, and the performer, passing behind the table, takes up
-one of the two articles which are upon the shelf. This he produces in
-any way he pleases, taking it from the wand being the most effective
-method (see "Sleights for General Use"). He should then say that he
-requires an orange, &c., for the trick, which he will ask his wand to
-give him. The orange, or whatever it may be, is then placed upon the
-table, and covered with the paper cover, with the dummy cone inside
-it. The performer then explains that what he is going to do is to
-cause the solid cone to come out of the box and pass into the paper
-cover. Whilst saying this, he goes behind the table and secures the
-second of the two articles that were on the shelf, in the right hand.
-He then comes round, and proceeds: "To do this, it will be first
-necessary for me to remove the orange from the paper, and I accomplish
-the feat in this manner." (He runs the wand lightly up the side of
-the paper, and then produces the orange out of it, the action being
-somewhat similar to that used in the previous production.) "Now that
-the cover is empty, I can pass the block of wood into it. I take it
-out of the box, thus" (taps box with wand), "and, see, it is on my
-wand. I carry it carefully to the cover and pass it thus into it." The
-wand is carried very gingerly, in a horizontal position, as if the
-block of wood were really balanced upon it.
-
-The paper is then taken by its very apex, and lifted carefully off the
-dummy shell, and the drawer-box opened, as previously explained for
-showing it empty. The performer, after a short pause, to allow of the
-free circulation of universal wonderment, says, "Ah! but perhaps I
-did it a little too quickly, and you did not notice how it was done.
-I will do it in a different way. Here we have the piece of wood,
-which I cover with the paper; my box, empty, I shut and place here,
-and the orange I take in my hand, thus" (trap it), "and rub it slowly
-away. I command the block of wood to pass back again into the box,
-and the orange to appear under the paper cover." Lift the paper and
-dummy together, pinching them at the base, and lay them down as before
-directed, and then tilt out the drawer, allowing the wood to fall
-upon the floor. If the cone be not very large, then the dummy may be
-allowed to slide out of the paper cover on to the shelf, and the paper
-shown empty.
-
-There is an objection to having the dummy shell made of wood, which
-is that it is necessarily very light, and so easily overturned. An
-accidental stumble against the table will sometimes effect this
-untoward result. Zinc and tin are heavier, but there is an objection
-laid against them as well: they "talk"--that is, they make a scraping
-noise against the real block of wood when withdrawn from it. I leave
-the conjuror to decide which is the lesser of the two evils. Cones
-standing two or three inches in height can be successfully passed
-through hats, after the method employed in Houdin's die trick.
-
-Further uses for the drawer-box will appear in the course of the
-description of other tricks.
-
-_Bacchus' Dovecote._--The performer advances with a bottle and
-glasses on a tray, and a dove on his shoulder. From the bottle he
-pours some wine, and then places it upon a side table. The dove
-is next wrapped in some paper, from which the tail is allowed to
-protrude, and the performer then jumps upon it or else burns it. On
-the bottle being broken, the dove is found inside.
-
-The bottle is prepared by having the bottom knocked out, which can
-be easily managed with a hammer, smart taps with which have to be
-administered, in a circle. The hand holding the bottle whilst this
-is being done should have a glove upon it, in case of a breakage. A
-dove is put into the bottle, head first, through the bottom. This
-is rather uncomfortable for the bird, and I cannot bring myself to
-think that the latter likes it; but no bad results seem to follow
-the treatment, which should be rendered as gentle as possible. A tin
-tube is passed down the neck of the bottle, secured at the mouth by
-means of red sealing-wax, and then filled with red wine. On the table
-are spread some sheets of paper, on the margin of one of which are
-pasted some dove's tail feathers. The exhibited dove is placed upon
-the centre trap, and the performer pretends to wrap it in the paper
-having the feathers upon it. It is, instead, passed through the trap,
-and the paper rolled carefully up, as though the bird were inside.
-The protruding feathers leave no doubt of this in the minds of the
-audience. The ends of the paper should be screwed up tightly, and
-a little hole torn in the parcel, "to give the dove air." If, when
-placed upon the floor or table the paper should accidentally roll
-slightly, the performer must attribute it to the restlessness of
-the bird supposed to be inside, and apostrophise it accordingly. If
-crushed, it should be treated lengthways, so that the feathers are not
-afterwards observed, or the audience might think it only reasonable
-that the bird found inside the bottle should be _minus_ a tail if he
-has left it behind him in the paper. It may seem very simple on their
-parts, but audiences never seem to doubt that the dove apparently
-wrapped in paper and the one found in the bottle are one and the
-same bird. There is no distinguishing mark on it to identify it, and
-everything tends to make one think otherwise; but never a doubt is
-raised. This circumstance should be very consoling to the conjuror.
-I have even seen two doves put into a drawer-box and two other doves
-made to appear at the other end of the room, and no one seemed to
-doubt for a moment that they were the same ones that had been just
-before put into the box.
-
-Doves are most docile creatures, and accommodate themselves to
-circumstances in a remarkable manner. When passed through a trap, they
-never wander about and exhibit themselves at the corners of the shelf,
-or otherwise expose the performer's secrets. At times, though, they
-will start their peculiar call, but this happens very rarely. Most
-regular performers, whether professional or not, usually keep a pair
-of doves at least. They are very hardy, and soon become accustomed to
-being pulled about.
-
-_The Wine-drinking Crystal Ball._--The tube in the neck of a
-bottle, mentioned in the preceding trick, is a very effective and
-much-practised deception. In the present instance, the performer
-selects an opaque bottle with a deep "kick" in the foot, and has a tin
-tube fitted into its neck. The mouth of the tube is provided with a
-rim turning outwards, to prevent a total disappearance of the article
-inside the bottle. This rim should be nicely rounded, so as to fit
-the mouth of the bottle neatly, as it will not do for the audience
-to entertain the slightest suspicion of its presence. The bottle
-is three-parts filled with water, and the tube with red wine. The
-performer is provided with two clear white glass balls, a little over
-an inch in diameter, and one red one, of the same dimensions. These
-are concealed conveniently about the person. The trick is commenced
-by the wine being poured into glasses and handed round. Retiring to
-the table, the tube is extracted and "vested," or put elsewhere out
-of sight, and one white ball got into the hand. By means of the wand,
-this ball is magically produced. The performer then remarks that
-he wants two balls, and manufactures another by striking the one he
-has in the hand with the wand; the explanation given being that the
-original one has been cut in two. The reader will understand that the
-second white ball has been got down from concealment, and exhibited at
-the proper moment. Two balls are not really required for the trick,
-but the diversion is made for the sake of increasing the attention of
-the audience, and for giving the trick a general completeness. If he
-so pleases, the performer can proceed to rub one of the balls until
-it becomes as small as a pea, or as large as an orange: all that is
-required is to be provided beforehand with balls of the necessary
-sizes. The ball which is supposed to be undergoing the compression
-or expansion can be easily palmed in the right hand, the fingers of
-which are engaged in shaping the latest arrival by rolling it in the
-palm of the left hand. To get it back to its original size from the
-tiny one, the small ball has only to be concealed between the roots
-of the third and fourth fingers (Fig. 25). To get it back from the
-large size, place the large ball upon the table over a trap, and,
-after admiring it as a splendid production on your part, pretend to
-take it in the hands, trapping it. After much hard squeezing and
-rubbing, accompanied by expressions of doubt as to the success of your
-exertions, all enacted close to the audience, the original ball will
-be produced, it having been, of course, palmed the whole time. Give it
-to a spectator to hold, and then fetch the bottle. Whilst retiring get
-down the coloured ball and introduce it into the "kick," where keep
-it by means of the little, or any other convenient, finger. With the
-bottle in the left hand, return to the audience, and, taking the white
-ball from the person holding it, palm it at once, retiring a few steps
-as you do so, holding the fingers as though they contained the ball.
-If the palm be kept upwards, there is no fear of the ball slipping out
-of it, which it possibly might do--it being an awkward thing to hold
-firmly--were the fingers turned downwards. Explain that you are about
-to throw the ball into the air and catch it in the bottle. As the ball
-is considerably larger than the mouth of the bottle, this announcement
-will naturally be received with incredulity. You, however, with the
-hands as widely separated as possible, toss an imaginary ball into the
-air with the right hand, and affect to catch it in the bottle with
-the left. A vigorous shake given to the bottle will cause the ball
-held in the foot by the left hand to rattle, and the illusion of the
-catch will be perfect. Now say that, having got the ball inside the
-bottle, you must break open the latter in order to get the ball out,
-and turn round, feigning to look for a hammer. This will give you an
-opportunity for concealing elsewhere the ball in the palm. So soon as
-this is done, say, "Well, perhaps I shall only make a litter with the
-broken glass; so I will get the ball out in a more artistic manner.
-Whilst I am talking, though, I fear the little gentleman inside is
-making very free with the wine." Ask the ball how he is getting on,
-and advise him not to drink too much, &c., and then proceed to get
-him out of the bottle by striking the palm of the right hand on the
-mouth of the latter with considerable force. At the third blow or so,
-release the ball in the "kick," and it will fall to the ground with
-the appearance of having been forced through the bottom of the bottle.
-Call attention to the fact that it is red, and consequently, as you
-feared, must have been drinking the wine. To test this, pour out
-the contents of the bottle, which, being pure water, will cause the
-audience to be of your opinion, ludicrous though it may appear. After
-this, hand round both bottle and ball for inspection. It is a great
-mistake to omit showing the bottle, as the audience is invariably
-impressed with the idea that it has an opening in the bottom.
-
-Instead of the imaginary catch, the bottle can be stood upon a table,
-and the ball passed into it by any ordinary "pass." The disadvantage
-attending this is that the ball is not heard to fall into the bottle,
-as in the other method. It is natural that a heavy ball falling into
-a bottle must make some noise on striking the bottom. Audiences,
-perhaps, are not sharp enough to remark the absence of this natural
-result, but there is no denying that the trick is rendered more
-complete with its addition. Besides, when placing the bottle upon a
-table, the ball in the "kick" would naturally be loose were not some
-method for preventing this to be adopted, and it would become a matter
-of great difficulty, if not an absolute impossibility, to raise the
-bottle again without revealing the real state of affairs. A little
-black wax in the apex of the "kick" serves to sustain the ball in a
-very satisfactory manner; but, in adopting this auxiliary, one has to
-dispense with what I consider to be a most necessary feature in the
-trick, viz., giving the bottle round for examination afterwards. The
-wax will tell an undeniable tale.
-
-It is possible to vary this trick in many ways, quite according to the
-fancy of the performer. It is well, however, to be certain of palming
-and vanishing your ball quickly and neatly before attempting the trick
-at all, as everything depends upon this. If the white ball is observed
-to be still in your palm, no amount of rattling in the "kick" of the
-bottle, however seductively executed, will convince an audience that
-it has passed into the bottle.
-
-_Bacchus' Maypole._--I do not mind admitting to the reader that,
-where my imagination will permit, I am inventing new names for my
-tricks. I do this in order to save those who may hereafter undertake
-performances a certain amount of trouble, and also to get a little out
-of the beaten track. Ever since this trick has been invented it has
-been known as "Ribbons and Bottle." Now, that is a very poor title
-to put upon a programme, which, as it cannot possibly give any very
-valuable information to the spectator, may as well be embellished
-with neat terms as slovenly ones. A bottle and some ribbons certainly
-are used in the trick; but, as the old title does not reveal whether
-the ribbons go into or come out of the bottle, or whether the bottle
-comes out of the ribbons, a more fanciful one, so long as it is near
-the mark, seems just as appropriate, and much more ornamental. At the
-same time, it is very unadvisable to fill a programme with outrageous
-and ridiculous titles. I went to an entertainment once, given by a
-gentleman afflicted with a liking for high-sounding titles. At first
-I thought I was going to see something totally new, and waited for
-the curtain to draw up with some impatience, for the first item on
-the programme was thus designated: "The Celestial Mystery; or, the
-Winged Fairies of the Emperor Foo-Chow." This was the butterfly trick.
-However, although greatly disappointed, I kept up my courage, for item
-No. 2 was "The Sorcerer's Secret; or the Sheik's Visit to the Great
-Mogul." The egg bag! I collapsed, and took no further interest in the
-"Arabian Necromantic Divinations," "Scandinavian Second Sight; or,
-the Finnish Seer," &c., for they were all tricks of the most ordinary
-class. Let the performer, by all means, embellish his programme with
-well-chosen titles; but let him, at the same time, steer clear of
-the other extreme. Experience teaches one that there is more in a
-programme well got up than at first meets the eye.
-
-Although there is rather more of mechanism, and less of sleight of
-hand, in it than I usually adopt, still this is such a very pretty
-trick that it would be a pity not to mention it. The performer comes
-on with a bottle, from which he pours a quantity of wine, beer, or
-other liquid, and then, either still holding it in his hand, or
-placing it upon a table or chair, he draws from it a ribbon of any
-colour that may be asked for by the audience. More liquid is poured
-out, and more ribbons produced.
-
-The secret lies in the manufacture of the bottle. In most cases, an
-imitation one of blackened tin is used, but, as the difference between
-a metal bottle and a glass one is easily discernible, this is a bad
-principle. The best method is to procure a tapering bottle, quart
-size, and opaque, and get the bottom neatly cut out by a lapidary. If
-the glass be semi-transparent it is easily rendered opaque by being
-painted with Brunswick black on the inside. Into the bottom fit a
-block of wood nearly an inch thick, the upper half of which has been
-turned away half an inch, so as to form a step. To this step have
-fitted a long tin funnel of such a length that, when the block of wood
-is fitted into the bottle, the small end will be within the third of
-an inch of the mouth. This funnel is much smaller than the interior
-of the bottle, so that when it is in position there is space for a
-considerable quantity of liquid between it and the glass sides. The
-small end is closed up with a piece of metal, which is provided with
-a number of slits, each large enough to admit of a ribbon passing
-through it.
-
-On the block of wood arrange as many tiny reels as it will take. It
-will be necessary to do this in tiers. There is no reason why they
-should be like the ordinary reel, for the smaller they are the better.
-Each of these reels carries a differently coloured ribbon, which has
-been previously passed through one of the slits at the closed end of
-the funnel. It will be discovered that it is not possible to wind them
-up quite tightly, but an inch or two hanging loose will not signify
-if care be taken not to cross the ribbons in any way. That end of
-the ribbon which appears outside the slit must have a piece of wire
-sewn in it, to prevent its going quite through. With the block thus
-prepared, and the funnel fitted firmly upon it, put the whole into
-the bottle, and then pour the liquid carefully down the sides of the
-funnel, taking care not to let any get in through the slits.
-
-Having poured out a little of the liquid, for the benefit of the
-company, say that you are now going to ask the bottle to give you a
-colour, and request the audience to say which particular one it shall
-be. Of course, some half-dozen, at least, will be given by as many
-persons, which is all in your favour, as you may then choose which you
-please, or, more properly speaking, not notice any extraordinary one
-with which you may not be provided. Some clever person is sure to
-rack his brains for some impossible colour, but, as you will take no
-notice whatever of him, it will not matter much. Each time a colour is
-asked for, turn to some object of that particular hue, and pretend to
-convey some of it on the end of the wand to the mouth of the bottle.
-There is nothing in this, perhaps, but it gives an air of finish to
-the trick. Snatch up the bottle every now and then, and pour out some
-liquid from it, and also call attention in an indirect manner to the
-fact that the ribbons are perfectly dry. Also tap the bottle once or
-twice with the wand, for the unexpressed purpose of showing that it is
-glass, and handle it generally in a careless manner, swinging it about
-by the neck, taking care, however, not to expose the bottom. This
-makes a very effective stage trick.
-
-A second method, which the reader is not at all likely to have seen
-performed, seeing that I invented it myself, enables the conjuror
-to employ an ordinary glass bottle, having no preparation whatever
-about it. It should be a dark bottle, so as to be quite opaque at a
-distance. The bottle is shown for examination, and placed upon a low
-table or chair, and the performer extracts coloured ribbons, just as
-they are called for. As the bottle has been examined, no necessity
-exists for occasionally pouring out liquid from it, which is a dumb
-way of saying that the bottle is an ordinary one. Secreted beneath the
-vest band, the performer has his rolls of ribbon arranged. They may be
-either upon bent pins, stuck in the vest itself, or the performer may
-have a band, fitted with wire hooks, which may be buttoned on in a few
-moments. As the ends of the hooks or pins are towards the performer's
-body, the ribbons cannot fall off; but the ends of the fingers,
-curled slightly underneath, obtain them at once. The colours must be
-arranged in a certain order, which the performer will, of course, have
-to remember, and he must depend entirely upon his sense of touch.
-Directly the colour is named, the performer commences to seek for
-some article of furniture or dress containing it; and whilst the wand
-is extended towards the object, for the purpose of magically bearing
-away some of its colour, the other hand is getting down the ribbon,
-that side of the body upon which it is secreted being turned from the
-audience. Proceeding to the bottle, the wand affects to place the
-colour magically obtained into the bottle, and, as soon as the other
-hand has secured the loose end of the ribbon, it is brought to the
-mouth, and the ribbon allowed to unroll. A tiny piece of lead, sewn
-in the end, will assist this greatly; but the ribbons should always
-be kept flat, except when in actual use, otherwise they will assume
-a curl, which will betray the fact that they have been rolled up. If
-symptoms of curling manifest themselves, the wand should be held at
-the mouth of the bottle and pressed against the ribbon as it comes
-out, and it should be then taken in both hands and held stretched
-until placed upon the table.
-
-By adopting this method, the performer is enabled to produce a very
-great number of colours; and it is advisable to have two or three of
-them twice over. However well the trick may be performed with the
-prepared bottle, the company instinctively feel that a certain number
-of ribbons are concealed somewhere or other, and that when they are
-once produced no more can come. By producing the same colours twice,
-the notion of an inexhaustible productive power is conveyed.
-
-There is a third method, which can only be employed on a regular
-stage. The bottle is a specially constructed glass one, that part
-which is known as the "kick" extending upwards to the neck, and having
-a hole in the top. Thus there is still space left in the bottle for
-plenty of liquor, whilst there is an open passage up the middle of it.
-This bottle is placed over a hole in a table having a hollow leg (a
-small, single-legged round table is invariably used), and the ribbons
-are passed up on the end of a rod by an assistant below. By this
-method, an endless supply can be taken from the bottle, but few of my
-readers will, I fancy, be able to adopt this method, although it could
-be done over a draped table under which a small boy was secreted for
-the time being. When the performer advances to the bottle he gives out
-the name of the colour very loudly, and places his fingers over the
-mouth, at the same time pressing hard, to prevent the bottle being
-shifted by the action of the ascending rod. The assistant below has
-his ribbons arranged in order, and, as soon as he hears the colour
-given, attaches the proper one to the pin at the end of the rod. When
-the performer is quite ready he strikes the bottle with the wand,
-upon hearing which, but not before, the assistant pushes up the rod.
-He must be in no hurry to withdraw it, but give the performer plenty
-of time to clear the ribbon. A suitable bottle may be manufactured by
-knocking the bottom out of an opaque glass bottle, and then fitting a
-tin lining to it, inside, which can be fixed and rendered watertight
-by means of putty, afterwards blackened, if white putty be used. The
-bottle is occasionally taken up, and liquor poured from it, as in the
-first method.
-
-_The Accommodating Bottle._--This is a bottle from which the
-performer pours any kind of wine or spirits that may be asked for.
-The secret, as in the foregoing trick, lies in the bottle, and it
-is only introduced here on account of its remarkable effectiveness
-in clever hands. The interior of the body is divided into a number
-of compartments, usually five. Each compartment has a tiny tube
-running from it half way up the neck of the bottle, and has also an
-aperture, just capable of admitting an ordinary pin, at the side
-of the bottle. Four of these apertures should be arranged an inch
-apart in a slightly curved line, so that one finger can be placed
-upon each when the bottle is grasped in the hand. The fifth aperture
-should be situated underneath the thumb. It is possible, but very
-difficult (owing to the absolute necessity for having the partitions
-hermetically closed, except at the tubes and the apertures), to have
-an ordinary quart bottle, with the bottom knocked out, fitted with a
-tin lining, properly prepared. When this can be done, it is decidedly
-advantageous; but, in the ordinary way, one has to be contented with a
-tin article, japanned.
-
-By means of a specially fine funnel, each compartment is filled with
-a different wine, and great care must be taken in remembering which
-contains the port, which the sherry, and so on. So long as the fingers
-and thumb are kept firmly pressed upon the apertures, no liquid
-will escape, even when the bottle is inverted, as it will be by the
-performer, previous to commencing, to show that it is empty. Some
-bottles have an extra compartment, into which water is poured, in full
-view of the audience, and the bottle apparently washed out, the water
-being poured out again. The adoption of this addition is a matter of
-taste. A dozen or so of liqueur glasses upon a tray, and carried by
-an attendant, will be required, and, after calling attention to the
-fact that the bottle is quite empty, and that he has no pipes running
-up his sleeve, the performer asks a lady what particular wine she
-would like. It is as well to use the words "port, sherry, or what?"
-by way of suggesting something which you have in your bottle to start
-with. You will, of course, have champagne, claret, and hock, which,
-with the sherry and port, will make about as good a quintet as could
-be selected. On any particular wine being called for, all you have to
-do is to raise the finger covering the hole corresponding with the
-compartment containing the required beverage, and it will flow out;
-on replacing the finger the flow will cease. By using small glasses,
-one appears to supply so much more than would be the case with larger
-ones. Never more than half fill a glass, and always pass as rapidly as
-possible from one person to another. Of course, you will be frequently
-asked for a wine with which you are not provided. This, in nine times
-out of ten, you can manufacture out of your stock. For marsala,
-for instance, give a little sherry and hock mixed. For sparkling
-burgundy mix champagne and port, or champagne and claret. When you
-make a mistake, pretend to be in a great hurry to attend to another
-applicant, and accidentally (!) drop the glass on the floor. Never
-mind if the glass does break; your trick is not spoilt.
-
-It is wonderful how much success is attained by management in this
-trick. In one person's hands, it falls so flat as to be almost a
-failure; whilst, in another's, it will probably be the success of
-the evening. It is especially successful in the hands of a brisk and
-lively performer, before, or rather amongst, a large audience of a
-free and easy nature. It is not a good trick to introduce before a
-select and stiff company. Should any particularly fastidious person
-be met with, he can generally be settled by the administration of a
-mixture of the whole five wines. If he is still dissatisfied, ask him,
-if the beverage is not the one for which he asked, to say what it is.
-It will puzzle him to answer, and you will then be able to retaliate
-upon him by supposing that he does not know the taste of the wine for
-which he was so anxious.
-
-Some first-rate continental conjurors, who, as a rule, take infinite
-trouble with their tricks, perform this trick with an ordinary
-bottle, which, after being examined, is filled with sweetened water
-(ostensibly plain water), and then any liqueur is given from it. The
-secret in this case lies in the glasses, which are coloured, and
-contain each an extract of a certain liqueur. The sweetened water
-answers for all. By this means, it is possible to be provided with an
-immense number of flavours, but the trouble in preparation is such as
-only a professed conjuror could undertake.
-
-_The Mesmeric Suspension Wand._--The Fakir of Oolu (he is known in
-private circles by a far less sounding and much more cockneyfied name
-than that) was the first to introduce this trick to the British public.
-
-The performer is provided with an ordinary conjuring wand, blackened
-all over. He passes it through one hand, to show that it is not
-attached to any suspending medium, and then performs a series of feats
-with it, which apparently entirely upset the laws of gravitation.
-For instance, when placed horizontally against the under side of the
-outstretched hand, it does not, as one would expect, fall at once
-to the ground, but remains in the unnatural position. When placed
-perpendicularly against a finger or thumb, the result is the same;
-and it can be just as easily suspended from the tip of the finger by
-its extreme end. There are three methods in general use for producing
-these phenomena. One is to have the rod provided with several black
-pins, which stand out a little from the wand, and are then bent at
-right angles. The heads are taken off, and the exposed ends left
-rough. If two of these pins be placed about five inches apart, with
-the points of each turned towards the other, a hand placed flatly
-between them will be enabled to sustain the rod in any position by
-merely opening out the fingers, thereby causing a pressure on the
-two pins. This is the whole secret of the first method. The conjuror
-can arrange his pins according to fancy. I find five ample viz., two
-about two and a half inches apart at each end, and one small one at
-the actual tip. There is no necessity for more; and the space of two
-and a half inches admits of the introduction of two fingers, which
-possess quite sufficient power to sustain the rod. The advantage of
-using two fingers only is that, by employing the middle ones, those
-on the outside are left free to be moved about, as they should be, to
-assist in abolishing the idea of any connection existing. When the
-wand is drawn through one hand, the action must be quickly executed,
-and no notice given of the intention to perform it, otherwise the
-attention of the audience will be sufficiently attracted to the wand
-to cause it to be noticed that the hand does not actually touch it,
-although it appears to do so. A serious pantomime of mesmerising the
-wand by means of a few passes may be indulged in with advantage,
-according to the ability of the performer in this direction; but he
-must treat it seriously. If it is at all well done, one half of the
-audience will remain almost convinced that some influence has been
-exercised over the rod. The wand should then be taken in one hand, and
-struck smartly on the palm of the other, to show that it is solid,
-or it can be done previous to the mesmerism. This is very necessary,
-as a universal idea exists, amongst those who do not know the trick,
-that the wand is made of pith, and that the performer has some "sticky
-stuff" on his fingers. It should next be held horizontally at the end
-by one hand, and the other passed slowly along it once or twice, the
-motion becoming slower and slower until it ceases altogether. The
-fingers will then be between two pins, and, on the rod being released
-by the other hand, it will apparently cling to the under surface of
-the one above it. To cause it to attach itself to a finger or thumb
-perpendicularly, it is only necessary to hang it by one pin on the
-outstretched member, and the prodigy is accomplished. The pin at the
-tip is for the purpose of suspending the rod from the end of a finger.
-This is accomplished by pushing the pin under the nail. No trick could
-be simpler; therefore the performer must do all he can to make the
-audience believe in its extreme difficulty. Once or twice, at least,
-the mesmeric power should fail, and fresh passes resorted to in order
-to restore it. An effective action to introduce is that of placing
-both hands above the wand whilst it is in a horizontal position, and
-then appearing to move them backwards and forwards along it. This is
-accomplished by fixing the fingers of one hand only in the pins. The
-hands are then parted, and joined twice with considerably rapidity.
-The disengaged hand must not alone be moved, but the other as well,
-otherwise it will be seen that the wand is affixed to one hand, and
-the other merely moved along it. The care taken by the conjuror will
-make this trick the more or less successful.
-
-The second method is to have a ring upon the finger provided with a
-clamp, which receives the wand in its embrace. The only thing to be
-said in favour of this device is that it enables the wand to be shown
-round. In all else it is vastly inferior to the bent pin arrangement.
-The number of positions in which it is possible to suspend the rod
-are exceedingly limited, and the probability of the ring being
-accidentally exposed is by no means remote.
-
-As it is decidedly advantageous to give the rod round for examination,
-it is always well for the performer to devise a method for handing
-round one rod, free from any preparation whatever, and then exchanging
-it for a prepared one. This is, perhaps, best managed by concealing
-the prepared one up the coat sleeve. The one that is shown round is
-dropped into the tail pocket, which can be specially arranged for such
-a use without much difficulty. The change behind the table is weak,
-and a large majority of the audience invariably see through it, in
-which case all the performer's subsequent actions with the article are
-looked upon as farcical. When a dummy article is to be exchanged for
-a prepared one, the change must be perfect, or left alone altogether.
-If the performer have any doubt about it, let him rather dispense
-with the examination and consequent exchange, for then the audience
-can only suspect; but, if any covert action is detected, then the
-suspicion resolves itself into a tolerable certainty.
-
-The wand for this trick is very easily made, any ordinary wood being
-suitable, and a packet of black pins, a pair of pliers, and a file
-will do the rest. It is best as a stage trick, private audiences in
-small rooms being somewhat too close for safety.
-
-There is, however, a third method, which I think the reader will,
-after giving it a trial, find commend itself highly, as it enables
-him to use his ordinary wand, and so avoid the suspicion naturally
-engendered by the employment of a fresh article expressly for a
-special trick. Our old friend, the silken thread, is once more the
-means employed, and it may be either passed round the performer's
-neck, in the form of a large loop, or be affixed to a waistcoat
-button. Experiment will at once determine the proper length, which
-will naturally vary with the physical proportions of each performer.
-The wand is, of course, given round for examination, and may be passed
-through the loop whilst the performer is facing the audience, although
-it is, perhaps, the safer way to do this whilst retreating to the
-stage. It will be found that when the thread is stretched outwards
-from the body by means of the wand, acted upon by the hands, it
-supports the wand by drawing it hard against the fingers. At first the
-wand is taken in the two hands, one near each end, and held out very
-gingerly. When the thread is felt to be tightly stretched, the fingers
-are opened, and it is as well to at once give a swinging motion to
-the hands. The hands should then be drawn together and parted again
-two or three times, both slowly and fast, a slight swinging being
-still kept up, and then two or three, or single fingers can be
-employed, as may the sides and backs of the hands. These movements
-will necessitate some little practice, in order to ensure facility of
-execution. When enough has been done by two hands, one hand should
-be placed in the centre of the wand, the thread passing between the
-fingers, when the wand will be just as securely supported. The hands
-should be changed, the one hand taking the wand from the other, from
-beneath. The _finale_ to this method of doing the trick is the most
-startling of all, the wand being suspended by one end from the tip of
-a finger, and from thence given to the company. To bring this about
-neatly, grasp one end of the wand with the right hand and place the
-tip of a finger of the left hand against the other end. Let the wand
-assume a perpendicular position, the right hand undermost, and, at the
-same time, cause the thread to slide along until within a bare inch
-of the finger at the other end. If the wand be fitted with ferrules,
-as directed, the thread is certain to rest at their terminations.
-The pressure of the finger against the resistance of the thread,
-delicately dispensed, will cause the wand to be supported, and with it
-in this position the performer advances to the company, and, with the
-right hand, places it in their hands, a very slight under sweep, quite
-compatible with a graceful presentation of the article, sufficing to
-free it of the slight tenure the thread holds over it. As the Fakir's
-wand has been on sale for very many years, there will probably be
-amongst the spectators some who know its secret. With these the method
-now described will be most successful in creating astonishment, for it
-will be quite beyond them.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 53.]
-
-A little additional sleight may be practised, which gives finish to
-the trick. This is to cause the wand to apparently attach itself to
-the tips of the outstretched fingers of one hand. To the spectators,
-it appears as if the fingers were merely outstretched, and the wand
-placed against them, when it adheres. It is quite true that only the
-tips of the fingers touch the wand, but they must be so disposed that
-the first and fourth are on the inside, and the second and third on
-the outside. The theory of the grip is the same as though the wand
-were held between the four fingers, an inch or more down them. What
-the conjuror has to study is to bring sufficient pressure to bear
-by means of the tips only, the nails of the first and third fingers
-resting against the wand. The hold is really of the most fragile
-description, only one longitudinal half (the inside one) of the wand
-being operated upon. A strong and rather fleshy finger will succeed
-best, but, in any case, the first and fourth fingers must be stretched
-out as wide as they can be made to do, and the whole operation will be
-very materially assisted by using a wand that is neither heavy, thick,
-nor slippery. An unvarnished wand would be the best, and it should be
-as much less than half an inch in thickness as can be made convenient.
-Weight will then be comparatively immaterial. The performer will find
-the effect of his trick wonderfully enhanced if, in handing the wand
-from one member of the company to another, he does so by means of the
-apparently magnetic tips of his fingers. The sleight is illustrated at
-Fig. 53.
-
-_The Magi's Brazen Rod._--This is a solid brazen rod, one quarter of
-an inch in thickness. At each end is a brass ball, free (whether solid
-or not) from any preparation whatever. One ball is firmly fixed, and
-the other screws off and on. Some ladies' rings are borrowed, and a
-solid wooden ball, which is subjected to examination, is then passed
-on the brazen rod, and the movable brass ball screwed on. The ball
-ends are then held firmly by two of the audience, and a handkerchief
-spread over the wooden ball. The performer introduces his hands,
-containing the rings, beneath the handkerchief, and, in a moment,
-the ball drops from the wand, upon which, on the withdrawal of the
-handkerchief, the rings are seen.
-
-There are many variations in the details of the trick; but the one
-great secret in connection with it is that, besides the solid wooden
-ball which is shown round, the performer has one behind the scenes
-that is hollow, and is divided into two equal parts, which fit firmly
-together, like a box and lid. In the box portion is fitted a piece
-of cork, in which are three slits. Ostensibly to fetch the solid
-ball, the performer retires behind, and there rapidly places the
-three borrowed rings, for the possession of which at this stage I
-shall presently account, lightly into the slits, closes the ball up,
-and palms it. Returning to the stage, with the solid ball openly in
-the hand, he gives it to be examined. On receiving it back, he has
-to exchange it for the prepared one (a feat neither too difficult
-nor too easy), which is passed on the rod instead, the solid ball
-being vested. The sequel follows as a matter of course. The solid
-ball is re-palmed, and secretly introduced under the handkerchief at
-the same time as the rings (_i.e._, their substitutes); the hollow
-ball is opened, thus leaving the rings alone on the wand, re-closed
-and palmed, the solid ball at the same moment being dropped on the
-floor. The performer must be careful not to have the wooden balls
-larger than is absolutely necessary, or he will find some difficulty
-in exchanging and concealing them neatly when occasion requires. They
-must be turned with circular grooves, in one of which the opening
-of the prepared ball is made, so as to escape detection from casual
-glances. The method of obtaining the rings varies considerably. Some
-performers put them into boxes with secret openings, and thus obtain
-possession of them. The simplest plan, if one has a stage assistant,
-is that described under the heading "Sleights for General Use." The
-assistant remains on the stage, holding the wand until the rings are
-required again. The performer then puts them in a piece of paper,
-ostensibly to "take better care of them," but really to make it easier
-for him to get rid of them, and they are palmed, along with the dummy
-ball, when that is taken off the wand. I have seen it attempted to
-place the dummy rings inside the ball before re-closing it, but the
-operation took too long by far in execution. If too much paper be
-not used, and the rings are small and tightly folded together, it is
-possible to pop the little parcel inside the lid of the ball. The
-rings could be of such a size as to allow of this. The method for
-managing the exchange of the rings depends much upon circumstances.
-The one I have given will be found generally applicable, especially as
-the trick is essentially a stage one. The handkerchief that is thrown
-over the rod should be drawn off smartly, so as to cause the rings to
-spin round, by the hand containing the ball just removed from the rod,
-which it will assist to conceal. On the completion of the trick, hand
-back the borrowed rings on the rod itself, and also show round the
-ball again.
-
-There is no reason why this should be an expensive trick. A brazier
-could make the rod and knob ends for a very few shillings, and the two
-wooden balls should cost about 1s. 6d.
-
-_The Shower of Plumes._--This is a trick requiring a great display
-of dexterity, combined with considerable boldness. The performer
-produces, from a large handkerchief, enough plumes, each nearly 2ft.
-in length, to cover the floor of an ordinary room. The plumes are
-rather expensive articles to purchase, but, when once obtained, form
-an excellent stock-in-trade. The method for producing them is to
-take off the coat, and then, grasping a large quantity by the lower
-ends in each hand, replace the coat. The compressible nature of the
-feathers enables a dozen or more plumes to be concealed up each
-sleeve. Care should be taken that they lie along the back of the arm.
-The performer, thus padded, comes on with a large silk handkerchief
-in his hands, but contents himself with remaining well at the back of
-the stage, and also refrains from turning his back to the audience.
-He waves the handkerchief to and fro, to show that it is empty, and
-then says that he will try and find something in it. To do this, he
-spreads it over one hand, and, with the other, seizes the end of one
-plume through it. At the same moment, with a sharp swift movement,
-the handkerchief and plume are withdrawn, the underneath hand falling
-to the side, assisting thereby in the withdrawal of the plume, and
-also keeping the ends of the remaining ones out of sight. The hand
-holding the handkerchief is inverted, and the plume will be revealed.
-Under pretence of removing this plume, the disengaged hand seizes
-another plume through the handkerchief, and withdraws it with the same
-movement which casts the one exhibited on the floor. The second one
-is then shown, and the process of drawing out another repeated from
-each arm alternately, the production of the plumes being made as rapid
-as possible, the motive being to bewilder the audience, who, if the
-performer does not make any blunder, will never imagine that they are
-concealed up the sleeves. It is as well to draw out a couple at one
-time once or twice, for the sake of extra effect, and, with the same
-object in view, have the plumes of several colours. Some should be
-all white, some all red, and others all blue, whilst another variety
-can be of two or even three colours. Never attempt to produce a plume
-until the handkerchief has fallen well over the arm from which it is
-to be drawn, and let the whole trick be executed with great dash.
-Sometimes larger plumes are placed round the body and drawn out
-from the vest, the handkerchief being spread over the chest for the
-purpose. The attendant who picks up the plumes should make the best
-show he can with them. Some performers place the plumes in fan-shaped
-vases or other receptacles, but the operation hampers the performance
-of the trick too much, and also leads to too many undesirable
-movements to be recommended. An excellent ruse is to conceal one plume
-beneath the carpet, with the end just through a hole or slit in the
-seam. The handkerchief is spread on the floor, and the plume produced.
-It is undoubtedly a very difficult trick to perform well, but it
-produces a great effect.
-
-The trick may be performed, in a small way, by means of ostrich
-feathers laid inside the shirt sleeve, the coat sleeve being turned
-back.
-
-_The Fairy Flower._--From a large cut-glass vase, having a cover,
-cut out a large portion--say, a piece 3in. wide, and extending from
-the top almost to the bottom, or foot. Along the back edge of the top
-of the table affix a spiral spring of several close coils, the free
-end of which should be of sufficient length, and of such shape as to
-enable it to extend well over the top of the table. To the extreme
-end of it affix a cut rose, camellia, or other showy flower, and then
-bend it down until it is out of sight behind the table. A sliding pin,
-working in a couple of staples, and having a loop at one end, must be
-brought on at the side of the spiral spring, and when the end with
-the flower on it is bent back, this pin is pushed across it, and so
-prevents it returning to an upright position. A thread attached to the
-loop, and passed out at the side, will enable the assistant to release
-the spring when desired. The vase is brought on, and the best side
-shown to the audience, besides being rung with the fingers or wand
-to show that it is sound, and it is then placed in position exactly
-against the spot where the spring is affixed, and the cover put on.
-The performer then says that he will cause the fairies to place a
-flower inside the vase, and commands them to do so. He can either
-spread a handkerchief momentarily over the vase, or dispense with
-the operation altogether. The attendant pulls the thread, the pin is
-drawn aside, and the spring with the flower on it flies into the vase.
-The cover is then removed, and the flower taken out from the top, a
-strong nip of the nails being necessary to remove it. The assistant,
-in removing the vase, bends back the wire and pushes the pin over it.
-This trick is usually performed with the aid of a box-shaped pedestal,
-on which the vase is stood. Within this pedestal the spring and wire
-arrangement, with flower attached, is concealed, the working being
-practically the same as that just described; but the reader will,
-doubtless, agree with me, that the introduction of a large box is
-likely to bring suspicion along with it.
-
-_The Perambulating Bottle and Tumbler._--This is a trick in which
-absolute sleight of hand does not appear; but it calls for a certain
-amount of finish in execution, and, like _A Bottle of Ginger
-Beer_, makes an agreeable change in a programme, both to company
-and performer. The performer has a bottle of beer, a tumbler, and
-two cardboard covers, which are, in fact, mere cardboard tubes,
-open at each end. Beer is poured from the bottle into the tumbler,
-and both articles are then placed upon the side tables, and covered
-with a cover. After the performance of the usual magical passes,
-the covers are removed, when the glass and bottle are found to have
-changed places. The following is the ingenious method by which the
-impossibility is apparently brought about: Have a tin bottle made,
-exactly in imitation of a beer bottle, between nine and ten inches
-high, and japanned so as to look like glass at a distance. The bottom
-of this bottle is open, but four inches from the lower edge is a tin
-partition, dividing the bottle laterally into two compartments. The
-upper compartment is for the purpose of containing the beer. Passing
-through its very centre, and reaching to within half an inch of the
-top of the neck, is a tube about a third of an inch in diameter, or,
-at any rate, large enough to take a small funnel. Thus communication
-is established with the lower open compartment, by means of the tube.
-Then have a second bottle made, also of tin, and japanned to match,
-just large enough to pass over the first one. This bottle has no
-interior whatever, and is, in fact, a mere shell. In height it need be
-only the merest trifle taller than the other, and the tinman should
-be enjoined to keep it as narrow as possible, compatible with an easy
-fit over the smaller bottle. Each bottle should be decorated with a
-flaring beer label, taken from genuine bottles. Needless to say, they
-must be precisely similar, and if each has a piece accidentally (!)
-torn out of it, sufficiently large to be noticed by the spectator,
-so much the better. In the middle of the body of each bottle is cut
-a circular hole, nearly an inch in diameter, and fully two inches
-removed from the nearest edge of the label. Further will be required
-the two pasteboard covers, which may be of any length between twelve
-and fifteen inches. These must be made to fit very closely over the
-bottles, without actually clinging to them, consequently one will be
-larger than the other. Finally, two tumblers, precisely similar, will
-be wanted. They must not exceed four inches in height, or they will
-not go under the small bottle, on account of the partition there.
-Behind the scenes the small bottle has its compartment filled with
-beer, and is then placed over one of the tumblers, the large shell
-bottle being finally placed over both. Placing the middle finger
-through the holes in the bottles pressure is brought to bear upon the
-tumbler, which in this way may be lifted with the bottles. The whole,
-looking to the audience merely like a single bottle, is thus brought
-on, and placed upon the centre table. The two covers are shown, the
-performer explaining that they are merely made to cover the bottle.
-Suiting the action to the word, he places the large cover over the
-bottle, and at once withdraws it, nipping it near the bottom, so as to
-bring away the outer shell inside. With the other hand, the smaller
-cover is then placed over the smaller bottle, and at once withdrawn.
-The company, knowing of only one bottle, will fancy they have seen
-both covers placed over it. The large cover, having the shell within
-it, must not be laid upon its side, but stood up alongside the empty
-one. The performer now takes the smaller bottle in one hand--holding
-the tumbler beneath it as well, by means of a finger through the
-hole--and the visible tumbler in the other. Beer is poured out until
-the tumbler is filled. The performer now says that he does not want
-his glass too full, and, replacing bottle on table, places a small
-funnel into its mouth, care being taken to insert it in the tube. Half
-the beer--neither more nor less--must now be poured into the funnel,
-and it of course finds its way into the tumbler beneath. The conjuror
-will have to experiment beforehand, so as to discover how much liquid
-he must leave in the visible tumbler, and how much he must pour away,
-slight marks being made, with a diamond or file, for his guidance
-whilst exhibiting. It is highly essential that each glass contains
-precisely the same quantity. The visible tumbler is now placed upon
-one side table and covered with the large cover, containing the shell.
-The small bottle is placed upon the other side table, with the tumbler
-still concealed under it, and covered with the small cover. By means
-of his wand, an imaginary exchange of the articles is now made, and
-the covers are lifted--that containing the shell lightly, so as to
-leave the shell behind; whilst that containing the bottle is gripped
-nearer the bottom, so as to lift that article with it, exposing the
-second tumbler. The general method adopted in lifting the covers is
-to take them by the extreme top when the article contained is to be
-exhibited, and at the very bottom when it is to be carried away. These
-are certainly very safe methods; but they are unnecessarily so, and
-afford far too much clue to the spectators. The variation between
-the positions of the hand need never exceed a couple of inches. The
-height of the upper edge of the body of the bottles the performer may
-have indicated upon the outside of the cover. Half an inch below that
-line he has only to exert pressure to ensure the carrying away of the
-bottle or shell. A little above it he is clear of them, and need not
-fear carrying them away by mistake. A variation of two or three inches
-is a natural one, and unnoticeable. Poor conjurors, too, always treat
-a cover containing anything in a far too gingerly manner. An empty
-cover they flourish about with extreme recklessness, exhibiting the
-interior freely; but, a few moments later, they carry the same cover
-about as gingerly as one would a very lofty and quivering tipsy cake
-or jelly. Spectators cannot but notice this sudden change from extreme
-freedom to plainly-depicted trepidation, and generally draw very
-correct conclusions. The conjuror should practise to be as free and as
-_nonchalant_ as possible with articles that are really mysterious, and
-study carefully how far he may go without exposing any secrets. In the
-present instance, the cover containing the shell should be flourished
-about a good deal, and finally placed over the tumbler in a careless
-manner.
-
-The change made, the performer will of course offer to do it again,
-"in order to give everyone a chance of noticing how it is done." He
-may pretend to give his spectators some assistance by telling them,
-in confidence, that the tumbler and bottle really came out at the
-tops of the covers, his original statement, that the openings were
-there to prevent suspicion, being untrue, their real purpose being
-to afford easy exits and entrances for the articles. The articles
-then make a return to their original positions, after the covers have
-been replaced, the shell being carried away, and the bottle allowed
-to remain. The feature of the trick, which completely mystifies the
-company, is the transposition of the beer-containing tumbler. The fact
-that the bottle has been nearly inverted, in the act of pouring out
-the beer in the first instance, precludes the idea that it could ever
-have been concealed in that. Although beer is here mentioned, claret
-or claret and water may be used, or any other showy liquid at hand.
-
-_The Magic Omelette._--This is a very favourite trick. The performer
-borrows two or three rings, which are cast into an omelette pan.
-Eggs are broken into the pan, and spirit added, and lighted. A cover
-is momentarily placed over it, and, when removed, all traces of the
-omelette have vanished, two doves taking its place. This would,
-perhaps, not be so very extraordinary were it not for the fact that
-around the birds' necks are pieces of ribbon, having upon them
-the borrowed rings. Such a trick may well be admired. It is thus
-performed: The pan, about 10in. in diameter, and between 2in. and 3in.
-deep, is made of plain brass, copper, or nickel, and has a slight
-turnover edge, turning outwards. The cover, which is a shallow one,
-has a 2in. flange. This flange is for the reception of a secret lining
-to the pan, containing the doves, and left behind when the cover is
-raised, after being placed over the pan. It fits outside the cover
-flange, loosely, but very tightly into the pan, for there must be no
-danger of its being carried away when the cover is lifted. It also has
-a turnover edge, precisely as has the pan, and by means of this edge
-it is temporarily attached to the cover. The cover, on the under side,
-at the extreme border, has two flat hooks, an inch or so in length.
-These are placed on opposite sides. In the turnover edge of the lining
-are two slits, admitting the flat hooks. To attach the lining to the
-cover is therefore simple, the hooks being placed in the slits and a
-twist given to the cover, which has only to be twisted the reverse way
-to withdraw the hooks from the lining again.
-
-Firstly, the performer sends his assistant forward to borrow the
-rings, which the lenders place upon the little wand he carries. In
-returning he changes them for dummies, as described at page 176,
-and at once retires behind the scenes, where he has the cover and
-lining already prepared with the birds inside, but not with the hooks
-in position. The ribbons around the necks of the birds are left
-outside, the insertion of a stick in the loops preventing their being
-pulled inside by the movements of their wearers. This prearrangement
-is necessary, as rapidity of action is essential. A ring is rapidly
-attached by the ribbon loop being first passed through it, and then
-opened out over it. When attached, the rings are popped inside,
-the cover hooked to the lining, and a prearranged signal given the
-performer that all is in readiness. The performer, in the meanwhile,
-has been making his omelette, which he must not light until his
-assistant signals that he is ready. Then he applies fire, and, rushing
-forward, shows the spectators the rings frizzling in the midst of the
-eggs. This is done rapidly; and it is certainly advisable to avoid,
-if possible, the actual owners of the rings, or the absence of a lent
-one may be noticed. The assistant seizes this opportunity for bringing
-on the cover, which he does in a careless manner; and it is as well
-to bring on the wand at the same time, as though both articles had
-been carelessly forgotten. The majority of the spectators, if not all,
-will, however, be engaged with the movements of the performer, who
-rushes back to his table, claps on the cover, his assistant firing a
-pistol to stir up the company to increased excitement, and takes it
-off again, giving, at the moment, the disengaging twist, the lining
-being thus left inside the pan, with the doves. The latter are brought
-down to the company, with the rings on their necks, and the pan shown
-empty, the contents being concealed between the bottom of the lining
-and the bottom of the pan.
-
-_To Pass a Borrowed Ring Inside an Egg._--A ring is borrowed, and
-placed in a handkerchief, or elsewhere, and an ordinary full egg,
-which may be examined, is placed in an egg-cup. The ring is "passed"
-into the egg, which is broken by the spectators, who also find the
-ring inside the egg by means of a little hook, with which they fish
-for it. The secret of the trick lies in the egg-cup. This may be of
-wood or metal--the latter for preference, wooden egg-cups being open
-to suspicion, whereas plated ones are not. Inside the cup, at the
-bottom, is cut a moderately deep slot; and when the performer has
-obtained possession of the ring by one of the methods described in
-this book, he secretly places it in the slot. The egg is now placed
-in the egg-cup, but, before doing so, the performer accidentally (!)
-breaks the shell at the small end, either by tapping the egg on the
-table or striking it with his wand, whilst in the act of explaining
-that the ring is to be found inside when the egg is placed into the
-cup, with the cracked end downwards. A little pressure will cause
-the ring to be forced into it. A small hook is now presented to a
-spectator, who is desired to break the top of the egg, and fish for
-the ring with the hook. Sooner or later, the ring will be brought to
-light. Particulars to be observed in connection with this trick are
-that the borrowed ring must not be too broad, or it may jam in the
-slot, nor must it be of a nature likely to be injured by the contents
-of the egg. The cup, with egg in it, should be brought forward on a
-plate or small waiter, in case of an overflow, a napkin being also
-necessary, for the same reason, and for the additional purpose of
-wiping the ring. The performer should present several eggs to the
-company, who select the one with which the trick is to be performed;
-but he should previously ascertain that each of them fits well into
-the cup, and does not jam at the sides. The safest plan is to have a
-special egg-cup made sufficiently large to take any ordinary hen's
-egg, as occasions may arise when the eggs will be provided by the
-house, as would be the case in the country. An additional feature is
-sometimes introduced of having a second egg-cup, without any slot
-in it, this one being given for examination, and the prepared one
-afterwards exchanged for it. The prepared one can very well be kept
-under the vest, and exchanged in the act of turning round.
-
-_The Flying Cage._--The performer comes forward with a square cage
-in his hand, containing a live bird. Standing close in front of
-the audience, he suddenly makes a movement as of throwing the cage
-upwards, when that article disappears, bird and all. The secret lies
-in the fact that, whilst the framework of the cage is actually of wood
-or metal, and the wires of real wire, the whole is jointed together at
-the corners with elastic, and the wires looped or hinged where affixed
-to the framework, so that the whole may be shut up, cornerwise,
-longitudinally, and made to disappear up the coat sleeve. The sleeve
-must be pretty large for this purpose, and the shirt cuff must offer
-no obstruction; in fact, a cuffless shirt should be worn. At one
-corner of the cage is affixed a strong black cord, which passes up the
-sleeve, round the back, and down the other sleeve, where it is tied to
-the wrist. The length must be such that the performer is just able to
-hold the cage, and have the cord tight. The bird is inserted through
-the wires. When the performer desires to cause the cage to disappear,
-he shuts up the cage obliquely, and, by simultaneously stretching
-out his arms, it is made to fly up his sleeve. So instantaneously
-is this accomplished, that even those acquainted with the means by
-which the disappearance is arrived at cannot actually see the cage go,
-although the performer faces the company during the entire execution
-of the trick. It is advisable to purchase a cage ready made, in
-preference to constructing it oneself. A black frame is preferable to
-a brightly-burnished brass one.
-
-_The Great Dictionary Trick._--Few tricks have caused more general
-wonderment than this one. It is presented in various ways; but
-the original form, to which the reader may make what variations
-circumstances and ingenuity may suggest, is as follows: The performer
-advances with several pieces of paper, all blank. These are folded
-and thrown into a hat. One is selected by a spectator, and left in
-custody of the company. Several dictionaries are now produced, and
-handed round for subsequent reference. A paper-knife is placed in
-the hands of a spectator, who is desired to thrust it at will into
-the dictionary which the performer presents to him. The book is
-opened at the place thus indicated, the performer announcing the
-pages, to which the holders of the other dictionaries at once turn.
-The audience select which page and which of the two columns upon
-it shall be employed; and then, in order to ascertain which word
-shall be selected, a bag containing numbered counters, shown to be
-all different, is presented to another spectator, who draws one,
-and is asked to announce it. The word corresponding to that number,
-counting from the top of the page, is then read out, and on the paper
-previously chosen being opened, the word is found written upon it.
-
-The working of this trick is as follows: The dictionary which is
-presented by the performer to the holder of the paper-knife is
-composed of two pages only, repeated over and over again, throughout
-the book. Thus, it makes no difference where the knife may be thrust.
-Say that the thirteenth word on the right-hand column of the left-hand
-page of the book is the one selected by the performer. He would
-first ask someone which page he should take. If the right hand were
-said, the performer immediately ejaculates, "_Your_ right hand;
-thank you!" and immediately proceeds to have the right-hand column
-selected by someone else, in the same one-sided manner. The selection
-of the proper word is thus managed. The bag is a double one, and in
-one side are numbers running in proper arithmetical progression.
-These are shown and replaced. In the other side are a quantity of
-counters, but each is numbered "thirteen," so the drawer is bound to
-draw that number, the performer taking care to open that side for the
-insertion of his hand. The corresponding word has been previously
-written upon the paper. This may be forced upon the selector by being
-placed upon the crown of a hat in a circle with other pieces, the hat
-being adroitly turned at the proper moment, so that the desired piece
-of paper comes to the hand of the chooser. This force must not be
-insisted upon if the chooser be at all unwilling, and the performer
-must resort to the alternate ruse (which many prefer entirely to the
-force) of a change. For this, the prepared paper is held in the left
-hand, and a plain paper apparently put into it by the right, it being,
-of course, retained there, and the one in the left hand exhibited.
-When performed many times before the same company, different
-arrangements of pages will have to be adopted, or the recurrence of
-the same page may easily lead to detection of the fraud.
-
-_Magical Wine._--The performer comes forward with a glass of port wine
-in his hand. He then explains the convenience of being a conjuror,
-since one can always accommodate one's friends. For instance, here
-is a glass of port wine. The friend to whom it is proffered does
-not happen to care for port. In the ordinary way the wine would be
-wasted; but not so with the conjuror. All he has to do is to borrow
-the friend's handkerchief (here a handkerchief is borrowed), and,
-waving it thus over the glass, see, the wine has changed to sherry!
-But the friend does not like sherry either. What does he like, then?
-A little spirit? Yes! Gin, perhaps? If you please. The handkerchief is
-once more waved over the glass, and the sherry turns to gin, which the
-company are welcome to prove by the ordeal of taste.
-
-The secret of this trick lies in two pieces of coloured glass, shaped
-thus: [Illustration] so as to fit perpendicularly into a wineglass.
-One piece of glass is yellow, to represent sherry, and the other red.
-The performer advances with the glass full of gin, and the two glasses
-placed in it. The red and the yellow commingling produce the tawny
-port colour. It need hardly be said that the edges of the glasses
-must never be towards the company. The first time the handkerchief is
-placed over the glass the red glass is abstracted, leaving the yellow,
-which is removed on the second occasion. The glasses are most easily
-palmed. Provided with his glasses, the performer will find this a
-handy trick to perform extempore at the houses of friends, where water
-might be used if gin were not handy, or else very pale whisky. It is
-not of sufficient importance for the stage.
-
-_The Sack Trick._--This trick is variously performed, but I shall only
-give one method, as being the one best within reach of the amateur.
-It requires the aid of an assistant, who comes forward undisguisedly
-as such. A large sack is handed round to the company, along with a
-piece of cord, for examination. As a matter of fact, there is nothing
-to be discovered in connection with these articles. Into the sack the
-performer or his assistant steps, and it is tied securely over his
-head, the cord being finally sealed by one of the company. A screen is
-placed in front of the individual in the sack, and, in a very short
-space of time, he comes from behind it with the sack in his hand, and
-minus a boot. The sack is given to the company for examination, when
-the mouth is found to be firmly tied and the seal unbroken, whilst
-the missing boot is clearly inside, it being thereby conclusively
-demonstrated that it was actually the sack which contained the owner
-of that piece of wearing apparel. The seal has to be broken before
-the boot can be recovered.
-
-The explanation is that there are two sacks, the second one being
-concealed up the back of the person who is tied up. So soon as he
-is put into the first sack he gets down the concealed one, and pops
-his boot into it. He then folds the mouth of it neatly, and, as his
-_confrère_ forms up that of the visible sack for tying, he thrusts it
-up into his hand. The tyer, holding his hand so as to conceal the fact
-of there being two mouths, ties up the inside one very securely--a
-few folds of the cords just nipping the outside sack also, so that
-the hand holding them may be presently removed without any exposure
-resulting. The greatest care must, of course, be taken that the
-sealing is done upon the inside sack only, the tyer superintending
-this operation very closely. Everything depends upon the neatness
-with which he performs his part. If it is a clumsy job, the sealing
-must be dispensed with, or the sealer will notice the presence of
-two sack mouths. The material of which the sacks are made should,
-therefore, not be very thick, or the cord will not be able to conceal
-the outside sack mouth. When the screen is placed in front, the man
-inside carefully pulls away the outside mouth from under the cord, and
-he is free. The first sack he merely hangs up behind the screen--which
-is afterwards folded up and carried away with the sack inside it--and
-comes forward with sack number two, which he has never been inside, in
-his hand. It is a good stage trick.
-
-_The Dancing Sailor._--This is a trick which may always be relied
-upon not to fall flat, and should be introduced whenever the audience
-has had a good dose of serious tricks administered. The feat consists
-in taking the rude effigy of a sailor, cut out of a simple piece of
-cardboard, which may be freely and minutely examined by the company,
-and, standing it on the floor, to cause it to remain there, and to
-dance according to the directions of the performer, without any
-visible means of support becoming evident. The sailor can be very
-easily manufactured in an hour or so, out of a piece of fairly thick
-card. The trunk and head should be cut out of one piece, with the arm,
-from the shoulder to the elbow protruding at a considerable angle.
-The forearm is jointed on, as are also the legs, which must be in two
-pieces. The joints may consist of thread, and should be very loose.
-The design may be varied according to the fancy of the maker, but
-he will be safe in giving to the cheeks and nose an extravagantly
-rubicund hue, and the mouth a humorous turn. The hat should be on one
-side, the trousers broad at the bottom, and the feet large, and turned
-outwards, and slightly upwards. When the jointing has been done, it is
-as well to cover the whole figure with thick paper, on both sides, in
-order to obtain a smoothness of exterior. In pasting on this paper,
-care must, of course, be taken that the joints are not touched by
-the adhesive matter employed, or they will not work properly. The
-whole figure, to look sufficiently imposing, should stand quite 15in.
-high; but if it be intended to dance it upon the table, then 12in. is
-sufficient. Effect is everything in conjuring, and a great deal may be
-lost by having things just a size too small.
-
-In performing the trick, the conjuror brings forward the sailor, whose
-appearance, if properly designed, should at once create amusement. He
-is given for examination, and the performer then retires to the stage,
-bending, as he does so, the arms of the figure at the armpits slightly
-backward from the body. He then proceeds to show the company that no
-threads or wires are anywhere about. This he does by slashing about
-in every direction, high, low, and on either side, with his wand. As
-a matter of fact, no threads or wires are within his reach, so he
-cannot do wrong; but a thread does exist in connection with the trick
-all the same. It should be a fine silk thread. Invariably use silk
-for everything, as it is both stronger, finer, and more durable and
-pleasant than cotton. If two assistants are available, there should be
-one on each side of the stage, holding the ends. When the performer
-is doing his slashing around, the thread is simply held as high as
-possible, the expedient of standing upon chairs being resorted to by
-the assistants, if necessary. It is very often the case, however,
-that the aid of only one assistant is possible or advisable. The
-thread must then be fixed on one side of the stage, at the proper
-height from the floor, a few inches of elastic being first tied on to
-counteract the effect of any unpremeditated jerk, which might easily
-prove disastrous to the trick. The elastic, being thick in substance,
-must be out of sight. If the dancing is to be done upon the floor,
-then the thread must be affixed about an inch higher than the armpits
-of the figure (to allow for the drop in the centre of the thread),
-and allowed to lie upon the floor, except when in actual use. If the
-dancing be done upon the table, the assistant must do the best he
-can, and the performer use judgment in the way he sweeps with his
-wand. When the assistant receives his "cue" from the performer, which
-may be done in a thousand different ways, he lowers the thread, and
-holds it taut. The performer then places the figure directly over it,
-allowing the thread to pass under the armpits. As these have been
-pressed back, the thread will pass across the front of them, and
-across the back of the figure. The assistant must watch the figure
-narrowly, so that no motion whatever is given to it. A rehearsal or
-two is all that is necessary to make it appear that the figure stands
-of its own accord, and without aid, upon the floor. Any swaying motion
-will tend to destroy this illusion. The rest of the trick follows as
-a matter of course. If music be at hand, the performer has a lively
-air, such as a hornpipe, played, or, in the absence of any instrument,
-the performer must needs whistle. In any case, he keeps time with his
-wand, and looks approvingly at the figure, talking to it occasionally.
-The assistant need jerk but very slightly at the thread to cause the
-figure to dance, and he can easily vary his motions to fast or slow.
-The legs of themselves assume various steps, which many of the company
-will think to have been brought about by design. Once or twice the
-performer passes his wand over and before and behind the figure whilst
-it is dancing, to show that there really is no connection. If it be
-dancing upon the table, a borrowed hat may be held in front of it,
-and the figure made to advance upon it and dance upon the crown.
-This, besides being additionally diverting, indirectly does away with
-any suspicion, which might excusably exist, as to the presence of
-mechanism within the table. When the assistant and performer are well
-together, all sorts of tricks may be indulged in. The figure may be
-made to dance _inside_ a hat; and I have even seen a skilful performer
-twirl an umbrella between it and the floor, the sailor continuing his
-hornpipe merrily and unconcernedly all the while.
-
-If the performer chooses to add to the humour of the situation, he
-may, if the figure be dancing upon the table, take it by the head (it
-should never be touched elsewhere) and lay it down, saying that there
-has been dancing enough. He then turns to the company, and commences
-to say something, as if about to explain a new trick, when the figure
-suddenly starts up and commences dancing with great vigour. The
-company laugh, and the performer goes to the figure to lay it down,
-this time with the wand placed across it to keep it quiet. So soon
-as he begins to speak to the company, however, up starts the figure
-a second time, the wand rolling off on to the floor, the dance being
-renewed with fresh energy.
-
-When the trick is to be brought to a close, the assistant holds the
-thread firmly, and the performer, seizing the sailor by the head,
-lifts him off. Now, if I had not directed both sides of the figure
-to be covered with paper, a very great risk would be run of the
-projections at the joints catching in the thread. Properly covered on
-both sides, everything is smooth, and so there is nothing to catch.
-The figure should be instantly brought forward to the company for
-re-examination.
-
-In a small way, i.e., before children, the figure may be made to dance
-between the legs, the thread being attached to the legs. (See _To
-Cause a Stick or Poker to Stand on End_.) The slightest movement of
-the legs in an outward direction will give motion to the figure, the
-feet beating time with the air, whether played, hummed, or whistled,
-so as to cover the action. The country public-house conjuror affects
-this phase of the trick.
-
-_The Anti-Gravitation Ball._--The performer produces a solid wooden
-ball, having a thick cord passing through it, and this he allows the
-company to examine. It is seen that the cord passes freely through
-the hole. Placing one end of the cord under his foot, he holds the
-other end at arm's length, so that the cord is perpendicular. With the
-disengaged hand, the ball is raised up to the other, and, on being
-released, of course falls to the ground; when, however, the performer
-gives the word for it to remain at the top of the cord, instead of
-descending, it obeys. He then points with the wand to a part of the
-cord a foot or so down, and the ball at once descends so far, and
-then stops dead. To any place on the cord that is indicated by the
-performer or any of the company the ball will stop and remain.
-
-The secret of this is, that the hole is not drilled straight through
-the ball, but has an angle, or bend, in it. The result is, that when
-the cord is pulled tight the ball is held, but when it is slackened
-the ball falls, a sudden tightening being sufficient to arrest it in
-its career.
-
-A very good form of ball is that now generally sold. It has a very
-large hole indeed, quite a dozen times larger than the cord passing
-through it. This hole is slightly tapered, and the cord is passed
-through a small plug fitting into the hole. This plug is concealed in
-the performer's hand as he holds the cord, at one end of which is a
-big knot, or tassel. The plug has a crooked hole drilled through it,
-and when the ball is run down the cord, so as to get the plug inside
-it, the two become one, and the ball behaves precisely as it would
-were it itself prepared. As the spectators, however, fancy the ball
-to be strung on a cord that is many times smaller than the opening,
-the force which causes the object to remain wherever it is ordered, in
-defiance of the laws of gravitation, is quite inexplicable. I once saw
-a Chinaman with a doll which went both up and down a cord. This was
-very ingenious and diverting, but was too obviously mechanical.
-
-A neat way of performing this trick, and one which I recommend for
-drawing-room use, is to take a ball of worsted and thread it with
-cotton or thread, the threading not being done straight through the
-ball, but crookedly. This ball will then be found quite amenable to
-discipline, and, of course, not the least suspicion can attach to it,
-the worsted being borrowed from the hostess's work-basket, and the
-threading done before the company's eyes. In any form, this trick is
-not sufficiently important for the stage, there being no variety or
-change in it.
-
-_To Cause a Stick or Poker to Stand on End._--For this feat the
-performer must be provided with 2ft. or so of fine black cotton or
-silk, with a black pin at each end, securely tied on. The pins may
-be either bent or straight, and must be fixed in the trousers at the
-calf, one in each leg, which will enable the operator to walk about
-without any fear of the thread getting him into trouble. The performer
-first takes a stick or poker (if a poker, it should be a light one),
-and, after having had it examined, proceeds to mesmerise it, as he
-will call it. This mesmerism should be conducted with the greatest
-seriousness imaginable. When the magnetic influence has been properly
-aroused by rubbing, &c., the performer should sit down and open his
-legs, so causing the cotton or silk to become stretched. He then takes
-the stick or poker, and stands it upon the floor in front of him. On
-being left to itself, it, of course, falls to the ground, but after
-three or four failures, the performer brings it against the thread,
-and then, making several mesmeric passes with the hands, relinquishes
-all hold. The stick or poker will, of course, be supported by the
-thread, but during the whole time it is so sustained the hands must be
-waved over and around it, as though exercising some influence over it.
-Do not prolong this trick more than can possibly be avoided, but get
-out of sight and remove the pins and thread with all despatch. (See
-also _The Dancing Sailor_.)
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVI.
-
-THE CORNUCOPIAN HAT.
-
-     ON SKILL--CANNON-BALLS--CAULIFLOWERS--THE
-     DISTRIBUTION--BONBONS AND FLOWERS--SHOWER OF
-     CUPS--MULTIPLYING BALLS: HOW TO MAKE AND HOW TO PRODUCE
-     THEM--BUNDLE OF FIREWOOD--RETICULES AND DOLLS: HOW TO
-     MAKE THEM--BIRDCAGES--A FEAST OF LANTERNS--AN UNFORTUNATE
-     CLIMAX: HOW TO GET OUT OF IT--THE FLYING HAT.
-
-
-One of the most taking of all the tricks performed by the many public
-exhibitors is that in which a hat is borrowed from the audience, and
-at once from its interior are produced a quantity of heterogeneous
-articles, the nature and number of which cause, not only the greatest
-merriment, but also the most unbounded astonishment that they
-should ever have found lodgment in so unsuitable a receptacle as an
-ordinary "chimney-pot" hat. The reader will hardly require to be told
-that every article which is produced from the hat has first to be
-introduced into it by the performer, and on the skill with which this
-is done will the success of the trick depend. It must be understood
-that there is no middle degree of perfection allowed in performing
-this trick. No one must be able to say, "Yes; he got them in pretty
-well that time--I hardly noticed him." The motion which accompanies
-the introduction of any article or articles into a hat must be
-absolutely unobserved by anyone of the audience. No extraordinary
-degree of speed is required, for success will depend more upon the
-completeness of the arrangements made by the performer for the
-accomplishment of his designs than upon mere rapidity of movement,
-which, as I have often explained, is by itself of no use whatever, it
-being impossible for the human hand to make any movement openly so
-rapidly that it cannot be followed by the human eye. The object of
-the performer being to introduce certain articles into a hat without
-detection, anything falling below this accomplishment is imperfect;
-but, at the same time, anything which goes beyond this in a striving
-to obtain an ideal perfection is useless, and results in a mere waste
-of energy.
-
-The essence of the trick being that it is (apparently, at least)
-performed for the most part whilst surrounded by the audience, the
-articles to be produced must be chiefly such as can be concealed
-about the performer's person. Of such a nature, the reader will
-doubtless be astonished to find, are, when properly constructed,
-bird-cages containing live birds, quantities of ladies' reticules,
-lighted Chinese lanterns, and many other articles entirely at variance
-with any possibly preconceived notions of what might ordinarily be
-contained in a hat. The beginner, however, will have to commence with
-less startling productions than bird-cages, &c., and graduate in the
-art, as it were.
-
-_The Cannon-ball._--One of the commonest articles which it is still
-the fashion to produce from a hat is a cannon-ball, or, rather, the
-wooden semblance of one. This is introduced from the shelf, which
-is provided with little hollows for the reception of such unstable
-articles. It has a deep hole, just large enough to admit the middle
-finger, and is so disposed that a hand placing a hat momentarily, brim
-downwards, on the back edge of the table would be able to introduce
-the finger without difficulty. The finger firmly inserted, the hat
-is drawn off, and, naturally falling backwards, covers the ball,
-which is furthermore curled into the hat by means of the finger.
-If the ball were solid and made of any heavier material than wood,
-this would not be possible of accomplishment. The usual method is
-to have two cannon-balls, one a hollow one of zinc, blackened, with
-a hole about two inches across made in it. This hole is covered by
-means of a sliding lid, which lid has a smaller hole in it for the
-introduction of the middle finger. The ball is filled with articles,
-almost invariably purchases made at a baby linen warehouse, which
-are produced, with all possible effect, one by one, before the ball
-itself. Sometimes the ball is packed as tightly as possible with
-feathers, in which case a very large quantity can be produced, a small
-pinch from the ball sufficing to apparently fill the hat, which should
-be exhibited, ostensibly full, to the audience every now and then. If
-feathers are used, a large cloth should be spread upon the floor, or
-there will be a sad litter.
-
-The introduction of the cannon-ball must not, however, form the
-commencement of the trick, but follow on something else in which a hat
-has been required. It would never do to borrow a hat and straightway
-march with it to the table, there to execute divers entirely
-unnecessary movements. Under such circumstances, the audience would
-be surprised if something were not produced from the hat. There are
-many tricks mentioned in which a hat is used. Whilst the result of
-one of such tricks is being exhibited with one hand, the other can
-easily introduce the cannon-ball, without fear of detection, if the
-performer's manner leads the attention elsewhere. The ball safely in
-the hat, the performer steps briskly forward to return the borrowed
-article, and, just as he is about to put it into the owner's hand,
-he makes a slight start, saying, "I did not notice it before, sir,
-but there is a little something just at the bottom of your hat.
-What is it? Something belonging to your little girl, I presume--a
-pair of socks," &c. The articles are then deposited on a chair or
-side table, and a motion made of returning the hat when "a little
-something else" is noticed. The ball being by this time worked round
-in the hat so that the opening is concealed from view, the hat can
-be exhibited with the ball sticking inside. After remarking that
-it is a very extraordinary thing to carry in a hat, and surmising
-therefrom that the infant to whom the clothes just discovered belong
-must be a "Woolwich infant," great, but unavailing, efforts are made
-to extract the ball. In order to make it appear to stick in the hat
-(which sticking makes its presence there at all seem all the more
-inexplicable), invert the hat, and introduce a forefinger from each
-hand beneath the ball. The whole can be then well jerked two or three
-times. It is at length got out by the assistance of your attendant,
-who is directed to give it to the gentleman to put in his waistcoat
-pocket. For the sake of effect he staggers towards the audience, but
-the performer recalls him, saying that he will send on the articles by
-parcels delivery. Whilst this is being done, the wooden ball is got
-inside the hat, which is once more carried down towards the owner.
-The discovery of more contents is made, as before, and the performer
-remarks that had he known that the owner of the hat carried a complete
-arsenal about with him he would have borrowed someone else's hat. The
-hat is jerked as before, and at the third or fourth attempt the ball
-is allowed to drop on the stage. This will confirm the idea in the
-audience that the first ball was solid, should there, by chance, be
-any wavering on the point.
-
-The only objection to this really very effective phase of the trick
-is, that it has been done so often; the consequence is that so many,
-anticipating correctly that which is about to come, are better able to
-divine the means by which it is accomplished. The best way to guard
-against this is to introduce the features at unusual moments, taking
-advantage of any favourable circumstance or opportunity that may
-casually transpire.
-
-A cabbage or cauliflower is often introduced into a hat in place of
-the solid ball, and is very effective. A hole for the finger can be
-made in the stalk, but it is advisable to push a tin tube into the
-hole, or bind the outside of it with cord, as the stalk will sometimes
-give way, and a disaster, in the shape of a vegetable falling
-down heavily from behind the table, occur. In using a cabbage or
-cauliflower, be careful to clean and dry it well on the outside, or a
-hat lining may be spoiled.
-
-_The Distribution._--The gratuitous distribution of bonbons,
-flowers, &c., from a hat is, owing to the expense entailed, hardly
-such a favourite variation of this trick with professionals as with
-amateurs--that is, with those very few amateurs who are able to
-execute it with any degree of success. It requires an unusual amount
-of _sang froid_ and boldness, combined with a perfect dexterity.
-When I can obtain nothing else, I use bonbons, but they are not the
-best article to employ, on account of their bulk. The sweets known
-as "kisses"--pieces of toffee wrapped in gold and silver paper--and
-gelatine bags of sweets are far more showy, as so many more can be
-introduced at a "load." The performer must have either some black silk
-bags or else some pieces of black silk, in which the articles are
-packed and tied with the thinnest cotton or silk, which need only be
-just strong enough to keep all together. Three or four little parcels
-should be made up and stowed away inside the vest and in the breast
-pockets of the coat, where they can be reached without difficulty. The
-performer then advances, with an orange or similar article concealed
-in the hand, and borrows a hat. The hat is quickly taken in the hand
-containing the orange, and shaken, with the remark, "Why, you have
-left something inside, sir." The shaking is to prevent the article
-falling on the crown of the hat with a thud, which would too plainly
-reveal the moment of its introduction into the hat, which is then
-inverted, thereby causing whatever may be inside to fall out upon
-the floor. All eyes, including more particularly your own, will be
-turned towards it, and you seize the opportunity to introduce one
-of your packages into the hat. The action of stooping to see what
-it is that has fallen will naturally cause the hat in the hand to
-come against the breast. The other hand is then introduced beneath
-it, and the bundle slipped noiselessly in. The instant this is done,
-obtain possession of the orange, and be as funny as you can about it
-with the owner of the hat. You then discover other things in the hat,
-and just before one bundle is exhausted introduce another. The most
-extraordinary expedients will at times have to be resorted to for
-accomplishing this, varying according to the position in which the
-performer is placed. One movement that should always be tried is a
-rapid three-quarter turn on the heel, during which a bag is whipped
-in. Another ruse is to allow the wand or some of the contents of the
-hat to fall, and so obtain a momentary diversion whilst stooping for
-them. Any approach to hesitation will be fatal. When a fresh supply
-has been obtained, turn the hat upside down, supporting the contents
-with the fingers, and, shake it, thus appearing to show it empty. A
-splendid ruse to adopt at such a moment, in order to intimate that the
-hat is still empty, is to apparently read out the name of the maker
-(which you have previously noted), and say that you will go to him in
-future for your hats. Should there be no name, say you are sorry, as
-you wanted to know where such curious hats are to be bought.
-
-The introduction of flowers from the performer's person is not
-advisable, it being impossible to keep them from being crushed.
-They are best introduced from the shelf, and for this purpose the
-following little arrangement will be found useful: Procure a tin or
-zinc cylinder, about two inches in diameter, and two inches long.
-Around the outside of this have affixed a number of small cylinders,
-each capable of admitting the stalk of a flower. Such an article will
-hold some thirty flowers at least, or even tiny "button holes" can be
-employed. Round the cylinder pass some wire, a portion of which form
-into a loop. The whole arrangement can then be suspended at the back
-edge of the table, or behind a suitable chair. By having some packs
-of cards introduced into the hat in the first instance, an excuse
-for going to the table or chair is obtained. Packs of cards make a
-great show when the hat is tossed vigorously about, so that some of
-the contents fly in the air and out on the floor. The last few can
-be taken out by the hand and thrown in the air in such a manner as
-to flutter as much as possible between the audience and the hat,
-which is, at the same time, brought into the position favourable for
-getting the flowers into it. The wire loop is easily found by the
-fingers, and, on the hat being brought backwards, when the table is
-used (forwards, with the chair), the bouquet is easily introduced. The
-cylinder arrangement is often made much larger than two inches each
-way, but no very increased effect is thereby obtained--certainly not
-sufficient to compensate for the augmented difficulty in getting rid
-of the article after it is done with. When made of the size I have
-given, it is simply concealed in the hand, as are the bags or pieces
-of silk in which the cards, &c., have been wrapped.
-
-_The Shower of Cups._--Amongst other things, a favourite production
-from hats is an enormous quantity of tin cups, very similar to those
-used in the cup and ball trick described in "Drawing-room Magic,"
-but much larger. These cups, being all of the same taper, fit well one
-into the other, and, being also very thin, a large number can be well
-put together without forming a very formidable pile. Fifty is a very
-common number to introduce into a hat at one "load." The upper rim is
-turned over outwards, to give the cup a look of great solidity, and
-the bottoms are fairly thick, for strength. They should be wrapped in
-silk, and the inside cup filled tightly with ribbons or cut paper,
-or anything else that will make a great show when distributed. The
-performer then walks about the stage tossing the cups out of the hat
-with great rapidity on to the floor, occasionally placing a few on the
-table upside down. A dozen or so on a table make a good show, and they
-are also useful for concealing the bags and silk used previously for
-containing other articles. Spread out a few in the hat now and again
-and show it thus filled. Very few will suffice to fill a hat to the
-brim. These cups are, perhaps, best purchased at conjuring apparatus
-houses, their manufacture not being universally understood.
-
-_Multiplying Balls._--These, which are by some persons considered
-even more effective than the cups, can be made, for the most part, at
-home, with a little expenditure of ingenuity and trouble. They consist
-of an ordinary cloth ball covering, with an extraordinary interior,
-consisting, as it does, of a tapering spiral spring. Although I have
-succeeded in producing springs of the required shape by twisting wire
-round a peg top, I cannot conscientiously recommend anyone else to
-adopt a similar method of proceeding. A professed wire-worker would
-do the thing much more satisfactorily in every way. The covering is
-a very easy matter, and any one of the weaker sex may be confidently
-entrusted with it. Six of these balls, when pressed tightly together
-and tied with cotton, take up only a very little more than the space
-that would be occupied by a single ordinary ball. Eighteen, or more,
-in batches of six, can be introduced at one time if tied up in silk.
-The cotton of one batch being broken, the hat will be entirely filled,
-and the process can be repeated, the hat being each time shown to the
-audience in a replete condition. A tray should be at hand on which to
-place the balls, great care being necessary to prevent any of them
-falling to the floor, which would at once reveal their unreal nature.
-When the balls are used, as is not unusual, in conjunction with the
-cups--that is to say, either immediately preceding or following
-them--it is advisable to have an ordinary stuffed cloth ball, exactly
-resembling the multipliers, inside the inner cup. This ball is allowed
-to fall and roll towards the audience (accidentally, of course!),
-who will require no admonition to examine it. The balls can also be
-made to multiply in the hands. For this purpose, take one bundle and
-spin it high in the air (be sure to spin it well), and, catching it
-as it descends, give it a sharp twist, to break the cotton. As the
-balls will all suddenly expand, the hands must be held very hollow
-and kept close to the breast, against which they should be sustained.
-Another method is to break the cotton, but prevent their bursting out,
-and, holding up the hand containing them, with the back towards the
-audience, roll the balls into view, one by one, by means of the other
-hand. These effects are both good, but must be done with dash.
-
-Both the cups and balls are best got into the hat from the shelf. The
-safest way to get them is, in the first instance, to introduce the
-cards into the hat, which, after shaking about, empty on the table
-with a bang. A favourable opportunity for introducing anything is thus
-made. Some conjurors have an arm protruding at the back of the table,
-on which bundles of cups, balls, &c., are suspended, and got into the
-hat by means of a sweep of that article. This is an excellent method,
-when the performer does not make a bad shot, and sweep the whole on
-the floor instead of into the hat. Bringing the hat round the end of
-the table, and, tipping things into it from the corner of the shelf,
-is a method in use, but it is a bad one.
-
-_Bundle of Firewood._--Immediately after the taking out of a dozen
-or two of balls or tin cups, the performer may, if his previous
-arrangements tend thereto, proceed to extract from the hat a common
-bundle of firewood, which, the company may see, entirely fills the
-interior of the hat by itself. As, subsequent to the extraction of the
-balls, the performer has not even retreated to the stage, the company
-cannot but be at an utter loss to account for the presence of so
-ponderous a body. The bundle of wood is, however, far from being what
-it seems. That portion of it, the exterior, which is visible to the
-company, is genuine enough, being firewood, but this is only an outer
-layer glued upon a cylindrical shape of thick pasteboard, bound round,
-so as to look real, with a piece of string taken from a genuine bundle
-of wood. The bundle has only one end, made, of course, of pasteboard
-also, and covered with half-inch lengths of wood, which will present
-a perfectly real appearance. Into the open end are crammed the cups,
-balls, or other articles, which, being produced, enable the performer
-to subsequently extract the supposed bundle of wood without having
-refilled the hat. Some bundles are made with both ends covered, one
-end having a trap opening in it. This is to prevent the possibility of
-the unreal nature of the article becoming known; but I really do not
-see why both ends should ever be exposed; and, with the end perfectly
-open, the extraction of articles is very much facilitated. The bundle
-must, of course, be introduced into the hat from the shelf, it being
-too decidedly bulky to carry about the person.
-
-_Reticules._--A quantity of these articles are sometimes produced from
-a hat. They are, as may be imagined, far from being the substantial
-objects they represent. The ends fall inwards and lie flat on the
-bottom, to which they are hinged by means of calico, and the tops,
-sides, and bottom are hinged together also by means of calico, and
-so double up. A piece of cord, tape, or thin leather strap runs
-through two holes, about an inch apart, in the top, the ends being
-affixed to the ends of the reticule, inside. A pull at the centre of
-this cord, &c., raises the ends, which force the other portions into
-position. The outside is covered with cloth, and otherwise decorated
-to represent a small reticule. I have seen them made of playing cards
-without any outer covering whatever. The result was, that the audience
-saw through the whole thing at once, as was but natural. A dozen or
-more of these reticules can be introduced at once, and they make a
-good show. They can be easily made from playing cards, and afterwards
-covered.
-
-_Dolls._--Calico dolls, with spiral springs inside, can also be
-effectively employed. A tolerably large one, introduced into the
-cannon ball with the baby's clothes, is effective when produced last
-of all. In any case they should not be less than 6in. in height. The
-face and greater portion of the dress must be painted on, a few little
-bows, artfully disposed, serving to make the doll look as substantial
-as possible.
-
-_Bird-cages._--This is a trick which ranks almost as high in public
-estimation--the only gauge, by-the-bye, by which conjuring tricks can
-be measured--as the gold-fish trick. The same principal feature--the
-production of a substantial article, containing living things, from
-such unsuspected regions as the interior of a hat, or the folds of a
-handkerchief--is in both, and the audience is, in each instance, in
-the same dilemma in endeavouring to explain where the article comes
-from, and how the living creatures get into it. It may sound like
-exaggeration to assert that two substantial cages, 6in. high, each
-containing two live canaries or other birds, can be produced from a
-hat from one "load," but such can be done, nevertheless. The cages
-are of wire at the top and on the sides, the bottom being solid and
-heavy. The sides are hinged to the top, under which they fold, when
-the bottom, which slides up and down the sides, is pushed up. The top
-being domed, the birds are safe therein, not as comfortable, perhaps,
-as they might be, but still unhurt. The bottom pushed up and the sides
-doubled under, the whole is scarcely 2in. in depth; and two cages,
-placed bottom to bottom, and kept together by means of an elastic band
-or by a thread, can be got into the hat from the coat breast-pocket
-in the prescribed manner. To produce them, it is only necessary to
-raise the upper portion, by means of the ring there affixed, and the
-bottom will run down into its place, causing the sides to go into
-their positions. These cages are also produced from handkerchiefs, in
-which case it is usual to have them of very large dimensions. Herrmann
-produced one at times which had to be concealed up his back, so large
-was it. This was produced, without detection, in the very centre of
-the audience.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 54.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 55.]
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 56.]
-
-_Chinese Lanterns._--The production of six or more of these articles,
-all ablaze, from a borrowed hat, causes an effect not far from
-astonishing. The well-known collapsible nature of the articles would
-render the production of a number of them from a hat a matter of no
-great marvel were they unprovided with a light. What cannot be readily
-explained is the feature of so many lanterns being alight in the hat
-at one time without burning either the hat or one another, or, indeed,
-how they can all be alight at one time at all. The secret lies in the
-construction of the bottoms of these lanterns, and the positions of
-the candle or wick holders. The bottoms are made of tin, and on one
-only of each series of lanterns is the candle holder placed in the
-centre. This lantern I will call No. 1 (see Fig. 54). No. 2 has the
-holder a little on one side, and a hole through its centre to admit
-of the candle or wick of No. 1 passing through it (see Fig. 55).
-No. 3 has two holes, corresponding exactly with the candle holders
-of Nos. 1 and 2, which pass through its bottom, and its holder is at
-the side of the hole through which the holder of No. 2 passes. No. 4
-has three holes, No. 5 four holes, and so on all through the series,
-which generally consists of seven or eight, that number being about
-as many as can well be managed at one time (see Fig. 56). As the
-holder of No. 1 has to pass through the bottoms of the remaining seven
-lanterns, it must, of course, be very long. The holder of No. 2 will
-be a little shorter, and the next shorter still, that of No. 8 being
-of the ordinary length. By this means all the wicks will be on the
-same level when the lanterns are packed together. The tin bottoms do
-away with any danger of a flare up, and also, from their weight, cause
-the lamps to open easily, which is of great assistance towards the
-success of the trick. The upper rims are also of tin, for strength and
-security. A few sulphur matches, which strike noiselessly, should be
-affixed to the upper rims of the topmost lantern, whereon should also
-be some sandpaper, on which to strike the matches. The whole should be
-tied together with string, and concealed in the breast pocket, from
-whence they can be introduced into a hat in the midst of the audience.
-The match struck, the wicks are all lighted almost simultaneously;
-and, the flames burning the string, the performer is enabled to take
-out the lanterns in rapid succession by means of a bent piece of wire
-affixed to the rim of each. An attendant should be at hand with a
-pole or broomstick, on which to hang the lanterns. A deep round hat
-is better than a "chimney-pot," the extreme depth of which sometimes
-causes the performer to burn his fingers.
-
-This trick is well worthy the attention of amateurs, as it is but
-little worked, the majority of performers being frightened at it, but
-without any reasonable cause. Any tinman will make the plates and rims
-cheaply, and the paper sides can be taken from the ordinary lanterns
-and transferred, so that the trick need not be an expensive one, by
-any means. An excellent title for it is "A Chinese Feast of Lanterns."
-Always remember to hold the hat as high as possible when it contains
-anything: premature disclosures of the contents mar the effect
-considerably.
-
-_Climax to the Hat of Plenty._--When the performer has a stage
-attendant of average ability, he can conclude this or any other
-trick with a hat in a very startling manner. The hat is given to the
-assistant to return to its owner, and, just as he is leaving the
-stage, he stumbles, falling heavily upon the hat, and flattening
-it completely. The performer is of course in despair, and after a
-slight scene the hat is eventually restored, it being found under the
-owner's chair, or elsewhere. This exceedingly impressive and amusing
-trick makes a very appropriate conclusion to a performance, and is
-managed in two ways: Either the hat used in the preliminary trick is
-actually the property of a stranger in the audience, and is exchanged
-for the one to be destroyed, or a confederate brings it in with him,
-and takes his seat on a chair or sofa, beneath which his own hat
-has been previously concealed. In the first instance, the exchange
-must be adroitly managed. The excuse of going off to brush it, and
-returning immediately with the brush, is as good as any, although it
-will always be subsequently apparent to thinkers when the hat was
-exchanged, by whatever method the substitution is accomplished. I
-may say at once that this method is not so good as the second; but
-confederates are not always to be obtained when they are wanted.
-Sometimes the performer borrows two hats, and whilst he is producing
-something startling from one, his attendant quietly removes the other
-and substitutes for it a duplicate.
-
-By whatever means arrived at, suppose the exchange effected, or, what
-is the same thing, the conjuror's own hat borrowed, and the assistant
-lying prone upon the floor. He must then rise slowly, with a rueful
-look upon his countenance, and, if any object, such as a tin cup, be
-lying upon the floor, he must abuse it as the cause of the disaster.
-The performer does not at first notice what has happened; when he
-does so, he is, of course, greatly enraged with the assistant, and
-assumes a very despondent look. He expresses his regrets to the owner
-of the hat, and asks if he would like the hat done up in a small
-parcel for convenience in carrying. Without waiting for a reply, he
-and the assistant tear the hat up to little pieces, some newspapers
-being produced and spread upon the table. On the shelf is a newspaper
-parcel containing a crinoline, a large doll, or anything else that
-is ludicrous in appearance. The shreds of what was recently a hat
-are wrapped in a piece of the newspaper, with the exception of one
-solitary piece, which is purposely allowed to fall upon the floor,
-on that side of the table opposite to where the conjuror is standing.
-When the parcel is made up, the performer notices this piece, and,
-leaning well over the table, points to it, at the same time, under
-cover of his body, effecting an exchange of parcels. The shred is
-rolled up, and a pretence made of putting it in the parcel (it is, of
-course, palmed), which is then given to one of the audience to hold
-over his head. A pistol is fired, and, if the hat be borrowed from a
-confederate, he is bidden to look under his chair, where, naturally,
-his own hat will be discovered. If, on the other hand, the borrowed
-hat be genuinely the property of one of the audience, it will be
-seen to fly across the stage and attach itself to the top of the
-proscenium, from whence it falls at the command of the performer,
-and is caught by him. This additional effect is managed by passing a
-black cord through a hole in the proscenium, and attaching it to the
-hatband by means of a very large loop. The end to which the hat is
-affixed must, of course, be removed from sight beforehand, the usual
-place being behind the proscenium. The construction of the place of
-performance will naturally have a good deal to do with this particular
-matter, and the performer must study what arrangements will be best.
-Wherever the hat is concealed, it must be thrown into the air when
-the pistol is fired, and the cord at once gathered in as rapidly as
-it is possible to do so. On the command for the hat to descend being
-given, the large loop is cut through, and the hat falls. If the cord
-were simply tied by a knot to the hatband, a piece of it would remain
-attached after being cut away, and this would give a clue to the
-mystery. After the hat is safely restored, open the parcel and exhibit
-its contents.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVII.
-
-TRICKS WITH WATCHES AND LIVE STOCK.
-
-     ON BORROWING WATCHES--THE PUTTY WATCH--THE GLASS--TWO KINDS
-     OF MORTARS AND PESTLES--THE DUMMY WATCH--THE WATCH BAG--HOW
-     TO REPRODUCE THE WATCH--THE LOAF--THE TARGET--ANOTHER
-     TARGET--THE PLATE SCREEN--THE ADHESIVE WATCH: A JOKE--THE
-     WATCH BOX--A NOVEL RABBIT WARREN--HOW TO CAUSE RABBITS TO
-     DISAPPEAR--THE BRAN VASE--THE BRAN--THE WELSH "RABBIT"--THE
-     SAUCEPAN AND COVER--THE HAT STOVE--THE FUEL--THE
-     INGREDIENTS--THE RESULT--THE BIRD AND CARD.
-
-
-_Tricks with Watches._--The reader has doubtless been on the look-out
-for the chapter which shall initiate him in the art of pounding up
-a friend's gold chronometer before his very eyes, and immediately
-afterwards restoring it whole. I have purposely introduced the subject
-so late in the day, because watches are very awkward things to perform
-with, and the performer should be tolerably expert before he touches
-them.
-
-On borrowing a watch, it is always as well to do, or pretend to do,
-something with it that shall cause the greatest anxiety to the owner
-as to its safety, and consequent amusement to the unsympathising
-remainder of the audience. To expect this of a conjuror seems to
-be a fairly-established custom. One way of acquiescing with this
-unexpressed desire is to apparently incapacitate the watch for further
-use by bending it several times nearly double. This feat is managed by
-holding the watch with its back to the audience between the fingers
-and thumbs of the two hands, the hands being on opposite sides of
-the watch. If both hands and watch are worked rapidly backwards and
-forwards (_i.e._, inwards and outwards) three or four times, the
-varying light and shade upon the shining back of the watch will
-cause it to appear to be really bent each time a movement is made.
-The illusion is very perfect, the effect being always the same, to
-initiated, as well as uninitiated, eyes. The remark, "Ah! yours is one
-of the new putty watches, I see, sir," will assist in carrying out
-this effective prelude. Precisely the same effect may be produced with
-a bright florin or half-crown.
-
-Another effective introduction is to have palmed a watch-glass
-that has been either well cracked previously, or cut deeply with a
-glazier's diamond. Bring this glass over the one on the watch, but not
-touching it, and then, addressing the owner of the watch as to the
-strength of the glass, strike it carelessly with the wand, but not so
-carelessly as to break both glasses. When the breakage takes place,
-of course, great consternation will be exhibited on the face of the
-performer, who makes profuse apologies to the owner of the watch. The
-pieces of the broken watch-glass are allowed to lie on the perfect
-one, and the whole shown round, it being impossible to detect the
-presence of the perfect glass beneath the pieces. The pieces are then
-put in a piece of paper, for convenience in vanishing, and the trick
-can proceed.
-
-The ordinary method for destroying a borrowed watch is to have a
-mortar (usually of wood) into which fits an inner lining. Over the
-whole fits a pasteboard cover, with a fairly large round hole in the
-top, in which the lining is concealed at the commencement of the
-trick. The mortar is shown round and the watch put in. The cover is
-then put on--for the purpose of preventing the pieces of the watch
-flying out, it is explained--and the false lining thus introduced.
-This should be done quickly, and without any show of care, which would
-only excite suspicion. A pestle is then introduced through the hole in
-the cover, and a terrific amount of pounding goes on. Some old watch
-works and bits of plated gold, which have been in the false lining
-from the commencement, are then exhibited by removing the cover only.
-Another description of mortar is one with the bottom revolving on a
-pivot. When the watch is put in, this bottom is pushed up a little
-on one side from underneath, and the watch falls through into the
-hand. The pestle used in conjunction with this is a very thick one,
-especially at the end, in which are concealed some watch works. The
-action of a piston, similar to that used in the one for _The Hatched
-Card_, will propel these pieces into the mortar.
-
-A far bolder method is to be provided with a dummy toy watch, and
-exchange it for the borrowed one, and then actually pound it up in
-an ordinary metal mortar. This method will succeed best in public
-audiences, where an individual watch is not likely to be known by many
-persons in the audience. In showing round the watch, in its demolished
-state, in the mortar, there is no necessity for allowing a lengthened
-view, much less a minute examination, to be taken by anyone; and it is
-as well not to allow the owner of the watch to see the wreck at all.
-
-Instead of a mortar, a long bag, made of alpaca or any other strong
-stuff, and about three inches broad and two feet in length, is
-sometimes used. This has sewn in one end of it some solid body,
-fairly resembling a watch in shape and weight, and the other end is
-open. About four inches from the mouth a seam is stitched across.
-The watch, on being put into the bag, stops at the seam, whilst the
-performer takes up the other end, to which the watch has presumably
-descended, and exhibits the contour of the article or articles (a
-quantity of small broken pebbles is frequently used) there concealed,
-with one hand, the other hand holding securely the end containing
-the watch. The dummy end is then struck upon a table, or against the
-wall, several times, for the purpose of making it "go better," or of
-converting it into a "stop" watch. To take the watch out of the bag,
-hold the end containing the dummy with one hand, and invert the whole.
-The watch will slide into the other hand, having apparently come from
-the far end of the bag. An addition to this bag is to have the mouth
-portion divided into two pockets, each one having a flap and a button.
-In one are concealed some broken watch works and bits of metal. The
-borrowed watch is put into the empty side, and, after the process of
-banging about has been gone through, that containing the pieces is
-opened.
-
-The manner of reproducing the watch depends greatly upon the ingenuity
-and resources of the performer. Every conjuror differs somewhat from
-his rivals. A very favourite plan is to discover the watch in a loaf
-or roll of bread. Another is to cause it to appear on the centre of a
-target, or in the midst of a bouquet of flowers. It will be readily
-understood that when the supposed process of destruction has been gone
-through, and whilst the performer is amongst the audience with the
-pieces and engaging their attention, the assistant unostentatiously
-removes the mortar or bag containing the borrowed watch, and arranges
-the sequel of the trick behind the scenes. If the watch is to appear
-in a roll, then it is put into one by the assistant through a slit,
-and the roll is brought on with some others. The performer takes three
-of these, including the one containing the watch, and puts one on each
-of the front corners of the table and one between them in the centre,
-this centre roll being the prepared one. He then asks the audience to
-select one of the three rolls. Of course, all three will be named,
-but the performer affects to perceive a majority in favour of the
-centre one. A great show should always be made of deferring to the
-wish of the audience, this being very effective, and also the best
-way to secure the desired end. The pieces of broken watch works can
-then be put into the conjuring pistol, having been previously wrapped
-in paper, and then fired at the roll, which, on being cut or broken
-open, will, of course, be found to contain the watch. Should any
-decided predilection be shown for one of the outside rolls, a change
-of tactics must be made. Remove the one selected and say, without
-exhibiting the slightest appearance of embarrassment, "That leaves
-two; which one shall I now take?" If the one containing the watch be
-chosen, say, "Are you quite sure, now, that you would not like the
-other one?" This will cause a firmer adherence to the choice, for it
-will appear that the other roll would be preferable to the performer.
-Knock the other roll off the table, and fire at the remaining one. If
-the watch has been neatly inserted in the roll, it can be given into
-the hands of a spectator to hold whilst being fired at. When a bouquet
-is used, the watch is merely concealed among the flowers. It should be
-given to a lady to hold, in which case the pistol must be directed in
-the air, and not at the bouquet.
-
-The use of a target is very effective, and the target itself is not
-of very difficult construction. It can be either of wood or tin,
-and the face should be circular, about 12in. across, and affixed to
-a pillar rising from a square foot. The centre, or bull's eye, is
-pierced out and revolves on a pivot, an arrangement of watch spring
-or elastic causing it to keep in its place. It should be black both
-at the back and front, the front having a hook on which to hang the
-watch. The assistant, on obtaining possession of the watch, hangs it
-upon the hook and reverses the centre, a little bolt serving to keep
-it temporarily in that position. To this bolt is attached a piece of
-black thread, the disengaged end of which is behind, in the hands of
-the assistant. On the pistol being fired, this bolt is removed by the
-thread being pulled smartly, and the centre flies back to its normal
-position, exhibiting the watch to the audience. The revolution is so
-rapid that it cannot be detected, the watch appearing to actually
-attach itself to the face of the target. A good effect is produced
-by having the revolving centre of looking-glass, the corresponding
-glass on the other side, with a hook through the centre, being badly
-starred. It will appear as though the arrival of the watch had smashed
-the mirror.
-
-Another target is one with the centre in the shape of a recess, over
-which a little spring blind is drawn after the watch has been hung
-upon a hook within it. The blind has merely to be released and will
-fly up, revealing the watch. This principle is carried out on a much
-larger scale, two or more watches and chains and a broken plate
-being used. The chief apparatus employed is a large picture-frame,
-the centre having no picture, but being made in the form of a
-recess. In the top is concealed a spring blind, of the same colour
-as the back of the recess, which should be black. The articles to be
-magically exhibited on the frame are hung upon convenient hooks by
-the assistant, who then pulls down the blind and brings the frame
-upon the stage. The blind has along its lower edge a piece of wire
-or wood, from the centre of which projects, horizontally, a small
-pin. In the centre of the lower portion of the frame, and inside the
-recess, is a small catch, working perpendicularly on a pivot. The
-upper portion of this catches the projecting pin of the blind, and the
-lower portion passes out at the bottom, where a communicating cord
-is attached to it. The action of pulling the cord releases the pin,
-and the blind flies up, leaving the articles on the back of the frame
-exposed to view. The means for getting the watches or other articles
-into the hands of the assistant are various, the most effective, in my
-opinion, being the following: The performer borrows two watches, with
-or without the chains attached, and proceeds to wrap them in a piece
-of paper which he holds in his hands. Underneath this piece of paper
-is another, in which some dummy watches have been previously folded.
-In wrapping up the borrowed ones, it is very easy, whilst turning the
-parcels round and round in the hands, to bring the dummy one to the
-top, and, getting away the real watches, to conceal them under the
-vest or elsewhere. Passing subsequently behind the table, they are
-left upon the shelf, from whence they are removed by the assistant.
-The supposed borrowed watches, still in the paper, are then put upon
-a plate and given to the assistant to place upon the table. Before
-reaching the table, the assistant stumbles, and plate and watches fly
-all over the floor, the plate naturally in many pieces. The usual
-fuss is made about the assistant's carelessness, and he is despatched
-to fetch the frame. The performer, in the meanwhile, gathers up the
-pieces of the plate (less one piece purposely allowed to remain on
-the floor) and the watches, and puts them into the conjuring pistol,
-putting in some paper to keep them in position. During this time,
-the frame is brought on and placed in position, the pistol is fired,
-and, the blind flying up, the plate is seen in the centre, and the
-watches on either side of it. The plate is, however, not complete,
-one piece being missing. The piece upon the floor is then discovered
-by the performer, who "passes" it towards the plate, to which it is
-seen to affix itself. The plate and watches are then brought to the
-audience, who are unable to discover any trace of joining in the plate
-or damage to the watches. The remarkable effect of the restoration
-of the missing portion of the plate is managed by having a ragged
-triangular piece of black cloth put upon the plate, and, attached
-to it, a thread. When the "pass" is made, the assistant pulls the
-thread, and the piece of cloth falls down inside the frame. The frame
-can, of course, be used for the reproduction of any class of borrowed
-articles. Anyone with a very light turn only for carpentering should
-be able to make one for himself. The pedestals or feet of both target
-and frame should be heavy, so as to remain firm in case the assistant
-pulls with unpremeditatedly extra strength.
-
-An amusing and neat little trick with a borrowed watch is to cause
-it to appear on the back of a volunteer assistant from the audience.
-The performer is provided with a sharp-pointed hook, the blunt end
-of which is turned back in the shape of a smaller hook. This he has
-concealed about him. A watch is borrowed and immediately exchanged
-for one belonging to the performer, which is given to be held by one
-of the audience, as far removed from the owner as possible. A member
-of the audience is then desired to step up on the stage, where he is
-accommodated with a seat in the centre, and facing the audience. The
-performer has, meanwhile, hooked the loop of the watch on the smaller
-hook, and, taking the head of the assistant in the hands--the one
-containing the watch being behind--for the purpose of directing him as
-to the position in which it should be held, he affixes the larger hook
-to the back of his coat. He then directs the volunteer to open his
-mouth very wide, and pretends to pass the supposed borrowed watch into
-it. On finding that it has not reached its destination, the performer
-must surmise that he threw it a little too hard, and request the
-assistant to see if it be behind him. On his turning round for this
-purpose, the watch on his back will be revealed. An extra effect can
-be introduced by trying the extent of the assistant's throat capacity
-with the wand. The wand is taken by one end with the left hand, which
-is placed against the assistant's mouth. The other end is introduced
-secretly up the performer's right sleeve, and the right hand worked
-vigorously up and down the wand. The illusion is that the wand is
-thrust repeatedly down the assistant's throat to its full length.
-This should be done quickly, and only about three thrusts should be
-made. If the wand used for this particular effect be a special one,
-having an extra loose ferrule, the illusion may be rendered still
-more perfect if the performer keeps the loose ferrule in the hand,
-and slides it up and down the wand. This is a very important little
-addition to the trick.
-
-A piece of apparatus that is very much used in connection with watches
-is what is universally known as the watch box. It is a box, the
-rough dimensions of which are: length, 3-1/2in.; breadth, 2-3/4in.;
-and depth, 2-1/4in. The sides, ends, and top are very substantially
-made, and the bottom is, to all appearances, equally so; but as a
-matter of fact, it is made of two thin veneers, which have little
-blocks of wood glued between them, so as to leave an intervening
-space of one-sixth of an inch. The sides and ends come down flush
-with the bottom, and so conceal the deception. One of the ends works
-on pivots, the pivots being placed one-third of an inch from its
-upper edge; and near the lower edge on the inside is a little brass
-plate, with the centre keyed out. The ends, it must be understood,
-are fitted inside the sides. In the hollow of the bottom is concealed
-a catch, which protrudes just sufficiently to enter the aperture in
-the brass plate. No spring will be required to keep it in its place,
-as is usually the case, for if it be glued to the lower veneer, that
-will possess sufficient springiness for the purpose. The catch will
-of course require very neat adjustment, which is merely a matter of
-patience. It must be so arranged that the end is very easily closed,
-and opened with equal facility, by the mere pressure of a finger on
-the thin underside, providing the pressure is administered just under
-the spot where the catch is affixed. For facility in opening the box,
-it is usual to place two rounded pieces of watch spring on each side
-of the catch, adjusted so as to always bear just sufficiently against
-the end to cause it to fly open a quarter of an inch when the catch
-is released. These pieces of spring are fixed in blocks of wood glued
-into position for the purpose. I am not sure that the springs are
-not superfluous. They cause the end to fly open, certainly, and so
-expedite matters, but they are far from being noiseless. I have found
-the action of the fingers quite sufficient for opening the end. For
-the sake of strength, it is as well to fill in the end where there is
-no spring with a large block of wood. The interior should be lined
-with cloth or velvet, and a good lock and key added. The box is very
-useful for obtaining possession of any description of article that is
-fairly solid and that will go into the box. The following description
-of a trick performed with a watch will suffice to show how it can be
-employed:
-
-Give the box and key into the hands of a lady, with the request to
-have everything examined and the lock tried. Keep very near whilst
-this is being done, in case of an accidental release of the catch.
-If there are no springs used, then this will not matter, as the end
-will not fly open with a "pop," as it otherwise would, which should
-be sufficient argument in favour of their disuse. Borrow a watch that
-has a light chain attached, and, winding the chain round the watch,
-have both placed in the box. Allow it to be locked and the key to
-remain in the lady's possession. Now take the box, and say, "Although
-there is no doubt that the box is securely locked, you may reasonably
-think that I have some secret means of opening the lock. To prevent
-the possibility of my doing this, will some gentleman kindly tie
-his handkerchief firmly round the box?" Hold the box in both hands
-whilst this is being done, by the opening end, and make a deal of
-fuss about the knot being tied securely. Open the end, and, tilting
-the box, allow the watch and chain to fall into the hands, turning
-round sharply to someone else at the same time. It is absolutely
-necessary to make a turn at this point to cover the abstraction. Give
-the box, at the same time closing it, into the hands of any one of
-the audience, with the strict injunction not to shake it--for fear
-of injuring the contents, you will say, but really to escape the
-revelation of the fact that it is empty. The watch and chain will be
-in the left hand by this time, covered by the wand. If there be any
-music available, have a little of the gentle rippling order ("The
-Brook" is a suitable air) played, and make passes in the air, as if
-clutching something, with the right hand. Finally make one vigorous
-clutch, and hold the hand closed for a few seconds, then open it,
-showing, of course, nothing. Instantly take the wand in the right
-hand and strike the sole or heel of the right foot, raised for the
-purpose, and then apply the left hand to the spot struck, the watch
-being allowed to drop down, a portion of the chain being held between
-the fingers. The several actions must follow each other with "one,
-two, three" briskness, when the effect will be really very fine.
-Naturally, it must be done far back upon the stage. Do not forget to
-have the knot untied by the person who tied it and the box unlocked
-by the lady who put the watch in. Be careful not to borrow a heavy
-chain. In my early days, I borrowed a huge watch with a chain only
-a trifle smaller than a ship's cable, and with about a pound and a
-half of charms attached. The result was the not unnatural one of a
-stoppage and visible embarrassment on the part of the performer.
-If there are no small chains about, rather borrow a watch without
-any at all. The use of the watch box does not in any way interfere
-with the introduction of the previously described watch-bending and
-glass-breaking surprises. They can come in as preludes.
-
-It will naturally occur to the conjuror that the watch box may be used
-in connection with the watch target or loaf, the watch being merely
-placed in the box instead of pounded in a mortar. It will occasion
-the performer's leaving the stage on some pretext in order to get the
-abstracted watch or other article behind to the assistant, unless the
-method of placing it upon the shelf be adopted. I certainly object
-to the performer's absence from the stage as much as anything. If
-it must be done, then some suitable pretext (see _The Restored
-Handkerchief_) should be worked up to give it a colouring.
-
-The watch box is a handy article to use in conjunction with _The
-Magi's Brazen Rod_, it being directly employed by having the rings
-placed in it. The rings should in this case be tied loosely together
-with a piece of ribbon, to ensure their simultaneous abstraction. The
-ribbon should be of sufficient length to enable the rings to be placed
-in the slits in the hollow ball side by side without the necessity
-of untying or cutting it. But on no account must the conjuror permit
-the convenient adaptability of the watch box to tempt him into using
-it more than once during the same performance. This is a fixed maxim
-which applies to all _visible_ apparatus, and is one which should be
-always rigidly adhered to.
-
-_Tricks with Rabbits._--The gentleness and docility of the rabbit
-makes it, like the dove, a favourite with the conjuror, who does not
-hesitate to produce it from a hat, and to cause it to disappear from,
-and re-appear in, most unexpected places. The production of a couple
-of rabbits from a hat is always very startling, and requires a deal of
-doing. The animals are placed one in each of the large side pockets,
-where, if undisturbed, they will lie as peacefully as could be
-wished, and evidently perfectly contented with their lot. The success
-attending the transfer of the rabbit from the pocket to the hat will
-depend entirely upon the skill of the performer, and no middle course
-can possibly be admitted. It must be done well or not at all. The
-usual expedient of palming some article and introducing it into the
-hat directly it is taken into the hand will have to be resorted to,
-and the article should be of a startling nature. (A pack of cards
-does very well.) Whatever is put in must be emptied out on the floor,
-and, whilst stooping, or rather bowing slightly to see what it is,
-the performer brings the hat against his body and quickly introduces
-the rabbit into it. The animal must be helped in, as it were, by the
-body, and not dragged into the hat by the ears. So soon as it is in
-the hat, one hand should be placed under the crown, which, if not very
-strong, might otherwise be forced out by the weight of the rabbit.
-Produce the rabbit with all due affectation of surprise, and, whilst
-showing it about, allow it to fall. By the time it is picked up again,
-either by yourself or by a spectator, the second one is in the hat,
-and you express yourself anxious to know if the owner of the hat keeps
-a rabbit warren in it. So much for producing the rabbits.
-
-A favourite and very effective method of conjuring with them further
-is to apparently rub one into the other. This is managed by the
-aid of the large centre trap. One rabbit is placed upon the table
-immediately in front of the trap, and the other pushed through the
-table behind it, a great show all the time being made of forcing one
-rabbit into the other. The remaining rabbit should be held up by the
-ears, with the rump resting on one hand, when, to the imagination of
-the audience, it will appear to be actually stouter than it was a few
-minutes before. The remaining rabbit you affect to wrap in a piece of
-paper, it being also passed through the trap, and the paper rolled up
-as though it really contained an animal, considerable agitation being
-communicated to it by means of the hands. The performer affects to
-lose patience with it because it will not remain quiet, and crushes
-the paper either beneath his feet or between the hands.
-
-The reproduction of the rabbits (_i.e._, two duplicate ones)
-necessitates the employment of a rather elaborate piece of apparatus,
-unless the performer has a friend or two in the audience with rabbits
-in their pockets, the production of which has a good effect, but is
-seriously open to suspicion. The apparatus that is generally employed
-is a large glass vase or goblet, some eighteen inches or two feet in
-height, according to pleasure (or pocket). This has a zinc lining, in
-two halves, fitting exactly inside it, the halves being hinged to a
-slightly concave top, also of zinc. The hinges are on exactly opposite
-sides of the top. The whole is covered with glue and then spread over
-with bran. There is, besides, a large bell-shaped cover, usually of
-thin brass, large enough to conceal the body of the vase completely.
-In the centre of this, inside, is a catch, which is intended to pass
-through a hole made in the centre of the concave top of the zinc
-lining. The vase is prepared by having the zinc lining, previously
-loaded with two rabbits, put into it. It will then have the appearance
-of being full of bran, a quantity of which article is spread over the
-concave top. A raised rim round the hole in the centre will prevent
-the bran falling through. The vase is brought on by the assistant,
-and the performer takes some of the bran from the top and throws it
-off, and also thrusts a thin stick or wire through the hole to show
-that it goes quite to the bottom. He then shows the interior of the
-cover, that it may be seen to contain nothing, and places it over the
-vase, pressing it well down. The original rabbits are next manipulated
-at the table; and when that matter is settled the cover is raised,
-gently and slowly at first, and perpendicularly, bringing away with
-it the zinc lining, which opens as it ascends, and leaves the rabbits
-in the vase. The bran can be made to transfer itself into the drawer
-box, previously shown empty, if the same has not been before used
-during the evening. A much more effective and in every way a more
-preferable method is to cause it to make its appearance in a borrowed
-hat. This is best managed by giving the hat from which the rabbits
-were originally produced to the assistant to place upon the table.
-The performer at once engages the attention of the audience with the
-rabbits, saying that he will make the one eat the other, &c., and so
-enables the assistant to slip into the hat, whilst retiring, a bag of
-bran that is very loosely fastened at the top. This bag the assistant
-has had concealed under the coat. The hat is placed carelessly upon a
-side table, and the bran "passed" into it by the performer as if on an
-afterthought, so as to avoid any appearance of premeditated effect.
-The bran must be first emptied out, and the bag can be abstracted,
-rolled up in the hand, which is inserted for the purpose of clearing
-the lining of any stray flakes.
-
-If the foregoing variations are all mingled in one trick the effect is
-very good; but the combination requires a deal of practice, and will
-prove trying at first.
-
-[Illustration: FIG. 57.]
-
-_A Novel Welsh "Rabbit."_--Employ a tinman to make a saucepan of tin,
-the dimensions of which should be 7in. or 8in. in depth, and about
-5-1/2in. in diameter at the widest part, which will be the top, from
-whence it should taper slightly to the bottom. To this have fitted
-an outer casing (A, Fig. 57), also of tin, that is 2in. less in
-height than the saucepan itself. At the line where the upper rim of
-the casing comes when the saucepan is fitted into it, have a beading
-(B, Fig. 57), either put on or hammered out of the metal. This will
-effectually conceal the fact that any outer casing exists, which
-will be regarded as the body of the saucepan. Into the saucepan fits
-loosely a secret pan, about 1-1/2in. only in depth, and into this
-again fits a lid, which is ostensibly the lid of the saucepan. The
-saucepan is provided with a handle, which must, of course, come from
-that part which is above the outer casing. The saucepan is prepared
-by having a rabbit placed in it, and the false pan put in, the lid
-lying loosely on the top. Holding it with one hand, and sustaining
-the casing, in which is a piece of cotton or cambric, by means of the
-pressure of one or more fingers, it is brought on, and going with
-it towards the audience, care being taken to hold it high, a hat is
-borrowed. Observe, on receiving the hat, that you intend making a
-stove of it, and then borrow a small handkerchief, which, you will
-explain, when you have obtained possession of it, you purpose using
-as fuel. As if indicating the meaning of your words, put the saucepan
-into the hat, and, on withdrawing it, leave the outer casing behind.
-Place the hat upon the table, with the saucepan beside it, and then,
-removing the lid, break an egg or two into the secret pan--apparently
-into the saucepan itself. Put in any ingredients you please, not
-omitting candle drippings, and then place the lid firmly on. Place
-the borrowed handkerchief into the hat, between its side and the
-tin lining within it. Pour some spirits of wine upon the piece of
-linen or cambric, and then set fire to it. Of course the audience,
-on seeing the flames, will suppose that the borrowed handkerchief is
-being burnt inside the hat, and mingled amusement and consternation
-will be exhibited. Do not allow the burning to last long, or the tin
-casing will become undesirably heated; but put the saucepan quickly
-into the hat, after affecting to cook the contents, and perform the
-double operation of putting out the flames and bringing away the
-casing. If the casing be too hot, the action of the heat upon the
-fingers will speedily make the fact known, so any further directions
-upon this point will be unnecessary. Remove the lid, which, if it fits
-as tightly as it should into the false pan, will bring that away as
-well, and then take out the rabbit. Return the hat, previously taking
-out the handkerchief, and point out that neither are injured; and
-also show that the interior of the saucepan is quite guiltless of any
-contents. If such a combination of apparent impossibilities as are
-presented in this trick do not astonish, then nothing ever will. It is
-a great trick for large mixed audiences. Doves or guinea pigs can be
-used as successfully as rabbits. I have even seen a kitten employed,
-but the difficulty was to get it into the saucepan.
-
-_The Bird and Card._--A very pretty stage trick this. The performer
-must procure what is known as a bird box, which is a pretty polished
-box, having a secret metal flap inside, the latter, when turned down,
-forming a retreat for a small bird, such as a canary. It is held down
-by a small catch, released by pressing the key into the lock from the
-outside, the double action being performed of setting free the bird
-and concealing the card. It is useless having such a box constructed,
-as it can be much more satisfactorily procured of the proper vendors.
-Two small cages are also necessary. They may be round or square, but,
-in either case, should be all wire, like a rat trap. This is merely
-to give them an innocent appearance. One of these cages is concealed
-on the shelf, behind the table. The performer borrows a hat, either
-for this or a preceding trick (preferably the latter), and gets the
-empty cage into it. This is best done by placing the hat upon the
-table, the opening towards the rear, and leaving it there for a time.
-Then, when carelessly shifting its position, the article required to
-be got into it may be inserted with less suspicion. In the second cage
-is a bird, precisely similar to the one concealed in the bird box.
-Place this cage upon the table, and cover with a double cloth, having
-inside a card-board shape. A card is forced on one of the company, and
-placed in the bird box, in a little slit which will be found there,
-just over the hinge of the secret flap. The inside of the box may
-be carefully exhibited at a slight distance, the blackened interior
-preventing anyone from noticing the presence of the turned down flap.
-Whilst affecting to lock it, the key is pressed hard in and the flap
-released. In flying back this covers the card. The performer commences
-by extracting the card. This he can do by having a duplicate concealed
-in a card-box (see page 127), and causing it to appear in that; but
-it will look more artistic to have one palmed and affect to extract it
-from the box. This done, the cloth is raised by the shape, the cage
-being left upon the shelf. The cloth is then shaken out and laid flat
-upon the floor. The box is then opened and the bird allowed to fly
-out, if tame, or taken out in the hand, previously shown empty, if
-wild. The performer will derive a great advantage from having a tame
-canary, which returns to his shoulder. Finally, the hat is brought
-forward and found to contain the missing cage.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XVIII.
-
-SHAM MESMERISM, CLAIRVOYANCE, ETC.
-
-     BLINDFOLD FEATS--IMITATION SECOND SIGHT--ON
-     SPIRITUALISM--THE MESMERISED POKER--THE PERAMBULATING
-     WALKING STICK--THE ASCENT--THE TALKING GLASS: TWO
-     METHODS--THE SPIRIT BOUQUET--THE SLATE TRICK--FIERY HANDS,
-     WRITINGS, &C.--THE ELECTRIC TOUCH--THE ANIMATED SKULL.
-
-
-_Clairvoyance._--This is one of the most mysterious agencies with
-which the scientific world has ever had to deal. Doubted by the
-majority, because of its seeming improbability, and because of the
-difficulty of comprehending it, the faculty of clairvoyance or second
-sight has, nevertheless, been possessed, and is possessed, by not a
-few. Some marvellous manifestations of seeing without the eyes have
-been shown, and in a manner sufficient to convince even the most
-sceptical of its reality. This faculty has often been imitated by
-conjurors, some of whom have fairly admitted that they were only
-imitators, whilst others have assumed possession of the actual power
-itself. At that now defunct institution, the Polytechnic, and other
-places of amusement, cleverly arranged telegraphic communication has
-been the means adopted for bringing a person on the stage _en rapport_
-with another amongst the audience. I would not recommend the amateur
-to take any serious trouble in the matter, but to merely make himself
-master of a few tricks relating to it. A very simple one is performed
-with the aid of a pack of cards. An assistant is blindfolded on the
-stage, and placed with his back to the audience. Before proceeding
-any farther, the performer explains that, beyond a certain point, he
-will neither speak nor make any sound or movement, lest it should be
-said that he conveyed information to the assistant. He then proceeds
-to "force" three or more cards in an order previously agreed upon,
-and the holders thereupon ask of the assistant, as the performer has
-previously instructed them to do, what the names of the cards are. The
-performer must mentally reserve to himself the right of pointing with
-his wand to the person who is to speak next, so as to ensure the cards
-being asked for in the proper order.
-
-Instead of using cards, the performer can distribute slips of paper
-amongst the audience, for the purpose of having short sentences
-written upon them. He has a piece of paper of his own previously
-prepared, with a sentence upon it that is known to the blindfolded
-assistant. The papers written upon by the audience are folded up and
-placed upon a tray, or the crown of a hat, each some distance from
-the other. Whilst doing this, the performer contrives to effect an
-exchange between his own paper and any one of the others, it does not
-signify which. He then asks one of the audience to select one of the
-papers, and, manipulating the hat or tray adroitly, "forces" his own.
-Before it is opened, the assistant is requested to say what is written
-upon it.
-
-This trick is farther elaborated as follows: The performer hands
-round a fair quantity of paper slips, and asks the audience to write
-what they please upon them very plainly. As it is advisable that
-whatever is written should be brief, it is best to ask to have the
-names of celebrated deceased persons only written. The performer has
-a piece of his own, previously written upon and folded, concealed in
-his hand. Supposing this to be in the left hand, the right takes a
-folded slip from one of the audience, and, under pretence of putting
-it into the left, for the purpose of handing it to another person, an
-exchange is effected, and the performer's own piece given instead.
-The learner will know the proper "pass" for effecting this by this
-time. The performer then says that he will go upon the stage and from
-a distance read what is upon the paper. He does so, and seizes the
-opportunity for rapidly opening the paper of which he has just become
-possessed, and of reading the name upon it. If much were written upon
-the paper, it would be impossible to read its contents in the limited
-space of time at the performer's disposal. When he turns round there
-is of course no trace visible of what he has been about, and he then
-proceeds to read the name on the paper held by one of the audience.
-This he does not do readily, but first names the sex of the person,
-and then the capital letter of the name, as if it were only developing
-itself by degrees and through some very mysterious medium. The first
-paper duly read, a second one is taken, exchanged as before, and borne
-off to the stage, to be read in transit. This process can be repeated
-any number of times, although four will be found quite sufficient, as
-it is a harassing trick to perform. An excellent finish is to "force"
-a previously prepared paper, and then have it burnt, after it has been
-read aloud by one of the audience. The ashes are collected and rubbed
-upon the conjuror's bare arm, upon which the name then appears in
-black. This is contrived by having the name written upon the arm in
-glycerine. This will be invisible, but if the ashes be rubbed lightly
-upon it they will adhere, and so show the name. There are chemical
-preparations used for the same purpose, but the method described here
-is by far the most simple and practicable. With this trick "Dr." Lynn
-created a great sensation for several months, some years ago.
-
-_Anti-Spiritualistic Tricks._--In the introduction to these papers I
-had occasion, the reader may remember, to refer to the impositions
-practised by the ancient priests and others on the minds of an
-unenlightened people by means of what were merely conjuring tricks,
-but which were made to appear before the ignorant in the guise of
-supernatural manifestations. Few will require to be reminded of the
-excitement that has of late years existed concerning spiritualism.
-One would have thought that, in these days, people would have been
-above believing that the spirits of the departed would be permitted
-to return to the earth for the sole purpose of answering questions
-and indulging in tomfoolery; but such is the simplicity of mankind,
-that those who have had the boldness to declare themselves capable
-of raising the dead, and to dress up themselves or others in muslin
-or newspaper, have not lacked faithful followers. The malpractices
-have been going on for years, and many shameless impositions have
-come under my notice. The victims, it will not cause astonishment to
-hear, were mostly weak-minded ladies, and the spirits have had the
-remarkable discernment to visit only those who were well provided
-with worldly comforts, backed by an amount of confiding simplicity
-wonderful to contemplate. The exertions of several amateur, and some
-professional, conjurors have succeeded in proving to all minds open to
-the workings of common sense that all those professing spiritualism
-as a means of gaining a livelihood are neither more nor less than
-scoundrels. But of course there are still thousands who would be
-as much imposed upon as ever by any white figure seen after dark,
-and, in a private way, the spiritualists are still reaping a rich
-harvest. Towards clearing away this darkness, conjurors, both amateur
-and professional, can do a great deal, and there is a definite and
-worthy task before them, which they can best perform by exhibiting
-such phenomena as are produced by spiritualists at their exhibitions
-by avowedly natural means. By this means ridicule, which nothing can
-survive long, will be thrown upon the black art, which is merely
-conjuring put to base uses. A performance consisting entirely of sham
-spiritualistic manifestations I have found take exceedingly well,
-especially with audiences who have seen something of conjuring, and
-who are not averse to a change in the programme. I do not agree with
-pretending to call spirits to one's aid, for it smacks of irreverence:
-the performer should merely explain that what he is about to do or has
-just done by simple dexterity is brought about by the spiritualists
-with the asserted aid of familiar spirits. A simple trick which seems
-well to commence with is--
-
-_The Mesmerised Poker._--The performer seats himself with his legs
-apart, and, taking a poker, stands it up on one end before him. On
-removing the hand the poker falls, but, after two or three fruitless
-attempts, it remains standing without the aid of any visible support.
-This is very easily managed by having a fine piece of black cotton
-attached to the calf of the trousers by means of a bent pin at each
-end. It need not be so long as to drag on the floor, and the performer
-can walk about with comfort and without fear of detection. The action
-of opening the legs draws the thread out straight and tight, so that
-the poker can rest against it when it is required to cause it to stand
-upright.
-
-_The Perambulating Walking-Stick._--This is a very amusing trick, in
-which a walking-stick is made to walk across the stage by itself. The
-invisible agency is again a fine black thread. On a stage provided
-with "flies," it is managed from above, in which case the only
-direction required is to affix one end of a thread round the head of
-a walking-stick, and convey the other end above to an assistant. By
-means of this thread the walking-stick is made to progress across
-the stage by means of little jumps. But on the drawing-room stage
-the matter is not quite so easy. Two threads will be required,
-and they must lie across the floor when the curtain is drawn. If
-possible, an assistant at each wing should hold the ends, but when
-one assistant only can be obtained, he must do the best he can from
-one side, the ends of the thread on the other being tied to the back
-of a chair, about the height of a walking-stick from the ground. The
-walking-stick should be provided with a substantial head, and the
-performer must hand it round for minute examination. He then takes it
-back to the stage, and flourishes it vigorously to show there are no
-threads or wires anywhere about. The instant the flourishing portion
-of the business is over, the assistants must raise the threads to
-the proper level, and one of them, by crossing his hands, causes the
-threads to cross each other at about the middle of the room. The
-performer then places the stick, with apparent carelessness, upright
-on the floor, but, as he takes care to place it between the threads
-just where they are crossed, it does not fall on the one hand being
-removed from it. The assistant who has crossed his hands now uncrosses
-them, which action has the effect of holding the stick tolerably
-firmly between the threads. On receiving commands from the performer
-the stick is made to dance, fall down and jump up again, and walk
-either to the right or to the left. If it is to go to the right, the
-assistant on that side lowers his hands slightly, and the one on the
-left administers a succession of jerks to the threads, which will
-cause the stick to progress by means of a series of jumps. These
-jumps can be made alternately long and short. As a final exhibition
-of skill, it can be made to turn a complete somersault, by both the
-assistants swinging their hands round in complete circles. For this
-it will be necessary to have a good head to the stick. When the
-performance is finished hand the stick round again for examination.
-In my opinion the trick shows best in a room, where the audience know
-there is no means of concealing anyone above.
-
-_The Ascent_ can be performed by means of the same threads. Books,
-pieces of music, &c., are laid upon the floor, and rise slowly or
-quickly, and remain suspended in the air, where they can be made to
-rock about. Of course, they are simply laid upon the threads, the ends
-of which are then raised evenly and simultaneously. The best ascent is
-a sudden one, as being the most startling.
-
-_The Talking Glass._--Provide yourself with a tall, thin, and
-well-sounding glass vase. At a pinch a thin soda water tumbler will
-do. Across the room and above the table have a piece of thread or
-fine wire. Show the tumbler or vase round, and then place it upon the
-table, or on the top of an inverted tumbler, which will serve for the
-purpose of showing that there is no deception beneath, and will also
-act as a sounding medium. An assistant at the side draws the thread
-close against the side of the glass, and it is stretched as tight as
-is consistent with safety. The glass is now made to talk by means of
-sharply emitted sounds in answer to questions, a small code of signals
-being established. One sound means "yes," two "no," and so on. These
-sounds are caused by the assistant catching at the thread sharply with
-the nail, which will cause a distinct ring to come from the glass. The
-principle is very simple, but I have never known anyone but myself
-adopt it. The performer must endeavour to make his questions amusing,
-and, as the powers of speech possessed by the glass are but limited,
-they must not be too severely taxed.
-
-If a tumbler be suspended from the wand by means of a thread tied
-loosely round the wand and tightly round the glass, a sound will be
-emitted on twisting the wand ever so slightly. With practice this
-movement can be made almost imperceptible. If the onlookers begin to
-look at the hand and wand too much the display must cease at once.
-
-_The Spirit Bouquet._--One of the most usual, and at the same time
-most shallow, of deceptions practised by the "spiritualist," is that
-of the production of flowers. The gas is (of course) lowered, a few
-irreverencies gone through, and, on the room being re-illuminated, lo
-and behold, the table and floor have flowers lying upon them! As, of
-course, the manifestors of these wonders could not by any possible
-means have the flowers in their pockets on entering the room--even
-if they thought of practising-such a deception!--the spectators are
-struck with wonder. However, I shall teach the reader how to perform
-an even greater marvel, by causing a bouquet to glide through the air
-into his hand without the assistance of total or partial darkness. The
-bouquet can be either real or artificial--a real one, certainly, for
-choice. Take a piece of the finest iron wire procurable (jewellers'
-"binding" wire is the proper article), about 6in. in length, and tie
-it firmly round the stalks of the flowers, just below the buds. The
-other end tie round the centre flower, which is always a little higher
-than the others, and you will thus have a loop about 4in. in length.
-If the centre flower be not higher than the rest, then re-arrange
-the bouquet, and make it so. It is essential to have one end of the
-wire tied on considerably higher than the other, in order that the
-bouquet may hang properly. If both ends were tied round the main
-body of the stalks, the bouquet would hang upside down, whereas it
-should, when suspended by the loop, be almost upright, or, at least,
-only slightly on one side. From the most convenient position behind
-the scenes, which will depend entirely upon circumstances connected
-with the arrangement of the stage, have another piece of fine wire
-hanging, with a loop made in it at one end long enough to reach the
-centre of the stage. The spot usually the best for attaching this
-wire is at the side, as near the audience as possible. On a regular
-stage the "flies" are most suitable, but in the drawing-room, where
-there are usually folding doors and curtains (without them this trick
-cannot well be managed), the side must be chosen. When the trick is
-about to be performed, the bouquet must be put on the wire by means
-of the loop, and an assistant in concealment mounts a pair of steps
-with it and holds it in readiness. The end of the wire is so disposed
-that the performer can without difficulty insert his little finger in
-the loop thereon, under pretence, say, of shifting a chair. He then
-retires towards the centre of the room until he feels that the wire
-is drawn perfectly tight, and then proceeds to speak of the wonderful
-productions by humbugs, done in the dark, and finally finishes up
-by saying that he has only to extend his hand in the air to find
-something in it. With the hand that is _not_ holding the wire he
-makes a grasp in the air, and at the same moment opens the other
-hand, taking care to pull the wire quite tight. The attention of the
-audience is naturally momentarily attracted towards the hand making
-the greatest movement, and at this very instant the assistant starts
-the bouquet down the wire. The performer, when the bouquet has reached
-his hand, which it will do with remarkable swiftness, exclaims, "Ah!
-no; here it is, see, in this hand;" and, ridding his finger of the
-wire, brings the bouquet forward, of course keeping the loop upon
-it from view. When the performer's actions have been well contrived
-and carried out, the bouquet is not seen until it is almost in the
-performer's hands; but, under less fortuitous circumstances, which
-are all I bargain for myself, the trick is wonderfully successful.
-The fact of a small portion of the aerial journey of the bouquet
-being observed is not by any means undesirable, the only thing to be
-kept from the view of the spectator being the commencement of it. The
-communicating wire must be fixed some distance behind, so that the
-bouquet is descending at full speed by the time it comes into possible
-view. The reader will see that the principle is so simple, as to be
-almost commonplace, but he must not deride it on this account. The
-most natural actions possible must be brought into play, and plenty
-of rehearsals will be required. The reason for having the loop of the
-wire upon the little finger is that the safe arrival of the bouquet
-is better ensured thereby. The little finger must be kept undermost,
-the hand being at an angle of forty-five degrees, with the wire lying
-across the palm. A great deal lies in the neatness with which the
-bouquet reaches the hand. There must be no bungling. Therefore I say,
-Rehearse.
-
-_The Slate Trick._--Everyone will naturally wish to know how this
-is done. "Dr." Slade, as Mr. Maskelyne correctly showed in open
-court, produced his "spirit writings" on the slate by means of a
-thimble-shaped instrument, to which were attached a piece of pencil
-and a length of elastic. The elastic was fastened to the brace, or
-elsewhere, and caused the disappearance of the thimble and pencil up
-the performer's sleeve when they were no longer required. Under the
-table was a little ledge which supported the slate whilst the hand,
-which was supposed to be performing that action, was busily engaged
-in scribbling upon the bottom of the slate, the thimble arrangement
-enabling one of the fingers to execute certain letters in a very
-poor and scarcely legible fashion. The bad writing was supposed to
-look more mysterious; but Slade would have written more legibly had
-circumstances permitted it. Anyone may try this method, but as a
-conjuring trick it is poor. The trick as now sold is a slate with an
-extra or false interior. The answer that is to be given is written
-upon the genuine slate, and the false side then put on. The slate is
-shown casually round without leaving the performer's hands, and a
-question is then written upon one side of the slate, which is waved
-about, and an opportunity seized for allowing the false side to drop
-out behind the table, or at any other convenient place, and the answer
-is then exhibited. If the inside of the false slate have blotting
-paper pasted upon it, and a blotting pad be upon the table used whilst
-the trick is being performed, it may be allowed to drop out upon the
-table without any attempt at concealment.
-
-_Fiery Hands, Writings, &c._--With the aid of phosphorus a very
-innocent dark séance can be given. The principal thing is to have
-the gas under control. This lowered, or turned completely out, for
-preference, the rest is easy enough. Bunches of cotton wool, or tow
-steeped in phosphorescent spirits, obtainable at any chemist's, placed
-upon the ends of fishing rods, create a good effect when protruded
-over the heads of the audience, and there waved about in circles.
-A washleather glove, stuffed with cotton wool, tied to the end of
-a rod, and wetted, is diverting, not to say alarming, when dabbed
-suddenly in the face of one of the audience. Imagination will fancy
-it the clammy hand of death. Care must be taken to withdraw it very
-suddenly. The best way is to have it swinging from the end of the rod,
-when it retires out of reach of a possible "grab" by virtue of its
-own impetus. The glove must not be phosphorescent. Japanese fishing
-rods, with the joints sliding one within the other, will be found very
-useful. A good effect is produced by the performer allowing himself to
-be tied to a chair, to which his arms are firmly bound, and the knots
-sealed by the audience. His assistants, having first removed their
-boots, can come on and manage everything, and, as a final effect,
-one of them has some words or characters written upon his arms and
-hands, or simply has them smeared with the phosphorescent preparation
-in use. He then kneels behind the performer's chair, which he must
-approach either backwards or with his coat on, and then extends his
-arms from the performer's shoulders. The form of the hands and arms
-will be seen, and it will appear as if the performer had loosened his
-arms and was exhibiting them in a fiery condition. So soon as the
-assistant is again out of sight the gas should be turned up, leaving
-the audience in a state of bewilderment. The most childishly simple
-things can be perpetrated in the dark, when the mind is by nature more
-easily imposed upon than it is at any other time. The simple expedient
-of someone coming on the stage in his stockings, after the room has
-been darkened, and, by turning back the sleeve, exhibit some words
-written upon the arm, is a very good illustration: it is impossible
-for an ordinary mind to divine how the sudden appearance of the
-writing in mid-air is managed. The arm must be extended horizontally
-before the sleeve is drawn back, and it must be kept so extended
-until the writing is again obscured. This is essential. The slightest
-expenditure of ingenuity and thought will produce other effects, which
-will vary according to circumstances and situations; whilst careful
-preparation will meet with its usual and deserved reward.
-
-_The Electric Touch._--The performer may, if he pleases, either
-commence or conclude those portions of his entertainments which have
-to do with mesmerism with a bogus explanation of the forces latent
-within him, the result of a natural gift. He must purposely make his
-elucidation a little far-fetched, in order to raise a smile, or even
-a remark, of incredulity. This gives him the desired opportunity for
-offering to practically prove the truth of what he states. Advancing
-to the company, he asks one of the spectators to extend his hands
-in front of him, palms downward. Standing immediately opposite this
-gentleman, the performer rubs the back of one of his own hands
-with the fingers of the other, and reverses the operation. This he
-continues for a quarter of a minute or so, and then suddenly extends
-his hands over the backs of those held out before him, an inch or two
-removed. The spectator feels no shock, so the performer continues his
-rubbing, and, at the third or fourth trial, the spectator jerks one of
-his hands away, a slight electric shock having been communicated to
-him. The experiment may be repeated as often as the performer pleases.
-A little pin is the cause of this marvellous manifestation. This the
-performer has about him (stuck under the vest is the best place), and
-often, in gesticulating, indirectly showing the hands to be empty,
-it is got down, with the head between the first joints of the first
-and second fingers, where it can be held firmly, of course pointing
-downwards. The nibbing of the fingers of each hand alternately upon
-the back of the other indirectly points to the absence of anything
-of the protruding nature of a pin being held in them, so the assumed
-excitation of electricity by friction is not the only reason for the
-action.
-
-It adds to the effect when the production of the shock on the
-first experimenter comes only at the third or fourth attempt. With
-others, it may safely come at the first or second, if the performer
-be careful to explain that, the electric power once worked up,
-very little is necessary to keep it going. The rubbing is kept up
-throughout. The shock is, of course, produced by bringing the hand
-holding the pin nearer and nearer to the one beneath it, until the
-pin's point touches it. The touch must be as delicate as possible,
-as then an after feeling is experienced which necessitates rubbing.
-If the point enters the skin, the presence of the pin is at once
-detected. It being so absolutely necessary to the success of the trick
-that the touch should be very delicate, the use of fine entomological
-pins is recommended, but they must not be too long. The performer
-will do well to fail to produce shocks on some of those experimented
-upon at first, a return to them being necessary when the electric
-power has accumulated. Any particularly healthy and rubicund person
-may as well prove quite impervious, the performer explaining that the
-strength of mind present is too great. The company will judge by the
-person's healthy exterior, forgetting that, notwithstanding, the mind
-within may be nothing very great. As the performer is standing and the
-company sitting, he must slant his hands downwards, or the pin will
-be seen. The hands experimented upon must, for the same reason, be
-kept low. Should anyone suggest a pin, that article must be at once
-dropped, the performer being, of course, provided with reserve ones.
-This part of the trick is very seriously carried out, the performer
-congratulating himself and the company upon a state of atmosphere
-which enables him to exhibit such satisfactory results.
-
-_The Animated Skull._--The performer places two ordinary chairs, which
-may be examined, back to back, and a yard or so apart. Across the
-backs he lays a piece of plate glass, previously examined, a perfectly
-transparent table being thus formed, and one, as the performer will
-explain, impervious to electricity. Upon this table the performer
-places either a real human skull or else a pasteboard imitation of
-one. The imitation is recommended, the performer explaining that the
-reason for its use is that the feelings of some might be shocked,
-which really might be the case. The skull is examined previous to
-being placed upon the table, the company being safely depended upon
-for not noticing anything suspicious in the fact that the underside is
-very much rounded. The skull now answers questions, giving one nod for
-"Yes" and two nods for "No." What questions are asked must depend upon
-the wit of the performer, and the nature of the company assembled.
-Arithmetical problems should be solved, as the skull can give any
-number by means of nods. As a finale, the skull is asked if it would
-like to continue the performance, to which a couple of slow shakes are
-given.
-
-Our old friend, the black silk thread, is at work again here. A piece
-is stretched across the stage, tied up out of harm's way when not
-in use. As soon as the skull is placed upon the glass the thread is
-brought down to the level of the mouth, and made to enter there. The
-imitation article has a deep indentation at this place. In other
-cases the thread is brought under the projecting nasal bone. A slight
-movement of the hand causes the skull to nod, so long as the thread
-is in position, and the performer may pick it off the glass at any
-moment, to show that no connection exists. The slow shake is done
-by manipulating the thread sideways. It cannot be prolonged, as it
-tends to work the skull off the glass. The rounded underside is to
-render the rocking movement easy. In some cases a tiny bead of wax is
-fastened upon the thread, and this affixed to the skull, at the back.
-
-
-
-
-CHAPTER XIX.
-
-FINAL INSTRUCTIONS.
-
-
-Having at length brought the beginner to that point where he will
-first have to shift for himself in real earnest, I wish to leave him
-in a position to do credit to my tuition, and, with this object,
-impart a few hints for his guidance.
-
-On the subject of practice, I would not say any more if I could.
-By this time, it must have become so evident to everyone that
-nothing can be brought to any degree at all approaching perfection
-without assiduous attention to detail, that any repetition of my
-often-expressed injunctions to practice would become nauseating. But
-I ought to say something regarding the best method for learning new
-tricks or sleights from the foregoing text. It is a bad plan to read
-the description through, and then immediately try to produce the
-result right away. The whole trick should certainly be read carefully
-through first, so that the mind fully grasps what is required to be
-done; but, after that, the hands should be made to follow, step by
-step, the instructions given, and no progression made until it is
-certain that all is correct up to each point. It will be readily
-understood that my instructions have not been written without a large
-amount of care, or without making a due allowance for the great
-difference between teaching by word of mouth and by book. In many
-instances, a single word explains a great deal; so, if the reader
-scans the page carelessly, it is very possible that he may miss the
-point altogether, and perhaps conclude, in his own mind, that I am a
-charlatan and an impostor. With cards, this careful following of the
-text with the hands is especially essential, and attention to it will
-save much time, trouble, and annoyance at the outset, when everything
-new will naturally appear difficult, if not absurd. Thus much for the
-beginner. When he arrives at the dignity of an actual performer, let
-him be careful to prepare, and learn by heart, a little set speech to
-commence with, and also the accompanying talk for each trick. When he
-has exhibited for a year or two, he will perhaps be able to dispense
-with such preparation; but, at the commencement, few, if any, can
-do without it. The first appearance before an audience is in itself
-sufficiently unnerving, without any additional embarrassment in the
-shape of a consciousness that you do not know what you are going to
-say. Notwithstanding the most careful preparation, something is sure
-to go wrong at first, and unexpected difficulties will crop up on all
-sides, and to meet these successfully will require all the energies
-of the performer. It does not signify how superior the individual's
-natural aptitude or oratory may be--the task is too great for anyone
-at starting.
-
-For the first few "shows," it is as well to perform such tricks as do
-not require the assistance of an attendant, for the performer must
-be entirely master of the situation, and dictate to his assistant at
-pleasure. This he could not do with freedom if he were uncertain about
-his own powers. Let it also be borne in mind that assistants are like
-money, which, when good, is a valuable acquisition, but, when bad,
-only gets one into trouble. Have no assistant at all rather than a
-bungler, or, what is, if possible, worse, one who endeavours to attach
-to himself some degree of consequence in the minds of the audience.
-Except when it is to assist the trick, he should never open his
-mouth, and all his work should be done as silently and unobtrusively
-as possible, without absolutely scurrying away. His presence on
-the stage should be as brief as possible, and his appearance must
-always be excused by the performance of some very insignificant and
-subordinate task. The best assistant to have is one who looks so
-stupid that the combined efforts of fifty conjurors could not drum
-into him the method for making the "pass." The worst is the one who
-conveys by his appearance and actions that he "knows all about it."
-The spectators at once attribute the greater portion of the results to
-his agency--not incorrectly, perhaps; but it is unnecessary that they
-should have any cause to do so. On no account should the attendant
-attempt to perform any impromptu act, however clever he may be, for he
-is sure to confuse the performer by so doing, and so lead to awkward
-results.
-
-On many occasions, it is inconvenient, or, at any rate, highly
-inadvisable, to take the conjuring table. At the houses of friends
-it is exceedingly difficult to keep everything secret without being
-absolutely rude. The host (possibly followed by a friend or two--"men
-who understand things of this sort, you know, so you needn't be
-afraid") is nearly certain to take the fullest advantage of his
-position, and to penetrate into the performer's sanctum with all
-possible alacrity, and there worm from him valuable secrets. Of
-course, he wouldn't dream of telling anyone, not he; yet, somehow, if
-the tricks are exhibited on another occasion, the juveniles display an
-inexplicable and annoying knowledge of the why and the wherefore of
-them. It is of no use to say, "Oh! but no one would take the liberty,"
-and such like; my experience teaches me (and I do not think that I, in
-particular, have fallen among thieves) that they do, so there is an
-end of it. Such articles as multiplying balls, cups, reticules, &c.,
-are easily put out of sight; but an unwieldy table is quite another
-thing. Of course, immediately the trap in it is discovered, away goes
-your reputation for miraculous sleight of hand; and, when you really
-do exhibit a genuine specimen of it, you will not get credit for it.
-No, no risks must be run on this head--that is, if the performer
-cares anything for his reputation.
-
-As an excellent substitute for the table, I have an oblong box, the
-rough dimensions of which are 18in. × 8in. × 6in. It has a removable
-sliding lid, and is covered with a dark cloth. In this I carry such
-of my belongings as will go into it; so, when it is seen during the
-performance, it is only regarded in the light of an ordinary deal
-box. One of the 8in. sides, however, has a trap cut in it, with a
-little bag inside the box for catching articles passed through. The
-box, _minus_ the lid, and _plus_ such articles as would be ordinarily
-placed upon the shelf, is brought boldly on, along with some of the
-articles which the performer will first require, as a "blind." It is
-placed carelessly down within three or four inches of the back of
-the table, with the open side, naturally, at the back, and the trap
-uppermost. The table itself plays the part of the shelf, and articles
-are now and then placed upon the box, as they would be, in the usual
-way, upon a table.
-
-Another way, much more deceptive, is to have a trap made in the top
-of an ordinary high hat. The crown lining should form the bottom of
-a collapsible bag, so that the inside of the hat can be first shown,
-but, so soon as it is placed upon the table brim downwards, the bag
-falls down. The brim should be tolerably flat, as the hat should not
-rock about. The crown itself will require some strengthening material,
-such as very thick pasteboard, glued to it before the trap is cut out,
-or the latter will curl up in an unseemly way. This trap hat serves
-for vanishing articles only. Its presence is very opportune at times.
-The presence of the shelf is by no means indispensable; indeed, I
-may safely say that I do not require it myself, except in important
-performances. If it be inconvenient to take the table, a programme
-can easily be arranged so as to dispense with the shelf entirely,
-but, if it can be used, then, by all means, make the most of it.
-Young conjurors must avoid the error of adapting their tricks to the
-shelf, instead of the shelf to the tricks. Experience will show what
-an astonishing quantity of things can be concealed in the large breast
-and tail pockets for hat "loading" purposes. The tail pockets will
-carry a bundle of fifty cups with ease, and without fear of detection;
-and when these can be introduced, and produced without once leaving
-the audience, I need hardly say that the effect is considerably
-enhanced. When you are using a table, be careful never to go behind
-it without some good reason, and let your stay there be as brief as
-possible. Stand at the sides as often and as long as you like.
-
-The arrangement of the stage and the seating of the audience are
-matters of vital importance, and due regard must be paid to angles
-of vision. One of the greatest bug-bears a performer meets with in
-private audiences is he (no lady ever sins in this way) who, under
-pretence of being at hand in case of need, or by means of some even
-more transparent excuse, plants himself, in close proximity to the
-stage, between it and the body of the audience. It is all very well
-for the reader to say, "Oh, but I would never allow that under
-any circumstances!" If he be young, he will find that people will
-patronise him, do what he may, or be as clever as he will; and it is
-in the interest of the young beginner that I am making these remarks.
-There will generally be somebody who thinks himself a privileged
-person, and who will put himself just where he is not wanted. We know
-what mean things people will do for money: to find out the secret of a
-conjuring trick they will descend almost as low. I am not romancing,
-but stating plain truths, such as have forced themselves upon me time
-after time. Under these circumstances, the table should be placed as
-far back as is possible or convenient, and, if little tables are used,
-they should be well on one side and not too far forward. But more
-important than this even is the placing of some large object, such
-as a vase with flowers on a pedestal, a statue, or such like at each
-corner, as it is from thence that the best view of the conjuror's
-secrets can be obtained. A person stationed at a corner can see
-half of what the performer does in the vesting line, and he has an
-unfair advantage, which must not be permitted, when avoidable. If a
-pianoforte be in use, by all means put it close to one of the corners.
-Curtains are not of much use, as they are easily pulled aside. If he
-have the opportunity, let the performer arrange the seats himself, and
-also take the bearings of his table from the corners. Be careful that
-no looking-glasses are in a position to reflect back to the audience
-those things which are not meant for them to see, and have the light
-as evenly distributed as possible; but do not have any candles or lamp
-on the table. I object even to an upright candelabrum being placed at
-each front corner. They are in the way.
-
-Programmes are a decided addition, and they should be made as
-interesting as possible without foreshadowing what is about to follow.
-The cheapest way is to have a quantity printed, with the performer's
-complete catalogue upon them, numbered, and then the numbers of the
-tricks to be performed can be announced in any convenient way. This
-will only do for private audiences. In performing in public the case
-is entirely altered.
-
-By all means call in the assistance of a pianoforte; but see that
-the player of the instrument is one who will not be likely to
-egotistically launch out into any brilliant fantasia. Waltzes,
-and such pieces as can be stopped suddenly, should be chosen. The
-performer must be as quick as he can between tricks; but to a waiting
-audience one minute seems ten, so it is quite necessary to have a
-little music when it is obtainable. The player should finish off
-directly the performer comes on the stage, without waiting for any
-word or sign. In such a trick as the _Rising Cards_ a little "magic
-music"--of the gentle trickling order--will be found very effective.
-The cards would ascend to the music.
-
-The performer should always provide himself with a private programme,
-to be hung or pasted up behind his screen, or wherever his retiring
-place may be. On this programme should be detailed every property
-of each trick, down to the veriest trifle, for on trifles, be it
-remembered, often depends the whole success of a trick. It is also
-well to have written down beforehand what articles should be upon
-the shelf at the commencement of each part, and any preconceived
-pieces of appropriate wit should be put against the particular trick
-to which they belong. These precautions will save the performer--the
-beginner more especially--a world of trouble and anxiety. As a trick
-once written out is done for ever, it is as well to have each one on a
-separate card. In this case the writing out of an elaborate programme
-before each performance would be avoided, besides which the cards are
-more portable. Have the properties of each trick complete. If a knife
-be required in three tricks, have three knives, and not one, and let
-this principle be observed throughout. It is as easy to take three
-knives as one, and there is, besides, the comforting assurance that
-one will be at hand when wanted.
-
-Do not perform longer than forty-five or fifty minutes at a stretch.
-Both performer and audience are the better for a short rest at the
-end of that period, and an interval of ten minutes or so should be
-allowed. This will enable the performer to re-arrange his shelf, which
-should always be kept as clear as possible, and to remove articles
-from the trap bags, &c.
-
-Above all things, keep the hands warm, and for this purpose be
-provided with a pair of woollen gloves, which wear indoors as well as
-out, previous to a performance. No one can palm with a hand like ice.
-
-I do not know that I can say anything more without repeating what has
-already appeared in connection with such tricks as seemed to me to
-afford the most appropriate opportunities; so my work is done.
-
-To use the words of Byron, "I have nothing further to add, save a
-general note of thanksgiving to readers, purchasers, and publishers,"
-and to wish the learner all success--but only according to his
-deserts--with as much true enjoyment as has been experienced by me in
-the pursuit of SLEIGHT OF HAND.
-
-[Illustration]
-
-
-
-
-INDEX
-
-
-                     PAGE
-A.
-
-Accommodating bottle, 316
-
-Aces, congenial, 102
-
-Action with rapidity, &c., 39
-
-Addressing audience, style of, 60, 153, 161, 393
-
-Animated skull, 390
-
-Anti-gravitation ball, 343
-
-Anti-spiritualistic tricks, 380
-
-Apparatus, its uses and abuses, 258
-
-Apples and ring, 50
-  And small eggs, palming, 168
-  In cups, 58
-
-Arm, cutting, with a knife, 83
-
-Arrangement of stage, 398
-
-Article, changing an, 171
-
-Ascending cards, 192
-
-Ascent of articles in spiritualistic tricks, 383
-
-Assembly, 136
-
-Assistant, choosing an, 176, 393
-
-Attached card, 101
-
-Audience, seating the, 396
-  Style of addressing, 60, 153, 161, 393
-
-
-B.
-
-Bacchus' dovecot, 306
-  Maypole, 311
-
-Bag, the egg, 274
-  Watch, 363
-
-Ball and bottle, 308
-
-Balls and cups, tricks with, 54
-  And plates, 80
-  Anti-gravitation, 343
-
-Balls, concealing, 55
-  From a hat, multiplying, 353
-  Passing and vanishing, 55
-  Vanishing, 170
-  Vesting, 170
-  Wine-drinking, crystal, 308
-  Worsted, and coin, 256
-
-Banker, the, 237
-
-Bending watches, 362
-
-Bird and card, 376
-  Cages produced from a hat, 356
-
-Birds, vanishing small, 173
-
-Blindfold feats, 378
-
-Borrowed rings, exchanging, for dummies, 175
-
-Borrowing handkerchiefs, 17, 63
-  Watches, 361
-
-Bottle, accommodating, 316
-  And ball, 308
-  And dove, 306
-  And penknife, 44
-  And ribbons, 311
-  And tumbler, perambulating, 328
-  Magic wine, 316
-  Of ginger beer, 287
-
-Bouquet, spirit, 384
-
-Bowls of fish, 262
-
-Boxes, card, 127
-  Drawer, 300
-  For watch, 364
-  Passing coin into, 21
-  Watch, 368
-  With trap, 395
-
-Boxing coins, 21
-
-Brazen rod, magi's, 324, 371
-
-Breaking watches, 362
-
-Broad and long cards, 131
-
-Bundle of firewood produced from hat, 354
-
-Burning a handkerchief, 62
-
-Butterfly trick, Japanese, 74
-
-
-C.
-
-Cabbage and hat, 349
-
-Cage, flying, 335
-
-Cages, bird, produced from hat, 356
-
-Candle, money-producing, 252
-  Passing handkerchief over flame of, without burning, 178
-
-Cannon ball and hat, 346
-
-Card and bird, 376
-  Tricks, value of, 88
-
-Cards, ascending, 192
-  Assembly, 136
-  Attached, 101
-  Boxes, 127
-  Catching two, in the air, 102
-  Causing one to appear in any position in the pack,
-     counting from top or bottom, 123
-  Causing one to show itself on the top of the pack, 101
-  Chameleon, 132
-  Changing, 132
-  Changing two, 108
-  Clairvoyance, 379
-  Congenial aces, 102
-  Conjurors', 89
-  Cut packs, 130
-  Diagonal, 96
-  Egyptian pocket, 187
-  False shuffle, 99
-  Forcing, 117
-  Hatched, 205
-  La carte générale, 119
-  Lady's own trick, 105
-  Lightning change, 146
-  Long and broad, 131
-  Marking, 177
-  Missing link, 190
-  Napoleon, a game at, 143
-  Obliging bouquet, 202
-  Palming, 112
-  Passes with, 90, 106
-  Permeating, 122
-  Prepared, 130, 179
-  Pricked, 131
-  Reversed, 104
-  Revolution, the, 129
-  Royal marriages, 115
-  Salamander, 197
-  Sliding, 116
-  Sympathetic, 120
-  Thought-reading, 140
-  Throwing, 129
-  Travelling, 135
-  Tricks with, 88, 186
-  Universal, 119
-  Vanishing a pack, 186
-
-Catching coins in the air, 14
-  Two cards in the air, 102
-
-Causing a card to appear in any position in the pack,
-     counting from top or bottom, 123
-  A card to show itself on the top of the pack, 101
-  A stick or poker to stand on end, 344
-
-Challenges, how to answer, 35
-
-Chameleon card, 132
-
-Changing articles, 171
-  Cards, 132, 146
-  Coins, 11, 32
-  Dice, 81
-  Two cards, 108
-
-Chinese fire eating, 72
-  Lanterns produced from a hat, 356
-  Marbles, 70
-  Methods of conjuring, 70, 75
-  Rings, 296
-  Tricks, 70
-
-Choosing an assistant, 176, 393
-
-Clairvoyance, 378
-
-Climax to the hat of plenty, 358
-
-Coat, cutting person's arm through, 83
-
-Coin and worsted ball, 256
-  Handkerchief, 183
-
-Coins, banker, the, 237
-  Best kind for use, 38
-  Boxing, 21
-  Catching in the air, 14
-  Changing, 11, 32
-  Concealing, 12
-  Copper superior to silver, 34
-  Crystal plateau, 250
-  Dancing, 20
-  Extracting, from a glass of water, 24
-  Flight of, 255
-  Folding penny, 27
-  Hold them tight!, 242
-  Invisible transit, 232
-  Marking, 38
-  Minor tricks with, 9
-  Money changer, 247
-  Money-producing candle, 252
-  Palm practice with, 9
-  Passing into a hat, 13, 23
-  Passing many, 16
-  Passing or vanishing, 10
-  Passing through table, 12
-  Selecting, when blindfolded, 23
-  Shower of gold, 273
-  Showing hands empty while still containing, 177
-  Sleeving, 35
-  Substituting, 22
-  Tricks with, 9, 232
-  Vanishing, from a handkerchief, 17
-
-Coin-vanishing tumbler, 184
-
-Collecting eggs, 278
-
-Common objects, tricks with, 39
-
-Common palm, 5
-
-Company, producing articles from the persons of the, 166
-
-Concealing a ball, 55
-  Coins, 12
-
-Cone and drawer-box, 304
-
-Congenial aces, 102
-
-Conjuring table, substitute for, 394
-
-Conjuror's shelf, 156, 395
-
-Cooking and making a pudding in a hat, 293
-  A "Welsh rabbit", 374
-
-Copper coins superior to silver, 34
-
-Cork, false, 30
-
-Corks, Houdin's dessert of, 84
-
-Corks, tricks with, 84
-
-Cornucopian hat, 346
-
-Cotton, cutting up piece of, 46
-
-Crystal ball, wine-drinking, 308
-  Plateau, 250
-
-Cup, passing one through another, 61
-
-Cups and balls, tricks with, 54
-  And oranges, apples, &c., 58
-  From a hat, shower of, 352
-
-Cut packs of cards, 130
-
-Cutting a person's arm with a knife, 83
-  Up piece of cotton, 46
-
-
-D.
-
-Dancing coins, 20
-  Sailor, 339
-
-Decanted handkerchief, 224
-
-Deception and rapidity of action, 39
-
-Dessert of corks, Houdin's, 84
-
-Destroying a watch, 362
-
-Devil's handkerchief, 182
-
-Diagonal pass with cards, 96
-
-Dice, changing, 81
-
-Dictionary trick, great, 336
-
-Die trick, Houdin's, with additional effects, 259
-
-Distribution from a hat, 350
-
-Dolls produced from a hat, 355
-
-Dove and bottle, 306
-  Mesmerising a, 175
-
-Dovecot, Bacchus', 306
-
-Doves, vanishing, 173
-
-Drawer-box, 300
-  And cone, 304
-
-Drawing-room magic, 4
-
-Dress for a conjuror, 160
-
-
-E.
-
-Eating fire, 72
-
-Egg bag, the, 274
-
-Orange, &c., produced from wand, 164
-
-Eggs and small apples, palming, 168
-  Collecting, 278
-  Magician's, 183
-  Productive, 184
-
-Egyptian pocket card trick, 187
-
-Electric touch, 389
-
-England, flags of Old, 295
-
-Exchanging borrowed rings for dummies, 175
-
-Extracting a coin from a glass of water, 24
-
-
-F.
-
-Fairy flower, 327
-
-False shuffle with cards, 99
-
-Feast of lanterns, Chinese, 356
-
-Fiery hands, writings, &c., 387
-
-Filter tumblers, 79
-
-Final instructions, 392
-
-Finding sweetmeats in a handkerchief, 65
-
-Finger palm, 6
-
-Fire eating, Chinese, 72
-
-Firewood, bundle of, produced from hat, 354
-
-Fish and bowl, 262
-  And ink, 265
-
-Flags of Old England, 295
-
-Flight of coins, 255
-
-Flower, fairy, 327
-  Ring in, 183
-
-Flowers produced from hat, 351
-
-Flying cage, 335
-  Plume and seed, 291
-
-Folding penny, 27
-
-Forcing cards, 117
-
-Fork or spoon through a tumbler, passing, 79
-
-Fowl, resuscitated, 280
-
-
-G.
-
-Game at Napoleon, 143
-
-Gant de Paris, 228
-
-General instruction and management in stage conjuring, 149
-  Remarks, 149, 392
-
-Ginger beer, bottle of, 287
-
-Glass of sherry, vanishing, 77
-  Of water, extracting a coin from, 24
-  Of water, to invert, 271
-  Of water, ubiquitous, 267
-
-Glass, talking, 384
-
-Glove, gant de Paris, 228
-
-Gloves suitable for conjurors, 398
-
-Gold-fish and ink, 265
-  Trick, 262
-
-Gold, shower of, 273
-
-Grand, or stage magic, 149
-
-
-H.
-
-Half-crown wand, 237
-
-Handkerchief, coin, 183
-  Decanted, 224
-  Devil's, 182
-  Finding sweetmeats in, 65
-  For egg collecting, 278
-  Lengthening a, 66
-  Passing through flame of candle without burning, 178
-  Restored, 210
-  Ring and wand, 49
-  Through the leg, pulling a, 64
-  Twisting, 69
-  Tying knot instantaneously, 68
-  Tying knot on wrist, 69
-  Untying knot in, by word of command, 65
-  Vanishing coins from, 17
-
-Handkerchiefs, borrowing, 17, 63
-  Burning, 62
-  Knots, 218
-  Melting, 226
-  Sun and moon, 215
-  Tricks with, 62, 210
-  Vanishing and reproducing, 171
-
-Hands, fiery, 387
-  To show, empty, while still containing coins, 177
-
-Harmless shot, 282
-
-Hat and cabbage, 349
-  And cannon-ball, 346
-  Bird cages produced from, 356
-  Bundle of firewood produced from, 354
-  Chinese lanterns produced from, 356
-  Cornucopian, 346
-  Distribution of presents from, 350
-  Dolls produced from, 355
-  Flowers produced from, 351
-  Making and cooking a pudding in, 293
-  Multiplying balls produced from, 353
-  Of plenty, 346
-  Of plenty, climax to, 358
-  Passing coins into, 13, 23
-  Rabbits produced from, 372
-  Reticules produced from, 355
-  Shower of cups from, 352
-  With trap, 395
-
-Hatched card, 205
-
-Hold them tight!, 242
-
-Houdin's dessert of corks, 84
-  Die trick, with additional effects, 259
-
-
-I.
-
-Incubation by magic, 276
-
-Ink and gold-fish, 265
-
-Instruction and general management in stage conjuring, 149
-
-Instructions, final, 392
-
-Intervals during performances, 398
-
-Introduction, 1
-  Of music in performances, 397
-
-Introductory stage tricks, 161
-
-Inverting glass of water, 271
-
-Invisible transit of coins, 232
-
-
-J.
-
-Japanese butterfly trick, 74
-
-
-K.
-
-Kling-klang, 281
-
-Knife and squares of paper, 42
-  Cutting a person's arm with, 83
-  Swallowing, 85
-
-Knot on the wrist, tying a, 69
-  That will not draw tight, tying a, 67
-  Tying instantaneously, 68
-  Untying at word of command, 65
-
-Knots in handkerchief, 218
-
-
-L.
-
-La carte générale, 119
-
-Lady's own trick with cards, 105
-
-Lanterns, Chinese, produced from a hat, 356
-
-Large objects from the hand, vanishing, 167
-
-Leg, pulling a handkerchief through the, 64
-
-Length of time for performance, 398
-
-Lengthening a handkerchief, 66
-
-Live stock and watches, tricks with, 361
-
-Long and broad cards, 131
-
-
-M.
-
-Magical wine, 337
-
-Magician's eggs, 183
-
-Magic, incubation by, 276
-  Omelette, 332
-  Plateau, 185
-  Wine bottle, 316
-
-Magi's brazen rod, 324, 371
-
-Making and cooking a pudding in a hat, 293
-
-Management and instruction in stage conjuring, general, 149
-
-Manner when performing, 249
-
-Marbles, Chinese, 70
-
-Marking coins, 38
-
-Maypole, Bacchus's, 311
-
-Meddlers, punishment of, 151
-
-Mesmeric suspension wand, 318
-
-Mesmerised poker, 344, 382
-
-Mesmerising a dove, 175
-
-Mesmerism, sham, 378
-
-Misdirection, 40
-
-Missing link, 190
-
-Money changer, 247
-  Tube, 239
-
-Money-producing candle, 252
-
-Mortar and pestle for watches, 362
-
-Mouth, producing yards of paper from the, 73
-
-Multiplying balls obtained from a hat, 353
-
-Music, introduction of, in performance, 397
-
-
-N.
-
-Napoleon, a game at, 143
-
-Nest of boxes, 21
-
-Novel "Welsh rabbit", 374
-
-
-O.
-
-Obliging bouquet card trick, 202
-
-Omelette, magic, 332
-
-Oranges, apples, &c., in cups, 58
-  Produced from wand, 164
-  Vanishing, 170
-  Vesting, 170
-
-
-P.
-
-Palm practice with coins, 9
-
-Palming cards, 112
-  Coins, 5
-  Common, 5
-  Finger, 6
-  Proper, 5
-  Quick, practising, 17
-  Reverse, 7
-  Small eggs, apples, &c., 168
-  Sugar, 40
-  Thumb, 6
-  Use of the wand in, 12
-  With both hands, 22
-
-Paper and knife, 42
-  From the mouth, producing yards of, 73
-
-Passes with cards, 90, 106
-
-Passing and vanishing a ball, 55
-  Articles through traps, 158
-  Coins, 9
-  Coins into a hat, 13, 23
-  Coins through a table, 12
-  Fork or spoon through tumbler, 79
-  Many coins, 16
-  Penny into soda-water bottle, 27
-  Ring into an egg, 334
-
-"Patter", 154
-
-Penknife and bottle, 44
-
-Penny, folding, 27
-  passing, into soda-water bottle, 27
-
-Perambulating bottle and tumbler, 328
-  Walking stick, 382
-
-Performance, length of time for, 398
-  Introduction of music in, 397
-
-Performer's private programme, 397
-
-Performing, manner when, 249
-  Preparations before, 149
-  Skill in, 346
-
-Permeable plates, 80
-
-Permeating card, 122
-
-Pestle and mortar for watches, 362
-
-Plateau, magic, 185
-
-Plate, vanishing a, 78
-
-Plates and balls, 80
-  Permeable, 80
-
-Plenty, hat of, 346
-
-Plume and seed, flying, 291
-
-Plumes, shower of, 326
-
-Pocket, Egyptian, card trick, 187
-
-Poker, mesmerised, 344, 382
-  Or stick to stand on end, causing, 344, 382
-
-Preparations before performing, 149, 392
-
-Prepared cards, 130, 179
-
-Presents distributed from a hat, 350
-
-Pricked cards, 131
-
-Private programme, performer's, 397
-
-Producing articles from the persons of the company, 166
-  Yards of paper from the mouth, 73
-
-Productive eggs, 184
-
-Programmes, 397
-  Performer's private, 397
-
-Properties and sleights for general use, 163
-
-Pudding cooking and making in a hat, 293
-
-Pulling a handkerchief through the leg, 64
-
-Punishment of meddlers, 151
-
-Putty watches, 362
-
-
-R.
-
-"Rabbit," cooking a, 374
-  Novel "Welsh", 374
-
-Rabbits produced from hat, 372
-  Reproducing, 373
-  Tricks with, 372
-
-Rapidity and deception of action, 39
-
-Remarks, general, 149
-
-Repetition of tricks, 152
-
-Restored handkerchief, 210
-
-Resuscitated fowl, 280
-
-Reticules produced from a hat, 355
-
-Reversed card, 104
-
-Reverse palm, 7
-
-Revolution of cards, 129
-
-Ribbons and bottle, 311
-
-Ring, flying, 183
-
-Rings and apple, 50
-  And wand, 51
-  Chinese, 296
-  Exchanging borrowed for dummies, 175
-  Handkerchief, and wand, 49
-  Inside an egg, 335
-  Palming, 49
-  Tricks with, 49, 334
-
-Rod, Magi's brazen, 324, 371
-
-Roll, watch in, 178
-
-Royal marriages with cards, 115
-
-
-S.
-
-Sack trick, 338
-
-Sailor dancing, 339
-
-Salamander card, 197
-
-Seating the audience, 396
-
-Second sight, imitation, 378
-
-Seed and flying plume, 291
-
-Selecting a coin whilst blindfolded, 23
-
-Sham mesmerism, 378
-
-Shelf, the conjuror's, 156, 395
-
-Sherry, vanishing a glass of, 77
-
-Shot, harmless, 282
-
-Shower of cups from a hat, 352
-  Of gold, 273
-  Plumes, 326
-
-Shuffling, false, with cards, 99, 179
-
-Skill in performing, 346
-
-Skull, animated, 390
-
-Slate trick, 386
-
-Sleeving coins, 35
-
-Sleights and properties for general use, 163
-
-Sliding cards, 116
-
-Small birds, vanishing, 173
-
-Soda-water bottle, passing penny into, 27
-
-Spirit bouquet, 384
-
-Spiritualistic animated skull, 390
-  Ascent of articles, 383
-  Electric touch, 389
-  Fiery hands, writings, &c., 387
-  Mesmerised poker, 344, 382
-  Perambulating walking stick, 382
-  Slate trick, 386
-  Spirit bouquet, 384
-  Talking glass, 384
-  Tricks, 380
-  Writings, &c., 387
-
-Spoon or fork passing through a tumbler, 79
-
-Stage, arrangement of, 398
-  Conjuring, dress for, 160
-  General instruction and management, 149
-  Or grand magic, 149
-  Tables for, 155
-  Traps for, 156
-
-Stick and poker to stand on end, causing, 344, 382
-
-Style of addressing audience, 60, 153, 161, 393
-
-Substitute for a conjuring table, 394
-
-Substituting coins, 22
-
-Sugar, palming, 40
-
-Sun and moon, 215
-
-Suspension wand, mesmeric, 318
-
-Swallowing a knife, 85
-  A watch, 368
-
-Sweetmeats, finding in a handkerchief, 65
-
-Sympathetic cards, 120
-
-
-T.
-
-Table and dress, 156
-  Tricks at, 72
-
-Tables, passing coins through, 12
-  Position of, 396
-  Selecting, 155
-  substitute for conjuring, 394
-
-Talking glass, 384
-
-Targets for watches, 365
-
-Thought-reading with cards, 141
-
-Throwing a card, 129
-
-Thumb palm, 6
-
-Time for performance, length of, 398
-
-Touch, electric, 389
-
-Transit of coins, invisible, 232
-
-Trap box, 395
-
-Traps for stage conjuring, 156
-  In high hat, 395
-  Passing articles through, 158
-
-Travelling cards, 135
-
-Tying a knot instantaneously, 68
-  A knot on the wrist, 69
-  A knot that will not draw tight, 67
-
-Tumbler, coin-vanishing, 184
-  Filter, 79
-  Passing a fork or spoon through, 79
-  Perambulating bottle and, 328
-
-
-U.
-
-Ubiquitous glass of water, 267
-
-Universal card, 119
-
-Untying a knot at word of command, 65
-
-
-V.
-
-Vanishing and passing a ball, 55
-  Articles through traps, 158
-  Coins, 10
-  Coins from a handkerchief, 17
-  Doves, 173
-  Glass of sherry, 77
-  Handkerchiefs, 171
-  Large objects from the hands, 167
-  Oranges, &c., 170
-  Pack of cards, 186
-  Plates, 78
-  Small birds, 173
-
-Vesting, 160, 170
-
-
-W.
-
-Walking stick, perambulating, 382
-
-Wand and ring, 51
-  Half-crown, 237
-  Finding articles in, 305
-  Mesmeric suspension, 318
-  Passing down throat, 368
-  Purchasing, 3
-  Ring and handkerchief, 49
-  Use of, in palming, 12
-
-Warm hands, necessity for, 398
-
-Watches, bag for, 363
-  Bending, 362
-  Box for, 368
-  Borrowing, 361
-  Breaking, 362
-  Causing to appear on assistant's back, 367
-  Putty, 362
-  Reproducing, 364
-  Swallowing, 368
-  Targets for, 365
-  Tricks with, 360
-
-Water, inverting glass of, 271
-  Ubiquitous glass of, 267
-
-"Welsh rabbit," novel, 374
-
-Wine bottle, magic, 316
-  Magical, 337
-
-Wine-drinking crystal ball, 308
-
-Worsted ball and coin, 256
-
-Wrist, tying a knot on the, 69
-
-Writings, fiery, 387
-
-       *       *       *       *       *
-
-
-Transcriber's Notes
-
-
-Minor punctuation errors have been silently corrected. Some
-illustrations have been relocated. Part I and Part II have been
-added to the Table of Contents.
-
-Page 26: Changed "Alway" to "Always."
-  (Orig: Alway obtain possession of the wineglass)
-
-Page 78: Changed "immmediately" to "immediately."
-  (Orig: between the legs, and immmediately covered with the napkin.)
-
-Page 106: Removed duplicate "in."
-  (Orig: it is not in in general use, but forms almost a separate)
-
-Page 164: "description" is probably a typo for "descriptions."
-  (Orig: one of the most wonder-inspiring description.)
-
-Page 187: Changed "maufacture" to "manufacture."
-  (Orig: he was told to maufacture the card,)
-
-Page 197: Possibly missing "be" before "burnt."
-  (Orig: half of the card which is to burnt doubled up and placed)
-
-Page 220: Changed "hankerchief" to "handkerchief."
-  (Orig: and the body of the same hankerchief on the other side)
-
-Page 264: Changed "that" to "than."
-  (Orig: trick even more wonderful that it is in its ordinary form.)
-
-Page 314: Changed "fron" to "from."
-  (Orig: and pour out some liquid fron it,)
-
-Page 314: Changed "unexpresed" to "unexpressed."
-  (Orig: for the unexpresed purpose of showing that it is glass,)
-
-Page 349: Changed "unvailing" to "unavailing."
-  (Orig: great, but unvailing, efforts are made to extract the ball.)
-
-Page 353: Changed "neccessary" to "necessary."
-  (Orig: great care being neccessary to prevent any of them falling)
-
-Page 370: Changed "when" to "then."
-  (Orig: for a few seconds, when open it, showing, of course, nothing)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Sleight of Hand, by Edwin Thomas Sachs
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-<pre>
-
-The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sleight of Hand, by Edwin Thomas Sachs
-
-This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
-other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
-whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
-the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
-www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
-to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
-
-Title: Sleight of Hand
-       A Practical Manual of Legerdemain for Amateurs & Others
-
-Author: Edwin Thomas Sachs
-
-Release Date: January 11, 2016 [EBook #50903]
-
-Language: English
-
-Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
-
-*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLEIGHT OF HAND ***
-
-
-
-
-Produced by Tor Martin Kristiansen, Stephen Hutcheson,
-Diane Monico, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
-at http://www.pgdp.net
-
-
-
-
-
-
-</pre>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 519px;">
-<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="519" height="800" alt="cover" />
-</div>
-
-
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-<h1>SLEIGHT OF HAND</h1>
-
-<p class="ph3">A Practical Manual of Legerdemain<br />
-for Amateurs &amp; Others</p>
-
-<p class="ph2">EDWIN SACHS</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 217px;">
-<img src="images/p001.jpg" width="217" height="176" alt="" />
-</div>
-
-<p class="ph3">Dover Publications, Inc.<br />
-New York<br />
-</p>
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-<p class="center"><span class="small">
-Published in Canada by General Publishing Company, Ltd.,<br />
-30 Lesmill Road, Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario.<br />
-<br />
-This Dover edition, first published in 1980, is an unabridged<br />
-republication of the second, greatly enlarged, edition of the<br />
-work as published by L. Upcott Gill, London, 1885.<br />
-<br />
-<em>International Standard Book Number: 0-486-23911-X<br />
-Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 79-54184</em><br />
-<br />
-Manufactured in the United States of America<br />
-Dover Publications, Inc.<br />
-180 Varick Street<br />
-New York, N. Y. 10014<br /></span>
-</p>
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</a></h2>
-
-
-<div class="center">
-<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="toc">
-<tr><td align="left">CHAP.</td><td align="right">PAGE</td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left"><span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"><span class="smcap">Part I. Drawing-room Magic.</span></span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_4">4</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">I.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Palming</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_5">5</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">II.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Coins</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">III.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Common Objects</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">IV.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Cups and Balls</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">V.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Handkerchiefs</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">VI.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Chinese Tricks</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_70">70</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">VII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks at Table</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">VIII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Cards</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_88">88</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left"><span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"><span class="smcap">Part II.&mdash;Grand, or Stage Magic.</span></span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">IX.&mdash;<span class="smcap">General Remarks</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">X.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Table and Dress</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_156">156</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XI.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Sleights and Properties for General Use</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Cards</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_186">186</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XIII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Handkerchiefs and Gloves</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_210">210</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XIV.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Coins</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_232">232</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XV.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Miscellaneous</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XVI.&mdash;<span class="smcap">The Cornucopian Hat</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_346">346</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XVII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Tricks with Watches and Live Stock</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_361">361</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XVIII.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Sham Mesmerism, Clairvoyance, &amp;c.</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_378">378</a></td></tr>
-<tr><td align="left">XIX.&mdash;<span class="smcap">Final Instructions</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_392">392</a></td></tr>
-</table></div>
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="PREFACE_TO_SECOND_EDITION" id="PREFACE_TO_SECOND_EDITION">PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.</a></h2>
-
-
-<p>It is always a matter for self-congratulation on the part of an author
-to be called upon to furnish a Preface to a second or subsequent
-edition of some "bantling of his brain." In the present instance the
-task is more satisfactory than usual, the author not coming before
-the reader empty-handed. Since the publication of the first edition,
-conjurors have not been idle, and numerous new methods for producing
-magical surprises have been invented. Such of these as are suitable
-or worthy&mdash;for, in their haste to be novel, many have failed to be
-satisfactory&mdash;the author has incorporated; and, by a thorough revision
-of the work, he has placed before the aspiring conjuror, written up
-to date, all that it is possible for him to know in the region of
-<span class="smcap">Sleight of Hand</span>.</p>
-
-<p class="author">E. S.</p>
-<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">London</span>,</span></p>
-<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><i>April</i>, 1885.</span><br />
-</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<p class="ph1">SLEIGHT OF HAND</p>
-
-<h2><span class="smcap">Introduction.</span></h2>
-
-
-<p>"It is as pleasant to be cheated as to cheat," is a maxim that must
-have been framed expressly for conjuring, for the more completely one
-is deceived by its medium (and, be it said, by its medium alone) the
-better one is pleased.</p>
-
-<p>The date of the origin of conjuring, as we now understand the art, is
-not known, but there must have been proficients in the practice of
-it as early as the time of Chaucer; for that ancient writer speaks
-of one Coll Tregetour (Tregetour signifying a juggler) producing
-a windmill from beneath a walnut shell. There is doubtless some
-slight exaggeration in this statement, or else modern wizards are
-far behind those of early days&mdash;an hypothesis I cannot accept. In
-the superstitious lands of the East, jugglery was doubtless at the
-bottom of the many manifestations that were mixed up with religion,
-and the wily priests made the best (or worst) uses of its influence
-on the uncultivated mind. When we consider the effect that is even
-now produced on the minds of an enlightened audience by a skilful
-manipulator, the wonderment of people who were but half civilised,
-and who were taught to believe in spirits, is scarcely a matter for
-surprise.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>Although superstition has not died out&mdash;if, indeed, it ever <em>will</em>
-die out&mdash;there are now very few people who attribute the successes
-of a conjuror to any other agency than that of his own skill; always
-excepting that of the everlasting "confederate," who, as the reader of
-the following pages will discover, exists, in ninety-nine cases out of
-a hundred, only in the imagination of the spectator.</p>
-
-<p>Formerly, conjurors appeared clothed in long robes and tall, pointed
-hats, both covered with mystic signs and symbols; Robert Houdin, whom
-we may consider the father of modern conjuring, being the first to
-perform in the now conventional evening dress. This innovation had the
-effect of increasing the genuineness of the performance, as it was an
-easy matter to conceal large articles beneath a flowing robe, such as
-had been previously worn; but the close-fitting dress suit affords no
-means of concealment&mdash;to the minds of an audience, at any rate. Houdin
-was the means of elevating the art in the eyes of the public, besides
-investing it with nearly all that it possesses of the graceful; and,
-as it has undergone still more improvement since his time, it has
-now become a pursuit well worthy the attention of anyone inclined
-to follow it up, as much for the amusement of himself as of others.
-Besides its power of amusing, conjuring affords an immense amount of
-instruction to its student, and is useful in inculcating coolness,
-precision, and an endless amount of resource, which will always stand
-one in good stead on the world's wide and ever-changing stage.</p>
-
-<p>It is my intention to give, in the following pages, such instruction
-as shall enable the merest tyro to become an adept in the art of
-Legerdemain, providing that a due degree of attention is given
-and a reasonable amount of practice undertaken. Practice, indeed,
-is what is required in order to achieve success in any pursuit or
-amusement, whatever its nature may be, and without it the best of
-instruction is given in vain. For this reason, I must exhort such
-of my readers as may seek to amuse their friends through the medium
-of what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> I shall impart to them to devote as much time as they can
-spare to practice at the outset, in order that they may acquire a
-neat method of manipulation, which is the keystone of success in a
-conjuror, and which, once attained, will never leave them. If to this
-delicacy of manipulation is added a suavity of manner, accompanied
-by a never-failing cool daring, then the perfection of a conjuror is
-attained.</p>
-
-<p>Magic may safely be divided into two parts, Drawing-room Magic and
-Grand Magic. As it is in the family circle that every amateur conjuror
-mostly exhibits his attainments, I shall first treat of drawing-room
-magic; indeed, it is absolutely necessary to be a master of that
-branch, in order to undertake grand magic successfully. The success of
-the conjuror who can perform only on the stage, far removed from all
-inquisitorial interference, will be but of short duration. I find it
-has been the case with most amateurs, who rarely find opportunities
-for performing on a stage, that their greatest successes have been
-achieved in the drawing-room.</p>
-
-<p>The very first thing a conjuror must procure is a conjuring-wand&mdash;an
-implement that is always supposed by the audience to be for show only;
-and for such they must always be made to think it is. It is, however,
-an absolutely indispensable article, both to beginner and proficient,
-as it serves as an auxiliary to the concealment of any article in the
-hand, as will be explained hereafter. For the present, all the learner
-has to do is to procure a round stick of ebony, about 18in. long,
-fitted with ivory, silver, or brass ferrules (not caps) countersunk
-at each end, and to trust to me to its being necessary. It is best to
-have the wand made to suit the taste, as those sold at conjuring-shops
-are invariably too short. Any walking-stick manufacturer will make it.</p>
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="Part_I" id="Part_I"><span class="smcap">Part I.</span></a><br />
-<span class="smcap">Drawing-room Magic.</span></h2>
-
-
-<p>This derives its chief beauty from the fact that it is almost entirely
-dependent on pure sleight of hand, a fact which audiences are never
-slow to appreciate. The most familiar objects are dealt with, and are
-made to vanish and re-appear in unexpected places, as though they
-really were disembodied and reinstated. The amateur will find, after
-a few years' experience, that the impromptu performances he may, from
-time to time, be called upon to give in the drawing-rooms of his
-acquaintances, will be much more satisfactory to both himself and his
-audiences than the more pretentious affairs given upon stages, which
-call for a great deal of management, apart from ability, to render
-them successes. When once the performer has attained the credit of
-being better than the ordinary ruck, it will become incumbent upon him
-to keep up the level of skill by means of practice, as wonder must
-follow wonder in ever-increasing proportion.</p>
-
-<p>Coins, from being so readily procurable, and from their adaptability,
-are deservedly favourite media, and with them I shall first deal. For
-all general purposes, a well-conditioned florin will be found the
-best coin for the beginner; although, of course, he must, in time, be
-able to manipulate slippery half-crowns and pennies with equal ease.
-Florins, as a rule, are more readily procurable in these days, but few
-half-crowns being coined in comparison with them. But as the conjuror
-must be provided against all emergencies, I shall give directions for
-the best method of treatment for each coin. The means adopted for the
-temporary concealment of a coin in the hand is known as Palming, and
-I shall commence Drawing-room Magic with a description of the various
-methods.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a><br /><br />
-
-PALMING.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p class="center">THE PALM PROPER&mdash;THE FINGER PALM&mdash;THE THUMB PALM&mdash;THE
-REVERSE PALM.</p></div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 277px;">
-<a id="fig1"></a>
-<img src="images/fig1.png" width="277" height="300" alt="Fig. 1" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 1.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 258px;">
-<a id="fig2"></a>
-<img src="images/fig2.png" width="258" height="300" alt="Fig. 2" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 2.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 310px;">
-<a id="fig3"></a>
-<img src="images/fig3.png" width="310" height="300" alt="Fig. 3" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 3.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="method_1_the_palm_proper"></a><em>Method 1. The Palm Proper.</em>&mdash;Hold the coin firmly between the thumb
-on the one side and the middle and third fingers on the other, the
-first and little fingers taking up graceful positions, as it were,
-to cover the movement about to be made (<a href="#fig1">Fig. 1</a>). Remove the thumb
-to its ordinary position of repose, and, at the same instant, let
-the two fingers (second and third) press the coin into the palm of
-the hand, half way down the root of the thumb, the muscles of which
-must be brought to bear against the edge of the coin, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> that it is
-held firmly and forms a bridge over the hollow of the hand (<a href="#fig2">Fig. 2</a>).
-A backward and forward swing should be given to the hand whilst
-the coin is being palmed, as it not only covers the movement, but
-also facilitates the operation in a marked degree. In pressing the
-coin home, it will be found that the third finger will be more used
-than the middle one. The instant the palm is effected, the hand
-must be made to assume the most natural position possible under the
-circumstances, the little finger being well thrown out, after the
-dainty manner ladies affect when holding a cup, so as to give the hand
-breadth. Some beginners think that in holding the hand perfectly flat
-they are effecting a very beautiful palm; but this is not the case,
-as can be seen at once by looking at the hand without any coin in its
-palm. That is the model the conjuror must copy: any unnatural position
-at once betrays the fact that something unusual is going on. For this
-method, the florin will be found the best coin, its edge affording a
-better hold than that of any other piece.</p>
-
-<p><a id="method_2_the_finger_palm"></a><em>Method 2. The Finger Palm.</em>&mdash;The coin is held between the thumb and
-forefinger, and the latter then slid aside, so that the coin rests
-upon the side of the middle finger. The forefinger then takes the
-place of the thumb, and the coin is held as in <a href="#fig3">Fig. 3</a>. The action is
-simplified if the coin is held in the first instance between the thumb
-and middle finger, but it looks awkward and suspicious. This method
-will be found particularly adapted for concealing coins of the size of
-a shilling and less. Larger coins should not be treated thus, except
-in emergencies, when anything is allowable.</p>
-
-<p><a id="Method_3_The_Thumb_Palm"></a><em>Method 3. The Thumb Palm.</em>&mdash;This palm is not generally known, which
-is to be wondered at, for it is a very safe and easy one. The coin
-is simply held between the thumb and forefinger, and then slid to
-the root of the latter, where it is held, as in <a href="#fig4">Fig. 4</a>. The only
-objection to this palm is that it keeps the thumb a close prisoner, to
-the manifest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> loss of grace, but it is exceedingly useful for large
-and slippery coins, such as half-crowns, pennies, and crowns.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px;">
-<a id="fig4"></a>
-<img src="images/fig4.png" width="325" height="300" alt="Fig. 4" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 4.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 360px;">
-<a id="fig5"></a>
-<img src="images/fig5.png" width="360" height="300" alt="Fig. 5" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 5.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="method_4"></a><em>Method 4.</em>&mdash;Two, three, and four coins may be palmed by the first
-method, but the method shown at <a href="#fig5">Fig. 5</a> is the safer. There is a
-rather unnatural disposition of the thumb about it, but the fingers
-are left free play.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px;">
-<a id="fig6"></a>
-<img src="images/fig6.png" width="325" height="300" alt="Fig. 6" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 6.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Method 5. Reverse Palm.</em>&mdash;It is sometimes required of the performer
-to show that his hands do not contain any coin. If a coin is palmed
-in one of them, he must first exhibit the other open in a very
-ostentatious manner, and, whilst the audience is momentarily engaged
-in looking at it, press<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> the coin, by means of the thumb, through the
-fingers of the hand in which it is held, so that it protrudes at the
-back, and cannot be seen from the front (<a href="#fig6">Fig. 6</a>). Some performers
-have brought this palm to a great state of perfection. One very
-telling effect is to pretend to throw the coin away. For this purpose,
-it is held between the tips of the first finger and thumb, whilst
-lying upon the side of the middle finger. As the action of throwing
-is imitated, the forefinger is slid over the coin, the thumb being
-removed, and the coin thus made to protrude at the back of the hand.</p>
-
-<p>Other fanciful methods of palming exist, but they will be of no
-practical use to the conjuror, so I have omitted descriptions of them.</p>
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH COINS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>TRICK FOR PALM PRACTICE&mdash;HOW TO "PASS" A COIN
-INVISIBLY&mdash;HOW TO CHANGE A COIN&mdash;THE USE OF THE WAND IN
-PALMING&mdash;TO PASS A MARKED COIN THROUGH A TABLE&mdash;METHOD FOR
-CONCEALING MANY COINS&mdash;THE AERIAL VISIT AND JOURNEY&mdash;TO
-"PASS" SEVERAL COINS&mdash;HINTS ON PRACTICE&mdash;TO CAUSE A
-COIN TO VANISH FROM A HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;ON BORROWING A
-HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;THE DANCING COIN&mdash;A MYSTERY WITHIN A
-MYSTERY&mdash;TO CAUSE A FLORIN AND A PENNY TO CHANGE PLACES&mdash;TO
-PICK A MARKED COIN FROM A NUMBER, BLINDFOLDED&mdash;THE
-MARRIAGE&mdash;TO INVISIBLY EXTRACT A COIN FROM OUT OF A GLASS
-OF WATER&mdash;TO PASS PENNIES INTO A BOTTLE&mdash;TO CAUSE EXPOSED
-COINS TO CHANGE PLACES&mdash;TO "SLEEVE" COINS&mdash;HINTS ON MARKING
-COINS&mdash;THE BEST COINS TO USE.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>The uses of the palm will make themselves manifest in every trick in
-which money is used as a medium, but the beginner can astonish his
-friends, and, at the same time, make himself perfect, by any of the
-following minor tricks:</p>
-
-<p><a id="tricka"></a>(<em>a</em>) Throw the coin backwards and forwards, from hand to hand,
-three or four times, in a careless manner, always taking care that
-the left hand is shut well over each time the coin is contained in
-it; and then make a feint of throwing, but, in reality, palm the
-coin after the method that best suits its<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> size. The hand (in most
-cases it would be the left, as the majority of conjurers palm with
-the right; with left-handed people it would be, of course, reversed)
-which is supposed to receive the coin must be closed smartly, so as to
-make a noise similar to that caused by a coin thrown into the palm.
-This is effected by the ends of the two middle fingers striking the
-fleshy part of the thumb (<a href="#fig7">Fig. 7</a>). If this is properly executed,
-the illusion is perfect, and all eyes will be directed to the left
-hand, when the coin can be quietly placed in a side or tail pocket, to
-which receptacle it may afterwards be made to pass from the left hand,
-where it is supposed to be, in a magical manner. I would recommend
-the beginner to practice this movement sedulously in private, as it
-teaches quick and neat palming, and will prove a most useful auxiliary
-to many important tricks. By "passing" a coin from place to place "in
-a magical manner" is implied the act of <em>pretending</em> to do so; it
-being an accepted axiom amongst conjurers never to "pass" anything
-invisibly to any given spot until the article is already safely
-located there. This practice will, of course, commend itself to all as
-avoiding untoward mistakes. To "pass" a coin from the hand, wave the
-wand over it, and say whatever you think will go down best with the
-particular audience you have before you. A sharp rap on the knuckles<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>
-will complete the operation, but always take care to show the hand
-empty, otherwise the trick is spoilt. If the wand is not handy,
-pretend to rub the coin away between the fingers, or affect to give it
-to one of the audience. (See <a href="#fig8">Figs. 8</a> and <a href="#fig9">9</a> for an effective method.)</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig7"></a>
-<img src="images/fig7.png" width="400" height="247" alt="Fig. 7. (>(The dotted line represents the coin palmed in the right hand.)" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 7.<br />
-(The dotted line represents the coin palmed in the right hand.)</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig8"></a>
-<img src="images/fig8.png" width="400" height="230" alt="Fig. 8" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 8.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig9"></a>
-<img src="images/fig9.png" width="400" height="255" alt="Fig. 9" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 9.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="trickb"></a>(<em>b</em>) Have a coin palmed in the left hand, and borrow a similar one
-from the audience, and have it well marked (always have coins marked
-where possible, "to prevent changing"). Make a movement as though you
-placed the marked coin in the left hand, but in reality palm it. At
-the same time, open the left hand, and the coin that has been snugly
-concealed there will look as if it had just left the right hand. By
-this means a change is effected which you can utilise according to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>
-circumstances. By fidgeting about among the audience, you may be able
-to place the marked coin under one of them; the other coin being held
-by someone who is directed to hold it "very high, sir, very high, so
-that everyone can see it"&mdash;the real object being to keep him from
-examining it too closely. By standing the holder of the coin on a
-chair, an opportunity for slipping the palmed coin into his pocket
-presents itself, and should be taken advantage of. The marked coin
-being once safely hidden, it is an easy matter to palm the unmarked
-one (which, of course, the audience has been led to believe is the
-marked one) and make it "pass" invisibly to wherever the other may be.
-The conjuror's own coin should always be provided with a very distinct
-mark&mdash;a cross is invariably a safe one to employ&mdash;as it is rarely that
-one meets with people who can refrain from instituting an illicit
-investigation so soon as the conjuror's back is turned. When the
-holder of the coin is seen to be surreptitiously examining it for the
-mark, the conjuror should not prevent him, but call the attention of
-the audience to the fact, and ask if the mark be visible. The holder,
-seeing the cross, will answer in the affirmative; he not being aware,
-of course, that the borrowed coin was possibly marked with a very
-different sign. This incident will add to the effectiveness of the
-trick.</p>
-
-<p>In tricks <a href="#tricka"><em>a</em></a> and <a href="#trickb"><em>b</em></a> the wand will be found very useful. It
-should always be carried under the arm, after the manner in which
-soldiers carry their canes; and when any palm has been effected, and
-the coin has to remain concealed in the hand, the wand should be taken
-in the hand containing the coin. Beginners, especially, will find
-this of great assistance, as in the case of a somewhat defective palm
-the coin can be pressed well home by clenching the wand hard. Besides
-this, the fact of carrying a wand in the hand keeps the idea of the
-coin being there from the minds of the audience; and the mind is what
-the conjuror has to deceive.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickc"></a>(<em>c</em>) Have a coin palmed in the right hand (<a href="#method_2_the_finger_palm">Palm No. 2</a>), and procure
-a similar one, marked, which hold up to the audience<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> by the left
-hand. Pretend to take it in the right, but let it fall into the hollow
-of the left hand (<a href="#fig8">Figs. 8</a> and <a href="#fig9">9</a>); the unmarked coin in the right
-hand being exhibited. In order to effect this daring change naturally
-and without detection, the thumb of the right hand must be passed
-through the ring formed by the thumb and forefinger of the left and
-the coin held between them, and the fingers closed well over the
-coin, which will appear to be grasped by them. Now place the left
-hand under the table, the right hand remaining above. Covered by the
-action of bringing it on the table, execute <a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a> with the
-right hand, but keep the fingers formed as though they still held the
-coin, which you then pretend to lay on the table with a sharp "click."
-This "click" is made by the coin in the left hand, under the table,
-in order that the illusion may be perfect. The right hand will then
-affect to rub the coin through the table, and eventually the one in
-the left hand, which has in reality never been out of it, will be
-produced. The noise of rubbing is also made by the coin under the
-table, only it must not be continued too long; and care must be taken
-that the two hands act in perfect unison, as it will not do for the
-noise to continue when the action of rubbing with the right hand has
-ceased. This trick is not so difficult as it looks on paper, and is
-very effective. The whole trick consists in pretending to take the
-marked coin from the fingers of the left hand without doing so.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickd"></a>(<em>d</em>) Conceal a number of coins in the left hand. As a quantity cannot
-be easily palmed, they must be held in the hand with the wand. If that
-is not handy, hold the flap of the coat; but care should be taken
-that the wand <em>is</em> at hand for this trick. Borrow a hat, taking it in
-the right hand (in which a solitary coin is palmed), and transfer it
-rapidly to the left in such a manner that the crown is always towards
-the audience, and the fingers holding the coins are inside. The coins
-must not be jingled, or the trick will be exposed. Tell one of the
-audience that he must be very rich if he can afford to carry money
-about in such strange places as you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> perceive he does. Surprise will,
-of course, be expressed on his part, when you will fumble about in his
-hair, and eventually find the coin which you have had palmed. This is
-a much better method of commencing than merely saying, "I have here
-a shilling." It is sure to amuse the audience, and put you on a good
-footing with them; besides which, it is always well to mingle as much
-with them as possible, as then people go home and say, "Oh! he came
-right down among us, and found money in people's heads," &amp;c. Also take
-care to find the money in an elegant and inoffensive manner. Having
-spun the coin in the air, in order to show that it is a real one,
-retire to the end of the room, as far away as you can, if the room
-is small, and hold the hat, still in the left hand, before you, with
-the crown towards the audience. With the coin in the right hand, make
-a pass at the hat, palming the coin (<a href="#method_2_the_finger_palm">Palm No. 2</a>), and letting one
-from the left hand fall. You will then appear to have passed the coin
-from the right hand into the hat, by way of the crown. Should the coin
-by accident fall on a soft place in the hat, and make no noise in so
-doing, shake the hat about to show that the coin really is inside, or
-no one will know what is supposed to have taken place. Now advance a
-step or two, looking cautiously forward as if you saw something in the
-air, and suddenly make a dart out with the right hand, at the same
-time bringing the coin to the extreme ends of the fingers. The idea
-conveyed is that the coin has been caught in the air (<a href="#fig10">Fig. 10</a>).
-Pass it through the hat, letting another fall from the left hand,
-and shaking the hat so as to ensure the two that have been dropped
-jingling together, and find another in the air a little farther on.
-Proceed in this way till all the coins in the left hand are exhausted
-(varying the proceedings by occasionally finding one at your elbow or
-foot), and then show the hat with coins to the audience, a member of
-which will doubtless have "just one more" seated on the tip of the
-nose, which coin is put into the hat in the ordinary way. The beginner
-should use shillings, seven or eight only in number, for this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> trick,
-although larger coins are certainly more effective at a distance. It
-is best to use two palms, viz., the finger palm when the coin is to be
-caught in the air or in the flame of a candle (a very pretty effect),
-as it is more readily brought to the ends of the fingers from that
-position; and either of the others (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">No. 1</a> for choice), when the coin
-is to be found on the body or elsewhere. It is as well to occasionally
-pretend to put the coin into the hat in the ordinary way, instead
-of through the crown. Some conjurors object altogether to passing
-through the crown; but this is merely a matter of fancy. It sometimes
-happens that the person in whose hair you find the first piece will,
-from his being a "funny man," or otherwise privileged person, ask you
-to give him back his property. Acquiesce at once with his request,
-of course after your own manner, which will be to palm the coin, and
-pretend to give it to him, much to his discomfiture. In borrowing the
-hat, be sure that it hides the left hand in the act of being taken,
-so that any accidental exposure of the coins held there, which might
-occur through inexperience, will be covered. Also observe the greatest
-caution in dropping only one coin into the hat at the first pass.
-After the first coin has fallen, it does not matter if two or more are
-accidentally let fall at once, as the error could not be detected;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>
-but at the commencement it would be simply fatal to do so. Under cover
-of the hat it is easy to separate one coin from the rest for the first
-drop. If the number of coins is very limited, you must give the hat a
-short, sharp shake, which will serve in lieu of letting one fall; but
-only do this now and then. This trick will be treated in an enlarged
-form, under the head of "Grand Magic." When any number of coins are
-required for any other trick, they should always be collected in
-this manner, it being a most effective method. Always take a step
-in advance each time a coin is found. For this reason the performer
-should stand well to the right on the stage on commencing.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig10"></a>
-<img src="images/fig10.png" width="450" height="356" alt="Fig. 10" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 10.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="tricke"></a>(<em>e</em>) The following makes an excellent "follow" to the preceding
-trick: Suppose that you have sixteen coins in all in the hat; conceal
-four of them in one hand. If the hat is then held by the same hand,
-it will not be noticed that it contains any coins. Now ask someone to
-count the coins in the hat, and, of course, there will be twelve. Take
-four of these away, and give them to be held by another person. Hold
-the hat high in the air, and tell the person who has the remaining
-eight coins to drop them into it when you have counted "three." Watch
-the action of his hand narrowly, and, as the eight coins fall, release
-the four concealed in the hand which holds the hat so that they all
-fall exactly together. The great thing to avoid is the sound of two
-distinct drops, which would be fatal. Leaving the hat, covered with a
-handkerchief if you please, in the hands of your temporary assistant,
-who will, of course, be enjoined to "hold it very high," you take the
-four coins just previously given to be held, and "pass" them invisibly
-into the hat, where, of course, twelve coins will be found. The method
-for passing used is the same as that depicted at <a href="#fig7">Fig. 7</a>, with the
-difference that the coins are not palmed. They must be held in the
-fingers loosely (<a href="#fig11">Fig. 11</a>) so that when the false movement of placing
-them in the outstretched palm is made they will come together with a
-clash, which is highly necessary for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> success of the pass. The
-hand actually containing the coins must instantly seize the wand,
-which article will then cause the magic journey from left hand to hat
-to be made. Be careful that the counting of the coins is done in a
-very deliberate manner, and in a loud voice, so that everyone in the
-room knows how many coins are supposed to be in the hat before you
-pass the rest into it. If this is not done, the effect of the trick is
-lost.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;">
-<a id="fig11"></a>
-<img src="images/fig11.png" width="500" height="283" alt="Fig. 11" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 11.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>Here let me advise my readers to assiduously practise quick palming,
-for which purpose I would recommend <a href="#tricka">trick <em>a</em></a> as a most effective
-exercise. So much depends upon a quick and secure palm, that too
-great a stress cannot be laid upon it. Indeed, I cannot too strongly
-impress the learner with the necessity of practising everything, to
-the minutest detail, in private, before venturing to perform before
-others. By so doing, much chagrin and disappointment will be averted.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickf"></a>(<em>f</em>) The trick I am now about to describe will, I have no doubt,
-be known to many of my readers; but I ask no excuse for giving it
-here, as those who can claim a previous acquaintanceship with the
-trick will, perhaps, here learn a wrinkle or two worth knowing:
-Borrow a handkerchief. When I say "borrow a handkerchief," I do not
-mean simply borrow one without any comment. On the contrary, make
-a great fuss about never using your own handkerchief, &amp;c.;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> and be
-particular to hand round all borrowed articles for inspection, to show
-that you "have no confederates." By making your audience thoroughly
-sick of looking at borrowed articles, they are more likely to pass
-over anything of your own that will not bear minute examination.
-This should be borne well in mind. Spread the handkerchief out upon
-the table, and place a coin, not heavier or larger than a shilling
-(borrowed and marked), in the centre of it. Beneath the nail of the
-middle finger of the right hand (which hand is immaterial, but for the
-purpose of illustration it is necessary to use the terms "right" and
-"left") you have a small piece of bees' wax (on no account cobblers'
-wax) which you have previously made tolerably adhesive by working it
-about. Place this finger on the coin, saying, "Now, in order that
-all may see that I do not for one instant move the coin from its
-position, I place this finger upon it," and, taking up one of the
-corners of the handkerchief in the other hand, fold it over the coin
-so as to well cover it, and press it down hard, allowing the wax to
-come off on the coin, and to cause a mutual adherence between it and
-the handkerchief. Fold the remaining three corners over one another
-with great deliberation, exhibiting a portion of the coin each time,
-to show that there is "no cheating." When all four corners are folded
-over, the handkerchief will still be in the shape of a square, but
-of course much smaller than it was at the commencement, and it will
-have an aperture running from the centre to each corner. Note the
-portion of the handkerchief to which the coin is stuck, and place
-the two hands, side by side, in the aperture formed by this portion
-and the one next to it (<a href="#fig12">Fig. 12</a>). If the hands are now separated
-briskly, and the sides of the handkerchief allowed to slide through
-the fingers, it stands to reason that, the coin being fast to the
-corner of the handkerchief, it will, when the corner is reached,
-find its way into the hand. The handkerchief must be shaken hard,
-as soon as the coin is safe in the hand, for effect. The operations
-of opening the handkerchief and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> shaking it must be practised until
-they can be compassed both smoothly and quickly in one movement.
-The trick is easy, but requires some little practice. Common soap
-is an excellent substitute for wax, but it has the disadvantage of
-being less portable. The beauty of the wax is that it can be so
-easily concealed beneath the nail, and comes off the coin cleanly.
-The coin successfully vanished from the handkerchief, it rests with
-the performer to reproduce it in what manner he pleases. If he has
-already found coins in the heads of the audience, the reproduction
-can be varied. For instance, if a tiny piece of wax be affixed to
-the flat end of the wand, and that end brought into contact with the
-coin whilst in the palm, and a little pressure used, the coin will
-adhere. Then, if the wand be passed rapidly behind a curtain, or
-inside the coat of one of the audience, a great effect can be caused
-by slowly producing the vanished article from its supposed place of
-concealment at the end of the wand. The trick can be further prolonged
-by having about 15in. of human hair, with a tiny bead of wax at the
-end, affixed to a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> waistcoat button. Affix the coin to the waxed
-end, and place it in a wineglass, in which it can be easily made
-to dance by slightly moving the glass or depressing the hair with
-the wand, which is supposed to be beating time. Such a combination
-of tricks, each one easy in itself, affords invaluable practice to
-the beginner. The conjuror, like the chess-player, must always see,
-in his mind's eye, two or three moves ahead, so that no hitch or
-hesitation occurs. For example, the instant the coin reaches the hand
-from the handkerchief, it must be palmed, the wand taken up, and the
-handkerchief ostentatiously given round for inspection to show that
-there is no hole in it, or for any other plausible reason. Perhaps
-you will only gain five seconds by this, but that is time enough to
-enable you to press the wand against the coin. You must not, after
-this, allow the least pause to occur, but at once seize someone, and
-have your wand inside his coat before he knows what you are about; for
-it must be remembered that, if the action is noticed, the coin will
-be noticed too, as it is in a tolerably conspicuous position at the
-end of the wand. Then, whilst you are rating the individual soundly
-for having endeavoured to spoil your trick by concealing the coin, and
-drawing universal attention to him, one hand will be busily employed
-in pressing the waxed end of the hair against the coin. The trick of
-dancing a coin in a glass is so well known that no one with any desire
-for a reputation as a prestidigitateur would introduce it by itself;
-but, in the illustration I have just given, the coin has been in such
-a variety of places and situations, that the idea of its being fixed
-to anything does not enter the minds of the audience. Half-a-minute's
-dancing is quite sufficient, and at the end of it the attention of the
-audience must be at once drawn into another groove by your showing the
-coin to be the veritable one marked some time since, the wax being
-removed by a finger nail.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 435px;">
-<a id="fig12"></a>
-<img src="images/fig12.png" width="435" height="400" alt="Fig. 12" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 12.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="trickg"></a>(<em>g</em>) Another very pretty trick is the following, although also well
-known. Procure (a "magical repository" will be found<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> the best place
-to go to in the long run) a "nest" of round boxes, one fitting inside
-the other. If the outside one is of the size of a crown piece, and
-the inner one large enough to contain a shilling, the "nest" should
-consist of nine or ten boxes. Have the lids arranged in order, one
-within the other, and the bodies in the same manner, beside the
-lids. If you are performing with a retiring screen, the boxes can be
-arranged behind it. Lacking this, the next best plan is to have them
-at the bottom of a bag, which will stifle the noise made by shutting
-them. Borrow a marked coin, which you will exchange for a similar one
-in your palm (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a>). Give this to be held. Say, "Now, here
-I have a small box." But as you have purposely left the "small box"
-behind your screen or in your bag, as the case may be, you will have
-to go and fetch it. As soon as your hands are out of sight, pop the
-coin (which will be the marked one) into the smallest box, and shut
-all the lids down together. If you have to do this inside the bag,
-and consequently in full view of the audience, your face must bear an
-anxious and slightly annoyed expression, as if the box could not be
-found. As soon as the man&#339;uvre is executed, exclaim, as if much
-relieved, "Ah, here it is. Now, ladies and gentlemen," &amp;c., &amp;c. The
-operation of shutting all the boxes down at once is a very simple
-one if the lids are taken in one hand and the bodies in the other,
-the two halves meeting, as it were, half way. A little practice will
-soon show the futility of attempting to <em>turn</em> the lids over on the
-bodies. Place the box in a prominent place (do not give it to be held,
-as a slight shake will reveal the fact that there is a coin already
-inside), and, taking the coin out of the handkerchief, "pass" it into
-the box, which now ask someone to open. Of course, box No. 2 will be
-found inside, at which you will say, "Dear me!" or make any other
-expression of surprise. Boxes Nos. 3, 4, and so on will in turn be
-revealed, amidst great amusement, and in the innermost one, which
-the performer must, on no account, open himself, the coin will be
-discovered. You cannot very well<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> avoid allowing an examination of the
-boxes, but always take care that the lids are in one place and the
-boxes in another, and all in great confusion as to gradation of size,
-and at the earliest opportunity sweep them away. It is the fashion
-to perform this trick with a coin previously sewn in a handkerchief,
-which handkerchief is whisked in the air. The effect is decidedly
-good, if not spoilt (as it certainly will be, ever and anon) by a
-demand to examine the handkerchief, which demand, I need hardly say,
-it is impossible to accede to. This sort of thing the conjuror must
-never indulge in. Let him borrow and return his handkerchief like a
-man, and trust to his sleight of hand.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickh"></a>(<em>h</em>) Palm a penny (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a>); borrow another, and a florin.
-Ask one of the audience to extend his or her hands (palms open and
-upwards) towards you; give the borrowed penny to be held by someone
-else, hold the florin at the ends of the fingers of the left hand,
-and execute the pass described in <a href="#trickc">trick <em>c</em></a>, which will leave the
-florin in the palm of the left hand. The penny in the right hand
-must not, however, be actually exhibited, as is the coin in <a href="#trickc">trick c</a>,
-but be immediately placed in one of the outstretched hands before
-you. If the owner of them is at all restive, and anxious to see what
-is in his or her hand, or is a person you know or think you cannot
-trust, ask the nearest person to assist in the operation by holding
-the hand in one of his or her own. This, you will explain, is to show
-that you have no confederates. If the two parties are of opposite
-sexes, you can improve the occasion by some gentle sally about the
-gentleman being honoured by holding a lady's hand, &amp;c. This operation
-concluded, the audience, including the holder of the coin, is, you
-may have no fear, under the impression that the florin is in the
-holder's hand. You have now to make believe to place the penny into
-the other outstretched hand. To do this, you must execute the same
-pass as before, only reversed; <em>i.e.</em>, the right hand will hold the
-penny, and the left the palmed florin. This trick affords an instance
-where palming with both hands is a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> requisite accomplishment. If the
-performer is not able to palm with both hands, an opportunity must
-be made for getting the coin in the left hand back into the right.
-By repeating the change as before, you will be supposed to place
-the penny in the other hand of the holder, and, drawing particular
-attention to the exact position of the coins, command them to change
-places. This trick, so simple to look at, is one of the most difficult
-to perform of those yet described; for not only must the sleight of
-hand be well executed, but the whole demeanour of the performer must
-be impressive of the fact that he really is doing what he says he is,
-instead of exactly the reverse. Yet the impressiveness must not be too
-pointed, or the natural suspicion in human nature will be aroused.
-The "happy medium" is well hit if the performer, in giving the florin
-(in reality the penny), says, "Now, sir" (or "madam," as the case may
-be), "I will ask you to take great care of this coin for me. Conjurors
-are but poor people, and cannot well afford to lose money; for this
-reason I have given you the florin to hold in your right hand, it
-being the stronger." On giving the penny, you can say that "I would
-rather, for safety's sake, that it were along with the florin in the
-right hand, only, in that case, there would be no trick." In giving
-the coins into the holder's hands, it is highly essential that you
-close the latter rapidly, the coins being so covered by your own
-fingers during the operation that nothing is seen of them. Otherwise,
-it would be unnecessary to proceed further with the trick. The florin
-may be marked, but not so the penny, unless the audience insists upon
-it, as they sometimes will, at the instigation of Mr. Interference;
-in which case the pennies must be once more exchanged&mdash;a very simple
-matter&mdash;before the coins are returned to their owners.</p>
-
-<p><a id="tricki"></a>(<em>i</em>) Borrow or produce (it is immaterial, save for appearance, which
-you do) six to nine coins, and lay them, apart from each other, on
-a table or slab. Have one of the coins marked by several persons in
-the room (use the "no confederate" excuse), and placed along with
-the unmarked ones in a hat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> and the whole shaken up so as to be
-well mixed. Whilst this is being done, have yourself blindfolded.
-Placing your hand in the hat, feel every coin, and you will at once
-detect which is the marked one, by its warmth. The heat is imparted
-to it from the many hands through which it has passed. It is always
-advantageous to have the other coins lying on as cold a place as
-possible; but never turn back a tablecloth for the purpose of allowing
-them to lie on the bare mahogany, or a clue to the solution of the
-mystery will be given. Sometimes some clever people will pretend to
-put the marked shilling into the hat without doing so. This you can
-easily detect by counting the coins. Of course, you would not count
-them until you failed to find the marked one, as the trick should
-be performed as quickly as possible. No sleight of hand whatever is
-required; but it is a trick which never fails to excite the greatest
-wonderment whenever successfully performed. By allowing the audience
-to arrange the preliminaries, you disarm suspicion. The blindfolding,
-which is an innovation of my own, I find a great improvement. Of
-course, make the most of it.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickk"></a>(<em>k</em>) Have a shilling palmed (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a>), and borrow another; also
-a handkerchief. Place the borrowed shilling in the handkerchief, which
-roll up very loosely, the coin from the palm being included in the
-folds, and as near the other one as possible without actually touching
-it. Place the whole in a hat, with one end of the handkerchief hanging
-out. Now borrow another shilling, which say you will pass invisibly
-into the handkerchief. Make a pass, and ask someone to shake the
-handkerchief into the hat, when the two coins will jingle together.
-This is a simple trick, and is capable of variation according to
-circumstances.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickl"></a>(<em>l</em>) The trick I am now going to describe, as a drawing-room
-experiment with coins, surpasses, for simplicity and effect, all
-others. But its simplicity must not lead the learner to attempt it
-without having attained some proficiency in the foregoing tricks, for
-considerable neatness is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> required to execute it effectively. Procure
-a piece of glass of the size and thickness of a penny, and have the
-edges ground smooth, but not polished. This is best obtained from a
-lapidary&mdash;not an optician. Have it palmed in either hand (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a>).
-Borrow a penny, and, whilst it is being marked, ask one of the
-audience to half fill a wineglass, which has been well examined, with
-water. Always let the audience attend to such matters as these, as it
-tends to disarm suspicion, and also saves you trouble. You will, of
-course, not omit to make the most of there being no possible deception
-in the glass, which you will give a lady to hold by the stem or foot.
-Now borrow a white handkerchief, as coarse as you can procure it (do
-not ask for a coarse handkerchief, for that would be impolite, but say
-you want a gentleman's handkerchief, and then you can select which
-you prefer), and, taking the marked coin in the same hand as that in
-which the glass is palmed, spread the handkerchief over it. Approach<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>
-the lady holding the wineglass, and affect to take up the coin, with
-the handkerchief, from the outside, by means of the disengaged hand,
-but in reality take up the glass, palming the coin (<a href="#method_1_the_palm_proper">Palm No. 1</a>).
-Now spread the handkerchief over the wineglass, with the supposed
-coin exactly above the latter, and within an inch of its rim. Let
-the holder of the wineglass grasp the coin (<em>i.e.</em>, the counterfeit
-presentment thereof) with the thumb and forefinger of the disengaged
-hand, and keep it in the same position, with the understanding that
-at the word "three" it is to be allowed to fall into the glass (see
-<a href="#fig13">Fig. 13</a>). Take great care that the piece of glass is held exactly over
-the wineglass, and utter the word of command only when there is a dead
-silence. The jingling of the falling glass will, of course, be assumed
-by the audience to be that of the penny. You will now express your
-intention of invisibly extracting the coin from the glass. Use any
-cabalistic form you may choose, and, with a flourish of the wand from
-the wineglass towards your hand, exhibit the coin, and give it to be
-examined. Let the lady withdraw the handkerchief from the wineglass,
-which at once seize and show rapidly round. The glass at the bottom
-will not be perceived, and you must take an early opportunity of
-extracting it. Some tricks "take" in various degrees at different
-times, but this one never fails to throw the audience into a state of
-bewilderment. Always obtain possession of the wineglass as soon as you
-can after the completion of the trick, for people will sometimes feel
-to the bottom of it with their fingers, although without the faintest
-notion of what they are looking for. When you bewilder people, you
-must not be surprised if they do inexplicable things, and must prepare
-yourself for all emergencies.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 398px;">
-<a id="fig13"></a>
-<img src="images/fig13.png" width="398" height="500" alt="Fig. 13" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 13.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>My reason for directing the performer to borrow a <em>penny</em> for this
-trick is that it has, similarly with the circle of glass, no milled
-edge, and is of the size most convenient for the occasion. In extreme
-cases an eyeglass may be used, when, if it has a milled edge, as
-most of them have,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> it would be as well to borrow a florin; but in
-such instances there must be no dallying in showing the glass round
-after the trick, or the ribbed edge will infallibly be seen. I
-remember finding myself, on one occasion, without my piece of glass,
-and borrowed an eyeglass of one of the audience, under the pretext
-that the silken cord by which it was suspended was the very thing I
-required for a trick. I did some trivial thing with the cord, but
-forgot to return the glass for an hour or so, having in the interim
-forced it out of its frame (it was mounted in tortoiseshell),
-performed the trick, and replaced it. I knew that I should have to
-perform this particular trick, or have my reputation tarnished, so
-made a bold stroke for victory. Now I am never without the glass, and
-advise my readers to observe the same precaution. A port wine glass
-is the best to use, the piece of glass being liable to stick in the
-comparatively narrow sherry glass. Always give the wineglass to a lady
-to hold: ladies are less liable to attempt to conduct experiments
-after their own manner, or to make premature disclosures, either of
-which proceedings is embarrassing to the performer. The conjuring
-repositories supply a champagne tumbler, with a glass exactly the
-size of the interior of the bottom. This is an undoubted improvement,
-as the water may be poured out, if an examination be demanded, when
-the glass will still adhere to bottom of the tumbler, although the
-latter be turned upside down. This trick, when "worked" in conjunction
-with the nest of boxes, previously mentioned, makes an excellent
-combination. The nest can be used for any sized coin by the simple
-expedient of removing the very smallest boxes.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickm"></a>(<em>m</em>) Take a penny, in good condition, and make, or have made, by a
-competent person, a groove, quite 3/16in. deep, all round the outer
-edge. This is very easily and most efficiently managed by means of
-a lathe; but, wanting that useful machine, a piercing-saw and flat
-needle-file will answer. When the groove is completed, with the
-piercing saw cut the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> penny into three pieces of equal width. Now take
-a very fine indiarubber band, obtainable at all shops where rubber
-goods are sold, and stretch it round the groove. The <a href="#fig14">illustration</a>
-shows the penny in three pieces, and also the band&mdash;actual size
-before being stretched. In putting on the band, commence with the
-centre piece, and then fit in the side pieces, the greatest care
-being necessary not to allow the band to get twisted. The result of
-these operations, when concluded, is that the penny can be folded up
-and made to occupy a space in width one-third of its usual diameter.
-When held at a little distance from the spectator, the incisions are
-not observable, especially before the penny is used for a trick, the
-issue of which, being unknown, does not lead the suspicions of the
-audience into any particular groove. As the act of folding causes a
-sharp strain to be put upon the band at the junctions, the groove at
-those points must be carefully filed, so as to completely do away with
-anything resembling a cutting edge, or a disaster may very easily
-occur. Invariably, before using, the band should be minutely examined,
-and, if the slightest signs of wear manifest themselves, it should be
-changed.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig14"></a>
-<img src="images/fig14.png" width="300" height="204" alt="Fig. 14" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 14.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The prepared coin (which need not necessarily be a penny) is generally
-used in conjunction with a bottle, into which it is made to pass,
-<em>viâ</em> the mouth. In order to make the trick at all satisfactory,
-a marked penny should be borrowed, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> exchanged, by any of the
-previously described methods, for the prepared one.</p>
-
-<p>A soda-water bottle has been previously handed round for examination,
-and this is taken in the left hand. With the right hand show that the
-penny is at least as broad again as the mouth of the bottle, and then,
-folding it up quickly whilst making a covering movement, and hidden by
-the body of the hand, let it fall through. Show the bottle round to
-the spectators, continually shaking it, as if to convince them that
-the coin is solid and real, but really to prevent the possibility
-of the slits being seen. The trick can now be finished in two ways,
-viz., the bottle may be broken, or the coin can be shaken out again. I
-fancy the breaking of the bottle is the more effective, as the shaking
-out method impresses too forcibly upon the mind of an intelligent
-company the fact that some mysterious, if ingeniously concealed,
-preparation exists in connection with the coin. But the performer
-in this instance, as in very many other cases, must be guided in
-his actions by the mental calibre of the spectators. To shake the
-coin from the bottle, the latter should be taken horizontally in the
-right hand, the fingers of the left hand closing round the mouth,
-leaving a hollow in the palm for the coin to fall into. A not too
-violent sweeping shake is then given, bringing the mouth of the bottle
-downwards, when the coin should pass into the left hand. Some little
-practice will be required to insure this operation being brought
-off at the first attempt. Having to shake the bottle three or four
-times looks unskilful, although it does not absolutely spoil the
-trick. I have directed the use of a soda-water bottle because it has
-sloping sides, which facilitate the operation of getting the penny
-out very considerably, and also because it is made of white glass.
-If a coloured bottle were used (which it must not be, if possibly
-avoidable), the spectators would suspect that a coin had somehow been
-concealed in the interior before the trick began. However the coin
-may be regained, whether by breaking the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> bottle or by shaking out,
-it must be immediately re-exchanged for the borrowed penny, which
-will then be returned. It is quite possible to have that coin palmed
-during the whole operation; but if the performer lacks the necessary
-skill for this, it should be carried in the ticket pocket of the coat.
-The conjuror should have every coat he wears (excepting his dress
-one) furnished with this ticket pocket, and it will be greatly to his
-advantage to have one on each side. It should not be too deep, so that
-coins and other articles may be speedily reached with certainty, and
-it should not have a covering flap.</p>
-
-<p>The penny can also be prepared by omitting the groove, employing
-instead holes, made completely through, across the slits, through
-which elastic is passed, and fastened. As, for this purpose, flat
-elastic is immeasurably superior to any other form, some trouble is
-entailed in making suitable slits through; but, once accomplished, the
-article is far better than one prepared in any other way. The elastic
-should run quite freely through the centre piece, and be fastened with
-glue to the outside pieces only, first being slightly stretched, to
-insure the whole being brought closely together. The grooved penny can
-be purchased at a much less cost than would be incurred in making it,
-and, in addition, is more likely to be correctly constructed.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 207px;">
-<a id="fig15"></a>
-<img src="images/fig15.png" width="207" height="450" alt="Fig. 15" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 15.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The following is a development of the use of the folding penny, which
-is even more startling than the foregoing, one or more pennies being
-made to pass into a bottle, which has been examined, and which has the
-mouth stopped by a large cork. In this case, the cork (<a href="#fig15">Fig. 15</a>) is
-a delusion and a snare. It is just 2in. long, and 1-1/16in. broad at
-the top, tapering to 15/16in. at the bottom. Viewed from the exterior,
-it is a cork; in reality, it is made of brass, with a thin veneer of
-cork glued on the outside. The measurements given include the cork
-skin. The bottom opens, flap-like, on a hinge, but is kept normally
-closed by means of a fine spiral spring, running the whole length of
-the inside, and soldered on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> top and bottom. Protruding through a
-hole drilled in the top is a pin, which also runs the whole length of
-the interior (carried inside a small tube), and, when pressed, pushes
-open the bottom flap, thus allowing any contents there may be to fall
-out into the bottle. When the pressure upon the pin is removed, the
-power of the spring closes it again. This cork is charged with one or
-more folding pennies (three or four are generally used), and concealed
-in the hand, a genuine cork being handed for examination. The latter
-is changed for the "property" cork, which is then placed in the
-bottle, which must be white, and, of course, have a very wide mouth.
-The performer now produces some pennies, which he may "pass" into the
-bottle in any way he pleases. A good method is to use the <a href="#two_little_boxes">two boxes</a>
-described in "<a href="#Part_II_Grand_or_Stage_Magic">Grand Magic</a>" as then the performer's hands are free.
-But the pass shown at <a href="#fig11">Fig. 11</a> may be employed, the bottle being
-taken in the hand in which the coins are actually concealed. When the
-coins are being "passed," the bottle must, of course, be held in one
-hand or the other, and pressure given the pin by a finger at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>
-proper moment. Where one coin only is used, it may be simply palmed,
-which method would also apply where the performer is skilful enough to
-palm several coins at once. In this case, the coins would merely be
-held in one hand, and the bottle in the other, and the coins thrown
-into the bottle.</p>
-
-<p><a id="trickn"></a>(<em>n</em>) A very pretty trick, though rather difficult to learn, is
-performed, with the aid of the Reverse Palm (<a href="#fig6">Fig. 6</a>), as follows:
-Borrow from two separate persons two coins of the same denomination.
-Take particular pains to have the marks quite distinct on each,
-so that the two are distinguishable from one another. There is no
-objection to the performer superintending the marking, in order to
-insure its being properly done. One coin, for instance, might have
-a single stroke marked upon it, or a cross, whilst the other could
-have a small circle or an initial. The numbers 1 and 2 could also be
-efficiently employed; and, for facility of description, I will now
-suppose them used. Palmed (<a href="#fig2">Fig. 2</a>), you have another coin of your
-own, similar to those borrowed. You place two chairs or settees a
-little distance apart, between yourself and the spectators. Take coin
-No. 1, and, standing behind one of the chairs, facing the company, act
-as though you tossed it upon the cushion. What you really do, however,
-is to palm the coin by the reverse palm, following the instructions
-on <a href="#Page_8">page 8</a>, for throwing a coin away into the air; the coin that
-has been concealed in the palm being released, in its stead. This
-action must be assiduously practised until it can be performed with
-complete certainty and smoothness. Practise first tossing a coin on
-a chair from a distance of a couple of feet, and then imitate that
-action as nearly as possible whilst making the change. The toss must
-be made with a steady, smooth swing, neither too hurriedly nor too
-slowly executed. When the man&#339;uvre is finished, the palm of the
-hand must, of course, be towards the audience. A half, or whole, turn
-of the body must now be made, to enable the performer to get the coin
-from the back of the fingers to the palm proper. The way to ensure the
-safe execution of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> this is to put the thumb over the first finger,
-so that it grasps the coin, assisted by the middle finger. The first
-finger can then be drawn out of the way. With coin No. 1 in the palm,
-take coin No. 2, and repeat the changing operation, at the completion
-of which the state of affairs will be: On chair 1, duplicate coin
-(supposed by spectators to be coin No. 1); on chair 2, coin No. 1
-(supposed by spectators to be coin No. 2); in performer's palm, coin
-No. 2. Any fanciful form of causing a magical change to take place
-may be gone into, and the performer then asks a spectator to examine
-the coin on chair 2, which is found to be coin No. 1. As only two
-coins are known to the spectators, it is taken for granted by them
-that the one on chair 1 is coin No. 2; but it will be as well for the
-performer to incidentally remark, "And, of course, there is coin No.
-2," and then at once proceed to show the trick over again, "for the
-general satisfaction of those present." For this purpose, coin No.
-1 is taken from the person who examined it, and ostensibly replaced
-upon chair 2. Instead, however, coin No. 2 is placed there. Under the
-plea of placing the chair a little closer, so that a better view may
-be obtained, the performer takes up duplicate coin from chair 1, and,
-in apparently replacing it, substitutes coin No. 1. The coins have
-thus been made to regain their old positions, and may now, of course,
-be freely examined, the performer not touching them again. If the
-performer feels any confidence in himself in this rather difficult
-trick, he may use three marked coins, when, by skilful manipulation,
-he may make all sorts of changes. By working changes with only two of
-the three at a time, he always has one lying dormant, which is not
-liable to inspection, and may, therefore, be the duplicate one. It is
-not advisable for him to prolong the trick, unless it be going very
-well. He must keep his wits about him, however, or he may find that he
-has forgotten the precise whereabouts of his own coin. A very bold,
-but remarkably effective, way of bringing about the final change is
-to pick the coin from the chair, and, instead of moving that closer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>
-toss the coin into a lady's lap. The lady should be sitting upon
-the extreme verge of the other spectators, or else must be shielded
-by some article of furniture, or the coin palmed at the back of the
-hand is not unlikely to be seen. The very boldness of this action is,
-however, its chief safeguard, only there must be no sort of hesitation
-in its execution.</p>
-
-<p>A performer with large and muscular fingers can use half-crowns
-for the trick, but for the beginner shillings and halfpence will
-be sufficient. Copper coins are not so effective as silver; but an
-accidental exposure of a portion of them is not so readily perceived
-as is the case with the brighter metal&mdash;not that there is the least
-excuse for such exposure.</p>
-
-<p>Before returning the duplicate coin to the pocket, the performer may
-produce one or two other effects with the reverse palm. Let him borrow
-a hat, and a coin similar to the one concealed. Standing sideways to
-the company, let him have the duplicate palmed reversely in the hand
-that is farthest from the audience. Say it is the left hand. With the
-right hand place the hat into the left one, the thumb on the brim, the
-fingers inside. As the company have seen the palm of the left hand
-open, not the slightest suspicion will be entertained that it holds
-anything. The borrowed coin is now made to perform an ærial journey,
-being palmed. The performer's eye follows its imaginary flight,
-and then catches it in the hat, the coin in the left hand being of
-course released, when it will be heard to fall. After showing this
-coin, reverse palm the other, under cover of the hat, and repeat the
-operation. To do this, the performer must be able to palm equally well
-with either hand. If the trick be repeated, it should be varied each
-time by some such device as finding that the coin had taken refuge in
-a gentleman's hair, lady's handkerchief, &amp;c., on its way to the hat.</p>
-
-<p>By the time the learner has proceeded thus far with success, he will
-have acquired a proficiency that will enable him to amuse a circle of
-friends for an hour or two by means of coin tricks alone, without much
-fear of detection,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> especially if the rule of rehearsing in private
-before exhibiting in public be adhered to. The security afforded by a
-good palm can scarcely be over-estimated, as it enables the performer
-to attempt the most barefaced impromptu experiments with comparative
-impunity. These impromptu interludes are always conducive to success,
-for the audience can generally discover originality.</p>
-
-<p>But, before taking a temporary leave of coins, I must put my readers
-up to a few wrinkles in connection with the use of the sleeve&mdash;a
-portion of the conjuror's attire which is but rarely employed,
-notwithstanding the popular exclamation of "Up his sleeve," which is
-usually made use of when the operator has vanished some trifle in the
-shape of a cauliflower or rabbit, for the reception of which articles
-the sleeve of a dress coat is so admirably adapted. No; the sleeve
-is only used when its coadjutorship is unsuspected; and, in the case
-of coins, only when the palm is suspected of containing the coin. So
-many people have a misty idea of palming, that one frequently hears
-whispered, "In his palm." Should the whisperer be wrong, of course
-you will at once prove him to be so by exhibiting your palms empty;
-but should he be right, you will then feign not to hear the whisper.
-Sometimes, though, the announcement is not made in a whisper, but
-in the form of a challenge to you, and this you must be prepared to
-meet. Suppose the coin <em>is</em> palmed and you are challenged; you are
-close to or among the audience, and the challenger is importunate.
-Nothing remains but to sleeve the coin. This man&#339;uvre is executed
-by shooting the arm straight out, the palm open and downwards, with
-such force as will carry the coin up the sleeve. Of course, you
-must not stand in middle of the room shooting your arm out, or the
-audience will either divine what you are about or will think you are
-taking leave of your senses. The action must be covered by an advance
-towards the challenger, which must be done as boldly as if you had
-never even seen the coin, much less concealed it in your palm. As
-you advance, say something;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> for example, "What! in my palm, sir? I
-don't understand you. How can anything be in my palm? If you don't
-believe me, see for yourself." With this, make the shoot, and turn
-the hand over. Care must be taken that the arm is quite level, or the
-coin will slide gracefully on to the floor. You must not stop here,
-but say, "Perhaps you would like to see my other hand as well, sir"
-(show left hand, at same time allowing coin to fall back in the right,
-where palm it), "or maybe you think the coin is up my sleeve." Shake
-both arms vigorously, which, as the coin is again in your palm, you
-can do with impunity, and ask someone to feel your sleeves. An extra
-effect is given by your asserting that the cause of the gentleman's
-anxiety was that he himself had basely pilfered the coin, and wished
-to pass the odium on to you. With this remark, produce the coin from
-some part of his person. Barring the disturbance to the equilibrium of
-one's feelings of security whilst the performance is going on, this
-little interlude, promptly carried out, is as good as any set trick.
-Of course there must be no bungling. Should the sleeves be turned
-back, as they often will be, they must first be unrolled, with great
-deliberation. In such an instance you would, of course, show that
-your sleeves are guiltless of any deception, before exonerating the
-palm. Practice will enable you at once to perceive the nature of the
-objection about to be raised, so that ordinarily you can anticipate,
-and turn down one sleeve at least. It is not often that the exigency
-occurs, but it will infallibly do so at some time or other, so one
-must be prepared to meet it, or be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> looked upon as an impostor. A
-second method for sending a coin up the sleeve is to place it almost
-on the ends of the fingers (<a href="#fig16">Fig. 16</a>) palm upwards, and, turning the
-hand rapidly over, close it (<a href="#fig17">Fig. 17</a>). This will throw the coin
-up the sleeve, whereas the appearance is that it is enclosed in the
-hand. A third method is to hold the coin between the thumb and middle
-finger (<a href="#fig18">Fig. 18</a>) and "flip" it up the sleeve. A fourth method is to
-place the coin on the edge of the table and cover it with the ends of
-the fingers, which draw smartly back and shut, when the coin will be
-shot up the sleeve. This somewhat resembles the second method. A fifth
-method is to spin the coin high in the air, and as it descends make a
-"grab" at it as if catching, but in reality allow it to fall down the
-sleeve, keeping the hand shut as though holding it. This is one of the
-most thorough deceptions I know of. It is so perfect that the operator
-himself cannot see the coin enter the sleeve. I am quite aware that
-it seems improbable, but a trial will be conclusive on the point. A
-pleasing variety of the first method is to place a coin (the heavier
-the better) on the palm of the hand. Turn the hand over briskly, at
-the same time thrusting it well forward, and the coin will slide up
-the sleeve. In performing any of these tricks be careful to have the
-shirt cuff pulled well up and out of the way, and do not wear large
-links or solitaires, against which the coin will infallibly clink, if
-only for the simple reason that it is not wanted to do so. No one but
-a bungler would use the sleeve in his regular performances,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> except
-when driven by necessity; but it is highly essential for a conjuror to
-be perfect in all the minutiæ of his art, and he must practise them as
-the pianoforte-player practises the scales which he never plays to the
-public.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig16"></a>
-<img src="images/fig16.png" width="350" height="181" alt="Fig. 16" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 16.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig17"></a>
-<img src="images/fig17.png" width="350" height="224" alt="Fig. 17" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 17.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig18"></a>
-<img src="images/fig18.png" width="350" height="194" alt="Fig. 18" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 18.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>In using marked coins, always take the greatest care that the marking
-is done in such a manner as to render it impossible for the coin not
-to be recognised on making its reappearance; and also let several
-people see the mark. It is very disheartening, when you have performed
-an elaborate trick, in which a Mr. Interference has given you no
-end of trouble, to hear the owner of the coin say that he cannot
-recognise his mark. I have seen people put some trivial mark on a coin
-in pencil, which would rub off immediately. It is also advisable to
-have a quantity of cheap coins by you. In such tricks as <a href="#trickd">trick <em>d</em></a>,
-large, thin, and showy silver Turkish coins are the best. They possess
-every advantage; the milled edge gives a firm hold for the palm,
-whilst the substance of the coin allows of a large number being held
-in the hand. Besides this, thin coins give a good business-like clink;
-whilst a large coin is always more effective than a small one. Pennies
-plated over make very fair substitutes, and do not entail much loss of
-capital if kept aside ready for use, as they always should be, which
-can hardly be said to be the case with florins or half-crowns.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH COMMON OBJECTS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>ON RAPIDITY AND DECEPTION&mdash;MISDIRECTION&mdash;A JAPANESE SUGAR
-TRICK&mdash;"FLY AWAY, JACK; FLY AWAY, JOHN: COME AGAIN, JACK;
-COME AGAIN, JOHN"&mdash;A "RISING BLADE"&mdash;TO RESTORE A PIECE OF
-COTTON THAT HAS BEEN CUT UP IN SMALL PIECES&mdash;TO PASS A RING
-FROM A HANDKERCHIEF ON TO A WAND HELD AT EACH END&mdash;A SECOND
-METHOD&mdash;A THIRD METHOD.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>I commence this, the second portion of drawing-room conjuring, with
-the decided hope that, before my readers attempt to follow me, they
-will have attained some proficiency in the art of palming and other
-little matters alluded to in my remarks concerning the treatment of
-coins. If such skill has been acquired, although in a small degree
-only, it will be of use in rendering the manipulation of other objects
-much easier. The prevailing idea with the public is that a conjuror
-moves things about from place to place before one's very eyes, but
-with such extreme rapidity as to avoid detection. This, I say, is the
-prevailing idea, and long may it continue to be so, since it is the
-very thing an audience is supposed to imagine. The learner, however,
-must, from the outset, dismiss such an impression from his mind as
-untenable, even for an instant. If he has a lurking opinion that
-a hand <em>can</em> be moved without the motion being detected, let<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> him
-practise at moving, say, a cork or a piece of sugar, a distance of
-only one short inch. Let him practise for a twelvemonth to begin with,
-and I will guarantee that at the end of that period he is no nearer
-the consummation of the feat than he was at the commencement. If time
-hangs heavily on his hands, let him go on practising, say, for five
-or ten years: the result will be precisely similar. No; conjuring is
-based upon more deceptive principles than mere rapidity of movement,
-although that, of course, enters largely into its composition.
-Articles are, indeed, transmitted from one place to another before
-the eyes of the audience, but it is always, as it were, <em>sub rosa</em>.
-This is the reason why conjurors say so much about the hand being
-quicker than the eye, &amp;c. The audience is continually trying to
-detect movements which are never even attempted, the result being
-that other movements are conducted with impunity. The conjuror must
-start with the one principle firmly fixed in his mind that he is to
-deceive his audience in every way possible. At no time is he actually
-to do that which he says he is doing. Every look and gesture, besides
-every word, should tend to lead the mind into the wrong groove.
-<span class="smcap">Misdirection</span> is the grand basis of the conjuror's actions;
-and the more natural the performer's movements in this particular,
-the more complete will be his success. With each trick that requires
-it, I shall give hints for misdirecting the spectator's attention,
-although I am of opinion that every conjuror can best suit himself if
-he is only firmly impressed with the necessity for misdirection. The
-drawing-room conjuror must hold himself prepared to perform offhand
-with any article that may happen to present itself to view; although
-it is, of course, perfectly allowable for him to send for anything he
-may require. An article which one is tolerably certain to find in most
-houses is</p>
-
-<p><em>Sugar.</em>&mdash;Take four well-shaped pieces, of a medium size, and place
-them before you on a table, at which you will sit at your ease, in the
-form of a square, and about a foot from each other. Hatch up a long
-rigmarole about one piece<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> being the Emperor of Japan, another his
-wife, another his daughter, and another his prime minister, or any
-other rubbish you please, so long as you bring it about that it is
-necessary that all four should assemble together in one place. In the
-country of which you are speaking, you will explain, it is the custom
-of Royalty to travel by telegraph, and invisible to the gaze of the
-"common herd." To illustrate how it is done, you will cover two of
-the four pieces, each with a separate hand, and, at the word "pass,"
-make a slight movement as if throwing a piece from one hand to the
-other. On raising the hands, two pieces will be found under one, and
-none under the other. Repeat this operation (the minority always going
-over to the majority) until all four pieces are collected under one
-hand. The explanation of this really pretty, and, to the uninitiated,
-inexplicable trick, is, that you have a fifth piece of sugar palmed.
-If this piece be released, and that under the other hand palmed, the
-effect is the same as if an invisible journey had really been made.
-Supposing the five pieces of sugar to be represented by numerals, the
-various changes may be thus tabulated:</p>
-
-
-
-<div class="center">
-<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="sugar">
-<tr><th align="center"><em>Left Hand.</em></th><th align="center">&nbsp;</th><th align="center"><em>Right Hand.</em></th></tr>
-<tr><td align="center">1.&mdash;Raise 1</td><td align="center">and</td><td align="center">Drop 5 with 2.</td></tr>
-<tr><td align="center">2.&mdash;Drop 1 with 5 and 2</td><td align="center">and</td><td align="center">Raise 3.</td></tr>
-<tr><td align="center">3.&mdash;Raise 4</td><td align="center">and</td><td align="center">Drop 3 with 1, 5, and 2.</td></tr>
-<tr><td align="center" colspan="3">4.&mdash;Raise both hands and pocket 4.</td></tr>
-</table></div>
-
-<p>The rough and adhesive nature of sugar renders it very easy to palm.
-In palming, avoid all contraction of the muscles of the back of the
-hand, which is visible to the audience, or a clue to the solution of
-the trick will be given. If going out to a place where you are likely
-to be asked to exhibit your skill, be provided with a piece of sugar,
-and then ask for the requisite four pieces. If you are unprovided,
-then you must secure possession of the sugar basin, and secrete the
-extra piece as best you can. The extreme simplicity of this trick is
-only equalled by the astonishment of the audience,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> who are straining
-their eyes to catch a glimpse of the piece of sugar as it passes. I
-need hardly remark that they never succeed.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig19"></a>
-<img src="images/fig19.png" width="300" height="391" alt="Fig. 19" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 19.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 315px;">
-<a id="fig20"></a>
-<img src="images/fig20.png" width="315" height="388" alt="Fig. 20" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 20.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Knives</em>, I think I may say, are also tolerably common articles, and
-some good tricks are performed with them. Take a cheese knife and four
-tiny squares of paper. Stand facing your audience, however small it
-may be, and, wetting the papers separately, stick two on each side of
-the blade, taking care that the positions on both sides correspond
-as nearly as possible. Hold the knife before you in the fingers of
-the right hand (<a href="#fig19">Fig. 19</a>), and in such a position that only one side
-of the blade is visible. With the thumb and finger of the left hand
-remove the piece of paper nearest the handle, and, putting your hand
-behind your back, make a feint of throwing it away, without actually
-doing so. Now, with a rapid movement, cause the knife to describe a
-half circle in the air <em>still with the same side uppermost</em>; but the
-position of the hand will be slightly altered (<a href="#fig20">Fig. 20</a>), which will
-lead the audience to think that the knife has been actually turned
-over. Barely before the movement is completed a finger of the left
-hand must be upon the spot recently occupied by the piece of paper, as
-if taking off a second<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> piece from the opposite side. The first piece,
-which has all the time been in the left hand, is thus made to do duty
-twice. The second time, it is dropped on the floor in full view of the
-audience, accompanied by the remark, "that makes the second piece."
-Now remove the other piece of paper, and repeat the man&#339;uvre
-executed with the first piece, taking the greatest care that only one
-side of the blade is visible, and that the finger of the left hand,
-with the concealed paper, is down upon the vacant spot before the
-spectators' eyes can rest there. Having ostensibly removed the fourth
-and last piece of paper, the knife is supposed to be empty, which you
-boldly declare to be the case, making a rapid backward and forward
-movement with the blank side to prove it. You then say you will cause
-the papers to re-appear upon the knife instantaneously. All you have
-to do is to put your hand behind your back and reverse the position of
-the knife so that the side of the blade with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> two pieces of paper
-still remaining upon it is uppermost. Bringing the knife again to the
-front, make another quick backward and forward movement, saying, "Here
-are the papers back again on both sides as before," and then, without
-any further preliminaries, draw the blade through the fingers and
-cause the two papers to fall upon the floor. If this final movement
-is not executed, the audience will, when they have recovered their
-senses, point to the two papers which you dropped on the floor during
-the performance of the trick, and want to know why they are there and
-not on the knife. Continued rapidity of motion is what is required
-for the success of this trick. There must be no halting in the middle
-or hesitation of any kind, to avoid which practice in private will be
-essential, as, indeed, it will be with every trick worth doing at all.</p>
-
-<p>Borrow a <em>light</em> penknife, and take care that it is not too sharp, and
-has a good deep notch at the haft. You are previously prepared with
-about two feet of very fine black silk, one end of which is attached
-to a button of your vest, the other end being furnished with a loop
-large enough to pass over a finger. This can either be wound round the
-button, or can hang loosely, with the free end looped up. I prefer
-the latter method, and have never found it lead to any inconvenience,
-which at first sight it appears extremely likely to do. Also borrow a
-hock or champagne bottle; pint size preferred. First send round the
-knife to be examined, and, whilst the examination is going on, get
-the loop of the silk over the end of one of the fingers of the left
-hand. When the knife is returned to you, and not before, give the
-bottle to be examined, and distract the attention of the audience by
-allusions to the "departed spirits" of the bottle, and admonitions to
-be sure and see that the bottom does not take out. By the time the
-bottle comes back you have slipped the loop over the blade of the
-knife and allowed it to catch in the notch, where cause it to remain.
-If the knife is a sharp one, extra caution must be observed, or the
-silk will be severed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> This actually happened to me on one occasion,
-so I speak from direful experience. By sending the bottle away to be
-cleaned, I gained sufficient time to tie another loop in the silk, and
-went on as usual; but the incident was not a particularly cheerful one
-taken altogether&mdash;there was too much "glorious uncertainty" about it.
-Take the knife upside down, <em>i.e.</em>, with the sharp edge of the blade
-uppermost, between the finger and thumb, hold the silk sufficiently
-taut to keep the loop in position by means of the other fingers,
-and drop the whole into the bottle. This must not be done with the
-bottle in a perpendicular position (in which case the loop will
-probably either break or slip off the knife), but with it inclined
-at an angle of about 45 deg. (<a href="#fig21">Fig. 21</a>). This will allow the knife
-to slide down at a safe speed and yet reach the bottom with a good
-"thud." Having satisfied yourself that everything is in order, hold
-the bottle perpendicularly in the left hand between the audience and
-yourself, and about breast high. Make use of any cabalistic nonsense
-you please, and then cause the knife to rise from the bottle by the
-action of moving it from you and towards the audience.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> The action of
-raising the bottle must be but sparsely indulged in, if at all, as it
-is easily noticed; not so the horizontal motion. When brought to the
-mouth of the bottle the knife quietly topples over on to the floor,
-whence allow it to be picked up by a spectator, who will not require
-much admonition to examine it. Also send the bottle round again;
-and get rid of the silk as soon as you can after the trick is done.
-It will be noticed that I have directed the performer to use a hock
-or champagne bottle. The reason for this will be obvious after once
-trying the experiment with a bottle having an abrupt shoulder, such
-as an ale bottle. The knife catches in it, and a vigorous jerk, which
-is as likely to cause a breakage as anything else, has to be resorted
-to to free it. The sides of hock and champagne bottles presenting an
-even surface the whole way up, that class of bottle is therefore to be
-preferred. By means of the foregoing three tricks I have seen a room
-full of intelligent people utterly bewildered.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig21"></a>
-<img src="images/fig21.png" width="350" height="299" alt="Fig. 21" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 21</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The following trick I have never known to be discovered if only
-properly performed. For it you will require another exceedingly common
-object, viz.:</p>
-
-<p><em>Cotton.</em>&mdash;Take a piece of any colour, 12in. to 15in. long, and see
-that one of the audience is provided with a very sharp penknife.
-Double the cotton once, and have the bend cut quite through. Double
-again and have it cut, and repeat the operation until it is nothing
-but pieces, each barely a third of an inch long. Rub the pieces
-together in the fingers, and, after a short time, quietly draw out
-the cotton again as it was in the first instance. That is what you
-must ostensibly do: now for how to do it. First of all, have concealed
-between your finger and thumb a piece of cotton about the length
-above mentioned. This you must roll up small, and deliberately hold
-between your finger and thumb, or, better still, if the fingers be
-sufficiently large, between the tips of any two fingers, as they are
-more naturally kept together. Nobody will notice it if the hand is
-engaged in negligently holding the lappel of your coat, the wand, &amp;c.
-I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> need hardly mention that the concealed piece must be of the same
-colour as that operated upon, as the production of a white in place of
-a black piece would scarcely be satisfactory. To ensure the success of
-this preliminary, some considerable man&#339;uvring has often to be gone
-through, and no small amount of tact exhibited. Where you are showing
-the trick for the first time, you can of course ask for any coloured
-cotton you please (always choose black when you have a choice),
-but it is such a fascinating trick that you will be called upon to
-perform it over and over again in the same house, or before the same
-people&mdash;which is quite as bad&mdash;and you will find that all kinds of
-ingenious devices will be brought to bear upon you. As a commencement,
-always carry in the corners of your waistcoat pockets two black and
-two white pieces, ready for emergencies. Each pocket will contain
-two pieces of the same colour, but differing in thickness, one in
-each corner. It is useless to carry other colours on the mere chance,
-as you are sure to be unprovided with the exact one required at the
-moment. When coloured cotton is produced, you must, by some means
-or other, get at the reel from which the cotton is taken. If driven
-right into a corner, you must go so far as to ask someone (always
-let it be the master or mistress of the house) to secretly obtain a
-piece for you; but this you will have to resort to on rare occasions
-only. Make all sorts of excuses so as to cause a delay, even going so
-far as to postpone the performance of the trick, but not before you
-have seen what colour you are likely to be favoured with. Your wits
-must do the rest. The reader must remember that I have taken extreme
-cases, and such as but rarely occur; but still they <em>do</em> occur, and
-if I did not warn the beginner of pitfalls ahead, he would not think
-much of my teaching. In the ordinary way, he will be able to ask for
-any colour he pleases, which will of course be similar to that with
-which he is provided. We will suppose that everything has progressed
-favourably. Take the cotton to be cut between the thumb and forefinger
-of each<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> hand, by the extreme ends, and, doubling it, let one hand
-hold the loop to be cut, the fingers of the other hand holding the
-ends. As soon as the knife has passed through the cotton, give it a
-"twitch," and bring the ends, of which there will now be four, quickly
-together, as if you had performed some very intricate man&#339;uvre. Of
-course, you have really done nothing at all, the movement being only
-a deceptive one to lead the spectators to believe that the secret of
-the trick consists in the way in which you twist or double the cotton.
-Have this in mind all through the trick, and keep up the deception.
-Continue to double the cotton, taking the greatest care that the ends
-all come neatly together, and that all the loops are cut through.
-Do everything with the greatest deliberation (except the delusive
-"twitch"), for there is no occasion for any hurry. When the cotton is
-cut so small that it will not double any more, commence to knead in
-the fingers, and gradually work the fragments behind the concealed
-piece, which must be brought to the front. This you will do without
-once removing the hands from the full view of the audience&mdash;in fact,
-under their very eyes. When you feel quite sure that everything is
-snug and secure, commence to unravel the whole piece, which will pass
-for the resuscitated original.</p>
-
-<p>People who have seen the trick performed before will sometimes suggest
-that the piece of cotton should be measured before being cut up.
-Allow this to be done with all the grace in the world (when you find
-that you cannot do otherwise), but, before operating upon it, roll
-it up in the fingers, either absently, whilst engaging the audience
-in conversation, or for the purpose of seeing if it is of the proper
-dimensions, and exchange it, unperceived, for the concealed piece,
-which will be cut up instead. Although it is not advisable to have the
-cotton measured first, yet, when it is done, it invariably adds lustre
-to the feat. The pieces must never be carelessly thrown away, but
-secreted in a pocket on the first opportunity that presents itself,
-and afterwards burnt.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig22"></a>
-<img src="images/fig22.png" width="450" height="303" alt="Fig. 22" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 22.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Rings</em> can be made use of in many tricks, both in the drawing-room
-and on the stage. The following will be found very neat and effective:
-Procure a metal imitation of a wedding-ring, and have it cut neatly
-through. Pass this ring under a single thread of your handkerchief
-near one of the corners. Borrow a lady's ring, which palm, under
-pretence of putting it in the handkerchief. (The best method for
-palming a ring is to hold it between two fingers at the roots.) This
-you will appear to have done if you give the false ring (under cover
-of the handkerchief) to be held by someone who is not the owner of
-the borrowed article. It is immaterial whether the genuine ring has
-a fancy head or not, as the back of it will usually be about the
-width of a wedding-ring. Take the wand in the hand, and, unperceived,
-slip the ring in your palm over it until it reaches the middle,
-still covered by the hand. Now ask two persons to hold the wand, one
-at either end, and lay the handkerchief containing the false ring
-(still held from the outside by the original holder) over it. If
-you now remove your hand, you will leave the ring on the wand still
-concealed by the handkerchief (<a href="#fig22">Fig. 22</a>). Take hold of the end of
-the handkerchief which hangs down below the wand, and instruct the
-person holding the false ring to leave go when you count "three." As
-soon as you are obeyed, draw the handkerchief<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> smartly across the
-wand. This will cause the ring to spin round, and assist materially in
-inducing the audience to believe that it was actually conjured from
-the handkerchief on to the wand whilst the latter article was being
-held at either end by two people. A slight jerk will detach the false
-ring from the handkerchief, which you can send round to be examined.
-A hint I can give the learner is, never to ask a lady to lend you her
-wedding-ring or keeper. Many ladies are exceedingly superstitious, and
-feel embarrassed when asked, from not liking to refuse, and yet being
-unwilling to take their rings from their fingers. Always borrow a ring
-the back of which nearly, if not quite, matches your false article in
-substance.</p>
-
-<p>Procure a metal ring, similar to the one used in the last trick, of
-very soft brass, and, when you have cut it through, sharpen up the
-two ends to points with a file, or any other way you please. Borrow
-a lady's ring, and exchange it, as in last trick, putting the false
-one in a handkerchief, which have tied with tape or string in such a
-manner that the ring is contained in a bag. If the borrowed ring is
-narrow all round, you may make use of your nest of boxes (described
-in <a href="#trickg">trick <em>g</em></a>, Chapter II.), if it has not been previously utilised
-in some other trick; it being a golden rule among conjurors never to
-use the same apparatus twice during the same evening. An apple (a
-potato, small loaf, &amp;c., will do as well) can be used instead with
-effect, if a goodly slit be made in it, and the ring pushed in while
-you are taking it from your bag or from behind the screen. Show the
-apple round, boldly saying that everyone can see that there is no
-preparation about it, at the same time taking care that no one has
-time to decide either one way or the other from the rapidity with
-which you pass it about. Place it in a prominent position, and then
-take the handkerchief containing the false ring by the bag, allowing
-the ends to fall over and conceal your hands. Quickly unbend the
-ring, and, working one of the pointed ends through the handkerchief,
-draw it out, and <em>rub the place of exit between your fingers, so as
-to obliterate all</em><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>
-<em>traces of it</em>. All this you must do very quickly,
-and, dropping the handkerchief on the floor, say, "Without untying
-the string, I have abstracted the ring, which I now pass into that
-apple." Here make a pass. Take a knife in the hand holding the false
-ring (unless you have been clever enough to get rid of that article),
-and, showing the audience that the other hand is quite empty, proceed
-to cut open the apple slowly. When the knife touches the ring, allow
-it to "clink" upon it as much as possible, and call attention to the
-fact, as it is a great feature in the trick. Do not cut the apple
-completely through, but, taking it forward (on a plate is the best
-way), allow the owner of the ring to take it out with her own hand.
-Of course, the audience must not be allowed to handle the apple, and
-so discover the old slit. This trick should not be performed with
-the preceding one, but on another evening. The principal effect of
-the trick is the apparent abstraction of the borrowed ring from its
-confinement in the handkerchief in an incomprehensible manner, and you
-must, therefore, allow the audience to see that the ring undoubtedly
-<em>is</em> tied up securely in the first instance.</p>
-
-<p>Another trick with a ring is performed by aid of the wand only.
-Borrow a good stout ring, a signet for example, and, holding it near
-the roots of the fingers of the right hand, pretend to pass it over
-the wand, but, in reality, let it slide along on the outside of it,
-and still keep it in the hand. The deception is assisted if the ring
-be first carelessly placed upon the wand, and taken off again, two
-or three times. Say to one of the audience, "Will you be so kind as
-to hold one end of the wand with either hand?" and, in stretching
-the wand out towards him, allow the left hand momentarily to pass
-close under the right, and let the ring fall into it&mdash;of course,
-unperceived. If you look at your hands whilst doing this, you are a
-lost man. You must look the addressee boldly in the face, and thereby
-divert attention to him&mdash;not that there is the slightest excuse for
-exposing the ring during its passage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> from one hand to the other. When
-the wand is firmly held at both ends, say something about the futility
-of strength in certain cases, and eventually show the ring in the left
-hand, and remove the right from the wand to show that it is empty.
-If relinquished at this stage, the trick is very incomplete, as the
-audience usually divine, or affect to divine, that the ring never was
-put upon the wand at all. It is a peculiarity of this trick that this
-remark is almost invariably made, so the conjuror must be prepared
-with something still more "staggering." Return the ring to its owner,
-and call attention to the fact that you have not cut it in any way
-(not that anyone will ever think that you would do so, but you must
-assume that this idea is prevailing in the minds of the audience),
-and secretly take from your pocket, or wherever it may be concealed,
-a thick metal (or gold) ring, which keep in the left hand. Borrow
-the ring again, and slide it over the wand with precisely the same
-movement which you used in the first instance, when you did <em>not</em> put
-the ring on. This time you must appear to be very clumsy, and let the
-two hands come together so that everyone can see the action clearly,
-and snatch the left hand away sharply as if it contained the ring.
-You will doubtless see a number of heads lean towards each other, and
-hear a good deal of loud whispering, in which the words "left hand"
-will be conspicuous. Take no notice of this beyond looking as confused
-as possible, and the audience will think they have bowled you out
-at last. The strange part of it is that, in a trick of this kind, a
-spectator who fancies, rightly or wrongly, that he has discovered
-something, never attributes the fact to your want of skill, but to
-his own remarkable powers of perception. The effect of the ruse
-will be heightened if you allow a tiny portion of the false ring to
-catch the eye of one or more of the audience; or resort to any other
-artifice to induce them to believe that you really have the borrowed
-ring in the left hand, and have allowed the fact to transpire through
-carelessness. Now say that, the ring being securely on the wand, you<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>
-mean to take it off as before, and give the two ends of the wand to be
-held. You will then appear to notice the incredulous looks and remarks
-of the audience for the first time, and stoutly deny that the ring
-is in the left hand, which, however, you decline to open. Allow the
-audience to argue the point with you, and, when one has said that he
-saw you take the ring in the left hand, and others have made a similar
-statement, pretend to give in, and say that you must admit that you
-are discovered; but, at the same time, you feel it incumbent on you
-to do something to retrieve your character. You will, therefore, pass
-the ring, now in the left hand, invisibly on to the wand. Make a pass
-with the left hand, and draw the right smartly away from the wand,
-causing the ring on it to spin round. The effect may be imagined. At
-the instant the right hand leaves the wand, the left should place
-the false ring (supposing one is used) in the pocket, as all manner
-of questions will be asked afterwards. The trick can be varied in
-many ways, by confusing the spectators. Peripatetic conjurors make a
-good deal of money by means of this trick, by betting that the ring
-is either on or off the wand. Manner has a great deal to do with the
-success of it.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH CUPS AND BALLS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>THE CUPS&mdash;THE BALLS&mdash;HOW TO CONCEAL A BALL&mdash;HOW TO SLIP
-A BALL UNDER A CUP UNPERCEIVED&mdash;HOW TO VANISH A BALL:
-PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, PHASE THREE&mdash;THE MANUFACTORY&mdash;HOW TO
-INTRODUCE LARGE OBJECTS BENEATH THE CUPS&mdash;BAG FOR HOLDING
-ARTICLES&mdash;HINTS&mdash;TALK FOR THE TRICK.</p></div>
-
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;">
-<a id="fig23"></a>
-<img src="images/fig23.png" width="200" height="186" alt="Fig. 23" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 23.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The variety of tricks performed with the aid of cups and balls take a
-prominent position in the repertory of every conjuror laying claim to
-any proficiency in pure sleight of hand. Three tin cups (or, rather,
-as they are always used in an inverted position, covers), rather more
-than 4in. in height, and some 3in. across the mouth, with the bottom
-concave, and two or three little rings near the mouth (<a href="#fig23">Fig. 23</a>) will
-be required. Also make, to commence with, four cork balls, blackened,
-either by burning or by colouration, each about<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> the size of an
-ordinary bullet. The audience know of the existence of three balls
-only, the fourth being concealed by the conjuror between the roots of
-the third and middle fingers. The very first thing the learner must
-acquire is the knack of slipping the ball rapidly from the exposed
-(<a href="#fig24">Fig. 24</a>) to the concealed position (<a href="#fig25">Fig. 25</a>) in a secure manner.
-The ball is partly slid, partly rolled, partly dropped into the
-position, the thumb, with a slight motion, which, in time, will become
-quite an unconscious one, pressing it finally home.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig24"></a>
-<img src="images/fig24.png" width="350" height="233" alt="Fig. 24" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 24.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;">
-<a id="fig25"></a>
-<img src="images/fig25.png" width="350" height="192" alt="Fig. 25" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 25.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The action, which must be accompanied by the backward and forward
-swing used when palming coins, must be practised with both hands,
-the more awkward hand of the two being taught first. When tolerably
-perfect in this, practise getting the ball down to the tips of the
-fingers at the roots of which it is held, care being of course taken
-that no portion of it protrudes. The object of getting the ball
-into this position is, that it may be placed under any cup, raised
-ostensibly for some other purpose, without detection. As the cup is
-placed on the table, the ball held in the fingers is slid quietly
-under it. All conjurors do not use this method, some grasping the cup
-as low down as possible, and jerking it up and down, thus getting
-the ball inside direct from the concealed position (<a href="#fig25">Fig. 25</a>). This
-latter method is exceedingly neat, but is the more difficult one
-to accomplish. However, the learner may try for himself, and adopt
-the method which comes the easier to him. The ball is not taken in
-the tips of the fingers until the hand is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> about to grasp the cup,
-the major motion shielding the minor one. With the two movements
-described under his control, the learner should proceed thus: Place
-the three cups in a row, with a ball in front (<em>i.e.</em>, towards the
-audience) of each, and explain that the cups are solid tin and are not
-provided with permeable bottoms. There is no objection to allowing
-an examination to be made, but it had better take place at the end
-of the trick, or much time will be wasted. Say that the tin cups are
-for the purpose of covering the balls, and place one cup over each
-to illustrate it. Now take up cup No. 1, and, whilst placing it down
-a few inches off, slip the concealed ball under it. Pick up ball No.
-1, and vanish it by concealing it in the prescribed method (<a href="#fig25">Fig. 25</a>).
-You can pretend to throw it into the air, or affect to put it
-into the other hand (see Coins, <a href="#fig7">Fig. 7</a>), from which it will be
-"passed" by a rap from the wand, which article you will find a true
-friend when performing with the cups and balls, and which should be
-held in readiness under the arm. Repeat the operation with cups No. 2
-and No. 3, each having a ball placed under it when shifted. Tell the
-audience that so well trained are the little balls, that, at your word
-of command, they will return from their invisible wanderings to their
-imprisonment beneath the cups, which you will then raise, and show the
-balls beneath. This is the first and simple phase.</p>
-
-<p>In the next, cup No. 1 is placed over a ball, and the concealed one
-slipped in with it. Take up another ball, and pretend to "pass" it
-through the cup, which raise, showing two balls together, and then
-replace, slipping concealed ball under along with the other two; and
-then "pass" the third ball through, which will bring all three balls
-under one cup. On putting cup No. 1 down, after exhibiting the three
-balls together, slip concealed ball under it, and pick up one of the
-three, which vanish. Then say it is as easy for you to abstract a ball
-from beneath a cup as it is for you to pass it to the inside. Put cup
-No. 2 over the two balls, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> pretend to take one out by means of the
-wand, the concealed ball being exhibited as the one thus abstracted.
-"Pass" this through cup No. 1, which raise, showing the ball already
-there, and, on replacing it, slip under concealed ball. Recall the
-ball you vanished previously, and show it under cup No. 1, and then
-"pass" it back to cup No. 2, where the two balls still are; slip
-concealed ball under, and then "pass" ball from cup No. 1 to cup No.
-2. The ball "passed" must in each instance be picked up and vanished,
-and not merely told to pass from one cup to another. The changes can
-be kept up for a long time if a ball be slipped under a cup whenever
-it is raised; but the performer must keep his head clear, or he will
-find himself getting into trouble by showing four balls at the same
-time.</p>
-
-<p>Phase 3 consists of piling the three cups one over the other, and
-passing the balls into what I may term the storeys thus formed. It
-is for this phase that the bottoms of the cups are made concave to
-receive the ball. If the bottom were flat, the ball would roll off at
-an awkward moment. Place cup No. 1, with concealed ball underneath,
-on the table, and, taking up a ball, "pass" it through. Put cup No. 2
-over cup No. 1, concealed ball being sandwiched between the bottoms
-of the two. The slipping of a ball beneath a cup which is placed
-on the table is a very simple matter, but it requires considerable
-adroitness to slip one cleanly between two cups. It is only to be done
-with a sharp jerk, the ball being thus sent to the top of the cup,
-which is then rapidly placed over the other. Considerable practice
-will be required to attain this knack, but the pretty effect well
-repays any trouble. Even when taking the greatest care, the ball is
-very liable to become jammed between the sides of the cups instead
-of their bottoms. The noise made by the rattling of the ball in the
-cup is covered by that occasioned by one cup being placed over the
-other. Repeat the operation with the third cup, and then show the
-balls in their respective positions. Should a cup cant over to one
-side, it will be because the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> ball beneath, it is not in its place,
-but is jammed in between the two sides of the cups. In this case, care
-must be taken in removing the uppermost cup. If adroitly managed, the
-errant ball can be brought back to its proper position on the top of
-the lower cup by the action of withdrawing the upper one. This should
-be practised in private, so that the emergency may be met without
-difficulty when it occurs.</p>
-
-<p>The fourth phase consists in apparently manufacturing an inexhaustible
-quantity of balls beneath the cups. This is very easily managed by
-first covering each of the three balls with a cup openly. Take up cup
-No. 1, and put it down again a few inches off, with the concealed ball
-under it. Pick up ball No. 1, and pretend to put it in your pocket,
-but conceal it in the fingers; take up cup No. 2, and replace it,
-with concealed ball beneath it, and affect to put ball No. 2 into the
-pocket, but conceal as before. Repeat operation with cup and ball No.
-3, and then recommence with cup No. 1. This phase can be prolonged at
-will. A number of balls can be carried in the pocket, and afterwards
-exhibited as the ones you have manufactured; but this is by no means
-necessary to the success of the trick.</p>
-
-<p>A most startling and amusing conclusion to a display with the cups
-and balls is the introduction of large balls, potatoes, oranges,
-lemons, apples, &amp;c., beneath the cups. Care must be taken that these
-larger articles will go into the cups easily, or a <em>fiasco</em> may
-result. The best balls are those made of fancy paper, as they are
-nice and light. A convenient place for keeping them ready for use is
-a shallow, oblong, open bag, made out of black silk or alpaca, and
-furnished with a bent pin at each end, and one in the middle. This
-bag you can affix to the tablecloth behind the table. In the absence
-of such a receptacle, the tablecloth can be pinned up, and so form an
-impromptu one; but this can hardly be arranged unperceived in front
-of an audience. In the absence of both cloth and bag, the articles to
-be conveyed inside the cups must be kept under the waistcoat, or in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>
-the pockets, but, in this case, the pockets must be side ones, and
-easily got at. The moment for introducing the large ball, orange, &amp;c.,
-into a cup is when the eyes of the audience are attracted towards any
-object just revealed to them. The orange, &amp;c., must be taken by the
-left hand from its place of concealment whilst the right is engaged
-with the cup; and the instant the latter is raised, for the purpose of
-showing whatever may be under, it must be passed briskly&mdash;at the same
-time, in a manner not too marked&mdash;to the left hand, and the article
-slipped inside. The hands must remain together only sufficiently long
-to permit the completion of the man&#339;uvre, when the cup must be
-again held by the right hand only; the article inside being prevented
-from falling by having the little finger placed beneath it. Sometimes,
-I press the paper balls lightly into the cup, and am so enabled to
-hold the cup by the top, and to raise it from the table, to show that
-there is nothing under it. By bringing the cup down hard on the table,
-the ball will become disengaged. This method should only be used as
-a change. Supposing that you have an orange inside cup No. 1, place
-it gently and unconcernedly on the table whilst drawing attention, by
-means of your tongue, to cup No. 2. By the time cup No. 2 is raised,
-the left hand will contain, say, an apple, which will go inside the
-cup, and public attention drawn to cup No. 3, which, in its turn,
-will be raised, and tenanted with a potato. You can now either knock
-over all three cups, and reveal their contents, which has a very good
-effect, or continue the manufactory as with the cork balls, pretending
-to put the potatoes, oranges, &amp;c., into the pocket. It will be only
-necessary to have one of each kind of article, although the audience
-will be led to believe that your pockets are crammed with them by the
-time you have finished. It is best to have four kinds, as by that
-means each cup has something different under it every time it is
-raised. It is not advisable, however, to fill the cups more than twice
-by this method. The performer must not have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> his head filled with the
-idea that his movements are noticed, for the eyes of the spectators
-are sure to be riveted on the article last revealed. Any hesitation
-will be attended with disastrous results, so the thing must be done
-with dash, or not at all. Every conjuror should endeavour to become
-perfect with the cups and balls, as they not only amuse and astonish
-audiences, but afford great practice to the learner.</p>
-
-<p>One very important thing in connection with this trick is the talk
-with which it is accompanied. The performer should be talking the
-whole time, explaining everything as he goes on; at the same time, he
-must not talk a lot of nonsense, which will only cause the audience
-to form a low estimate of his prestidigitatorial powers, but infuse
-his harangue with a little very mild humour. Something like the
-following, varied to suit the circumstances, will be to the point: "I
-have here three little tin cups, solid, and free from any trickery
-or deception, as you may see for yourselves." (Hand cups round.)
-"Kindly see that the bottoms do not take out. I have also three little
-cork balls, equally guileless with the cups. Madam, will you be so
-good as to squeeze one, and see that it is solid?" (Give a ball to a
-lady.) "Thank you. These little balls, ladies and gentlemen, are, you
-will be interested to hear, trained to a high degree of perfection,
-and are perfectly obedient to my will, as I will shortly show you.
-This cup, which you will perceive is perfectly empty, I place here
-on the table, and, taking up one of the balls, I simply say to it,
-'Hey, presto! begone!' and it has vanished. The second little ball I
-take from beneath this cup, and command it to keep company with its
-predecessor. 'Fly!' and it has gone. The remaining ball I treat in the
-same manner. By the aid of my magic wand, I recall my little servants.
-See, here comes one, and, following my wand, it passes through into
-this cup" (tap a cup with the wand), &amp;c., &amp;c. It will be as well for
-the conjuror to study what he intends saying beforehand, in the early
-stages of his career, for he will find his wits sufficiently troubled
-to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> execute his tricks properly without requiring to think about his
-language.</p>
-
-<p>A little sleight, which may be introduced with effect, is the apparent
-throwing of one cup through the other. This illusion is effected
-by holding a cup, mouth upwards, lightly between the thumb and
-forefinger. The other hand then throws a second cup sharply into it.
-The lower cup is allowed to fall, and the second cup caught by the
-thumb and forefinger, the appearance being that one cup has passed
-completely through the other.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>BURNING A HANDKERCHIEF IN A SMALL WAY&mdash;HINTS ABOUT
-APPARATUS&mdash;HOW TO PULL A HANDKERCHIEF THROUGH THE LEG&mdash;THE
-KNOT UNTIED BY MAGIC&mdash;THE CONFECTIONER HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;FEATS
-WITH HANDKERCHIEFS.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>What conjurors would do without pocket handkerchiefs, I will not
-venture to suggest. Almost every trick has a handkerchief of some kind
-as a component part. Handkerchiefs are torn up, burnt up, tied into
-knots, made receptacles for money, and used in a variety of other
-ways; in fact, they are the conjuror's most faithful allies.</p>
-
-<p><em>Burning a Handkerchief</em> is usually made a stage trick, and belongs
-properly to Grand Magic; but there is a method which may be
-successfully tried in the confined limits of the drawing-room. I do
-not allude to the use of the "burning globe," which article entirely
-dispenses with the necessity for the display of anything approaching
-sleight of hand, with which I, in this book, have only to deal. By
-using mechanical tricks, many feats of sleight of hand are imitated;
-but then the apparatus cannot be shown round, and the audience goes
-away from the performance impressed with the idea that conjuring means
-exhibiting a certain number of cunningly-devised boxes, canisters,
-&amp;c. I remember being present at an amateur conjuring entertainment,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>
-where tricks were exhibited that must have cost two hundred pounds,
-at least. The eye was perfectly bewildered with the array of electric
-clocks, drums, &amp;c.; but every third trick failed at some point, which
-was not to be wondered at, seeing that the thing was got through as
-though against time. This sort of thing is not conjuring; although it
-would be bad for conjuring-trick manufacturers if everyone thought
-the same. Some apparatus one <em>must</em> have; but only what is absolutely
-necessary. The difference between an apparatus conjuror and an adept
-at sleight of hand is as great as that between an organ-grinder and a
-skilled musician.</p>
-
-<p>To burn a handkerchief in what I may term a small way, be provided
-with a piece of cambric, or other material resembling a handkerchief,
-about four inches square. The best way is to cut up a cheap
-handkerchief that has been hemmed. Have this piece rolled up in
-the hand, and concealed by the act of holding the wand. Borrow a
-handkerchief, which carelessly roll up in the hands, as if judging as
-to its size, and get the piece mingled in its folds. Ask the owner
-if he or she has any objection to your burning the end of it. Say
-"Thank you," whether the answer be "Yes" or "No" (conjurors are often
-afflicted with a convenient hardness of hearing), and proceed at once
-to burn what is, in reality, your interpolated piece, but which will
-appear to the audience to be the handkerchief, at a candle. When
-you have burnt a tolerably large hole, put out the flame, and walk
-towards the owner of the handkerchief, as if about to return it to
-him, thanking him, at the same time, for the loan of it. If you had
-not permission to burn the handkerchief, the owner of it will probably
-now tell you so; and if he is at all testy on the point, so much the
-better for the success of your trick. Say that you really thought he
-said "Yes," are sorry for the mistake, which, however, cannot now be
-helped, &amp;c. If, on the other hand, you had permission to do as you
-pleased, which a flattering, implicit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> faith in your abilities will
-frequently accord to you, you must affect to see in the person's looks
-an objection to take the handkerchief in a burnt state, and so, in
-either case, eventually set yourself the task of having to restore
-the injured article. This you can very simply do by rubbing it in
-your hands, and concealing the fictitious piece rolled up in the
-palm; or you can prolong the operation by folding the handkerchief
-in a piece of paper, omitting the burnt piece, and then pronouncing
-some cabalistic words over it, whilst it is held by someone in the
-audience. This is, perhaps, the better way of the two. If the beginner
-is afraid to trust to his own skill, and prefers using apparatus, he
-can procure many kinds of canisters, &amp;c., for changing handkerchiefs,
-the working of which will be explained by the vendor, so there is no
-necessity to do so here.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Pull a Handkerchief through the Leg.</em>&mdash;This is a trick which will
-bear exhibition in any company. It recommends itself especially for
-drawing-room purposes. Take a very long handkerchief, and, seating
-yourself, pass the handkerchief (apparently) twice round the leg, just
-above the knee, and tie the two ends securely together, or have them
-tied for you. Take hold of a single thickness of the handkerchief,
-and jerk it sharply upwards, when it will appear to pass through the
-leg. The secret of the trick is thus explained: When you pass the ends
-below the leg, for the purpose of ostensibly crossing them, so as to
-bring them up on opposite sides, you rapidly make a bend in one, and
-pass the other firmly round it. By this means, a temporary junction is
-formed strong enough to bear a slight strain. By distending the sinews
-of the leg, the folds are compressed, and additional security is thus
-obtained. The ends are of course brought up again on the sides on
-which they descended, and the knot tied above the thigh&mdash;not beneath
-it. The formation of the bend and loop round it must be practised
-assiduously, for I do not know of any trick of the same magnitude
-requiring more skill in execution than this one. The hands should
-not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> remain an instant longer under the leg than one would require to
-merely cross the ends, and there must be no fidgeting observable. For
-performing this trick, Döbler (the original one) received a diamond
-ring from the Emperor of Russia.</p>
-
-<p><a id="untie_knot_by_word"></a><em>To Untie a Knot by Word of Command.</em>&mdash;Tie a knot with two ends of
-a handkerchief, but in such a manner that one end is always quite
-straight; in fact, one end should be tied <em>round</em> the other, and
-not the two ends tied together. If you take the extreme end of the
-straight portion, anyone may pull as hard as he likes at it from the
-other side of the knot without making it any tighter, although you
-must lead him to believe that he is doing so. When he has pulled to
-his heart's content, take the knot in one hand and cover it with the
-rest of the handkerchief. Whilst doing so, work, with the concealed
-hand, the straight end through the folds of the other, but do not
-destroy the folds, which give to be held, of course under cover of
-the handkerchief. Command the knot to come undone, and then shake
-the handkerchief out. This is the groundwork of a trick on a much
-larger scale, which will be treated of in <a href="#Part_II_Grand_or_Stage_Magic">Grand Magic</a>. It is a very
-effective little trick, and should never be despised.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Find Sweetmeats in a Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;For this pretty trick the
-performer will require a conical bag, made of fine calico, cambric,
-or any other substance resembling a handkerchief. The length of the
-bag should be about 5in.; and it must be furnished at the apex with
-a bent pin&mdash;a black one. The mouth must be fitted with two pieces of
-flat watch or crinoline spring, sewn in the stuff in such a manner as
-to keep the opening closed. This bag must be filled with sweets, and
-suspended, by means of the bent pin, on the edge of the table&mdash;out of
-view of the audience, as a matter of course. Borrow a handkerchief,
-and say that you will now find something that will please the juvenile
-portion of the audience. Wave the handkerchief mysteriously about, and
-then spread it out upon the table. Wave your hands over it, take it
-up delicately by the centre with one hand,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> and squeeze it with the
-other over a plate with which you will be provided. Naturally, nothing
-will come of it, so you repeat the operation, this time at a different
-part of the table. At the third or fourth attempt, the handkerchief
-should hang over that portion of the table where the bag is suspended,
-and when it is raised the bent pin should be included in the grasp.
-On squeezing the handkerchief this time, the hand should compress the
-ends of the springs, which will open, and allow the sweets to escape
-and fall upon the plate with a great clatter. Do not empty the bag at
-once, but give it two or three squeezes, allowing a little to fall
-out each time, which will greatly heighten the effect. When the bag
-is empty, the next thing to do is to remove it from the handkerchief.
-If a chair is handy, the bag can be dropped on it; but the best way
-is to boldly introduce the hand beneath the handkerchief, and, whilst
-calling attention to the sweets, hang it again on the edge of the
-table, which can easily be managed behind the handkerchief. The sweets
-used should be small round or oval ones, they being best suited for
-the purpose.</p>
-
-<p>There are many little feats performed with handkerchiefs hardly
-deserving the title of tricks, in the way of tying bows and knots,
-&amp;c., by entirely unorthodox methods. They are too insignificant
-for performance alone; but they look very well when worked in with
-more important tricks. Besides (and it cannot be too often stated),
-conjurors should endeavour to know <em>everything</em> connected with sleight
-of hand. In drawing-room circles, one is continually asked if one can
-do this, that, or the other; and it is quite as well to be able to
-reply in the affirmative, for it always tells detrimentally to fail in
-a little matter. The following feats will be found effective:</p>
-
-<p><em>To Lengthen a Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;Having borrowed a handkerchief, great
-amusement is caused when the performer observes that the article is
-not long enough, and expresses his intention of stretching it. This
-is done by taking the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> handkerchief by one corner in each hand, and,
-whilst twisting it up, gathering an inch or two in each palm. Stretch
-the arms wide apart, so that the handkerchief lies across the chest,
-without allowing any of the gathered-up portions of it to escape. Now
-give the handkerchief a turn or two in the air, and again stretch it
-across the chest, this time allowing about half an inch to escape
-out of the hands. Twist again and stretch, allowing a little more to
-escape, and repeat the operation until the extreme ends are reached.
-Imply by manner, as much as possible, that a deal of stretching
-is taking place, and the audience will be led to believe that the
-handkerchief has been extended at least six inches beyond its original
-length.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Appear to Tie a Knob that will not Draw Tight.</em>&mdash;This feat is
-also exceedingly diverting. The performer, apparently, goes through
-all the necessary formulæ for forming a knot; but, lo! when the ends
-are pulled out, no knot is seen. There are three ways of doing this.
-One is to pass one end behind the other, instead of through the loop,
-as usual, which must apparently be done. To do this neatly, one end
-must be held in each hand, the handkerchief twisted sharply up, and
-the hands then brought quickly together, which will cause a coil of
-about two turns to be formed. Pass the right end quickly round the
-back of the left, and then draw out both, as if tightening the knot.
-As you pull, the coil will bunch in the middle, as if a knot were
-really there, and increased tension will pull it out quite straight.
-The second method is thus performed: Lay one end of the handkerchief
-across the right hand, the major portion of it being on the outside,
-and the short end held down by the little finger only. With the left
-hand, take the hanging end, and, bringing it round on the inside, lay
-it over the other. Pass the left hand through the loop thus formed,
-take with it the uppermost end, and draw it through; but, just as
-you pull the two ends out straight, slip the thumb of the right hand
-under the inside bend of the lower end,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> and hold it between the
-finger and thumb. In the third method, commence by taking one end of
-the handkerchief in either hand. Pass the right hand over to the left
-side, in front of the left arm, which is kept perfectly still in front
-of the body, so that the handkerchief hangs on the left forearm in
-the shape of a loop. The second end must now be placed in the left
-hand, which thus detains both for the time being. Pass the right
-hand, now free, through the loop from the inside, and, reaching up
-with it, let it grasp its original end just placed in the left hand,
-and pull it through. This must be done with great deliberation, as
-the beauty of the sleight rests in the extreme slowness with which it
-can be executed, the secret lying, not in any quickness of fingers,
-but in the fact that the handkerchief ends are never looped one over
-the other, as would be the case if the right hand were passed through
-the loop from the outside, which the learner may at once discover by
-experiment. In pulling the end out, as though tying the knot, if it be
-retarded by the left thumb, a more natural appearance is given. This
-method is to be preferred to the foregoing, which, however, are useful
-as changes.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Tie a Knot Instantaneously.</em>&mdash;Take an end of the handkerchief in
-either hand between the thumb and forefinger, the end in the left
-hand pointing inwards, and that in the right hand outwards, the hands
-being held so that their backs are towards the company, the thumbs on
-top and the little fingers below. Open the fingers of each hand at
-the first and middle fingers, and then bring the hands together until
-they overlap a couple of inches, the right hand on the outside. This
-will bring the end of the handkerchief in either hand between the
-opened fingers of the opposite one. The fingers close on the ends,
-and the hands are at once separated, when the knot will be found to
-be tied. This may be first practised with a piece of stout string,
-and the learner must not be satisfied until he can tie the knot by
-merely bringing the fingers together for an instant, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> knot being
-tied apparently by means of the mere collision of the two hands. It is
-astonishing what perfection can be attained by means of practice, the
-knot at last seeming to appear on the handkerchief, instead of being
-tied.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Tie a Knot on the Wrist whilst Holding an End of the Handkerchief
-in either Hand.</em>&mdash;Jerk the right hand towards the left one, so as to
-throw a loop in the handkerchief, through which dart the left hand,
-still holding its end, and the feat will be accomplished. It should be
-done in a <em>nonchalant</em> manner, and without any ostentation. Practise
-first with a piece of string.</p>
-
-<p>The performance of the foregoing feats will be facilitated by the use
-of a silk handkerchief that is not too new, and it should always be
-first twisted, rope-fashion.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a><br /><br />
-
-CHINESE TRICKS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>A NEW MARBLE TRICK&mdash;FIRE-EATING&mdash;FINAL EFFECT&mdash;THE
-BUTTERFLY TRICK&mdash;THE FAN&mdash;HOW TO MAKE THE BUTTERFLIES&mdash;HOW
-TO KEEP THEM IN THE AIR.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><em>Chinese Marble Trick.</em>&mdash;Some years ago, there came over to England a
-few Chinese conjurors, who were seen by the public but very little,
-but who favoured me on several occasions with private views. Their
-skill lay chiefly in the performance of such delectable feats as
-swallowing sword-blades, tiny china cups, glass balls, and large
-leaden plummets. Although appreciating such tricks, I respectfully
-declined attempting to astonish my audiences by their means. There
-was, however, one little trick performed with four small marbles,
-which struck me as being something quite novel and quaint. Of the
-four marbles (little ivory balls are what I invariably use), one is
-concealed in the fingers, as in the cup and ball trick, unknown, of
-course, to the audience, who are supposed to know of the existence of
-three only. These three the performer puts into his mouth&mdash;one at a
-time, slowly, is the best way&mdash;to show that there is "no deception."
-He now forms his left hand into a fist, and holds it steadily in front
-of him, thumb upwards, as though holding a sword at rest. With the
-right hand he pretends to take a marble from the mouth, the concealed
-one being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> exhibited. The action of taking a marble from the mouth
-must be imitated exactly; and this is best done by rolling it along
-the lips until it travels from the roots of the fingers to their tips.
-The sleight must be quickly done, for the eyes of the audience are
-full upon the hand. Place the marble on the top of the left hand,
-<em>i.e.</em>, on the doubled-up first finger, which, after a few seconds,
-open slightly, so as to allow the marble to disappear in the hand.
-With the right hand actually take a marble from the mouth, which will
-now contain two. Pretend to place this marble on the left hand, as
-you did the first one, but in reality conceal it. When the left hand
-is momentarily covered with the right, as it feigns to place a marble
-upon it, open the first finger, and, with the least possible jerk,
-bring the first marble again to the top. The audience will think that
-marble No. 1 is in the hand and marble No. 2 atop. After another short
-pause, allow the marble to again sink in the hand, thereby causing
-the idea that two marbles are concealed in it, and, with the right
-hand, affect to take another marble from the mouth, the concealed one
-being, of course, shown. Ostensibly, place this one on the left hand
-(deception as before), and allow it to disappear like its two supposed
-predecessors. At this stage, the state of affairs will be thus:&mdash;The
-right hand, presumably empty, contains one marble; the left hand
-contains presumably three, but in reality only one marble; the mouth,
-presumably empty, contains two marbles. The performer then proceeds
-as follows: Allow the marble in the left hand to sink until it is in
-the position for concealing at the roots of the fingers. If with the
-tips of the second or third fingers it can be pressed firmly home, so
-much the better, for the command to vanish can at once be given, and
-the hand opened&mdash;palm downwards, of course. If the marble cannot be
-secured in this way, the thumb must be brought into use in the usual
-way; but the hand must be waved about a little so as to cover the
-movement. The three marbles are now supposed to be <em>non est</em>. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>
-performer can proceed to find the first of them in whatever manner
-he pleases. He may pretend to pick it from the table cloth, break it
-from the end of his wand, or find it in the possession of one of the
-audience; how, is quite immaterial. As each hand conceals a marble, it
-is also immaterial which one is used. This first marble is placed on
-the table, and another one found. This second one, instead of placing
-on the table, the performer affects to pass into his ear, concealing
-it as before, and after a few seconds, it appears at his lips, the
-one thence protruding being, of course, one of the two concealed
-in the mouth. Allow it to fall from the mouth, and then proceed to
-find the third marble, which pass, say, through the top of the head.
-The remaining marble in the mouth is then exhibited, and the three
-wanderers are recovered. If the marbles or ivory balls are not small,
-their presence in the mouth, when they are not supposed to be there,
-will be discovered. I always conceal one on each side of the mouth,
-between the lower gums and the cheek. Ivory balls are in every way
-preferable, as they do not strike cold to the teeth, and do not rattle
-much, both of which disagreeable properties are possessed by marbles.
-Any ivory-turner will supply the little balls very cheaply. The
-performer must study to execute this trick with the greatest possible
-delicacy, or&mdash;especially before ladies&mdash;it will become repulsive. The
-method of finding the balls after vanishing them should be varied,
-each one being found in a different way. The portion of the trick
-requiring the most practice is that in which the left hand is opened.
-The knack of concealing the ball held in it unobserved requires some
-little address.</p>
-
-<p><em>Fire-eating.</em>&mdash;This was another trick performed remarkably well by
-my Chinese. It is, I should think, one of the best-known in England,
-for every country fair has its fire-eater; but it is not everyone who
-knows how it is performed. In the first place, prepare some thick,
-soft string, by either boiling or soaking it in a solution of nitre
-(saltpetre). Take a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> piece, from 1in. to 2in. in length, and, after
-lighting it, wrap it in a piece of tow as large as an ordinary walnut.
-Conceal this piece under a heap of loose tow, the whole of which is
-put on a plate, and so exhibited to the audience. The string will burn
-very slowly indeed, and the very little smoke issuing from it will
-be quite smothered by the tow. Show the mouth empty, and then put a
-little tow into it. Commence chewing this, and, after a little time,
-put in some more. Repeat this three or four times, taking the chewed
-portion secretly away each time you put any fresh tow into the mouth,
-and in one of the bunches include the piece containing the burning
-string. Do not chew this about at all, in reality, although you will
-make great gestures as if so doing. Take a fan, and fan the ears, and
-presently take in a good breath at the nostrils, blowing it out at
-the mouth. This will cause some smoke to be ejected, the volume of
-which will increase as the breathings are kept up. Always be careful
-to draw in at the nostrils, and eject at the mouth; otherwise you will
-be choked. Renew the fannings (merely for effect), and, by continued
-breathings, the tow in the mouth will be brought into a glow, and
-one or two sparks will issue from the mouth. When this has continued
-sufficiently long, take in more tow, and so smother the burning string
-again, extracting the piece containing it under cover of a loose
-bunch. There need be no fear of burning the mouth, as, directly it is
-closed, the light becomes a mere spark. The trick causes great effect,
-not to say alarm on many occasions.</p>
-
-<p>A very pretty and laughable termination to the above trick is to pass,
-unperceived, into the mouth (under cover of a piece of tow, as usual)
-a little ball composed of a long band of coloured paper, about half
-an inch or so wide. Take this by the end, and draw it out through
-the teeth. Tightly rolled up, a ball may contain several yards of
-paper. It should be composed of three or four different colours, in
-lengths, each pasted to the other, for there must be no break. The end
-should have a piece of cotton attached to it, or it will be next to
-impossible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> to find it in the mouth. The cotton will adhere to some
-portion of the mouth, and so be easily found. These balls of paper
-are supplied at all conjuring shops, as is also an article known as
-the Barber's Pole. This consists of a spiral of paper, which shuts up
-into a very small compass, but assumes a great length on being merely
-twisted. A long pole appears to come out of the performer's mouth.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Butterfly Trick.</em>&mdash;Invisible at a short distance, very fine silk
-and hair are invaluable adjuncts to the conjurer's repertory, both
-in the drawing-room and on the stage. The celebrated and fascinating
-Japanese butterfly trick is performed with the aid of a piece of fine
-black silk or horsehair. The former is, in my opinion, immeasurably
-the superior of the two. Hair is most difficult to manipulate, from
-its springy nature, and requires a great deal of coaxing before it
-will condescend to be tied in a knot. In the butterfly trick, the
-performer sustains one or more butterflies, made from rice (or tissue)
-paper, in the air, by means of the current caused by the motions of a
-fan. When this trick was first brought out, "all the world wondered,"
-for no one, even after long practice, could keep the paper butterfly
-hovering in a given space for a single moment. I tremble to think
-of the number of fans I destroyed in my early days over this trick,
-before I knew the secret of it. The fan used should be a very strong
-and large one, of the old shape&mdash;not the circular&mdash;and be composed of
-paper and wood only, so as to be free from superfluous weight. Affixed
-to the top waistcoat button, or any other convenient spot, have from
-3ft. to 4ft. of the finest black silk floss or hair, with a knot at
-the free end. Have, also, a piece of crisp tissue (or rice) paper,
-and a pair of scissors. Let the audience examine the paper, and then
-proceed to cut out the rough form of a butterfly, explaining your
-action as you go on, giving the centre a twist or two, for the double
-purpose of forming a body to the insect, and concealing the knotted
-end of the silk or hair, which it is as well to have between the
-fingers before commencing operations, as it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> is not allowable to grope
-about for it in view of the audience. When finished, the butterfly's
-wings should have the appearance of being three parts extended, and
-should be slightly concave from beneath. A little care bestowed on its
-formation will be repaid by an increased steadiness when in the air.
-When all is ready, hold the butterfly in the air at the full stretch
-of the connecting medium, and fan pretty briskly with the other hand,
-not immediately underneath the paper, but from the body, and along the
-silk or hair, which must always be kept at a stretch, or nearly so, or
-control over the butterfly will be lost.</p>
-
-<p>Notwithstanding the aid of a connecting medium, there is more skill
-required to perform this trick really neatly than is generally
-supposed. After a time, practice will enable the performer to cause
-the butterfly to settle on a flower or on the edge of another fan, and
-also to sustain two in the air at one time, which has a very pretty
-effect indeed. When two butterflies are used, it will be found almost
-necessary to have two fans, one in each hand, and each insect must,
-of course, have a separate thread. Some use wax at the end of the
-connecting medium, but this is a bad plan, as it deters the performer
-from giving round the butterfly to be examined after performing the
-trick. Whilst cutting out and twisting up the paper, it is as well to
-call attention to the fact that the trick is performed by some people
-with the aid of a thread&mdash;an assistance which you will say you utterly
-despise, as will be perceived. This will totally disarm those people
-who may have bought the trick (it is sold universally), and are yet
-only tyros at performing it.</p>
-
-<p>There is a second method, in which two butterflies are joined by a
-thread or hair a few inches long. These do not require to be attached
-to the performer's person, the partnership being sufficient to enable
-him to keep them in mid-air.</p>
-
-<p>Speaking of the Chinese, it is a most noticeable thing that their
-methods of vanishing and concealing articles are the same as those
-practised by ourselves, which fully<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> demonstrates the fact that there
-is only one proper way; for there is only one thing more highly
-improbable than that we learnt the <em>minutiæ</em> of the art of conjuring,
-practised by us for centuries, from the Chinese, and that is that the
-Chinese learnt from us. It is only during the present century that we
-have been sufficiently familiar with the Chinese to borrow their ideas
-on magic, did we wish to do so.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS AT TABLE.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>HOW TO CAUSE A WINEGLASS WITH WINE IN IT TO VANISH&mdash;ITS
-STARTLING REPRODUCTION&mdash;FILTER TUMBLERS&mdash;HOW TO CAUSE
-A PLATE OR OTHER LARGE ARTICLE TO VANISH&mdash;HOW TO
-PERFORM THE CUP AND BALL TRICK WITH PLATES AND BREAD
-PELLETS&mdash;A DIE TRICK&mdash;MAGICAL SURGERY&mdash;A DESSERT OF
-CORKS&mdash;KNIFE-SWALLOWING MADE EASY: TWO METHODS.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><em>To Vanish a Glass of Sherry.</em>&mdash;When invited out to a dinner party,
-one usually leaves one's conjuring tricks at home; but in some
-instances, where, perhaps, one's fame has gone before, an unexpected
-call is made for an exhibition of skill. "Come, So-and-so, let us
-see some tricks," says the host, and "Hear, hear!" say the guests.
-You are, of course, quite unprepared, and beg to be excused, but in
-vain. You must acquiesce, or be voted a boor. In an absent manner, you
-place a glass of sherry to your lips, as though bracing yourself for
-the fray. The glass is half emptied (be careful about this), when a
-sudden movement is made as though you threw it up at the ceiling; but
-nothing is seen to ascend, though the glass, with the wine in it, has
-disappeared. After a short pause, to allow the general astonishment
-to take full effect, the missing article is discovered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> inside the
-coat of your immediate neighbour, with the wine in it unspilt. This
-startling effect is thus managed: Open the legs just a few inches, and
-in the disengaged hand hold a napkin or handkerchief. When the feigned
-movement of throwing the glass upwards is made, the article itself is
-left between the legs, and immediately covered with the napkin. It
-is, however, of the highest importance that the hand does not dwell
-an instant in leaving the glass behind, otherwise the movement will
-be discovered. The action must be swift, clean, and noiseless. To
-find the glass on the person of your neighbour, take it up, with the
-napkin with which you have covered it, with one hand, and, bringing
-yourself quite close to the party to be operated upon, whip it inside
-his coat with the other. Produce it very slowly from its supposed
-place of concealment, for extra effect. The success of the trick is
-greatly enhanced by its total unexpectedness, and the performer must
-take care not to reveal, by any word or gesture, what he is about
-to do. He should, however, immediately preceding the vanish, draw
-attention to himself by addressing the host, or otherwise engaging the
-conversation, lest he perform the trick and afterwards discover that
-no one saw it, for it is a trick that will not bear repetition. A tea
-or coffee cup, small size, can be treated after the same manner.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Vanish a Plate.</em>&mdash;This is considerably more ambitious than the
-preceding, and requires some confidence in one's powers. There are two
-methods, each differing only slightly from the other. In the one, the
-plate, which should be small, is taken in the hand, and apparently
-thrown up to the ceiling, but, instead, adroitly grasped by one leg,
-purposely extended, behind the knee, between the calf and the thigh.
-In the other method, the performer rises slightly from his seat, as if
-to make an extra vigorous throw, and the plate is slipped beneath him.
-Both methods are good; but it is essential to the success of either
-that the performer sits on the extreme outside of everyone else.
-Under<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> any other circumstances, the requisite freedom of action cannot
-be obtained. So soon as the plate has disappeared, the conjuror should
-seize a napkin, wave it about, and find the plate in it. It must be
-distinctly understood that the leg which is to hold the plate during
-its concealment must be first brought round to the side of the chair
-on which the performer is sitting, and there doubled up slightly, so
-that there is just room to pass the plate between the calf and the
-thigh, which will then hold it tight. The learner must not expect to
-execute this vanish at the first attempt, but will require to practise
-considerably before arriving at anything like perfection of execution.</p>
-
-<p>A primitive method for vanishing a plate is to place the left hand
-slightly behind the body, and with it receive the plate from the
-right hand. In this method, which can only be used when the performer
-is standing, the plate must immediately be found in someone's coat.
-Books, straw mats, knives, and other large articles can be made to
-disappear by any of the foregoing methods.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Pass a Fork or Spoon through a Tumbler.</em>&mdash;The foregoing
-successfully performed, take up a tumbler carelessly, and remark
-to the host that you notice that he has some of the "patent filter
-tumblers." Ignorance of the fact will, of course, be expressed,
-and you then proceed to show that the tumbler you hold has a hole
-through the bottom, by apparently passing the handle of a spoon or
-fork, or any other suitable article, through it. This diverting
-optical illusion is thus performed: Take the tumbler (empty) in the
-left hand, near the bottom, not in the ordinary way, as if about to
-drink from it, but in such a manner that it lies along the hand, the
-mouth towards the wrist. Take the article to be passed through the
-tumbler in the right hand, and, after thrusting it once or twice
-against the bottom, pass it between the hand and the outside of the
-glass, allowing two or three inches to protrude beyond the ends of
-the fingers. This simple action causes it to appear that the spoon
-handle,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> skewer, &amp;c., has been passed through the bottom of the
-tumbler.</p>
-
-<p><em>Permeable Plates.</em>&mdash;Following up the idea of the patent filter
-tumblers, you can mention that you notice that the host has also the
-last new plate. Hold up a plate to the light and say, "Yes, I can
-distinctly see through it." Laughter will, of course, ensue, and
-you will offer to prove your assertion. To do this, make up three
-bread-paste balls about the size of those used in the cup and ball
-trick, of which this one is, indeed, only a variety. You will have an
-extra one concealed in the fingers, of course. Now take two plates,
-one in each hand, upside down, and held in such a manner that the
-ball in the fingers is concealed. Place them on the table, about a
-foot apart, and, by opening the fingers, allow the concealed ball to
-remain under one plate. Vanish a ball as in the cups and balls, and
-find it under the plate, repeating the process with all three balls,
-the one concealed being dropped each time the plate is replaced after
-raising it to show the one just passed through it. Now say that it
-is as easy to perform the feat with another plate, and take up the
-second one in the hand containing the concealed ball. Supposing this
-to be, as it generally will be, the right hand, it will now be taking
-up the plate on your left. Cross the arms, and, with the left hand,
-take hold of the plate on your right hand, allowing the fingers to
-extend well beneath it. Call attention to the fact that under the
-left-hand plate there is nothing, whilst under the right-hand one
-there are three balls; and then place the left-hand plate upon the
-table, with concealed ball under it. Then command one ball from the
-right-hand plate to pass under the left-hand one. With the fingers
-seize one ball of the three, and raise both plates. Now bring back
-the arms to their original positions, in order that the left hand,
-which contains one ball concealed, may be brought to the single ball,
-which is supposed to have been transferred from the right-hand side.
-Replace both plates, allowing concealed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> ball to fall from the left
-hand, and take up another, in the fingers of the right hand. Command
-a ball to pass, and raise plates as before. Re-cross the arms, and
-repeat the operation, when all three balls will have apparently passed
-from one side to the other. Without crossing the hands this would not
-be possible, and the reason you give for so doing is to show that it
-does not matter which plate is used, both being equally permeable. The
-learner must bear in mind that in this, the second phase of the trick,
-the two plates are never relinquished simultaneously. The hand picking
-up a ball cannot quite quit all hold on the plate, or detection would
-ensue. The plate having a ball passed beneath it can be released for
-the time from the hand entirely. The ball remaining concealed at the
-end can be dropped in the lap under cover of the plate. It is always
-as well to have one's handkerchief lying carelessly in one's lap, as
-it comes in very useful for concealing small things. By taking some
-cork balls in his pocket, the conjuror will avoid the necessity for
-using balls made of bread.</p>
-
-<p>Such occasions as the one I have now assumed are the ones favourable
-for the introduction of the previously mentioned tricks with sugar and
-knives; and, if the performer has taken my advice, he will be provided
-with his disc of glass for the performance of the glass of water
-trick, also previously described.</p>
-
-<p><em>Changing Dice.</em>&mdash;It is also useful, on such occasions, to have in
-the pocket a pair of dice, rather smaller than those in general use,
-for the performance of the following trick. Place the dice, side by
-side, between the finger and thumb. This will leave two sides, back
-and front, open to view. Ask the spectators to note the numbers at the
-front, and then those at the back. Show each side two or three times,
-turning the hand over each time, and then give a slight twist with
-the finger and thumb, just sufficient to cause the dice to revolve
-the extent of one square only. This will bring different numbers to
-the back, whilst the front ones have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> apparently remained unaltered,
-as you will show, taking care to twist the dice back again to their
-original positions. The twist must be given as the hand is turned
-over, when it will be quite imperceptible to anyone. This is the first
-and simple phase of the trick; the second is more convincing still.
-It very frequently happens that someone says, "Ah! of course you turn
-them over." This you stoutly deny, and proceed at once to prove the
-fallacy of the idea that the dice move in your fingers. To do this,
-give the twist backward and forward each time the hand is turned
-over in what the spectators consider to be merely the preliminary to
-the actual trick. Then say, "Now, I will turn my hand over as slowly
-as possible, and ask some one to hold my fingers firmly so as to
-render it utterly impossible for me to move them." Of course, as the
-positions of the dice have been changed each time you turned your hand
-over, you have now only to keep them still to effect an alteration.
-This ruse invariably silences sceptics.</p>
-
-<p>The trick is also capable of further development if the dice be
-properly arranged. By placing the two fives face to face, the numbers
-will read one-three, three-one, six-four, four-six. Hold the dice in
-the fingers so as to cover one three-one and one six-four. The visible
-numbers will then be six-four and three-one. Suppose the six-four is
-on the top, the twist of the fingers will expose the hidden six-four
-at the bottom, and the hidden three-one at the top. The two numbers
-will then appear to have completely changed places. The fact that, in
-one instance, the four and the one are where the six and the three
-were previously will not be noticed if the performer is careful to
-always call the numbers the same, viz., "Here we have six-four on the
-top and three-one at the bottom; six-four" (turn over), "three-one"
-(turn back), "change" (turn over), "three-one on the top, six-four on
-the bottom." A fresh combination can at once be obtained by placing
-any other numbers face to face, so that they be the same unit. This
-variation will be found very effective and dumbfounding.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>To Cut a Person's Arm with a Knife, through the Coat, without
-Injuring the Cloth.</em>&mdash;Turning to his next-door neighbour, who,
-I need scarcely say, must not be a lady, the performer seizes a
-knife and asks him whether he would like to have his arm cut. A
-bloodthirsty slash in the air will add emphasis to the question.
-The person questioned will invariably decline, with thanks, and the
-performer then affects to think that the reason for the negative is
-an objection to having the coat cut, and not on the score of any pain
-to be inflicted. He assures his neighbour, with great emphasis and
-earnestness, that any injury necessarily done to the cloth will be
-immediately remedied, and that no traces of a cut will remain. When
-it is begun to be realised that the cloth is not to be cut, a joke
-is anticipated, and consent to the operation will soon be obtained,
-especially if the performer alters his manner, and becomes persuasive.
-It is necessary, in order to invest the trick with interest, to work
-up a state of apprehension to begin with, as it is but a small thing
-in execution, and requires filling out. When the necessary consent
-has been obtained, the performer places a napkin or handkerchief over
-the biceps of his neighbour, and, introducing the knife underneath,
-commences to saw away at the arm. Presently the patient will give
-a sudden start, and, if at all weak-minded, he will shout "Oh!" as
-well. On being questioned, he will explain that he distinctly felt
-the knife cut into his arm, which is, indeed, precisely the feeling
-communicated to him. The secret of the trick is simply a common pin,
-which, under cover of the napkin or handkerchief, the performer takes
-from his vest, or wherever it may be concealed, in the left hand. Both
-hands are introduced under the napkin, the right hand sawing away with
-the knife, with the blunt side against the coat. Great care must be
-taken to employ a new knife, as old ones frequently have their backs
-rather sharp, and the cloth might be cut in reality. Press pretty
-firmly with the knife, sufficiently to make the patient feel it, and
-then gradually push the pin through close beside<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> it, pushing only
-when pressure is put upon the knife. In time it will work through
-the clothing&mdash;a quantity of which rather assists the illusion&mdash;and,
-entering the flesh slightly, will cause a sensation precisely as
-though the arm really were cut. The performer at once stops, and
-either sticks the pin into the napkin or in its former place of
-concealment, or else drops it on the floor. The trick may be repeated
-upon other patients; indeed, it is not easy to appreciate it unless
-it has been actually performed upon one. The pin need only be dropped
-when the performer notices looks of suspicion directed at his fingers.
-He has others concealed about him, naturally. Black pins should
-be used as being less likely to be seen, especially when dropped;
-although so common an object as a pin upon the floor, even if noticed,
-would scarcely excite suspicion. Still, it is always best to think of
-every contingency, and provide for it, or, haply, experience may teach
-the lesson in a harsh manner.</p>
-
-<p><em>Corks</em> are generally handy at a dinner table (at set dinners tricks
-would scarcely be introduced), and, being easily palmed, form
-excellent <em>media</em> for small conjuring. The cork should be held by the
-tips of the first and fourth fingers, lengthwise, and it then palms
-right across the hand, the sharp edges (do not choose a ragged edged
-cork) giving a splendid hold, especially as the article is so light.
-Corks are very easily swallowed, being either placed (apparently) in
-the mouth by the hand palming them, or else put into the other hand
-first. Houdin used to regale himself at friends' houses by a dessert
-of corks, brought on in a sauce-boat or soup tureen, especially
-chosen because it concealed the hand when thrust in. The performer
-continually took out corks, dropping the ones palmed as he did so,
-until he had apparently eaten a dozen. A good deal of natural chewing
-should be indulged in, and the changes continually rung upon the
-various palms and passes taught in this book. Finally, the performer
-says he can eat no more, as he is full up. As evidence of this, he
-extracts from his ear<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> the last cork he ate, and, after (apparently)
-replacing this in the bowl, he is taken with a spasm, and another
-cork is taken out of his mouth, the supposition being that it had
-been unable to find room below. It is, of course, rolled into the
-partially opened lips from the palm. It is quite open to the performer
-to reproduce a number of corks from his person in this way, when the
-company will imagine that he really secreted those he pretended to
-swallow. This effect will be heightened if the performer has gone to
-the dinner with half-a-dozen corks in his pocket. As a <em>finale</em>, he
-says: "The rest are here in my pocket," and produces them all at once,
-throwing them carelessly into the bowl. If he has performed the rest
-of the trick properly, the company will think him quite capable of
-secreting half-a-dozen corks in his pocket without being observed, no
-one dreaming for a moment of any previous arrangement.</p>
-
-<p><em>Swallowing a Knife.</em>&mdash;Performed after the following method, this
-illusion can be carried out most effectively: Taking a large knife&mdash;a
-carving-knife is not too large&mdash;the performer lays it in front of him,
-right and left. He turns up his coat sleeves, as far as they will go,
-and then, squaring his elbows, so as to bring the forearms across
-his body, he places his hands along the knife, one hand overlapping
-the other, so as to completely hide the knife from view. In the case
-of a large knife, some parts of it&mdash;the ends&mdash;will be hidden by the
-wrists. Nipping it with the thumbs, or with one thumb only, it is
-raised from the table, the hands keeping their somewhat constrained
-position upon it. One hand is now brought to the mouth, the other
-being raised, and an apparent attempt made to swallow, the hands
-appearing to tilt the knife down the throat. The performer, however,
-suddenly begins to choke, and the attempt is relinquished, the knife
-being laid upon the table again. It is, however, immediately raised
-again, as before, but the second attempt is no more successful than
-the first. The knife is once more taken in the hands, and, in the act
-of picking it up, is brought just beyond the edge<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> of the table, and
-allowed to fall into the lap. It must be barely raised from the table,
-or else the drop will be observed. The hands are, for the third time,
-brought to the mouth, as before, when, of course, the swallowing is
-successfully accomplished. The performer has taken the precaution to
-have a napkin lying loosely upon his lap, in which the knife at once
-becomes hidden. The illusion is a very complete one, especially if the
-performer takes care to make each of his three movements of the hands
-to the mouth precisely the same, the knife being brought beyond the
-edge of the table at each abortive attempt, and not at the last one
-only. If the performer pleases, he may refrain from turning up his
-coat sleeves, and, when the trick is finished, show them to be empty.
-Everyone will suppose that the knife has gone down the sleeve, and
-it, perhaps, provides an extra effect to show that it has not done
-so. As the position of the hands is somewhat unusual, the performer
-should be explaining, during the performance of the trick, that the
-true secret of knife-swallowing lies in the steadiness with which
-the knife is passed down the throat, this steadiness being better
-given with two hands than with one. As soon as the trick is safely
-accomplished, the performer should get his legs well under the table,
-and, taking the knife with one hand, place it under his knees, where
-it must be gripped, or else stick it in his boot. The hand is supposed
-to be placed below merely to procure the napkin, which is instantly
-produced, and the performer's lips carelessly wiped with it. He can
-then push his chair away from the table, and, leaning back, so as to
-expose his lap, join in the conversation, or, better still, at once
-commence a fresh trick. The thoughts of the company diverted, the
-knife may presently be brought to light from under someone's coat,
-or the performer may simply secrete it in his napkin, and place them
-together upon the table.</p>
-
-<p>A smaller knife can be very effectively swallowed as follows: A
-cheese-knife is placed on the table, edge downwards, the left hand
-retaining it in that position by holding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> it near the point of the
-blade. It is then picked up by the right hand, the first and second
-fingers of which nip the back of the blade, close to the point, about
-half an inch of which is purposely left visible. The rest of the
-knife lies along the inside of the hand, the handle being concealed
-by the wrist. The handle is brought to the mouth, the knife being
-held upright, and the left hand, by means of gentle taps, thrusts it
-gradually downwards, until it wholly disappears down the throat. This
-illusion is managed within an inch or so of the end of a precisely
-similar knife to that supposed to be swallowed. This the performer has
-concealed between two fingers, and, when the knife is picked up, it is
-brought into position at the ends by means of the left hand, which is
-all the time busy helping the right one. The knife is, of course, at
-once dropped into the lap, the eyes of the company being fixed upon
-the little piece visible, which they naturally take to be the actual
-point of the knife. With the palm of the hand a few taps should be
-given the fragment, so as to cause it to slide out of sight, but still
-held between the fingers. The tapping is continued with the left hand,
-although it is performing upon nothing, the throat of the performer
-giving forth choking sounds, to assist the deception, until the
-knife may be fairly supposed to be swallowed. The fragment of knife
-is treated precisely as a coin held by the finger palm, and may be
-placed in the vest pocket, under the plea of getting out a toothpick.
-It should have its ragged edge nicely smoothed, so as not to cut the
-fingers.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH CARDS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>THE VALUE OF CARD TRICKS&mdash;THE CARDS&mdash;WHERE TO PROCURE
-THEM&mdash;THE DOUBLE-HANDED PASS&mdash;SINGLE-HANDED PASSES&mdash;THE
-DIAGONAL PASS&mdash;THE FALSE SHUFFLE&mdash;TRICKS WITH PASS AND
-FALSE SHUFFLE&mdash;TO CAUSE A CARD TO SHOW ITSELF&mdash;THE ATTACHED
-CARD&mdash;THE CONGENIAL ACES&mdash;THE REVERSED CARD&mdash;THE TRAVELLING
-CARD&mdash;THE LADY'S OWN TRICK&mdash;A RAPID CHANGE PASS&mdash;METHODS
-FOR USING SAME&mdash;THE CHANGE&mdash;ITS USES&mdash;THE PALM&mdash;ON PALMING
-A SINGLE CARD&mdash;ON PALMING MANY CARDS&mdash;ON VANISHING A
-PACK&mdash;METHODS FOR USING THE PALM&mdash;TRICKS COMBINING PALM AND
-CHANGE PASS&mdash;THE SLIDE&mdash;ITS USES&mdash;THE FORCE&mdash;ON FORCING
-PACKS&mdash;LA CARTE GÉNÉRALE&mdash;SYMPATHETIC CARDS, OR "HOLD
-THEM TIGHT!"&mdash;HOW TO PASS A CARD THROUGH A PERSON&mdash;TO
-DIVINE A CARD THOUGHT OF&mdash;METHOD OF MAKING A CHOOSER
-THINK OF A CERTAIN CARD&mdash;A CARD MADE TO APPEAR ANYWHERE
-IN THE PACK&mdash;CARD BOXES&mdash;TRICKS WITH SAME&mdash;HOW TO THROW
-CARDS&mdash;THE REVOLUTION&mdash;PREPARED CARDS&mdash;CUT PACKS&mdash;LONG
-AND BROAD CARDS&mdash;PRICKED CARDS&mdash;CHAMELEON CARDS&mdash;METHODS
-AFFECTED BY BUATIER AND HOUDIN&mdash;HOUDIN'S SUPERIORITY&mdash;THE
-TRAVELLING CARDS&mdash;THE ASSEMBLY: METHODS FOR PALM, PASS
-AND CHANGE&mdash;THOUGHT-READING EXTRAORDINARY&mdash;GAME AT
-NAPOLEON&mdash;LIGHTNING CHANGE&mdash;CONCLUSION.</p></div>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p>
-
-
-<p>Having shown the beginner what can be done with the ordinary objects
-of everyday use, I will now endeavour to instruct him in the
-skilful manipulation of cards. By his success or failure in this
-particular branch of legerdemain will his reputation as a conjuror
-be made or marred. Card tricks, more than anything else, demand
-sleight of hand pure and simple, and success with them can only be
-attained by assiduous practice. To the learner some of the following
-directions will at first appear impossible of execution, owing to the
-unaccustomed positions in which the fingers have to be placed; but
-a little resolution will soon overcome all obstacles, and when once
-success, however trifling, has been achieved, greater results will
-speedily follow. In conjuring, as in most things, everything that is
-at all worthy of accomplishment requires some little trouble; and the
-learner must, therefore, not be disheartened if his early efforts are
-not crowned with success commensurate with his wishes. There is no
-disguising the fact that card tricks which owe their accomplishment to
-sleight of hand (and they are the only ones worthy of the conjuror's
-consideration) are difficult&mdash;in many cases exceedingly so; but this
-fact ought only to make one extra energetic in mastering them. Amateur
-conjurors of every grade I have met with, but those skilful with cards
-I can count upon the fingers of one hand.</p>
-
-<p>Before everything, let me inform the reader of one fact, not by any
-means universally known, which is that the cards generally used by
-conjurors are considerably smaller than those in ordinary use.<a name="FNanchor_A_1" id="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1" class="fnanchor">[A]</a>
-I will not say that it is impossible to conjure successfully with
-ordinary cards, because I know of very clever conjurors who use
-the full-sized card, but they have strong hands; but the advantage
-of using smaller ones is so marked that anyone thinking seriously
-of practising<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> sleight of hand should provide himself with some
-small-sized packs. Many use the French cards, but I find them far
-too flimsy for many things. The best are those made by nearly all
-the large English card manufacturers for conjuring purposes. Bancks
-Brothers, Glasshouse-street, London, are, perhaps, as good as anyone.
-Should the reader be unable to procure these small cards, he can
-provide very fair substitutes by having an ordinary pack shaved at the
-edges, and so reduced in size.</p>
-
-<p>To enumerate every card trick individually would necessitate a
-separate volume, so numerous are the varieties of changes capable of
-being introduced. All the teacher can do is to instruct in the general
-principles, by means of which the results are brought about, and to
-give illustrations of the actions of the same. Accident or design will
-enable the performer to vary his tricks in hundreds of ways.</p>
-
-<p>The chief things to be learnt at first are:</p>
-
-<ol>
-<li class="indx">The pass.</li>
-<li class="indx">The false shuffle.</li>
-<li class="indx">The palm.</li>
-<li class="indx">The change.</li>
-<li class="indx">The slide.</li>
-<li class="indx">The force.</li>
-</ol>
-
-
-<h3><span class="smcap">The Pass.</span></h3>
-
-<p>With the foremost of these, as the most important, I will first deal.
-The use of the pass is to transfer a given card from one portion of
-the pack to another. In nine tricks out of ten, a card is chosen
-and replaced in the centre of the pack, which is then shuffled. If
-this were in reality done without any previous interference on the
-performer's part, he would be at sea as to the position of the chosen
-card, and so rendered totally unable to find it when he wanted to
-do so. To avoid this <em>contretemps</em> he, by means of the pass, brings
-the card either to the top or the bottom of the pack, and executes a
-shuffle which, although it appears to mingle all the cards, in reality
-leaves the chosen one in its original position. If a chosen card is
-placed in the centre of a pack, it divides it into two portions, and
-the effect of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> pass is to reverse the positions of these portions,
-the upper one becoming the lower, and <em>vice versâ</em>. It will therefore
-be seen that if the card is to go to the top of the pack it must, when
-replaced, and before the pass is made, form the uppermost card of the
-lower portion, and when it is to go to the bottom it must form the
-bottom card of the upper portion. Except in very special instances,
-the card is usually required at the top, and this, for the sake of
-uniformity, I shall assume in my examples to be the case.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig26"></a>
-<img src="images/fig26.png" width="300" height="369" alt="Fig. 26" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 26.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig27"></a>
-<img src="images/fig27.png" width="400" height="321" alt="Fig. 27" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 27.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>For the purpose of learning the pass, it will not be necessary to
-assume that a card has been chosen, but let the learner take the pack
-in the <em>left</em> hand. The little finger is inserted in the centre of the
-pack, thereby dividing it into two portions, the upper one of which
-must be held by the fingers as securely as the unusual circumstance
-will admit (<a href="#fig26">Fig. 26</a>).<a name="FNanchor_B_2" id="FNanchor_B_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_B_2" class="fnanchor">[B]</a> The right hand is now brought across the
-left hand, as in <a href="#fig27">Fig. 27</a>, the <em>lower</em> portion of the pack being held
-between the thumb at one end and the second and third fingers at the
-other. The state of affairs is now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> this: The upper hand holds the
-lower portion and the lower hand the upper. Now, in order to alter
-the positions of the two halves of the pack, the left hand must draw
-off, under cover of the right hand, the upper portion, and, working
-as though it were a hinge, replace it beneath the lower one, which
-is slightly raised by the right hand during the operation, so as to
-facilitate its execution. The cards should not be held in a horizontal
-position, but at an angle of fully 45 deg., or even more, the
-declension being towards the right hand. The movement should first be
-practised as slowly as possible, and with a few cards only. It will be
-time enough to increase the speed when a good action has been secured.
-One little point must be borne in mind, and that is that that half of
-the pack which was originally the lower one, and therefore held by the
-right hand, must always be kept hard against the root of the thumb
-of the left hand whilst the pass is being made, it working there as
-if hinged. At first the two halves, in passing each other, will make
-a scraping noise, sometimes very loud. This noise must be studiously
-avoided, as the pass must be noiseless as well as invisible. When
-making the pass before an audience, move the hands up and down or from
-side to side, to cover the movement. It is sometimes required to pass
-a single card from the very top of the pack to the very bottom. This
-can, of course, be done in the foregoing manner, but the quickest way
-is to simply press the fingers of the left hand (the hands being in
-position for the pass without the little finger inserted) on the top
-card, and then execute the hinge movement. This will pull the top card
-off and slip it to the bottom; but it is hopeless to expect to do this
-without some slight noise, although that can be almost nullified by
-immediately running the thumb sharply across the edges of the cards,
-and so causing a similar sound to be made. Such is the double-handed
-pass.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig28"></a>
-<img src="images/fig28.png" width="400" height="268" alt="Fig. 28" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 28.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig29"></a>
-<img src="images/fig29.png" width="400" height="268" alt="Fig. 29" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 29.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig30"></a>
-<img src="images/fig30.png" width="400" height="242" alt="Fig. 30" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 30.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>There are also various single-handed passes, one or two of which,
-at times, come in very handy. They are very difficult<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> to master,
-and are best learnt with two cards only at the very commencement.
-The neatest, and in every way most effective, is the following: Hold
-the pack by the ends of the fingers and thumb, the first and fourth
-fingers acting as supports, by being slightly bent under (<a href="#fig28">Fig. 28</a>),
-and allow a portion of the cards to drop from below (<a href="#fig29">Fig. 29</a>). This
-portion push back towards the thumb by means of the first and fourth
-fingers, until it will permit of the upper portion dropping down, and
-so becoming the lower (<a href="#fig30">Fig. 30</a>). The asterisk denotes the chosen
-card, which is passed from the centre to the top of the pack. Although
-three positions are here shown, in order to make the action of the
-pass clear, it must by no means be thought that there should be three
-distinct movements. When the beginner can execute from thirty to forty
-passes in the minute, he may consider himself tolerably proficient. It
-will assist the action if the fingers are well raised and the thumb
-held a little low,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> thereby causing a better fall to be made; also
-considerable swing should be given to the hand, to cover the shifting
-which takes place. With practice this pass can be made without
-detection.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 395px;">
-<a id="fig31"></a>
-<img src="images/fig31.png" width="395" height="400" alt="Fig. 31" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 31.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 317px;">
-<a id="fig32"></a>
-<img src="images/fig32.png" width="317" height="400" alt="Fig. 32" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 32.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The pass shown at <a href="#fig31">Figs. 31</a> and <a href="#fig32">32</a> is a fairly good one, but much
-more difficult than any other. The middle and third fingers are
-inserted in the pack, the bottom portion of which is held by the four
-fingers, two above and two below. The upper portion is held between
-the roots of the thumb and forefinger. The fingers draw out the lower
-portion and place it upon the upper one. This pass is useful when it
-is required to pass a card from the bottom to the top. Under most
-circumstances, the pass first described (<a href="#fig28">Figs. 28</a>,
-<a href="#fig29">29</a>, and <a href="#fig30">30</a>) is
-preferable, except when the top card has to be passed to the bottom,
-when the following method is sometimes adopted. Push off the top card,
-which is the one to be passed, by means of the thumb, until it lies
-well over the ends of the fingers. Stretch the fingers out straight,
-and the card will be drawn completely off the rest of the pack,
-which is quickly raised by means of the forefinger, and placed over
-the card. A good backward and forward swing will assist the action
-considerably.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>Experience has taught me, however, that the pass shown at <a href="#fig31">Fig. 31</a>,
-&amp;c., is the best one for getting a card from the top to the bottom
-single-handed. The cards are so firmly gripped by the fingers that
-the pass may be executed, no matter what position the pack is held
-in, whether end on, sideways, or upside down. The beginner will find
-that the thumb has but little difficulty in dragging off the top card,
-especially if very slight pressure indeed be put upon it to commence
-with. If an examination is made of the root of the thumb, a line will
-be found to run half way round it, joining other lines on the inside,
-where the flesh is loosest. The card should be held just there.
-Matters will be greatly facilitated if the right hand, whilst placing
-the pack in the left, holds it for an instant. The thumb of the left
-hand then draws the card off an eighth of an inch, which will be quite
-sufficient to enable the card to be seized by it at the root. But the
-aid of the right hand should be dispensed with as soon as possible.
-The passing of cards by means of one hand only is not suspected by
-the general run of spectators, who are, however, always suspicious
-directly the two hands are brought together.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig33"></a>
-<img src="images/fig33.png" width="400" height="400" alt="Fig. 33" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 33.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The <em>learner</em> should always use the double-handed pass, practising the
-single-handed ones in private, until he has<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> attained that confidence
-in his skill which is afforded by frequent exhibitions before his
-friends, &amp;c.</p>
-
-<p>An easy, but somewhat clumsy, single-handed pass is depicted at
-<a href="#fig33">Fig. 33</a>. The third finger is inserted in the pack,
-and the top portion held
-between it and the middle finger, the rest of the pack being between
-the first finger and thumb. The top portion is then twisted round in
-a semi-circle in the direction of the arrow, and so brought beneath
-what was originally the lower one. The objection to this pass is that
-it disarranges the cards a good deal. The best way of avoiding this
-is to move the hand towards the table whilst making the pass, so that
-the edges of the cards can be set square at once on its surface. The
-motion must be made as if it were merely intended to place the pack
-upon the table.</p>
-
-
-<h3><span class="smcap">The Diagonal Pass.</span></h3>
-
-<p>This is a very useful variety of the two-handed pass, by means of
-which cards placed simultaneously in different parts of the pack are
-at once brought together. Say, three cards have been selected by
-various spectators. The performer presents the pack to each in turn,
-requesting to have the card chosen placed in any portion of it. The
-chooser thereupon pushes the card between the others, which are not
-opened out by the performer, but merely presented in a compact body.
-The card is not permitted to be pushed quite home, the performer
-withdrawing the pack in time to prevent this. The pack is presented
-to the two other selectors of cards, and, when the three have all
-been placed in it, the performer apparently pushes them home with
-the right hand. What he actually does is thus described: Nip the
-three cards by the still protruding portions between the thumb and
-middle finger, across their width, and, in the act of pushing them
-into the pack, turn them obliquely sideways sufficiently to cause the
-right-hand top corners to project<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> a quarter of an inch from the pack.
-The length of this projecting portion will be rather more than an
-inch, and is easily hidden from the spectators by means of the first
-and second fingers of the left hand. The top left-hand corner must be
-pushed down out of sight, and it will then be found that there are
-two considerable projections on the side and bottom of the pack. The
-right-hand one is hidden by the palm of the hand, and the lower one by
-the little finger. The pack, as it appears at this stage of the trick,
-held in the left hand (the right hand being removed for the sake of
-clearness), is shown at <a href="#fig34">Fig. 34</a>.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 235px;">
-<a id="fig34"></a>
-<img src="images/fig34.png" width="235" height="300" alt="Fig. 34" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 34.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>As the cards are supposed to be pushed home along with the rest of the
-pack, it is advisable to actually remove the right hand for a short
-time, the performer commencing to say what he is about to do with
-the cards. When he subsequently brings the hands together again, for
-the purpose of making the pass, the thumb and second finger of the
-right hand should again nip the upper end of the pack. A simultaneous
-twisting movement is made with both hands, the right hand turning the
-pack to the right, whilst the left turns the three cards to the left,
-until they are clear of one another, when the motions are reversed,
-the three cards being placed either on the top or at the bottom, as
-the performer may desire. He will find it easier to place them at
-the bottom, as they come more naturally there. The position of the
-left hand remains the same throughout, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> three cards being held in
-position by the pressure of the little finger at the lower right-hand
-corner. The making of the pass must be covered by a slight swinging
-movement of the two hands in any direction. Some performers, finding
-it rather difficult to push home several cards into the desired
-position simultaneously and neatly, make the pass each time a card is
-placed in the pack. It is open to the learner to adopt this method if
-he so pleases, but he is more liable to detection; besides which, the
-feature of the pass is the showing the cards all in different parts of
-the pack, and then apparently pushing them home at one and the same
-time.</p>
-
-<p>An alternative method is to push the cards down, with the projecting
-corner on the thumb side of the left hand, and then, by straightening
-the cards at once, leave half an inch or more of the whole width of
-the chosen cards projecting from the bottom of the pack, instead of
-having them diagonally across the pack, as is shown in illustration.
-A trial will show the learner that this method is an expeditious one,
-but my reasons against its use are twofold. Firstly, too much of the
-cards to be passed is exposed, and, secondly, the act of pushing them
-down is extremely likely to carry along with them indifferent cards
-intervening between two of them. This is especially likely to be the
-case with cards that are at all worn. The reason for this is that
-there is no stop to the body of the cards, which stop is provided, in
-the method shown at <a href="#fig34">Fig. 34</a>, by the little finger, during the whole
-of the operation. The act of pushing the cards transversely down, from
-the opposite side of the pack to that depicted, renders it impossible
-that the little finger can be in position on the lower side of the
-cards at the most critical time, the commencement, to prevent any but
-the desired ones from being pushed down. Its presence just at the
-corner seems to me to be very essential to the effective performance
-of the pass, combined with security from mishap.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p>
-
-
-<h3><span class="smcap">The False Shuffle.</span></h3>
-
-<p>This the conjuror will find a very useful adjunct to the pass. There
-is nothing very difficult about it, but it is necessary to be somewhat
-bold in executing it. The two methods of shuffling in ordinary use are
-the perpendicular and the horizontal. The perpendicular is the most
-business-like, and I have no doubt that it is used by most of my male
-readers who are card-players. Ladies, I am aware, mostly patronise
-the horizontal shuffle, in which the cards are passed from right to
-left, or <em>vice versâ</em>, alternately over and under. To illustrate
-the perpendicular method, suppose the card to be at the bottom of
-the pack, just passed there, and it is desired to keep it in that
-position. By applying pressure with the fingers and thumb, the top
-and bottom cards will be retained in the left hand when the right
-hand draws away the rest of the pack, which is then shuffled over the
-two. The operation can be repeated hundreds of times without fear of
-a mistake. With the card at the top, the action is more complicated,
-though not difficult. The pressure with thumb and fingers must be made
-as before. This will bring the chosen card from the top to second from
-the bottom. Commence the shuffle a second time, and the card will
-be the bottom one of those held in the right hand, the one recently
-beneath it having been drawn off by the fingers of the left hand. It
-now remains to continue shuffling vigorously until the chosen card
-alone remains in the right hand, which then leaves it on the top of
-the pack in its original position. For this shuffle, which I prefer
-to any other, I have to thank myself. It is utterly impossible for
-the eye of anyone, be he the most practised conjuror, to follow the
-positions of the one card, even supposing that an opportunity for
-minute investigation were allowed, which it scarcely would be during
-a performance. When exhibiting before a select company of extra
-sharp people who have vague notions of false shuffles and passes, it
-is sometimes<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> advisable to bring the chosen card to the top, with
-one card or more above it. You can then say, "Now, it is utterly
-impossible for me to know where the card is. You see it is neither
-at the bottom nor next to the bottom" (throw bottom card off), "nor
-is it at the top" (throw as many cards off the top as are above the
-chosen card). More than this the spectators can hardly expect you to
-do. In the horizontal shuffle, with the card at the top, draw the
-card off between the first and second fingers, and put all cards
-which are shuffled above it between the first finger and thumb. This
-will form two packs, divided by the first finger. The final movement
-in the shuffle is the replacing the lower half on the upper; but I
-prefer bringing this about by means of the pass. With the card at the
-bottom, one has merely to shuffle the cards in the ordinary way, just
-taking care that the bottom card is shuffled last by itself to the
-top, where it may be left; or it may equally easily be shuffled to
-the bottom again by simply retaining it in the hand last. This is the
-simplest shuffle of all, but it will not deceive enlightened people.
-I find it an excellent method to combine two methods of shuffling.
-Great rapidity of action should be studied; everything, however, being
-practised very slowly at first, until the proper method is secured.
-The false shuffle is very useful in covering the pass. The pass should
-be made, and the shuffle at once proceeded with, without allowing a
-fraction of a second to elapse.</p>
-
-<p>Leaving the beginner to overcome at his leisure the various
-difficulties connected with the mastery of single-handed passes, I
-will describe some tricks performed by the aid of the pass, assisted
-by the false shuffle alone, commencing with the most simple. Lest the
-reader should say, "Oh! but no person in his senses would be deceived
-by that simple thing," I will observe that he should endeavour to suit
-his audience to his skill. The learner should commence by allowing
-a card to be selected from the pack, which he then cuts near the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>
-centre, and requests the person who selected the card to place it upon
-the lower portion. He then replaces the upper portion, taking care
-to allow the little finger to intervene between the two, so as to be
-ready for the pass, which must be made on the first opportunity, and
-the pack handed to a spectator to hold. Now say that you will cause
-the card chosen to rise from the centre of the pack, where it is
-supposed to be, to the top, and then let the holder of the pack show
-that such has actually been done. By inserting the finger beneath the
-card before making the pass, it will be brought to the bottom of the
-pack, whither you can afterwards command it to go. In these instances
-the effect will be spoilt if any shuffling takes place; but, in most
-of the following, false shuffling should be resorted to, attention
-being called to the fact that the cards are well mingled, and that
-you, therefore, cannot possibly know the position of the chosen card
-in the pack.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Cause a Card to Show itself on the Top of the Pack.</em>&mdash;Bring the
-card to the top, and, holding the pack in the right hand, push it off
-with the thumb of the left hand about half an inch, and then throw the
-pack violently on the table or floor. The resistance of the air will
-cause the uppermost card (the chosen one) to turn completely over,
-without losing its position. The effect is very good indeed.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Attached Card.</em>&mdash;Bring the chosen card to the top, and give the
-pack to be held by one corner tolerably firmly, between the finger,
-and thumb. See that it is held neither too tightly nor too loosely,
-and then suddenly strike the cards upwards with the hand. Give a good
-strong blow, and all the cards, with the exception of the top one,
-will fly into the air, the chosen card remaining in the fingers. If
-the card is brought to the bottom, the cards must be struck downwards
-to the floor, which method certainly has the advantage of causing less
-litter. The effect is increased if two cards are chosen, one being
-brought to the top and the other to the bottom. The cards are then
-struck&mdash;only moderately hard in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> this instance&mdash;sideways, when the top
-and bottom cards will remain in the holder's fingers.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Catch Two Cards in the Air, out from the Pack.</em>&mdash;A better way
-with two cards is, after bringing one card to the top and one to the
-bottom, to take the pack firmly between your own thumb and fingers,
-and jerk it upwards. This will cause all the cards to fly towards the
-ceiling, except the top and bottom ones, in a bunch. Before the cards
-fall, you make a dash at them, and affect to catch the two chosen
-cards in the air out from the rest. This is a very finished illusion.
-The audience, having their eyes upon the pack, do not notice the two
-cards between the performer's fingers, but the dash at the pack must
-be made immediately.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Congenial Aces.</em>&mdash;Select from the pack the four aces (four cards
-of any other denomination would serve equally well, but aces are best
-for effect), and allow the pack to be thoroughly examined for the
-purpose of showing that there are no others contained in it. Give one
-ace to one person, another to a second person, and the remaining two
-to a third. Have the first ace placed at the top of the pack, the
-second at the bottom, and the third and fourth in what the audience
-will suppose to be the middle of the pack, but in reality between the
-top and bottom cards brought together by means of the pass. As you
-turn to the third person holding aces you pretend to open the pack
-in the middle, but in reality make the pass, but without bringing
-the two portions together again. The two remaining aces are thus
-innocently placed between the two already restored to the pack, which
-you instantly close up, whilst calling particular attention to the
-fact that you do so with all possible deliberation and slowness. Now
-command all four aces to join company in the centre of the pack. On
-the pack being opened, the command will be found to have been obeyed.
-The trick can be varied by placing a red ace in the centre and a black
-one on the top or bottom, and then causing them to change places by
-means of the pass. But the most startling change of all is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> when
-two aces of one colour are placed in the centre, and the two of the
-other colour, one on the top and one at the bottom, and then made to
-change places. The company cannot realise that this can possibly be
-accomplished in so brief a space of time; but it is simple enough. It
-should always be produced as a final effect, the performer saying,
-"Now I will show you something more remarkable still." He then places,
-say, the two red aces in the centre of the pack, and one black ace on
-the top and the other at the bottom. In order to convince the company
-thoroughly that things are as stated, the pack is turned over and
-opened slightly, fanwise. In showing the cards thus, it will be very
-easy to insert the little finger between the two red aces unperceived,
-and the double-handed pass is made in the act of turning the pack
-over. It is instantly placed in the hands of one of the company,
-who may be asked to blow upon it, or to perform any other operation
-equally unlikely to bring about any magical change, and then the cards
-can be examined without the performer approaching them again. But,
-in such cases, much depends upon how the pack is examined, and it
-should always be done under the performer's directions. For instance,
-he would say, "On the top was a black ace; will you please look at
-the top card now?&mdash;you will see that it is a red one. At the bottom
-was also a black ace; turn the pack over, please, and you will find
-a red one there also. In the centre were two red aces; kindly look
-there, and you will find the black ones." By this means, the whole of
-the company are informed of what has taken place, which would only be
-unsatisfactorily done if it were left in the hands of the temporary
-holder of the cards, who only thinks of satisfying his own curiosity.</p>
-
-<p>The single-handed pass (<a href="#fig28">Fig. 28</a>, &amp;c.) may be employed in this trick
-to great advantage, whenever it is required to bring cards from the
-outsides to the centre. Where cards, already in the centre, have to
-be brought to the top or bottom, the insertion of the little finger
-is necessary, and so the double-handed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> pass has to be employed. In
-such cases, the employment of the pass depicted at <a href="#fig33">Fig. 33</a> would
-be possible; but the performer would have to execute it in a more
-masterly manner than I have yet seen exhibited. For the first phase
-described, the single-handed pass (<a href="#fig28">Fig. 28</a>, &amp;c.) is perfect. Two
-aces are placed, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the
-pack, and as the performer turns to the holder of the two others, he
-executes the pass, leaving the cards open, precisely as depicted at
-<a href="#fig30">Fig. 30</a>, turning the hand slightly downwards, so that the ace in the
-middle shall not be visible. It then appears to the spectators as if
-he had merely opened the cards slightly; and, when the two aces are
-inserted, the top half is allowed to fall to, and the pack given there
-and then into the hands of one of the audience.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Reversed Card.</em>&mdash;This is not at all a bad termination to a trick.
-Bring the chosen card to the top, and then pass it to the bottom
-with the two-handed slip pass previously described; but, in passing,
-cause it to turn upside down. This, it will be found on trial, is
-very easily managed by keeping the face of the card always against
-the pack. Now make the ordinary pass, and so bring the card to the
-middle, and then throw the pack along the table, when the chosen card
-will appear in the middle, face upwards. If you like, you may ask the
-audience whether the pack shall be reversed and the chosen card found
-face downwards, or <em>vice versâ</em>. It does not matter which is selected,
-as it is only necessary to turn the pack over before spreading it out,
-in order to bring about a reversal of affairs.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Travelling Card.</em>&mdash;By attaching a hair to a waistcoat button, and
-affixing the other end, by means of a tiny bead of wax, unperceived,
-to the chosen card, it can be made to walk out of the pack at the
-performer's command by a slight motion of the body. The cards should
-be spread face upwards upon the table, and the effect of one card
-disengaging itself from the rest is a very comical one. The waxed end
-of the hair should be held in a finger nail, so as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> to be at hand.
-Another method is to bring the card to the top, and then, holding the
-pack upright in one hand, with the faces of the cards towards the
-audience, pretend to pluck a hair from the head, and then to wind it
-rapidly round the pack with the disengaged hand. Pretend to pull at
-the imaginary hair, and, with the first and second fingers of the
-hand which holds the cards, work up the chosen card from the back.
-The effect is very comical. Two or three cards, selected by different
-people, may be treated in the same manner, when it is as well to come
-forward, after the first card has risen, and, making the pass, show
-that the chosen cards are not on the top. Before continuing, the pass
-must be again made to bring the cards back, the little finger having,
-of course, all the while divided the two halves of the pack. The trick
-should be practised before a looking-glass to ensure that the working
-of the fingers is not observed. It will be found necessary to allow
-the cards to well cover the finger roots. The performer should stand
-well away from the audience, and be certain that no one has a side
-view of his hand.</p>
-
-<p><a id="ladys_own_trick"></a><em>The Lady's Own Trick.</em>&mdash;Say that you have now done quite sufficient
-yourself, and think it time someone else had a turn. Bring the card
-to any portion of the pack you please, so long as you know where it
-is. Take sixteen cards from various portions of the pack (you may
-have them selected if you please), taking care that the chosen card
-is included in the number, and arrange them in four divisions. Now,
-say that this trick must be done solely by a lady, and, giving your
-wand to one of the fair sex, ask her to point to any two divisions.
-The exact words you will use are, "Kindly tell me which two divisions
-I shall take." The word "take" is intentionally ambiguous, as, if one
-of the two divisions pointed at contains the chosen card, on which
-you are, of course, keeping a sharp eye, you will understand it to
-mean that you are to take those two and continue with them. If, on the
-other hand, they do not contain the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> card, you will assume that they
-are to be removed, and throw them aside accordingly. Two divisions
-will now remain, and you ask the lady to point to one of them, using
-the words, "Now, which do you prefer of the two?" This is, again,
-ambiguous, and you can do as you wish about taking or leaving the
-division pointed at. Four cards now remain, and you ask that two of
-them shall be selected, and, on two cards remaining, you repeat the
-request. If the chosen card is then pointed at, you allow it to be
-taken up; if the other, remove it, leaving the chosen card to be
-picked up by the chooser. You must endeavour to impress spectators
-with the idea that it is all sleight-of-hand, and <em>never do it twice</em>.
-Some tricks (not very many, though) will bear repetition, although
-it should always be avoided if possible. If there is no help for it,
-endeavour to vary the method as much as possible.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig35"></a>
-<img src="images/fig35.png" width="400" height="300" alt="Fig. 35" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 35.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>Another very rapid single-handed pass is depicted at <a href="#fig35">Fig. 35</a>. As
-it is only useful for passing one or more cards from the top to the
-bottom, or, rather, from back to front, it is not in general use, but
-forms almost a separate trick by itself. The cards, which should not
-exceed twelve or fifteen in number, should be held at the top corners
-by the first finger and thumb, and the third finger inserted beneath
-the card to be brought to the front. This card is then, by means of
-the middle, third, and little fingers, which hold it, brought from
-behind and passed round the others, care being taken to bring all
-together evenly. In<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> executing this pass, the pack is first held up
-with the faces of the cards towards the audience, and is then turned
-downwards for a moment. When the pack is again held up, it is seen
-that the front card (the bottom one) has changed. The trick can be
-thus worked: Place secretly at the back of the pack three of any
-denomination of card, say, the fours. At the front, place the other
-four, which suppose to be the four of clubs, and request one of the
-audience to say into which other suite the card shall change. You will
-know the order in which the three fours at the back are placed, so you
-will only have to place the third finger beneath the one named and
-pass it to the front. If it is the actual top card, you will bring it
-forward alone; but if it is the second or third, those above it must
-come forward as well. As this pass cannot be effected without noise,
-it is always best to pretend to pass the card chosen as the one into
-which the original four is to change from some cards held in the other
-hand. Ruffle these cards with the thumb and say, "Did you not hear it
-go?" The slight noise heard will be accounted for by the cards passing
-from one pack to the other. If a duplicate four of clubs is held at
-the bottom of the second pack, it can be exhibited as the one changed
-in the other pack. But the best trick performed by means of this pass
-is by the aid of two duplicate cards, say, the knave of clubs and the
-ace of hearts. A pack must be held in each hand. At the top of the
-right-hand pack put the ace, and at the bottom the knave. At the top
-of the left-hand pack put the knave, and at the bottom the ace. The
-cards at the top are placed there secretly; those at the bottom openly
-before the audience. Hold the faces of the packs towards the audience,
-and, calling particular attention to the positions of the cards, say
-that you will make them change places. Turn the packs face downwards,
-with a flourish, executing the pass with both hands, saying, "Presto!
-pass. Did you not see them go?" On holding the cards up again, it will
-be seen that the knave has gone over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> to the left-hand pack, and the
-ace to the right-hand one. This is very effective indeed.</p>
-
-
-<h3><span class="smcap">The Change.</span></h3>
-
-<p>This, as a sleight-of-hand feat with cards, takes precedence, for
-bare-faced daring, of, perhaps, any other. It consists in deliberately
-exchanging a card held in one hand for another in the pack held in the
-other hand, and this in full view of the audience. Such a feat may
-appear at first sight impossible, but, with a little attention and
-practice, it will become as easy as any other, although it will always
-demand some care and address in execution. There are various methods
-by means of which the change is effected, of which the following
-three are perhaps the best. For simplification of description we will
-suppose that the ace of diamonds is to be exchanged for the ace of
-clubs.</p>
-
-<p><em>First method</em>: Hold the pack, with the ace of clubs on the top, in
-the left hand, between the first finger and thumb. The other fingers
-should be so disposed under the pack as to leave a space between the
-first and middle fingers. This space, is for the reception of the card
-to be exchanged, in this instance the ace of diamonds, which is held
-between the first and middle finger of the right hand. To effect the
-change, bring the hands momentarily together, and place the ace of
-diamonds between the first and middle fingers of the left hand; the
-thumb and first finger of the right hand taking, at the same time,
-the ace of clubs from off the top of the pack. Just before executing
-the change, the thumb of the left hand should push the ace of clubs
-slightly off the pack, so that it may be in a favourable position for
-the finger and thumb of the right hand to seize. The action must, of
-course, be instantaneous and unaccompanied by the slightest hesitation
-or bungling. There must also be an auxiliary movement of the body
-from right to left, without which it is exceedingly difficult, if not
-impossible, to execute the change unperceived. The left hand must also
-be taken<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> away from the other, at the same moment, the feat being
-practised until it can be accomplished in one movement, the hands
-not dwelling together for the most infinitesimal period of time. The
-learner should first practise by saying to himself, "Now here I have
-the ace of diamonds, and, by simply rubbing it on this table" (here
-give the body a half turn from right to left, and execute change), "I
-will transform it into the ace of clubs." This form of address should
-be used when exhibiting the change in this its most simple form before
-spectators. The chief principle to be engrafted on the mind is, that
-the first half of the change is performed with the right hand and the
-second half with the left&mdash;the two movements being interwoven, as it
-were, with the body swing. On no account must the hands be brought
-suddenly together and then parted as if something had been snatched
-away. This method is the one in general use, and, for ordinary
-purposes, I can scarcely recommend any other. By its means, it is as
-easy to exchange two, three, or more cards for others as a single
-card. The cut (<a href="#fig36">Fig. 36</a>) illustrating this change shows the two hands
-in actual contact. It will be seen that the actions of leaving the one
-card and taking the other are simultaneous.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig36"></a>
-<img src="images/fig36.png" width="400" height="322" alt="Fig. 36" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 36.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig37"></a>
-<img src="images/fig37.png" width="400" height="417" alt="Fig. 37" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 37.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Second Method</em>: By the first method it will be seen that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> the card
-first shown is left, after the change, at the bottom of the pack.
-This result is not always desirable. When the cards have to be, as
-is sometimes the case, changed back into their former positions, the
-card must be left at the top at each change. In this instance, the
-ace of diamonds must be held between the thumb and first finger of
-the right hand; the ace of clubs being, as before, at the top of the
-pack, and slightly pushed off by means of the thumb. On the hands
-being brought momentarily together, the ace of clubs is seized between
-the first and middle fingers of the right hand, the ace of diamonds
-being left on the top of the pack. The thumb of the left hand is
-utilised in detaining the ace of diamonds, which, without its use,
-would probably fall on the floor. The first finger of the left hand
-must be kept well out of the way, or it will interfere with the smooth
-passage of the cards. <a href="#fig37">Fig. 37</a> represents this change just as the
-hands are brought together. Noise is more likely to be made by this
-change than by the preceding one, so care must be taken to avoid it
-as much as possible. The "three card trick," so much in vogue amongst
-card-sharpers in wheedling money<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> out of the pockets of greenhorns,
-becomes very amusing when worked by means of this change. The usual
-shifting about of the cards upon the table must be executed in the
-most childishly simple manner, which will not much matter, as you will
-take care to speedily change the card to be found, for one on the top
-of the pack. When the spectators have amused themselves for some time
-in endeavouring to find out a card which is not there at all, you will
-change it back again.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig38"></a>
-<img src="images/fig38.png" width="450" height="275" alt="Fig. 38" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 38.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Third Method</em>: Hold the pack in the left hand, with the ace of clubs
-at the top. Take the ace of diamonds in the right hand, between the
-first and middle fingers, and, bringing it briskly across the pack
-from front to back, take off the ace of clubs by means of the first
-finger and thumb, the ace of diamonds being left in its place. The
-little finger of the left hand should be curled up behind the cards,
-and so prevent more than the top one being removed, as will sometimes
-be the case if this precaution is not observed. This change is shown
-at <a href="#fig38">Fig. 38</a>.</p>
-
-<p>Besides the part it takes in regular set tricks, the change is of
-the utmost utility to the conjuror in cases of emergency, especially
-when he makes, as he infallibly must at various times, a mistake. On
-eventually producing a card which turns out to be a wrong one, the
-performer must not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> appear in the least discomfited, for that would
-commit him at once, but ask the chooser of the card if the one now
-exhibited really is what he or she states it to be. Of course, an
-affirmative will be received in reply, and the performer must say,
-"Well, I would not for worlds contradict you, but really I think
-in this case you are wrong. Will you, madam" (here give the card,
-rapidly changed in the transit to someone else), "say if this card is
-the seven of diamonds, which this gentleman says it is?" As it has
-been changed for the ten of hearts, or whatever the desired card may
-be, a laugh will ensue, and it will appear as if the climax of the
-trick had been arrived at, and no one will know that you intended
-doing anything else. One of the great arts in conjuring is that of
-turning all mistakes and unexpected occurrences to the best advantage,
-and a thorough knowledge of all the various artifices and dodges is
-necessary to accomplish this.</p>
-
-
-<h3><span class="smcap">The Palm.</span></h3>
-
-<p>"Palm a card!" exclaims the reader, "how can one possibly palm a
-card?" Not after the manner of a coin, certainly; but, after the
-proper method, the palming of a card&mdash;<em>i.e.</em>, the concealing it
-unnoticed in the hand&mdash;is not at all difficult. It is as important as,
-and, next to the pass, more used than, the other sleights with cards,
-there being a continual demand for its assistance. To palm a card in
-the right hand, take it in the left, across the middle, and place it
-in the right, so that the top left-hand corner is against the inside
-of the little finger, and the bottom right-hand corner against the
-fleshy part of the thumb. This pressure is quite sufficient to hold
-the card, but other parts of the hand and fingers will render a slight
-assistance. This, unless one possessed an enormous hand, would be
-impossible of accomplishment with the ordinary playing-cards, hence
-the necessity for using those of smaller dimensions. When the learner
-can palm the card tolerably well, he should learn to secrete it from
-its position on the top of the pack, under which circumstances<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> the
-palm is mostly used. The right hand must press upon the pack, and
-when it is felt that the card is in position it must be slid off
-sideways, not lifted. The hand containing the card should not be
-held unnaturally flat, but considerably curved, care being taken not
-to bend the corners of the card to any extent. The wand will, as
-usual, be of use here, as, if held between the finger and thumb, it
-will assist in disabusing the minds of the audience of the idea that
-anything is contained in the hand. It is not very likely that they
-will think so, for the idea that it is even possible to hold a card in
-the hand, without its being discovered, never occurs to anyone. The
-wand can also be held flat in the hand across the card, which is as
-good a way as any. Palming is not by any means confined to a single
-card, any number, up to a whole pack, being rendered invisible by this
-method. When two or more cards are to be palmed from the surface of
-the pack, they must be first slightly dislodged by the thumb of the
-hand holding them, and held a very little&mdash;not more than a quarter of
-an inch&mdash;above the others, just sufficient to enable the other hand to
-palm them rapidly without disturbing the pack. The palm is, of course,
-executed right in front of the audience, who never dream of what is
-going on. To entirely vanish a pack, take it in the right hand, across
-the back, lengthways, the thumb being at one end and the fingers at
-the other. Stand sideways to the audience, and, bringing the hands
-together, make a perpendicular swinging motion once or twice, as if
-about to toss the pack towards the ceiling. Make a final and vigorous
-toss, as if you had done so, and, with the left hand, press the cards
-into the right hand. The wand should be under the arm during this
-operation, in order that it may be at once seized by the thumb of the
-hand concealing the cards. If it be not handy, the lappel of the coat
-must be brought into requisition. It causes a good effect if the cards
-are afterwards found inside the coat of one of the audience, with whom
-you affect to be displeased thereat. You can also go down<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> among the
-audience, and pretend to give someone the pack with the left hand,
-which must, of course, be so disposed as if it really contained the
-cards. To do this requires a little confidence, and care must be taken
-to hold the inside of the hand well towards the body, or detection may
-easily ensue when one is quite surrounded by eager, prying eyes. The
-simplest trick performed with the use of the palm is to ask someone
-to look at the top card on the pack held in your left hand, and to
-replace it. In the right hand you have a card palmed. Ask the name of
-the card just looked at, and, on being told it, affect surprise, and
-say that you fancy there must be some little mistake&mdash;you feel quite
-certain that the card is not what it is stated to be. Of course, the
-party who looked at the card, and who probably allowed it to be seen
-by others, will be positive, so you say that you will show that you
-are right. Bring the right hand over the cards in a similar manner
-to that employed when about to perform the third change (<a href="#fig38">Fig. 38</a>),
-and, with one movement, leave the one palmed on the top and pick it
-off again. The picking off will be done very slowly, to show that you
-really do take the top card. Finish up by palming the card originally
-looked at, and remarking that you cannot understand how the mistake
-occurred, "for here is the card in my pocket." Produce it from thence,
-the hand containing the card being merely plunged into the pocket, and
-slowly withdrawn, holding the card in the tips of the fingers.</p>
-
-<p>Another very effective method is to stand sideways to the audience,
-and hold the pack perpendicularly (the length being horizontal) in
-the left hand, with the faces visible. In the right hand have a few
-cards palmed, with the faces towards the hand. Suppose the seven of
-hearts to be at the bottom of the pack in the left hand. Say that you
-can change it by simply passing the hand across it, which you then do,
-leaving one behind. If two or three are left by accident it does not
-matter, the chief object aimed at being smoothness. Care will have to
-be taken to have the end of the fingers of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> the left hand protruding
-well, so as to be in readiness to take the card thus left on the seven
-of hearts. The motion of passing the right hand over the left should
-be an upward one, and the performer should practise to dwell as little
-as possible over the pack.</p>
-
-<p>The palm is also invaluable when anyone insists upon shuffling the
-pack, so as to make sure of mingling the cards well. The card secure
-in the performer's hand, the pack may be shuffled for a whole week
-without much harm being done. With the palm and the pass shown at
-<a href="#fig35">Fig. 35</a> combined, a very pretty trick can be performed. It is
-somewhat similar to one already described. Take four cards of any
-denomination, and, cutting the pack into two halves, place one of the
-four at the bottom of one half. Place the remaining three at the top
-of the other half, which give to be held by a spectator, the three
-cards being previously palmed, and put on the top of the other cards,
-as you take them up to show the card at the bottom. Tell the person
-holding the cards, which are supposed to contain the three, to keep a
-very tight hold, and, tapping his pack with the wand, affect to take
-one of the cards away and pass it into your pack. Give a flourish, and
-pass one card to the front. The slight noise made by the pass will not
-signify if you say, "Ah! you heard it go?" Repeat this operation with
-each of the cards, when you will show all four at the bottom of your
-pack, whilst the three will be found to have vanished from the one
-given to be held by one of the audience.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Royal Marriages.</em>&mdash;This is a very pretty variety of the foregoing
-trick. Take the four queens from the pack, and place them on the
-table, remembering the order in which the suits run. Take the four
-kings (in the same order as the queens), and have them put in one
-portion of the pack, which you have divided as before. If the kings
-are placed in the centre, you can make the usual pass, palm them, and
-put them, unperceived, on the top of the other portion of the cards,
-and then let someone shuffle till he is tired. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> trick now proceeds
-very much as before, except that you commence operations by placing
-one of the queens on the bottom of the pack held by you, which has
-the four kings on the top. The lady is then supposed to call for her
-husband, who, as in duty bound, arrives with all despatch. Then place
-another queen at the bottom, and cause another king to arrive; and so
-on until all have appeared. The effect of this trick will be lost if
-the king of clubs arrives to console the queen of hearts, and so on.
-They must come together in suits.</p>
-
-<p>As the pass employed in this trick becomes difficult to execute when
-many cards are held in the hands, eight or ten only should be taken up
-in the first instance, as eight will be added during the performance
-of the trick.</p>
-
-
-<h3><a id="the_slide"></a><span class="smcap">The Slide.</span></h3>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig39"></a>
-<img src="images/fig39.png" width="400" height="295" alt="Fig. 39" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 39.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>This is a very simple, but not, therefore, any the less useful, little
-deception, which deserves to be brought more into use by conjurors
-than it is. It consists merely in sliding back, in a particular
-manner, the bottom card of a pack, with the fingers of one hand, so
-that the other hand may remove the one next to it, and yet appear to
-actually remove the bottom card. The particular method of holding
-the pack is shown at <a href="#fig39">Fig. 39</a>. The cards are taken, face downwards,
-in one hand, and the first and second fingers push back the bottom
-card to the extent of from half an inch to an inch.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> Damp a finger
-of the other hand, and apply it to the bottom of the pack, drawing
-away the last card but one instead of the last. Thus, if, as in the
-illustration, the seven of hearts is at the bottom, and the seven of
-clubs next it, the red card will be exhibited to the audience at the
-bottom of the pack, which is then turned over. The seven of hearts
-is then ostensibly taken from the bottom of the pack (the seven of
-clubs being taken instead), and then made to change, whilst covered
-by the hand of a spectator, from the heart to the club suit. This
-is the simplest form in which the deception can be employed. It is
-very useful in demonstrating to the audience that a chosen card is
-neither at the top nor the bottom of a pack, when it is actually at
-the bottom. A card or two can be taken from the top, and then a few
-from the bottom, the actual bottom card being slipped aside. After
-taking off cards in this manner, always ask whether you shall take
-any more away, and so disarm the suspicion that you know the position
-of the card, and have only removed a certain number of cards so as to
-ultimately reach it. Should anyone not be satisfied, but demand to
-have the pack turned over, you must comply, making the pass as you
-turn the cards over. This will bring another card to the bottom; but,
-if you do not remove the finger from between the two portions, the
-pass can afterwards be repeated, and the cards brought back to their
-former positions. This is a ruse which will naturally occur to most
-conjurors when performing.</p>
-
-
-<h3><a id="the_force"></a><span class="smcap">The Force.</span></h3>
-
-<p>This is the last of the elementary principles to be learnt, and in a
-highly important one. It is hardly a feat of sleight of hand, although
-requiring considerable practice and determination to carry out
-properly. The act of forcing a card consists in inducing the chooser
-of a card to select from those proffered by you any particular card
-you please. As will hereafter transpire, it is highly essential for
-some tricks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> that a particular card, and none other, be chosen. The
-best method is as follows: Have the card which you desire to have
-selected at the bottom of the pack, in which the finger is inserted
-ready for the pass. As you advance for the purpose of presenting the
-cards, make the pass and allow the middle finger to remain under
-what was the bottom card, now somewhere in the middle. Spread out
-the cards, keeping them in constant motion, and as the chooser's
-hand is put forward to select a card, the middle finger should run
-the desired card into it. This action must be performed as naturally
-as possible. There must be no distinct motion of <em>pushing</em> the card
-into the hand, the cards being so manipulated that it always appears
-as if they were only just ready as the chooser's hand reaches them.
-Usually the difficulty of forcing a card is very small indeed, persons
-unacquainted with the ruse taking the first card that reaches their
-fingers with charming simplicity. In the event of a failure, do not
-appear in the least degree disconcerted, but "force" the card on some
-more tractable person, and then ask a third party to choose between
-the two cards selected. You will explain that your reason for having
-two cards chosen is to prove that you do not "force" any card, and
-then say, "Now, which card shall I take?" If the card you want is
-indicated, say, "This one, then, I am to use for my trick;" but if the
-other card is pointed at, then say, "This card I am to take away,"
-and suit the action to the word. By this means you will appear to
-have given the audience a free choice, and at the same time obtained
-your own private ends. The beginner is sure to be nervous in forcing
-a card, and he must endeavour to overcome the feeling as quickly as
-possible. Some performers (I won't say conjurors) use what is called
-a "forcing pack," viz., a pack consisting entirely of cards of one
-particular kind, which will, of course, be that which is required for
-the trick. As, however, it is utterly impossible to allow such a pack
-to be examined, and highly disastrous to allow any number of the cards
-to fall or otherwise<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> become seen, the conjuror should disdain to
-seek such adventitious aid as that afforded by a "forcing pack," the
-possession of which generally causes the appellation of "duffer" to
-attach itself to the owner.</p>
-
-<p>With a command of the foregoing "elementary principles" the performer
-may attempt anything with the cards, taking care, however, always to
-rehearse any new combination carefully, lest it prove too much for
-him in the hour of trial. As previously stated, tricks with cards are
-without end, and the conjuror may vary his causes and effects at will.
-I give, however, a few of the most favourite tricks, so as to afford
-an idea of what may be attempted by the learner.</p>
-
-<p><a id="la_carte_generale"></a><em>La Carte Générale.</em>&mdash;This is, perhaps, as pretty a trick as can well
-be conceived. Force a card, say the eight of hearts, have it replaced
-in the pack, and re-force it on someone else so far removed from the
-first chooser that the possibility of their seeing that they have both
-selected the same card is avoided. Have the card replaced in the pack
-and re-force, repeating the operation four, five, or six, or even more
-times, according to the size of the room and number of the audience.
-Now and then it is as well to pass the card to the top, palm it, and
-then have the pack shuffled by one of the audience, or, at least, to
-shuffle it yourself. When you have forced the card a sufficient number
-of times, bring it finally to the top of the pack, from which select
-haphazard a card. Show this card to one of the choosers, and ask if it
-was the one selected. A negative will of course be given. Look neither
-surprised nor satisfied, merely exclaiming "No?" inquiringly. Show the
-card in turn to each of the persons who selected, asking if it belongs
-to them. When you have completed the round, turn to the first chooser,
-changing the card unperceived for the one (the eight of hearts) on
-the top of the pack, and holding it in front of the person, face
-downwards, so that no one can see what it is, say, "Well, since this
-card belongs to nobody, will you kindly tell it to go away?" As the
-words "go away" are uttered, run the thumb sharply<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> along the edges of
-the cards held in the left hand, and "flip" the eight of hearts with
-a finger of the right hand, so leading the audience to believe that
-some miraculous change had taken place. Now hold the eight of hearts
-to the person whom you addressed, saying, "Is not that your card?"
-On receiving, as you will, a reply in the affirmative, turn the card
-face downwards and proceed to the next chooser of a card, and so on,
-until all are satisfied. As all are supposed to have chosen different
-cards it is imagined that each card is invisibly changed for the
-next one required. Commence another trick immediately, or otherwise
-divert the attention of the audience, or the drawers of cards will
-begin to "compare notes," and so discover that they all drew the same
-card. Although this discovery does not actually spoil the trick, it
-diminishes the effect immensely. It adds to the effect of the trick if
-the performer pretends to place each card, as chosen, upon a table,
-or other prominent place. Upon each occasion, however, he must change
-the forced card for an indifferent one. The last time the eight of
-hearts is actually placed with the rest. The supposed chosen cards are
-then held up, fanwise, together, and the choosers asked if they do not
-see their cards amongst them. As they all see the eight of hearts,
-they reply in the affirmative, and thus the idea that only one card
-has been selected is very unlikely to be entertained. To effect this
-valuable addition to the trick, great facility with the change is
-absolutely necessary, as it has to be so frequently executed.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Sympathetic Cards.</em>&mdash;Palm a few (say, four) cards, and ask one
-of the audience to take any number, without any reference to their
-specification, from the pack. Suppose eight are taken: how many is
-quite immaterial. Borrow a handkerchief; and after satisfying all that
-there is nothing whatever in it, ask for the eight cards, to which
-number add, unperceived, those you have palmed, and place the whole in
-the handkerchief with great deliberation. Fold the handkerchief up,
-and ask someone to hold it very firmly. Now have some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> cards drawn
-from the pack. "Any number you please," you will say carelessly,
-taking particular care that neither more nor less than four are
-chosen, the "force" being here brought into play. You now ask the
-person who selected the first batch how many are in the handkerchief,
-and the answer in this instance will be eight. "Eight, and four I have
-here, will make twelve, will they not? Now, sir," addressing the party
-holding the handkerchief containing the cards, "please to keep a firm
-hold whilst I pass these four cards into the handkerchief to join the
-other eight." Make a movement as though you threw the cards towards
-the handkerchief, palming them, and then have the handkerchief opened
-and the cards counted. The beauty of the trick is that the audience
-apparently selects the number of cards in each instance, the idea
-of any previous calculation on your part taking place being thereby
-precluded. Be careful to call attention to the number of cards in the
-handkerchief, and to the number to be passed into it, or the effect of
-the trick will be lost. This trick is sometimes performed without a
-handkerchief, the cards being given to be held in the hand only. Which
-method is the better is purely a matter of opinion, and the learner
-may follow which he pleases. Do not allow the drawer of the second
-batch of cards to examine the faces of them, or it will be noticed
-that they did <em>not</em> pass into the handkerchief, should anyone be 'cute
-enough to look for them. This possible <em>contretemps</em> can be avoided
-by having duplicate cards palmed in the first instance, in which case
-the faces of the cards should be shown to the audience, who will be
-asked to remember them. This is decidedly an additional feature to the
-trick, but it entails far more trouble. It is for the learner to try
-these little things, and then retain or relinquish their use as he
-finds it assist or trouble him.</p>
-
-<p>Another way of performing this trick is to ask one of the company to
-count thirty cards from the pack, and then to cut them roughly into
-two parts. Taking one of the parts, ask a spectator to count them.
-Suppose the number is sixteen.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> Taking them momentarily in the hands,
-for the implied purpose of describing exactly what you wish done, you
-place the four palmed cards upon the sixteen, and then instruct the
-spectator to hold them very securely. Now count the other heap. There
-will be fourteen cards, which number you announce to be quite correct,
-sixteen and fourteen together making thirty. Pick the cards from the
-table, and, in giving them to someone to hold, palm off four, taking
-the wand in the hand to cover the constrained position of it. Now you
-command four cards to pass from the heap last picked up to the one
-first given to be held, and, when the cards are counted, this will be
-found to have taken place. The trick may be reversed with success; the
-ten heap having the palmed cards secretly put back, and given to be
-held again, the twenty cards heap having four abstracted before being
-finally parted with. The cards are then commanded to go back to their
-original places. This method will possibly be found more difficult
-than the first one, in which a handkerchief is used.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Permeating Card.</em>&mdash;Have a card chosen, and, bringing it to the
-top, palm it. Ask someone who is seated to hold the cards in two
-hands, over the head, holding the pack in the desired position, and
-about six inches beyond the person's reach. This will cause him to
-rise slightly from his seat, when you instantly slip the card beneath
-him, saying at the same, "No, don't stand up; pray be seated," and
-allow the pack to reach his hands. The attention of the audience must
-be directed to the pack, or the action of placing the card beneath the
-holder will, perhaps, be perceived. The man&#339;uvre requires a little
-care in execution, and it will be necessary to be as close as possible
-to the person operated upon, and at his side. Ask for the name of the
-card, and then command it to pass through the holder of the pack, who,
-on rising at your request, will find that he has been seated upon it.
-This trick usually causes much hilarity.</p>
-
-<p><em>Divination of Thought.</em>&mdash;This is an ambitious and daring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> experiment.
-Hold the cards upright, and fanwise, before one of the audience (a
-lady for choice), and run them rapidly from right to left, or <em>vice
-versâ</em>, in such a manner that only a very small portion of each card,
-one excepted, is visible. The bottom, or front, card is carefully
-concealed by the hand, so that it cannot be seen. The cards are run
-so rapidly across that it is impossible to recognise any of them
-by the very small portions of them exhibited by you; but one you
-allow to be very much exposed, and on that one you place a finger,
-and continue pushing the rest over in a rapid manner. Whilst thus
-running the cards across, you ask the lady to kindly think of any one
-of the cards she sees. As you take good care to show only one card,
-you may rest assured that that is the one thought of, although it is
-advisable, on being told that a card has been thought of, to inquire
-if it were actually seen in the pack. Keeping the finger on the card,
-turn the pack over, and then make the pass. The card can then be
-produced after any method the performer pleases, but he should first
-ask the name of the card (at which he has taken a glance), as there is
-considerable uncertainty about forcing a card upon a person's notice
-in this manner. In the event of the chooser naming a card other than
-that manipulated by the performer, he must at once look through the
-pack for it, and first palming it, boldly declare that it is not in
-the pack, which he will give to be inspected. The card named can then
-be produced from someone's pocket, &amp;c. The method of passing the cards
-fanwise from side to side, so as to expose the face of one card only,
-should be practised in front of a looking-glass until the learner
-is perfect. Perfection is the only degree in which it is allowed to
-exhibit conjuring tricks, especially those with cards.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Cause a Card to Appear in any Position in the Pack, Counting
-either from the Top or from the Bottom.</em>&mdash;This, a very favourite
-diversion in card tricks, is capable of being performed in many ways,
-the best of which are given here. The method of procedure is to
-bring the card either to the top or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> the bottom of the pack, after
-due shuffling, &amp;c., and then to ask one of the audience to name the
-position in which it is to appear. If you have brought the card to
-the bottom, then say, "At what number from the bottom shall the
-card appear?" It will not answer to count it from the top. Suppose
-the fifth card is decided upon, all you have to do is to slide back
-(<a href="#fig39">Fig. 39</a>) the bottom card, which is the selected one, and draw away
-the next card instead. When four have been thus extracted, draw away
-the card itself, and the trick is done. This is the only method used
-when the cards are counted from the bottom. In counting from the top
-proceed as follows:</p>
-
-<p><em>Method 1</em>: Bring the card to the top and then make the pass in such
-a manner that the two halves of the pack are facing each other,
-after the method previously described in dealing with a single card.
-This will cause nothing but the backs of the cards to be visible at
-both top and bottom. Hold the pack in the left hand with the thumb
-turned underneath it, and the fingers curled round the front side.
-The selected card is at the bottom, and it is required to produce it
-fifth. (For the sake of simplicity, I will suppose that the card is
-required in this position in each of the methods given.) Count off,
-one by one, four cards from the top, and then, whilst affecting to
-examine the last one, or to recount those taken off "to make sure,"
-thus drawing attention away from the left hand, turn the pack rapidly
-over. This will bring the chosen card atop, and you have then only
-to take it off and show it. The reversion of the pack must be very
-rapidly and quite noiselessly made, and care must be taken that the
-cards set evenly at the edges, or the audience will perceive that one
-half of them are reversed: and although the elucidation of the trick
-will not of necessity follow, yet it is just as well to avoid the
-discovery if possible. If the pack be at the same moment handed to one
-of the company, with a request to have the next card looked at, to see
-if it be the right one, the action of reversing will be less likely to
-be remarked.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>Method 2</em>: Bring the card to the top, and hold the cards in the
-left hand as if about to deal them. Do not hold them quite squarely,
-but let the thumb push off the upper ones in such a manner that each
-card overhangs slightly the one beneath it. Now commence to take off
-apparently the top card, but in reality the one immediately beneath
-it. This is accomplished by exerting more power with the first finger
-of the right hand than with the thumb thereof, the thumb of the left
-hand at the same time putting sufficient pressure on to the top card
-to detain it in its position. The top card is taken off with much
-ostentation, when it is required for production. This deception
-is capable of immense development, if assiduously practised, it
-being possible to deceive those who actually know what is taking
-place. If the learner has this method at his command, he need never
-resort to any other, for he will never be discovered. This practice
-of dealing the second card in lieu of the first is a common dodge
-amongst card-sharpers, who are thereby able to retain all the good
-cards, which they have previously marked, for themselves. I strongly
-recommend the adoption of this method in preference to all others, but
-it must be well executed.</p>
-
-<p><em>Method 3</em>: Bring the card to the top, and count the cards off in
-regular order one by one. As the first card removed (now the lowest
-of those dealt off) is the selected one, the fifth will naturally be
-a wrong card. You appear surprised, and say that you must have made
-some mistake in the counting. Gather up the five cards, the selected
-one being at the bottom, replace them on the top of the pack, and ask
-the chooser of the card to count them off himself. This time, the card
-will, of course, turn up in its proper place. This is the simplest of
-all the methods, and is now and then seen through; but not often. On
-counting the cards off for the first time, they must on no account be
-turned face upwards. If this were done, it would be at once perceived
-that the chosen card was on the top in the first instance.</p>
-
-<p><em>Method 4</em>: Bring the card to the top, and hold the pack in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> the left
-hand, in a position similar to that shown at <a href="#fig38">Fig. 38</a>, the little
-finger being in this instance not curled up behind the cards. Place
-all four fingers of the right hand well over the top card, almost
-covering it, and the thumb well under the bottom card. Draw the hand
-sharply away, bringing with it the bottom card by means of the thumb,
-which it will be as well to damp a little unperceived. The rapid
-motion will prevent the audience from noticing what has actually taken
-place. When the time has arrived for so doing, show the chosen card
-very slowly indeed, or even ask one of the audience to remove it, to
-show that it really is in the desired position. In counting off the
-underneath cards, use a fair amount of rapidity, and be careful not to
-draw away more than one card at a time. The action of drawing off the
-cards must be made towards the body, and not outwards.</p>
-
-<p><em>Method 5</em>: Bring the card to the centre of the pack, keeping the
-finger upon it, and, when you have counted off four cards, make the
-pass, thus bringing the card to the top. This method should only be
-used when some sharp person insists upon looking to see if the card is
-at the top or bottom of the pack.</p>
-
-<p>After bringing the card to any number from the top or bottom, you
-can offer to perform the still more surprising feat of causing it
-to appear at any place indicated by the insertion of a pen or paper
-knife between two cards. To perform this feat, which, by the way, is
-a variation of my own, hold the pack as in <a href="#fig39">Fig. 39</a>, face downwards,
-and, presenting the end to one of the audience, ask to have indicated
-the place in which the card is to appear. When this is done, hold
-the bottom portion by the finger and thumb of the left hand, across
-the cards; and insert the first finger of the right hand, which is,
-of course, holding the upper portion, into the space made by the
-instrument of indication, from the front. Ask whether the person is
-quite sure that the place indicated is the right one, and whether
-another would not be preferred. This is to show that it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> really does
-not matter what position is indicated. On receiving a reply in the
-affirmative, draw off the top half rapidly, bringing with it, by means
-of the ends of the fingers, as taught in describing the "<a href="#the_slide">slide</a>,"
-the bottom card also, and hold the whole up to the audience. This
-man&#339;uvre defies detection, and possesses the advantage of bearing a
-fair amount of repetition. Before commencing, it as well to show that
-the card is neither at the top nor the bottom. As it is at the bottom
-all the time, the slide will have to be brought into play, in order to
-enable another card to be drawn away from the bottom and exhibited.
-What lends great finish to the trick is the bringing the first finger
-over the ends of the upper cards, as by this means the slipped card
-can be immediately brought close against the others, and not allowed
-to stand out away from them, which would give the audience the idea
-that the trick had been clumsily performed, even if it did not afford
-a clue to the secret of it.</p>
-
-<p><em>Card-boxes.</em>&mdash;A well-known, but, when well executed, very effective,
-trick is performed with the aid of one or two boxes, known as
-"card-boxes." They are about half an inch deep, and sufficiently large
-to hold a card very easily indeed; that is to say, there is a good
-eighth of an inch to spare all round the card when it is in the box.
-The boxes are black inside, and are furnished with a thin piece of
-wood, also blackened, which is placed loosely within and fills up the
-entire interior space. This piece of wood is the secret of the box,
-for by its means a card is made to appear and disappear. Suppose that
-the box is wide open, and in the right-hand half is placed the card,
-whilst the left-hand half contains the piece of wood. If, on the box
-being closed (which movement must be rapidly executed, or the wood may
-unexpectedly fall out) the left-hand half is turned over on to the
-right-hand half, the card contained in the latter will necessarily
-be covered by the blackened piece of wood, and will appear to have
-vanished entirely when the box is re-opened. By simply turning the box
-over, the card will be made to appear.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>The trick is performed by means of a duplicate card, which can
-either be forced, and, after being placed in the box, made to return
-invisibly into the pack whilst the latter is being held by one of the
-audience, or the box may contain one of the duplicate cards in the
-first instance. The other one can then be forced, replaced in the
-pack, brought to the top, and palmed. The pack may then be examined,
-after the card has been shown to be in the box, to prove that it
-really has gone from it. The proper time for replacing the card in the
-pack is immediately after the person has finished the examination.
-You take the cards from him, and, placing the palmed card on the
-top of the pack, make the pass, and so bring it to the middle; you
-can then perform the operation of passing it invisibly from the box
-back again to the pack, where it will, of course, be found. Opinion
-is divided on the question of handing the box or boxes round for
-examination. If this is done, the trick decidedly attains lustre
-thereby, but, of course, the false wooden bottoms must be concealed
-about the performer's person, and slipped in whilst retiring to his
-table. In showing the boxes round with the false bottoms in them, keep
-a finger on the latter, and knock the boxes about a good deal with
-the wand to show they are solid, &amp;c. In "passing" the card, either
-from box to pack, or <em>vice versâ</em>, make a great show of taking it from
-either place by means of the wand, on the end of which you seriously
-declare you can distinctly see it. Conjurors are able to make great
-capital out of doing simply nothing at all; and as it is impossible,
-when performing with nothing, to make any mistakes, then is the time
-to do the most extraordinary things. The trick with the boxes can be
-varied by having two duplicate cards of different denominations, one
-of each kind being concealed in a box. Say the cards are the six of
-clubs and king of hearts. Force these cards from the pack and place
-the drawn king in the box containing the six, and the drawn six in
-the box containing the king. You have only to turn the boxes over to
-effect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> the change, although you of course affect to bring it about
-by magical means. You may then remove one six and one king from the
-boxes, leaving one of each still concealed, and, placing them in the
-pack, bring them to the top, palming them and proceeding as directed
-for one card only. This makes a very pretty trick. The boxes are best
-purchased from a conjuring repository, where they can be obtained
-cheaply.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Throw a Card.</em>&mdash;In a large room, throwing cards from one end to
-the other has a very good effect. It is astonishing how few people can
-throw a card, seeing how easy the feat becomes with a little practice.
-But I suppose it is just this practice which stands in the way. The
-card should be held across its end, the end of the first finger just
-turning the outside corner. When in position for throwing, it should
-rest upon the middle finger, which will be curved slightly for the
-purpose. Bend the arm back until the card almost touches the chest,
-and then throw it with considerable force from you, taking care to
-give it a spin with the end of the first finger. If this spin, the
-secret of the feat, is not given, the card will not travel three
-yards, whereas a good thrower can send one thirty or forty. For long
-throws, ordinary heavy cards should be used, but care must be taken
-to elevate the trajectory, as such cards hurt severely when they
-strike the face with full force, and serious injury might result if
-one struck the eye. Mehây used to place one card across the back of
-the left hand, and flick it off with the first finger of the right.
-People with strong fingers may try this method, which will, however,
-never send the cards farther than eight or ten yards. Some throwers
-merely seize a corner of the card between the finger and thumb, whilst
-others hold it between the first and second fingers&mdash;the latter being
-a favourite method.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Revolution.</em>&mdash;This, as an interlude, has a very pretty effect.
-Take a full pack of ordinary cards, and throw them obliquely on the
-table, so that they spread nearly across it, each card resting upon
-the one next it. Run the eye along<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> the cards, and see they are all
-even, as a break will spoil the feat. Place the hand well under the
-first (the lowest) card, taking care not to disturb the position
-of those immediately next to it, and turn it suddenly over in the
-direction of the other cards, which will, each in its turn, be made
-to reverse their positions on the table. The first card must be more
-pushed than lifted over; indeed, that end of it which is towards the
-other cards must always remain on the table as if hinged there. If
-they have turned over in good order, they may be turned back again by
-the same means. The success of the feat depends upon the neatness with
-which the cards are thrown down in the first instance. Simple as it
-appears, very few persons can execute it neatly, or with many cards.
-When the line is very long, considerable force will have to be applied
-in turning over the first card. The cards may also be spread in the
-shape of an arc, which has a still prettier effect, but considerable
-practice will be required in laying the cards out. A more difficult
-method still is to lay the cards along the forearm, and turn them over
-there. Many will be the spills, however, in practising this feat.</p>
-
-<p><em>Prepared Cards.</em>&mdash;Under the heading of "Sleight of Hand," the
-words "prepared cards" may seem out of place; but one of the chief
-articles in my creed is that a conjuror should know everything
-appertaining to his art. Besides this, many tricks with prepared
-cards require considerable sleight of hand in their performance; and
-not infrequently their introduction is the means of defeating an
-antagonistic and inquisitive element which will sometimes introduce
-itself into an audience, members of which possess just that "little
-knowledge" which is said to be "a dangerous thing."</p>
-
-<p><em>Cut Packs.</em>&mdash;In some instances, it is very useful to have the edges
-of the cards shaved off obliquely, so that one end is broader than the
-other. When a card is taken from the pack, the performer should watch
-and see if it is turned round whilst in the possession of the drawer.
-If it be not turned, then he must reverse the position of the pack
-before the card<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> is returned to it. The cards may then be shuffled
-any number of times, and the performer will always be able to find
-the card by the fact of its broad end being where the other cards are
-narrow. This ruse is but little known among amateurs. It saves a good
-deal of passing, but it will not obviate the necessity for forcing.</p>
-
-<p><em>Long and Broad Cards.</em>&mdash;This, a most useful preparation, consists
-merely in having one or more cards in the pack a shade longer or
-broader than the others. I, myself, never use more than one card so
-prepared. When not forced, or otherwise actually in use itself, it is
-very useful to place over or beneath other chosen cards, which will,
-by its means, be easily found when wanted. My preference is in favour
-of a broad card, as opposed to a long one: it is more easily found
-by the finger when preparing to make the pass. As one cannot procure
-single cards longer or broader than others, it will be necessary to
-have the other cards shaved down a little, omitting, of course, those
-intended to be longer or broader than the rest. It is not necessary
-to go to a card manufacturer in order to have these operations of
-cutting and shaving performed; any stationer or card-plate engraver,
-who possesses a paper-cutting machine, will be able to do all that is
-desired.</p>
-
-<p><em>Pricked Cards.</em>&mdash;An excellent method for detecting given cards is to
-have them pricked in the corners, very nearly through, with a needle.
-The hole, or, more properly speaking, the indentation, should be made
-on the back of the card, so that the face presents a little mound to
-the touch. The card should be marked in each corner, so that it will
-not matter which end of it comes to hand first. When it is desired
-to mark more than one card in the same pack by this method, one card
-should have one hole in each corner, another card two holes, another
-card three holes in a triangular form, another card a line of holes
-along each end, and so on. It will, however, be seldom necessary to
-mark many. Card cheating is to this day often practised by this means,
-cards of value of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> a certain suit being detected by the dealer as he
-deals them out.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Chameleon Card.</em>&mdash;Have two cards chosen, and bring one to the
-top and one to the bottom. Take the pack, face upwards, and make the
-single card slip pass from top to bottom, reversing the card during
-the process. This will bring the two chosen cards back to back. Openly
-take them up by one corner, but show only one card. Ask the name of
-the other card, and, blowing on the two in the hand, turn them rapidly
-round, and thus show the one at the back. Replace the cards at once in
-the centre of the pack. Care will have to be taken that the cards are
-very even when back to back, or it will transpire that two cards are
-in the fingers, and not one only. This trick is sometimes performed
-with the aid of prepared cards, the two&mdash;duplicates of which must,
-in this instance, be "forced" from the pack&mdash;being gummed together
-back to back. Supposing the cards to be queen of hearts and ten of
-spades, the performer would thus proceed: Bring the ten to the top,
-and the queen to the bottom, unknown to the audience. Produce, as a
-single card, as if taken from the pack (you will, of course, have them
-concealed about you), the prepared cards, showing the audience the
-ten. In the left hand you will hold the pack, displaying the queen.
-Prepare for passing the ten (<em>vide</em> <a href="#fig35">Fig. 35</a>), which is at the back,
-to the front, and then say, "Hey, presto, pass!" Turn the prepared
-cards rapidly round, and at the time execute the pass, when the change
-will have been effected. Palm the prepared cards, and give the pack
-round to be examined. This method is useful when the performer is able
-to execute the pass peculiar to the trick with one hand only. As this
-is a very pretty effect, which may be introduced in all manner of
-emergencies, two illustrations are given (see <a href="#fig40">Figs. 40</a> and <a href="#fig41">41</a>).</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 357px;">
-<a id="fig40"></a>
-<img src="images/fig40.png" width="357" height="400" alt="Fig. 40" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 40.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig41"></a>
-<img src="images/fig41.png" width="400" height="333" alt="Fig. 41" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 41.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>A very excellent variety of this trick is that described by Houdin in
-his work on "Conjuring," and communicated to me by Professor Hoffmann,
-to whose research the conjuring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> world is not a little indebted. Most
-of us have seen the three cards forming a portion of the marvellous
-and heterogeneous pennyworth offered to the public by a versatile
-itinerant vendor. When spread open one way, the seven of spades only
-is visible, and on being shut up and opened the reverse way, graceful
-female figures or donkeys' heads meet the view; Houdin's trick is
-framed upon this model, but, of course, very much elaborated and
-improved. Indeed, it was a peculiarity of Houdin's that he never did
-touch anything without improving it. The directions for the trick
-under notice are as follows: Have a pack made with plain white backs,
-each card being divided by a line diagonally from corner to corner.
-Of the halves thus formed, one is to represent queen of spades, and
-the other the ten of hearts. On the back of each card paint the ace
-of clubs. Have a heap of cards near you, the three uppermost cards
-of which are duplicates of those in the prepared pack, arranged in
-an order which is known to you. If you prefer it, these cards can at
-first be forced from an ordinary pack, and then given to be held in
-the audience, which heightens the effect of the trick. Take one of
-the three cards&mdash;for example, the ten of hearts&mdash;and, after showing
-it to the audience, say<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> that the fact of placing it with those held
-in your hand (the prepared pack) will change them all into tens of
-hearts. Taking care that the ten of hearts halves are farthest from
-you when the cards are held faces downwards, as they must be, place
-the card at the bottom, and, after a little nonsense, spread them all
-out fanwise, with the faces towards the audience. Close them again,
-and remove the ten of hearts. Then take up next card, the queen of
-spades, and place that at the bottom, having previously taken care to
-turn the pack round so as to bring the court card halves to the fore.
-Repeat the operation of opening the cards as before, and reclose them,
-discarding the queen. Now take up the ace of clubs and place it at the
-bottom, or anywhere else you please. Give the cards a flourish, so as
-to enable you to turn them completely over, and then open them once
-more, this time displaying the backs to the audience. It is as well
-to have the top card of the prepared pack quite plain at the back, as
-it is not always possible to avoid showing it whilst performing the
-trick. When the aces are shown, this card can be passed to the middle,
-where the absence of an ace on its centre will not be noticed. The
-beauty of this trick is considerably enhanced if the prepared pack be
-palmed, and another ordinary one shown round for examination. When
-this pack is returned to you, you place upon it the hand in which the
-prepared cards are palmed, and, saying, "Now I take a few cards from
-this pack," affect to do so. This at once disarms all suspicion of
-any preparation. There is no necessity for using more than eighteen
-or twenty prepared cards, and that number can easily be palmed with a
-little practice. Some advise changing the packs altogether, but this
-method I cannot recommend, as it entails a deal of extra trouble,
-without a commensurate meed of effect. In "<a href="#Part_II_Grand_or_Stage_Magic">Grand Magic</a>," a method
-for changing packs of cards will be described in its place, and the
-learner can then choose for himself. When well executed, there is no
-prettier trick than the one described above.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>The Travelling Cards.</em>&mdash;This is a pretty trick, and one that is
-always much commented upon by spectators who have seen it neatly
-performed. The performer has a couple of cards chosen, which he brings
-to the top of the pack; then, addressing the company, he refers to
-the notion that the sleeve of the coat is employed by conjurors
-for their concealment. He deprecates the attempt, made by many
-performers, to deny the immense aid afforded by this portion of the
-attire, especially for the effective concealment of eggs, pigeons,
-cannon-balls, and other articles equally easy of manipulation (this
-as sarcastically as he pleases), and says he will now proceed to
-demonstrate, conclusively, in what way the sleeve is employed. "So far
-from there being any difficulty, ladies and gentlemen, in concealing
-cards, in the sleeve, for instance, it is a very easy matter to cause
-them to travel up or down with great rapidity, and invisibly. My
-waistcoat, as you see, contains nothing." The performer cannot very
-well unbutton and open his waistcoat before the company, so, to show
-it is empty, he places his hand inside, and performs the action of
-emptying sufficiently vigorously to dislodge anything that might be
-there. He next palms a dozen or more cards from the top of the pack,
-and then, extending the left arm, ruffles the edges of the remaining
-cards. This act, he explains, has had the effect of sending a card
-up his sleeve, and he affects to watch its progress. A jerk of the
-arm is made, the contraction being caused, the performer says, by the
-passage, by the card, of the elbow. Plunging the right hand into the
-vest, the cards palmed are dropped there, one card only, taken from
-the bottom, being slowly extracted. A second card is made to pass in
-the same way, and another indifferent card extracted. The performer
-now asks the choosers of the two cards on the top at what numbers
-they shall pass up the sleeve. This feat is easy of accomplishment,
-as the cards are taken from the bottom until the proper number has
-been reached. When the cards in the vest have been exhausted, more can
-be palmed, and the operation continued until all<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> the pack has been
-employed; but this finish is by no means necessary to the success of
-the trick, which may be considered concluded when the two selected
-cards have been withdrawn, although it is as well to continue passing
-cards until no more are left in the vest.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Assembly.</em>&mdash;In this trick, four cards are laid separately on the
-table, in a row, and upon each card three more are placed from the
-pack, making four heaps of four cards each. The company themselves
-select one of the four heaps, which is found to consist entirely
-of the four cards that were only just previously laid upon the
-table, apart from each other, the remaining three heaps consisting
-of four different cards each. To accomplish this, the performer
-commences operations by picking out of the pack four cards of any one
-denomination, say, the knaves. This is far better than having four
-different cards selected, as the trick is one of startling effect,
-and four picture cards are better for the purpose, apart from the
-fact that no one in the company is called upon for an effort of
-memory. The performer gives the four knaves to one of the company,
-and seizes an opportunity for palming three cards. He now allows the
-four knaves to be placed upon the top of the pack, which he holds in
-the left hand, supplementing secretly the three palmed cards. He then
-proceeds to deal off the four topmost cards, one by one, placing them
-in a row, divided by a few inches, saying, as he does so, "Here I
-place one knave, here a second, here a third, here a fourth." After
-he has placed the fourth card, which will naturally be the only one
-of the four that is really a knave, upon the table, he pauses for a
-moment or two, and then turning it over remarks, pensively, "Ah! the
-knave of diamonds," or whichever it may be. This is really to let
-the spectators see the only knave there is, in order to convey the
-impression that all the rest are knaves also, they being led to fancy
-the performer looks at the suit of it for the purposes of the trick.
-The remaining three knaves are now, of course, on the top of the pack,
-the three palmed cards and one knave having been removed from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> above
-them. It is open to the performer to place these three at once on the
-top of the fourth knave, and this is generally done, but I do not at
-all advise it. Invariably make a pass at this point, so as to bring
-the three knaves to the centre of the pack, keeping the place where
-they are well defined by a finger, or by a break in the pack. I then
-place the three cards now on the top upon one of the three ordinary
-cards, emphasising the fact that they come from the top. I then open
-the pack a little lower down, and taking three cards from there, place
-them upon another ordinary card. The middle of the pack, where the
-three knaves are, is now reached unsuspiciously enough, and they are,
-of course, placed upon the fourth knave. Three more ordinary cards,
-from still deeper down in the pack, are placed upon the remaining
-ordinary card, as much deliberation being paid to this last card
-as to any other, or the conjuror's manner may reveal that he has
-accomplished what he wanted, however unknown its precise nature may
-be. The selection of a heap then proceeds precisely as described in
-<a href="#ladys_own_trick"><em>The Lady's Own Trick</em></a>, first two, and then one being removed. The
-four knaves are then shown together in the supposed selected heap.</p>
-
-<p>A second method depends upon the neat execution of the pass, and is
-to be commended because, each time three cards are placed upon one of
-the four lying upon the table, they are first shown to be ordinary
-mixed cards, and not knaves. Three cards are palmed, and placed upon
-top of the four knaves, as in the first method, and the three ordinary
-cards and one knave are placed in a row, as before. Three mixed cards
-are then taken from any part of the pack, their faces shown casually,
-and they are then put upon an ordinary card. This is gone through
-three times, the knave being left till the last. As if by mistake, the
-performer places the three cards, which he has shown to be mixed ones,
-upon the cards in his left hand, instead of upon the knave on the
-table. At this instant the three are passed to the bottom, the right
-thumb at once taking off the three<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> knaves, as though they were the
-cards just placed there by mistake. On no account must the performer
-make any apology; he need merely say, "Oh! that's wrong; they must
-go here," and place the cards upon the knave. One must be perfect in
-making the pass before attempting this method; but it is very easy
-indeed to pass so few cards as three from top to bottom.</p>
-
-<p>A third method is also accomplished by means of the pass, and is
-preferred by many conjurors. The four cards are shown, and, as they
-are being put upon the pack, the little finger is passed between the
-third and fourth, three cards thus being above it. The insertion of
-the little finger is in all cases greatly facilitated if the cards are
-spread a little, fanwise, at the moment of placing them on the pack.
-The three topmost cards (knaves) are immediately passed to the bottom,
-leaving one knave on the top, and the little finger kept between them
-and the rest of the pack. This card is then placed upon the table, its
-face being accidentally (?) shown to the spectators, and three others
-(ordinary cards) successively laid beside it. Three ordinary cards,
-always taken from the top, are then placed upon each of the ordinary
-ones lying singly upon the table, the audience seeing their faces each
-time, and then the pass is made, bringing the three knaves from the
-bottom back again to the top. These three cards are then placed upon
-the other knave, which brings about the desired state of affairs. As
-these three knaves cannot be shown to be ordinary cards, as was each
-preceding set of three cards, I here recommend the conjuror to make
-use of a little ruse of mine. It is to take off from the pack four,
-instead of three, cards, the three knaves thus having an ordinary card
-beneath them. Holding the edges even, so that only the lowest card
-can be seen, the performer says, "Now I once more take three cards,
-and"&mdash;here he turns them over, and, spreading them slightly, discovers
-four cards, so he continues, "Oh! I see, I have taken one card too
-many." He then removes the underneath card, and places the remaining<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>
-three upon the knave. To show the faces of three out of four heaps of
-cards and not those of a fourth, causes suspicion to be thrown upon
-the latter. By adopting the ruse described, this is ostensibly done;
-at any rate, sufficiently so to satisfy the spectators, which is all
-that is desired.</p>
-
-<p>A fourth method is bolder still, and calls for a masterly execution
-of the change. Matters progress precisely as in the second method,
-except that the three knaves are always slightly pushed off the top of
-the pack, ready to be exchanged at any moment. It is just as easy to
-change three cards as one by the method illustrated at <a href="#fig36">Fig. 36</a>. The
-fourth time is perhaps again the most favourable for the substitution,
-as the performer may cover the action of changing by handing the pack
-to be held. Holding the pack, with the knaves on the top, in the left
-hand, and the three ordinary cards in the right, he should turn round
-suddenly to someone on his extreme left, and somewhat behind him, when
-every opportunity will be afforded for executing the sleight. Or the
-act may be gone through by giving the last three cards to someone on
-the performer's left to place upon the remaining uncovered knave, when
-the same facility for an exchange will be afforded.</p>
-
-<p>Yet a fifth method remains, which is a very fine one indeed, if the
-performer should happen to be an adept at changing. To attempt this
-method, he must be absolutely perfect in this sleight. The four knaves
-are first thrown down upon the table, faces upwards. One is then taken
-in the right hand, and three cards put upon it from the top of the
-pack, held in the left hand. That is what the performer appears to do,
-but, in reality, as he approaches the pack with the knave, the change
-is effected, the knave being thereby placed at the bottom of the pack.
-As he executes the change, the performer says, "I will now take three
-more cards from the pack," and, under cover of the quite natural
-action of bringing the knave into proximity to the pack, the change,
-if only adroitly executed, will pass unnoticed. The three cards
-required are drawn off by means of the right thumb,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> and the heap of
-four placed at a corner of the table. A second knave is similarly
-treated, followed by a third. Three knaves are now at the bottom of
-the pack. The performer may now either make the pass, bringing the
-three knaves to the top, and then place them upon the fourth, or else
-he may say that he will take three cards from the bottom of the pack,
-to show that it is immaterial to him from whence they come. As the
-feat of changing three times in succession is materially assisted by
-some freedom of movement, it is as well to place the four heaps at
-the corners of the table, wide apart, the performer being thereby
-compelled, in the eyes of the company, to move about a good deal. The
-one great feature connected with this method is, that the four knaves
-are shown faces upwards, until the very moment of their being placed
-in a heap. In each of the last three methods, the selection of the
-knave heap proceeds as described in the first method.</p>
-
-<p>The five methods described give the conjuror his choice according to
-his greater facility with the pass, the palm, or the change; and he
-will also find that they are capable of far wider application, in
-connection with other card tricks.</p>
-
-<p><em>Thought-reading.</em>&mdash;Give the pack into the hands of a spectator,
-and allow one card to be secretly chosen. Replaced in the pack, it
-is passed to the top (or bottom), and a furtive glance taken at it,
-the palm being employed, if necessary. Let three cards be chosen in
-this manner, a fourth being forced, consequently previously known.
-The object of this diversion is in order that the last card selected
-may be placed in the pack by the chooser, and the cards immediately
-shuffled, which will distract attention from the fact that this was
-not done in the other cases, which, however, could be done after the
-performer had glanced at the card, if necessary, which it is not, as
-it draws out any trick too long to have the cards frequently shuffled.
-The performer must be careful to remember the cards, and by whom
-drawn. Taking the pack in his hand, he presents one end of it to a
-card<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> drawer, explaining that he is about to give an exposition of
-thought-reading. Although there is no reason for failing, it is as
-well not to make this announcement any earlier, in case of anything
-going not quite rightly. The performer makes a great fuss about the
-necessity for looking full in the eyes of the person drawing the card,
-and pretends to arrive at the designation of the card by slow degrees,
-saying to himself, but audibly enough to be heard, for instance, "A
-red card&mdash;hearts&mdash;one, two, three, four, five, six, seven spots;" and
-then, loudly, "The seven of hearts." Every incidental occurrence in
-the behaviour of the persons whose thoughts are being read must be
-taken advantage of; a want of alacrity in obeying instructions, for
-example, tending to make the reading more difficult, the subject being
-even left for the time being, and returned to after other cards have
-been revealed. This trick has the advantage of bearing considerable
-repetition.</p>
-
-<p>A second method is as follows: The performer holds the cards in one
-hand, and presents them to a spectator to cut, with the injunction
-that the underneath card of the cut shall be removed, looked at, and
-remembered. It is immaterial how many cards are thus chosen. As they
-are selected they are replaced in the pack by the person choosing, the
-performer turning his head away, if necessary, whilst this is being
-done; or they may be put back together, and the pack shuffled by the
-company. Simply by placing one end of the pack in the chooser's hand,
-whilst holding the other end himself, the performer is enabled to
-name the cards as before. This phase of the trick is accomplished by
-means of a "cut force." Glancing at the bottom card, the performer
-makes the pass, keeping the two packets apart by means of the little
-finger. The card which the performer has seen is now at the bottom of
-the upper half, and the pack is presented for cutting. As the four
-fingers are along one side of the pack, and the thumb along the other,
-the cut must be made lengthwise; and, as the little finger keeps<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>
-the pack open at the back, it must be made there. The person cutting
-will notice nothing. Whilst the card is being examined, the performer
-glances at the fresh bottom card, and, when the upper half of the
-pack is returned to him, once more makes the pass, and presents the
-cards to another person to be cut. Four cards are quite sufficient
-for the effect; but, if the performer can remember others, he is
-quite at liberty to increase the number. The finish of the trick
-will depend upon the performer's ability to simulate the possession
-of thought-reading powers. If he has been showing any card tricks
-previously, with success, he may commence this one by saying, "I have
-an idea that many here fancy I have a method for forcing certain
-cards upon persons, such cards being previously known to me. Now, in
-order to render such a proceeding quite impossible, I will ask this
-gentleman to shuffle the cards thoroughly, so that I cannot know the
-position of any one of them, and then have the cards cut haphazard."
-This explains why the cut is used, and at once makes the trick appear
-stupendously difficult.</p>
-
-<p>The "cut force" here described may be successfully employed for the
-purpose of reproducing cards that have been previously chosen, thought
-of, &amp;c.; one of the company being made to cut the pack at the very
-spot where that card is situated, after shuffling, &amp;c.</p>
-
-<p>If the company appears still sceptical about the powers of mind
-claimed by the performer, he may give a final convincing proof.
-Placing the pack entirely in the hands of the company, he desires them
-to select two or three cards. These cards are gathered by a spectator,
-and given to another to hold, and afterwards placed by him in the
-pack. The performer then presents his hand to each chooser, and reads
-the cards as before. Unless the performer can execute the change with
-certainty, he must not attempt this method, or ruinous exposure may
-await him. About the first portion of the trick all is fair and above
-board, the company selecting the cards as they please. The performer,
-taking the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> pack in his left hand, then says, "Now, in order that I
-may not get a sight of the cards, will some gentleman kindly gather
-them in his hand?" Whilst this is being done, the performer must
-watch narrowly whose card is placed first, whose second, &amp;c. Taking
-the three cards from the hand of the collector, the performer turns
-to a spectator on his left, requesting him to hold them between his
-hands. As he turns, he makes the change, the three chosen cards being
-left at the bottom, and three indifferent ones removed from the top,
-and given to be held. Great caution is necessary to keep the cards
-well covered by the upper hand, so that the performer shall not see
-them&mdash;his actual anxiety, of course, being lest any one else should
-do so. By this time he has glanced at the bottom card, and, making
-the single card slip pass, sees the next also, and the third soon
-afterwards. Affecting to see mistrust in the faces of the company, the
-performer says that perhaps it would, after all, be better to have the
-three cards in the pack. For this purpose the pack is handed to the
-person holding the three cards, who is directed to shuffle them with
-the rest. The trick then proceeds as before. If the change is properly
-executed, the effect of this trick is extraordinary, because the three
-cards have, apparently, always been in full view of everyone; and even
-if the performer had accidentally seen the face of the lowest one, the
-others have certainly never been visible to him.</p>
-
-<p><em>A Game at Napoleon.</em>&mdash;The performer forces five cards in succession,
-as quickly as he can, and remembering the whole five. Practice in the
-preceding trick will enable him to accomplish this, at first, rather
-difficult task, in public, it being simple enough to remember five
-cards when one has nothing else on hand at the same time. It is best
-to force all five cards on one person, who retains them. If forced
-upon different people, they must be afterwards collected in one hand.
-Giving the pack to another of the company, the performer asks for any
-five cards to be given him. This done, he tells the holder of the
-forced cards that he is about to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> a game at "Napoleon" with him.
-For the sake of effect, he may allow one half of the company to see
-his hand, the other half looking over the hand of his opponent. In
-this way, universal interest is excited. Should the opponent have a
-poor hand, the performer may give him the choice of saying how many
-tricks he will declare. Should the opponent have at all good cards,
-however, then the performer must say, "I declare first." What he
-declares will, of course, depend upon the cards; but, in nearly every
-case, he can go "Napoleon," one condition of the trick being, as he
-will explain just before playing the hand, that the opponent must
-play the cards as called for by the performer, who, of course, must
-not make his antagonist revoke. With this proviso, it is wonderful
-how often it is possible, even with the least promising cards, to win
-all five tricks; the cases in which four only are possible being very
-rare. A couple of sample hands will be instructive.</p>
-
-<p><span class="smcap">First Hand.</span>&mdash;The opponent's cards are:</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
-<img src="images/fig144a.png" width="374" height="90" alt="Ad, 10d, Kh, Jc, 7s" />
-</div>
-
-<p>The performer's being:</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
-<img src="images/fig144b.png" width="374" height="90" alt="Jd, 2d, 10s, 4s, 3h" />
-</div>
-
-<p>He declares "Napoleon," and the hand is played as follows:</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-<p>
-1. Performer plays <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144k.png" width="50" height="71" alt="10s" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144l.png" width="50" height="71" alt="7s" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>2. Performer plays <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144m.png" width="50" height="71" alt="4s" />
-</span> and calls for  <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144n.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Kh" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p>
-<p>3. Performer plays <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144o.png" width="50" height="71" alt="3h" />
-</span> and calls for  <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p144p.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Ad" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>4. Performer plays <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145a.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Jd" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145b.png" width="50" height="71" alt="10d" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>5. Performer plays <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145c.png" width="50" height="71" alt="2d" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 100px;">
-<img src="images/p145d.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Jc" />
-</span></p>
-</div>
-
-<p>Had the performer's highest diamond been less than the opponent's ten,
-then only four tricks would have been possible.</p>
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Second Hand.</span>&mdash;The opponent's cards are:</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
-<img src="images/fig145e.png" width="374" height="90" alt="Kc, 9c, Qh, Ad, 8s" />
-</div>
-
-<p>The performer's being:</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;">
-<img src="images/fig145f.png" width="374" height="90" alt="10c, 5c, 7h, 2h, 5d" />
-</div>
-
-<p>He declares "four," and the hand is played as follows:</p>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-<p>
-1. Performer plays<span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145o.png" width="50" height="71" alt="7h" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145p.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Qh" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>2. Performer calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145q.png" width="50" height="71" alt="9c" />
-</span> and plays    <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145r.png" width="50" height="71" alt="10c" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>3. Performer plays<span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145s.png" width="50" height="71" alt="2h" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145t.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Ad" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>4. Performer plays<span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145u.png" width="50" height="71" alt="5d" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145v.png" width="50" height="71" alt="Kc" />
-</span></p>
-
-<p>5. Performer plays<span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145w.png" width="50" height="71" alt="5c" />
-</span> and calls for <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 50px;">
-<img src="images/p145x.png" width="50" height="71" alt="8s" />
-</span></p>
-</div>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>Should the opponent, by any chance, hold an overwhelmingly superior
-hand, such as, for instance, five high cards of one or two suits,
-and the performer low cards of the same suit or suits, the latter
-must say, as soon as he realises the state of affairs, "Ah! I see,
-I haven't the ghost of a chance against you with this hand; have
-I?" at the same time throwing down his cards, faces upwards, and
-demanding a fresh hand. Of course, the astonishing part of the trick
-to the spectators is the fact of the performer being able to call the
-opponent's hand, card for card, and no one cavils at the absurdity of
-permitting him to do so utterly regardless of the general rules of the
-game.</p>
-
-<p>The performer can, of course, make sure of winning the whole five
-tricks every time, if he prearranges to give a poor hand to his
-opponent; but a great deal of the fun lies in the fact of good cards
-falling to insignificant ones. If the performer arranges to have
-five fairly good cards, three of them of one suit, with a big one
-at their head, on the top of the pack, it may be as well, as, when
-he asks for five cards, they are sure to be given him from that
-position ninety-nine times in a hundred. Should the five cards drawn
-prove, by accident, the masters of them, then, of course, shuffle the
-pack before asking for a hand from it. Personally, I like as little
-prearrangement as possible about the trick.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Lightning Change.</em>&mdash;This is an effective trick of my own, and
-the outcome of practice at the single-handed pass shown at <a href="#fig31">Figs. 31</a>
-and <a href="#fig32">32</a>. The performer has several cards selected haphazard. How many
-is not material, but four or five will be sufficient. These he has
-placed in the pack in the ordinary way, and brought to the bottom;
-an extra card, not one of those chosen, being added last of all. The
-order in which the cards were replaced in the pack should be noted.
-The performer stands sideways to the audience, with the left arm
-extended, the pack being held in that hand perpendicularly, and not
-horizontally&mdash;the faces of the cards, and not the backs, visible. The
-thumb should lie well across the centre of the undermost card, and
-the performer should ascertain by feel<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> that he has it in his grip
-before continuing the trick. The card that is exposed to view is the
-added one, and it conceals the first card gathered in of the chosen
-ones, which is naturally the undermost. The chooser of this card is
-requested to name it, when the performer informs the company that,
-if they watch closely enough, they will see the one card change into
-the other. Anyhow, if they are unable to see it, they will infallibly
-hear it. As this pass cannot be made noiselessly, the latter is a
-very necessary remark to make. The change is not effected with the
-hand held stationary&mdash;no pass ever is&mdash;a rapid movement, some six
-inches in extent, and somewhat circular, being made towards the body
-and back again. It is only a fraction of a second in duration, but by
-the time it is completed the pass must be accomplished. Each card is
-made to appear in turn, the performer taking care not to attempt the
-pass until he feels the card well gripped by the root of the thumb;
-otherwise, a fiasco may easily result. The pass may also be effected
-whilst turning the pack face downwards and back again very rapidly,
-but I do not find this method quite as good as the partially circular
-movement towards the body, the cards sometimes flying out of the
-fingers in a body, which is destructive to the success of the trick,
-and highly disconcerting to the performer. The feat is ostensibly
-exhibited as one of skill, and, when properly executed, invariably
-affords astonishment; for, although the company are apprised of the
-actual moment at which the cards change, and even hear the movement,
-they can see nothing of what takes place.</p>
-
-<p>This concludes the series of card tricks, and also the first part,
-Drawing-room Conjuring. I have not pretended to describe&mdash;and,
-indeed, the feat would be quite impossible&mdash;every trick capable of
-being performed with the various articles mentioned. Every conjuror
-who is what is popularly, if somewhat bluntly, termed "worth his
-salt," will find out little dodges and variations in the course of
-practice and exhibition; and I would advise no one who discovers a
-method for arriving at any given result which comes to him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> easier
-than any described by me, to follow my instructions in preference to
-his own ideas. This advice more particularly applies to card tricks.
-Conjuring, it must be borne in mind, is not like cricket, or rowing,
-or shooting, or anything else; there is no <em>legitimate</em> means of
-arriving at anything through its medium. The wished-for result must be
-produced by fair means or by foul.</p>
-
-<p>Many tricks included in the first portion may be successfully
-introduced on the stage. This is essentially the case with the more
-showy card tricks.</p>
-
-
-<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
-
-<div class="footnote">
-
-<p><a name="Footnote_A_1" id="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1"><span class="label">[A]</span></a>
-Since this was written, a great change has come over the
-fashion connected with playing-cards, the large, heavy card giving
-way rapidly to a smaller and more flexible article, the American
-round-cornered cards occupying a prominent place.</p></div>
-
-<div class="footnote">
-
-<p><a name="Footnote_B_2" id="Footnote_B_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_B_2"><span class="label">[B]</span></a>
-Some conjurors (myself included) use the third finger,
-but the little finger is the better one to employ, as it is more
-removed from observation. It is more difficult at the commencement,
-the digit being so weak; but the better execution it ensures repays
-the extra trouble.</p></div></div>
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="Part_II_Grand_or_Stage_Magic" id="Part_II_Grand_or_Stage_Magic"><span class="smcap">Part II.&mdash;Grand, or Stage Magic.</span></a></h2>
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a><br /><br />
-
-GENERAL REMARKS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>PREPARATION&mdash;WHERE, AND TO WHOM, TO GIVE ARTICLES TO BE
-HELD&mdash;ON THE PUNISHMENT OF MEDDLERS&mdash;ON THE REPETITION OF
-TRICKS&mdash;REHEARSING&mdash;"PATTER"&mdash;ADDRESS&mdash;IMPERTINENCE AND
-AUDACITY&mdash;ON PLAYING THE BUFFOON.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>The learner has now arrived at that point where he will quit the
-humble drawing-room, understood in its ordinary sense, and essay to
-grander flights on the stage. It is true that this stage may, after
-all, consist only of the back drawing-room, the front one serving
-as the auditorium; but, in a conjuring sense, it is a drawing-room
-no longer. It is the exclusive domain of the performer, in which
-he will work his spells of enchantment unmolested by busybodies
-indulged in too close a view. In this exclusiveness consists the
-main difference between the two branches of conjuring. In what may
-be aptly termed impromptu conjuring, the performer is greatly at the
-mercy of his audience, who may at any moment, if so disposed, seize
-upon him and wring from him his secrets. He is beset with difficulties
-on all sides, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> must exhibit a total invulnerability. In stage
-performances, he has matters much more his own way. To a great extent,
-he can control circumstances, to which he is constantly liable to
-fall a victim when exhibiting in a humble way. He can so arrange
-matters that one effect follows another in a most natural manner&mdash;a
-state of affairs which it is almost impossible to bring about under
-any other system of arrangement. So far stage conjuring possesses its
-advantages; but, unless the conjuror has gone through a course of
-training such as has been set before him in the preceding chapters, he
-would be quite unable to avail himself of them. The performer, with
-a limited amount of skill in execution, could never succeed in true
-legerdemain on the stage, where it is far more difficult&mdash;in most
-cases impossible&mdash;to cover a mistake or clumsy movement. Everything
-must be reduced to an absolute certainty. To ensure this, the learner
-must engraft on his mind the single but important word "preparation."
-Effective preparation is the great secret of success in stage
-conjuring of any magnitude: without it, things are tolerably certain
-to result in what is expressively termed a "bungle." The reader will
-discover, as I progress, what is meant by "preparation" quite speedily
-enough, so I will not now enlarge on what will sometimes prove a
-somewhat tedious operation. I once asked a well-known conjuror how
-he liked conjuring for its own sake. "As far as conjuring itself
-goes," he said, "I could perform all night; but what settles me is the
-everlasting preparation." I must say, that my ideas on the point are
-marvellously like his.</p>
-
-<p>There are many axioms which belong equally to either branch of
-conjuring, and which it is well for the learner to bear in mind at the
-outset. By getting into the way of acting up to them from the first,
-they soon cease to be irksome, and so assist, instead of detain, when
-anything important is being undertaken. One important thing is to be
-careful to give borrowed articles to be held, when it is required to
-do so, in a part of the room as far removed from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> the owners of them
-as possible. This rule need not be observed when the article is not
-to be changed; but it is so seldom that this is the case, that the
-possibility of its occurring is hardly worth while considering. It can
-never do any harm to remove an article which is not to be changed far
-from its owner; but a great deal of harm may be done by substituting
-one article for another in such proximity to its lawful possessor
-that that individual is able to discover the fraud. If this care be
-not taken, the most perfect dexterity will be thrown away. In a large
-room, full of strangers, one can perpetrate the most barefaced deeds,
-such as giving a substituted ring, which is in every respect totally
-unlike the original borrowed one, to be held openly in the fingers.
-Neither the holder nor the owner of the ring will know that the
-article is not the one which was borrowed.</p>
-
-<p>Where possible, always give articles, when they are not too ponderous
-or awkward, into the custody of members of the weaker sex. Ladies, as
-a rule, have much less self-possession than men during performances,
-and, besides, are naturally anxious (and not without some success) to
-do everything that is asked of them in the most graceful and effective
-manner possible. These causes conduce to the result which the
-performer so much desires, viz., an absence of that inquisitiveness
-which ultimately leads to a private and premature examination of the
-article in custody. This axiom applies only when an article is to be
-held passively. Under no circumstances must the performer cause a
-lady to rise from her seat; rather let the trick be shorn of some of
-its effect. When the assistance of one of the audience is required,
-select an intelligent-looking man, who will not be likely, from either
-incompetency or malice, to act exactly contrarily to your directions.
-Unfortunately, a large number of block-heads and malicious persons,
-with intelligent and winning expressions of countenance, do exist.
-On meeting with either individual in a dangerous shape, make him
-look ridiculous by giving him something big and cumbersome to hold
-above the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> head, in a conspicuous position (such as when standing on
-a chair), and let him remain there during the whole of the trick, or
-even longer, if he will put up with it, selecting someone else to
-render you the assistance you require. Be careful not to allow it to
-be palpably seen that you are hoaxing the person, or offence may be
-given to more than one: and conjurors must always strive to keep their
-audiences in the best possible humour.</p>
-
-<p>Never perform a trick twice. If the performer is weak enough to give
-way on this point, he must expect to have the secrets of half of his
-tricks the common property of his audience in a very short time. Such
-interludes as swallowing an egg, orange, &amp;c., and finding it at the
-elbow, point of the toe, or other unexpected place, one may repeat
-with tolerable frequency, although it is as well to vary the precise
-method a little each time. The reason such feats are comparatively
-safe to repeat is, that they come unexpectedly. If people knew that it
-was intended to vanish any particular article, they would keep a sharp
-look-out, and endeavour to discover what really became of it; but, as
-the performer is particularly careful not to warn his audience of what
-is about to be done, the movement is executed before anyone has had
-time to think. I wish to lay particular stress on the suicidal policy
-of performing the same trick twice during the same evening, as I know
-it is a weakness to which young beginners are much addicted.</p>
-
-<p>Conjurors must never fail; that is to say, they must never allow the
-audience to see that they have failed in arriving at any desired
-result. The surest method of avoiding this is to practise and rehearse
-everything, down to the minutest detail, in private, so as to be
-able to present it in its perfect form to the audience. The beginner
-feels a little awkward and stupid in rehearsing at first, but when he
-discovers, as he soon will, the necessity for it, he will soon become
-used to it. The great thing is to begin well, and this is best done if
-two persons commence studying together, in which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> case one will act as
-a critic to the other. My plan&mdash;and I recommend everyone else to adopt
-it&mdash;during the first six months, was to write down everything I had
-to do or say, accompanied by the most minute stage directions. Each
-hand and foot had its proper position at a given moment. Book in hand,
-my fellow-student would take up his position as audience, and keep me
-rigidly to my stage directions, besides giving such hints as seemed
-to him to be necessary. At first, this kind of thing feels somewhat
-irksome, but the good results derived will soon make themselves
-manifest, and compensate for all trouble. I have frequently spent
-a whole evening in getting perfect in a single trick, which would
-perhaps be rehearsed ten or twelve times. The properties of each trick
-should be written on a separate card.</p>
-
-<p>One thing of paramount importance is the talk to be used with
-each trick. At the outset, this should invariably be written out
-beforehand, and committed to memory, if not word for word, very
-nearly so. By this means, one is best able to avoid a repetition of
-any well-marked points, which would pall upon the audience, and cause
-them to fancy the performer before them to be a man of limited ideas.
-At the same time, great care must be taken to avoid making anything
-approaching a speech, which is even worse than saying nothing at all.
-People come to conjuring entertainments expecting to see sleight of
-hand performed, and not to listen to speeches, however beautiful
-they may be in themselves. What is wanted is something to accompany
-the trick, just as a pianoforte-player accompanies a singer. If this
-simile be borne in mind, the learner will not go far wrong. The
-only occasions on which nothing should be said are when some feats
-of dexterity&mdash;corresponding to the runs and scales of the expert
-vocalist&mdash;are being performed: a verbal accompaniment would only spoil
-them. On the other hand, a very poor trick can be made a good deal of
-by the introduction of a few lively sallies, mingled with allusions
-to topics of the day, which will be made to appear to bear upon the
-matter in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> hand. I shall give but very few examples in my descriptions
-of tricks, for I think that a conjuror should be, before everything
-else, original; and this he would not be if he only repeated what
-other people had to say. I hope the reader is impressed with the
-absolute necessity of being as well up in "patter" as in sleight of
-hand.</p>
-
-<p>Address in execution is another thing which cannot be too attentively
-studied. It is not enough that an orange is successfully vanished;
-the operation should be performed with all possible grace. This will
-naturally be impossible if the performer is not well up in his trick;
-but this he must not fail to be. The learner must study to acquire a
-manner that is neither hurried nor slow. Some tricks it is necessary
-to do with extra dash and rapidity; but the extra speed will never
-require to be sustained. As a general rule, audiences prefer a suave
-and easy style&mdash;one which appears free from the slightest exertion.
-Being in a hurry is the way to forget many little but telling points;
-whilst being too slow is the way to weary the audience. The worst
-possible style to adopt is that which impresses the audience with
-the idea that conjuring is nothing but a mere cheat&mdash;a swindle&mdash;from
-beginning to end. This impression is given when the performer wishes
-to appear extra sharp, and endeavours (to use a common idiom) to
-thrust everything down people's throats, whether they will or not.
-Always endeavour to impress spectators that they are being deceived by
-skilful manipulation, and not "bamboozled" by talk.</p>
-
-<p>Be careful not to substitute impertinence for impudence. Too many
-beginners err in this respect. They mistake the precise nature of
-the impudence required by the conjuror. A better name for it would
-be audacity. To be successful out of the ordinary way, the conjuror
-must be audacious and venturesome now and again, although it is as
-well not to tempt Fortune too much or too often: the jade may fail at
-an awkward pinch. The warning not to play with edged tools should be
-taken to heart by the conjuror.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>On no account play the buffoon, as I have seen conjurors do before
-now. When a laugh is raised, it should be with, and not at, the
-performer. Also, on raising a laugh at anyone's expense, let it be
-done in a polite and inoffensive manner, unless, of course, it be a
-punishment for previous misbehaviour.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a><br /><br />
-
-THE TABLE AND DRESS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>THE TABLE: ITS HEIGHT&mdash;THE BODY&mdash;THE SHELF&mdash;THE
-LEGS&mdash;VANISHING AND CHANGING TRAPS&mdash;ON USELESS MECHANICAL
-ARRANGEMENTS&mdash;SIDE TABLES&mdash;HOW TO PASS ARTICLES DOWN TRAPS:
-VARIOUS METHODS&mdash;THE DRESS: POCKETS&mdash;THE VEST&mdash;HOW TO
-COMMENCE&mdash;INTRODUCTORY TRICKS.</p></div>
-
-<p>Of very important assistance in Grand Conjuring are the specially
-prepared tables, of which one, two, or three will be used, according
-to the size of the room. These tables differ from ordinary ones, in
-the first place, by being considerably higher, their height being from
-2ft. 10in. to 3ft. This is to render it unnecessary for the performer
-to stoop when taking anything from or placing anything upon the table,
-as the action would take away a great deal from an effective execution
-of many things. The next important difference (unknown, however, to
-the audience) is that the body of the table is a hollow box, of which
-that side which is unseen by the spectators is perfectly open, and
-is furthermore provided with a protruding shelf, technically called
-the <em>servante</em>. This shelf is one of the conjuror's most invaluable
-assistants. It is always at hand to receive any article which it is
-desirable to get rid of, and is a patient holder of others which it
-may be required, at a particular moment, to produce<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> from an invisible
-source, but which are too large to be concealed about the person. This
-shelf should be about 5in. or 6in. broad, and should have the ends
-either rounded or cut off obliquely. If this is not done, the shelf
-will be noticed by persons standing or seated at the extreme sides
-of the auditorium. The edge should be furnished with a small raised
-beading, to prevent articles from falling off. The depth of the body
-of the table should not exceed 6in., or it will excite suspicion and
-remark. If the shelf is fitted to the body of the table by means of
-hinges, it will be found a great convenience. It will never become
-mislaid or knocked about, and so be either missing or useless when
-most required; and it also enables one to use the body of the table as
-a means for conveying the bulk of the conjuring apparatus. The legs
-should be made to screw on and off, so as to increase the portability
-of the whole; but see that the worm of the screw is long and deep, or
-the table will be unsteady.</p>
-
-<p>But, if the back of the table is mysterious, the top of it is still
-more so. For the speedy, easy, and complete vanishing of objects,
-particularly solids, it has been found convenient to fit the tops
-of tables with spring traps, which, yielding to certain pressure,
-resume their position when it is removed. Judiciously used, these
-traps are very useful, and the results attained by their use are
-most bewildering. In a table 36in. by 18in. (a very convenient size)
-there should be a round trap, 3-1/2in. to 4in. in diameter, in each
-front corner, and an oblong trap, 9in. by 5in., in the centre. These
-traps are made of zinc; but I would recommend no one to attempt
-manufacturing them at home whilst they can be purchased so reasonably
-at conjuring trick repositories. I would certainly recommend having
-the table itself made, under personal supervision, by a carpenter,
-who will let the traps into the top of the table. The ordinary
-price for a 4in. trap is about 7s. 6d. There are many elaborate
-mechanical traps devised for changing articles, but I have never
-found them of much assistance in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> the hands of amateurs, so cannot
-conscientiously recommend them. There are also several methods for
-arranging piston rods, which work up and down by means of a string
-drawn by a confederate at the side or rear, or by electricity. But
-such assistance is so seldom required by the amateur conjuror, that
-I cannot recommend him to encumber his table with more than three
-traps. Everything beyond this he will find an unnecessary expense.
-The amateur will also find that his sphere will be continually
-changed, one day performing at this friend's house and the next day at
-another's. Hence he will be unable to produce the results which are
-attainable only by those who, like professional conjurors, have sole
-dominion over their stage and its surroundings at all times. As these
-chapters are written solely for the edification of amateurs, and not
-for the purpose of training up professionals, I shall not launch out
-into descriptions of things impossible to the great majority.</p>
-
-<p>When the size of the room permits of it, the performer should have,
-besides his oblong table in the centre, one or two small round tables
-at the sides. These tables should be of the same height as the large
-one, but only about 18in. in diameter. They should be provided with
-one round trap and a small <em>servante</em>. The border should have a deep
-fringe. The tops of all three tables should be covered with a check
-pattern, in order to hide the lines of the traps. On a perfectly plain
-surface these might be noticed. Do not forget to provide the smaller
-traps with bags to receive the articles passed through. An egg would
-make an unseemly mess inside the table, whilst an orange or a lemon
-would descend with a thud sufficiently loud to reveal to the audience
-what had taken place. The centre trap, being used almost exclusively
-for vanishing live stock, need not be furnished with a bag.</p>
-
-<p>Whilst on the subject of traps, I will describe the method for
-passing articles through them. Supposing an orange has to be made to
-disappear. After showing that it is a real orange and perfectly solid,
-&amp;c., place it upon the trap, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> spring of which must, of course, be
-strong enough to bear the weight without giving in the least. Turn
-up your sleeves very deliberately, and then place the hands around
-the orange as if about to take it up in them. Screened by the front
-hand, the rear one presses the trap down quickly, and the orange
-falls through, the hands being brought together as though holding
-it. Advance towards the audience a step or two and commence rubbing
-the hands together, gradually making the circumference of the hollow
-smaller and smaller until the orange appears to have been rubbed away.
-The action of vanishing the article must be assiduously practised,
-for the hands must not dwell perceptibly on the table, but appear to
-actually take up whatever they are supposed to. When pretending to
-rub it away, the eyes must be directed attentively to the hands as if
-interested in the experiment. When passing one article into another,
-as an egg into a lemon, place the lemon just in front of the trap,
-and, holding the egg in the rear hand, pass it down the trap under
-cover of the front hand, which will at the moment be just closing upon
-the lemon. The two hands then take the lemon, and, after rubbing it
-about a little, show it <em>minus</em> the egg, which you will say is inside.
-In the drawing-room, without the table, the same results would have
-to be arrived at by means of "vesting." The present instance affords
-an excellent illustration of my remark that drawing-room conjuring is
-more difficult than grand conjuring.</p>
-
-<p>Another method for vanishing articles through traps is to fix a cord
-to the under side of the trap, and, by means of a tiny pulley and
-staples, bring it to a hole in the end of the table, on the outside of
-which a knot is tied. The article can be then placed upon the trap and
-covered with a hat, &amp;c., and made to disappear by pulling the cord. It
-is better to have the cord belonging to the right-hand trap coming out
-at the left-hand side, and <em>vice-versâ</em>; otherwise the audience would
-be likely to notice the action of the hand pulling the cord, from its
-close proximity to the hat. By standing at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> that end of the table
-which is opposite to the hat, the performer can turn sideways, and
-point with his wand to the hat or tap it, when the action of pulling
-the string will be concealed by his body. In covering any article with
-a hat, be careful that the front or back part of it is towards the
-audience. The arch formed by the side brim of the hat of the present
-day enables one to see anything placed underneath it, and it must be
-admitted that it would be rather awkward if any of the audience saw
-the article suddenly drop into the body of the table. The uses of the
-large trap will be dilated upon at another time and place.</p>
-
-<p>The uses of the <em>servante</em> being to hold things as occasion requires,
-they will make themselves manifest in due course.</p>
-
-<p><em>Dress.</em>&mdash;The conjuror's dress will command a great deal of
-consideration, the disposition and capacity of the pockets being of
-considerable importance. I will first take the coat, which will, of
-course, be a dress one. The whole of the inside of each breast of
-this should be one huge pocket, the opening of which is perpendicular
-instead of horizontal, and about two inches from the edges, so as to
-just escape observation. This enables large objects to be concealed,
-and yet easily got at. The tail pockets are not used in performing,
-so can be either entirely absent or else made in the usual way. One
-tail, however, should have a large pocket about five inches deep at
-the bottom, and right across its width. This pocket should be made
-very loose so as to be always open to a slight extent, for it will
-often have articles dropped into it at all sorts of odd times. Some
-conjurors have copper wire in the edge to keep it open when required.</p>
-
-<p>The vest is extremely important. It should be split right up the back
-and then re-joined by three bands of broad elastic. This is to enable
-one to put large articles in the breast without causing any unusual
-wrinkles or bulging. For vesting purposes, some have a strip of thin
-leather, about two inches broad, sewn round the bottom, inside, but I
-do not find this sufficiently safe. I usually have some fine elastic
-run in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> hem by means of a bodkin. It should be tight enough to
-hold an egg (a heavy, slippery thing, and awkward when dropped)
-securely; but it must not pull the vest out of shape. The only extra
-pockets required in the trousers are one at each hip, covered by the
-tails of the coat. They should be about three inches long by one and
-a half in depth, and constructed so as to be always partly open. They
-are very handy for receiving such articles as coins, little balls,
-rings, pocket-knives, &amp;c., which it is desirable that the audience
-should not see. Little pockets, of a similar nature, are sometimes
-used behind the lappel of the coat; but those in the trousers are
-far superior, as they are got at by the perfectly natural action of
-dropping the arm. The inside turn-up of the sleeve of the coat I have
-also seen similarly employed, but have not noticed any particular
-advantage to be derived therefrom.</p>
-
-<p>Starting now with his prepared tables and mysterious suit, and armed
-with a fair amount of manipulative skill, the learner ought to be able
-to bid defiance to the world, and to boldly attempt anything within
-his particular scope or province that he has seen anyone else do.</p>
-
-<p>Before commencing, always say a few words, to the effect that you are
-there to conjure, and not to make speeches; so you will not detain
-the audience with a history of conjuring from the year 1, but proceed
-to show them what can be done in the present year. In family circles,
-more talking should be done than in public places, where an impressive
-style should be cultivated.</p>
-
-<p><em>Introductory Tricks.</em>&mdash;Besides, by means of the few words the
-performer addresses the company before commencing, it is quite in
-order that he should introduce himself to the spectators magically;
-that is to say, give them at once some little evidence of his skill,
-without any formality of explanation. A well-used trick for this
-purpose is that of causing a flower to appear instantaneously at
-the button-hole. Just as the performer is about to step forward, he
-perceives that he has forgotten his flower, but explains that the
-omission is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> very soon rectified, as he notices a bouquet in the hands
-of a lady, or some flowers in a coiffure, or about a costume. Asking
-permission, and taking it at once, the wand is waved in the direction
-of the visible flowers, and the button-hole then touched with it, when
-instantly a flower appears. The flower is an imitation one, and is
-attached to a piece of elastic, which passes through the button-hole,
-and inside through the one next below, so that it may be fastened to
-a vest button, or elsewhere. When the performer comes on, the flower
-is concealed under the left armpit; so that, when the button-hole
-is touched with the wand, all that is necessary is to raise the arm
-slightly, when the flower, being released, flies instantly into
-position.</p>
-
-<p>Another common, but very effective, practice is to come on the stage
-with the gloves on. As they are taken off the hands, they melt away,
-apparently, for nothing more is ever seen of them. Elastic is again
-at the bottom of this, one end passing round the wrist of the glove,
-whilst the other is fastened round the biceps of the arm, or attached
-to the brace. The glove is removed, care being taken not to let it
-slip too soon, and, when held between the two palms, is allowed to
-go, when it flies, unperceived, up the sleeve. The performer must not
-dwell at all upon the fact that he is doing anything magical, but act
-as though his gloves were merely performing their usual evolutions on
-being taken off for the day.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a><br /><br />
-
-SLEIGHTS AND PROPERTIES FOR GENERAL USE.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>HOW TO PRODUCE ARTICLES FROM THE WAND&mdash;ARTICLES PRODUCED
-FROM THE PERSONS OF THE COMPANY&mdash;VANISHING OBJECTS FROM THE
-HANDS&mdash;EXCHANGING ARTICLES&mdash;MESMERISING A DOVE&mdash;MARKING A
-CARD IN COURSE OF PERFORMING&mdash;PASSING HANDKERCHIEF OVER
-FLAME OF CANDLE&mdash;THE CONJUROR'S SHUFFLE&mdash;THE DEVIL'S
-HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;COIN HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;FLYING RING&mdash;MAGICIAN'S
-EGGS&mdash;PRODUCTIVE EGGS&mdash;COIN-VANISHING TUMBLER&mdash;MAGIC
-PLATEAU.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><em>Sleights.</em>&mdash;Often, in the description of a trick, the learner is told
-that a handkerchief, coin, egg, orange, or other article has to be
-made to disappear or appear by sleight of hand. In the descriptions
-here given, my own methods naturally appear in preponderance over
-those of others; but it is a mistake for conjurors to confine
-themselves arbitrarily to any such, whose soever they be, or whatever
-their nature. The peculiar means for magically vanishing or producing
-an article which has seemed to me to be most convenient under the
-conditions governing the particular trick under notice, I have always
-laid the most stress upon; but it is very likely that, were half a
-dozen experts to write upon the same tricks, they would each vary more
-or less in the precise means by which the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> same results were arrived
-at. This is only as it should be, the success of a conjuror, like that
-of an actor, depending, in a very great measure, upon his originality
-or individuality. The reader will notice that I frequently describe
-a trick, and then give one or more alternative ways of doing it, the
-last-named being usually methods I have seen adopted with success by
-other conjurors. In order to save endless repetition, I give here a
-few sleights which the learner should be incessantly practising, just
-as he would the pass or the palm. Some of the feats actually form
-small tricks in themselves, but are only introduced by the performer
-as suddenly inspired interpolations in the course of a trick, of
-which they may, as a fact, really form part. For the disappearance
-of a coin or coins, the various palms provide; the method described
-in connection with the cups and balls (<a href="#Page_55">page 55</a>) suffices for the
-evanishment of marbles, nuts, and articles of that size; whilst the
-palming of cards has been specially treated. The other sleights which
-I have found most necessary are as follows:</p>
-
-<p><em>To Produce an Egg, Orange, &amp;c., from the Wand.</em>&mdash;This daring feat
-is certainly one of the most wonder-inspiring description. The
-performer says, "I now require, for my trick, an egg. I presume none
-of the company happen to have such an article about them; and, as
-I have forgotten to provide it myself, I must make an appeal to my
-wand, which rarely fails me in such cases." Standing sideways to
-the audience, the performer holds his wand in the fingers, at arm's
-length, and then, suddenly running his hand along it, upwards, as
-though squeezing it, he produces, from the very top, the egg. As his
-sleeves are turned well up, and nothing has been visible in either
-hand, the mysterious appearance of the required article is quite
-inexplicable. It is thus managed. The egg may be either upon the
-shelf at the back of the table, or under the vest band. I prefer the
-latter place of concealment, because the performer is better able to
-carelessly show his hands quite empty just previous to the production
-of the article; whilst a longer time must elapse between the secretion
-of the article<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> in the hand and the moment of its appearance on the
-top of the wand, if it be placed upon the shelf. Apart from this,
-going behind the table should always be avoided where possible. It is
-the easiest thing in the world to get down the article from the vest
-in the act of turning round. It should find its way at once to the
-very centre of the hand, the root of the thumb gripping it, and the
-fingers should either seize the coat flap, or the wand should be put
-into it. The <em>modus operandi</em> may be simply described as follows: The
-wand is lying upon the table and the performer comes forward, showing,
-by rubbing them together in the act of speaking, that his hands are
-empty. When he has uttered the words "in such cases," he wheels round
-<em>to the left</em>, for the purpose of fetching the wand from the table,
-and when his back is fairly towards the audience, he gets down the egg
-in the right hand, which then seizes the coat flap. A very important
-matter must here be observed. The article vested must always be
-placed on that side of the body which is opposite to the hand that
-is to bring it down. If, in the present instance, the egg were upon
-the right side of the performer's body, taking his vest buttons as a
-central line, the act of getting it into the right hand could not be
-achieved without sticking out the elbow, which would at once reveal to
-the company that the performer was carrying out some man&#339;uvre with
-that hand, and, when he turned round, they would immediately fix their
-eyes upon it, and keep them there, to the serious detraction of the
-proceedings following. The golden rule must be followed of glueing,
-as it were, the upper arm and elbow to the side. Then the forearm
-and hand may do as they please, with impunity. The getting down of
-an article from the vest need occupy only a half-second of time, so
-the performer turns briskly to the table, his every visible action
-and look being, of course, concentrated upon the matter in hand&mdash;the
-fetching the wand from the table. With the right hand, containing
-the egg, holding the coat flap lightly and naturally, the wand is
-picked off the table with the left,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> the performer's right side being
-towards the company. Holding the wand for a few moments in the left
-hand, and looking at it amusingly, as though wondering quite as much
-as the company how it is going to accomplish its task, the right hand
-is brought boldly to the front, and the wand placed in the fingers.
-The back of the hand is, of course, towards the company. The fact of
-its containing a bulky article will naturally cause it to be somewhat
-curved, so it is necessary to cause it to look as flat as possible.
-This is best managed by straightening the fingers and bending the
-wrist outwards, the whole length of the fingers being thus presented
-to the view of the company. It will be found that the wand, pressing
-against the article in the hand, assists towards keeping it in its
-place there. In the case of an egg, care must be taken not to put on
-too much pressure. The wand must be held by its middle portion, and
-should not remain in the right hand for more than a couple of seconds,
-at the outside. It is then re-taken by the left hand, but by the lower
-end, the right hand simultaneously making the upward "squeeze;" the
-article being produced at the tips of the fingers, when they reach the
-top of the wand, it being allowed to drop from the palm into the bent
-fingers just previously. The illusion is complete when the sleight is
-performed with neatness and dash, the article appearing to actually
-come out of the wand, although everyone knows how impossible it is
-for it ever to have been there. An article so mysteriously produced
-should, by all means, be given for examination. It is surprising
-what very large-sized oranges can be produced by this means, when
-the performer has once acquired sufficient boldness. Audacity is the
-chief ingredient in the sleight, and the learner will acquire it by
-beginning with small-sized articles. Brilliantly-coloured articles,
-such as oranges, or perfectly white ones, as eggs, make the best
-appearance.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Produce Articles from the Persons of the Company.</em>&mdash;Here audacity
-plays a very important part indeed, as the performer goes in amongst
-the spectators and finds such oranges,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> eggs, lemons, &amp;c., as he may
-want, in their hair and apparel. In the <em>Gant de Paris</em> (<a href="#Page_228">page 228</a>),
-I have seen a performer use an orange, a lemon, an egg, and a walnut,
-all of which he has found upon the company within a very few seconds
-of time. A description of how this is done will suffice as a guide to
-the learner how to proceed in all similar cases. The walnut should be
-palmed, and the lemon held in the same hand, the other hand holding
-the orange, both hands of course seizing the coat. The egg is vested.
-Coming on to the stage from behind, the performer proceeds rapidly
-into the very midst of the company, and says, "Can any one lend me
-a kid glove for a few minutes?" then, turning suddenly towards a
-male spectator&mdash;with long hair, if such a one be handy&mdash;"I beg your
-pardon, sir, but I see a something in your hair; what is it?" Whilst
-this is being said, a rapid dash is made at the addressee's hair, the
-orange being slid to the ends of the fingers, and produced with all
-slowness. It is given a second spectator to examine, who is discovered
-to have a lemon in his hair, or inside his coat. Whilst the lemon is
-being produced, and all eyes are intent upon it, the empty hand gets
-down the egg. This is found in the hair of a third person, whilst
-the walnut is discovered on the tip of the nose of a fourth. When
-the performer afterwards collects all four articles into his hands,
-it will never occur to the company that so much bulk could have been
-deliberately palmed by him in their very midst. As a matter of fact,
-it is easier to do these sort of things in the midst of a numerous
-and rather closely-packed company, than in the presence of a meagre
-and widespread one, and the performer should always go where the
-spectators are thickest.</p>
-
-<p><em>How to Cause Large-sized Objects to Appear to Vanish from the
-Hands.</em>&mdash;By large objects are meant eggs, oranges, ladies'
-handkerchiefs, gloves, small birds, &amp;c. The sleight-of-hand conjuror
-should embrace every opportunity for a display of his skill,
-handkerchiefs being swallowed and reproduced elsewhere, and other
-articles thrown away or made to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> pass imperceptibly from out of the
-hand into thin air, nothing being left of them when the hand is
-opened. In order to bring about these things, all that the conjuror
-has to do is to adapt, to the altered circumstance of having larger
-articles to deal with, what he has been taught in connection with the
-palming and passing of coins. Take, first, the apparent placing of
-an article in the mouth, and swallowing it. The method adopted will
-vary, according to the size of the article. If it be a comparatively
-small one, such as a walnut, then the action depicted at <a href="#fig7">Fig. 7</a> must
-be followed, the article being palmed in the right hand, the back
-of which must necessarily be turned towards the audience more than
-is shown in the sketch, by reason of the more bulky nature of its
-contents, and the fingers of the left hand rounded in a way suggestive
-of containing the article supposed to be put into them. The right
-hand then takes the wand, which, in these cases, must <em>always</em> be
-carried under the right armpit. Should the article not be swallowed,
-the wand strikes the closed fingers of the left hand, which are
-simultaneously opened and shown to be empty. The success attending
-this method will depend solely and entirely upon the neatness with
-which the palm is executed, and the article apparently placed in the
-left hand. It must not be ostensibly thrown there, as is the case with
-a coin, but deliberately put in, the fingers of the right hand, after
-the execution of the palm, forming as though they actually held the
-article, those of the left hand closing around them, as if taking it
-firmly in charge. It is always as well to actually place the article
-in the left hand at least once, thereby silently impressing the
-company with what is to be done with it. The palming of a walnut is
-quite as easy as that of a coin, and the pass must be regarded as a
-very simple one to learn.</p>
-
-<p>Eggs, oranges, lemons, and solid articles of that size, must be
-treated according to the action shown at <a href="#fig8">Figs. 8</a> and <a href="#fig9">9</a>, facility
-in executing which will render the accomplishment of what is now
-described very easy. As the article is not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> a coin, it must not be
-held between finger and thumb, but made to rest upon the very tips
-of the fingers of the left hand, which is held perpendicularly for
-the purpose. It is thus very conspicuously in sight of everyone. It
-is allowed to rest there for a few seconds, when the right hand is
-brought suddenly in front of it, and the action gone through of taking
-it. At this instant, the orange (say) falls into the hollow of the
-left hand, which is immediately dropped to grasp the coat flap, whilst
-the right hand apparently puts the orange into the mouth, a muffled
-noise being made indicative of the mouth being full. Before the hand
-is removed, the mouth is closed, when it is as well to bulge one of
-the cheeks out with the tongue, and then make three or four desperate
-attempts (ultimately successful) at swallowing, accompanied by choking
-sounds. A smile should then illumine the face of the performer, who
-appears to have enjoyed the operation, and the orange, if it is wanted
-again, may be produced at the right elbow, or brought round from the
-back of the neck, rolled along by the tips of the fingers. A very
-effective sleight with which to quickly follow the foregoing is as
-follows: Place the wand under the left armpit, and hold the orange
-in the fingers of the left hand, as above described. Open the legs
-slightly, and then apparently take the orange in the right hand and
-smash it into the right leg, just above the knee. The orange must be
-apparently vigorously snatched out of the left hand, which at once
-mechanically finds its way to the wand, that article being grasped
-by the thumb only, the fingers and palm concealing the orange. The
-performer allows a second to elapse, and then, briskly taking the
-wand in the right hand, rolls the orange from behind his left thigh
-to the front. It does not in the least signify what the company fancy
-actually happened with the orange, so long as they are not allowed
-to suspect that it never left the left hand. Obliged to account for
-the phenomenon, the theories formed will be various, the majority
-polling for a tubular communication between sleeve and sleeve, viâ
-the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> performer's back. As the orange is apparently smashed into the
-leg, the performer will find it necessary to stoop slightly. This
-sleight should follow the preceding one before the spectators have
-begun to recover from their wonderment at seeing the orange apparently
-swallowed and then reproduced. A cigar, or article of the like shape,
-can be similarly treated if it be held in the left hand between the
-tips of the middle finger and thumb, the broad end being against the
-thumb. As the right hand covers it, in the act of apparently taking
-it, the broad end is allowed to fall against the root of the thumb,
-and the hand turned slightly over and then allowed to hang down at
-the side. A very little pressure on the part of the middle finger
-will suffice to keep the cigar in position. The right hand must
-conform itself as closely as possible to the shape it would assume
-if it actually contained a cigar. This sleight will come in handy in
-conjuring at table.</p>
-
-<p>A more complete method of vanishing is as follows: Take the article in
-the right hand, and hold the waistband of the vest by the left. Toss
-the orange, &amp;c., twice or thrice in the air, and then whip it swiftly
-beneath the vest, which will be partly raised by the left hand. The
-two hands thus brought together should be closed one over the other,
-as if they contained something, which something you will then proceed
-to gradually rub away. As you have nothing whatever in the hands,
-you will be able to execute this portion of the deception with great
-confidence and ease. When you slip any article beneath the vest, the
-body should be partially turned from the audience. Quickly done, the
-movement will never be noticed, and it is one of the most perfect
-deceptions practised. The vest is never thought of by an audience
-as being a place for the concealment of articles, and so it escapes
-notice, and everyone wonders where the vanished article can have gone
-to. The vest is also an excellent place in which to carry such things
-as eggs, lemons, &amp;c., which may be required during any trick.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>To Change an Article.</em>&mdash;This is executed very much after the manner
-of the preceding, with this exception: the left hand contains the
-article concealed, which is to be exchanged for whatever is held in
-the right. Say, for example, that the right hand holds an orange,
-which the audience, of course, examines. The left hand conceals, say,
-an apple. The orange is vested in the orthodox manner, and the hands
-brought together as directed, but this time they contain the apple.
-Rub them a little, and exhibit the apple, which can be brought back to
-its original shape&mdash;an orange&mdash;if the performer pleases. On no account
-must the conjuror inform the audience what he is about to do, or he
-may find the ideas of the spectators anticipate his actions, which is,
-to say the least, awkward. These actions of vanishing or exchanging
-can be done when one is actually surrounded by people; but the hands
-must be quick and must appear natural: for instance, when supposed to
-contain an orange they must not be compressed so as to barely leave
-space within them for a walnut. Nothing but careful practice will
-ensure a satisfactory result, for the least bungling will lead to
-detection. I need hardly say that it enhances one's reputation greatly
-if one can be said to have "changed a real orange into a real apple
-under our very eyes" without the aid of any gaudy boxes or canisters.
-By all means allow the orange to be squeezed and the apple to be eaten.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Vanish Handkerchiefs.</em>&mdash;Not being solid bodies, handkerchiefs will
-require different treatment, and present the greatest difficulties,
-which are fully compensated for by the superior effects produced. In
-the first place, the performer must be careful to borrow a lady's
-small handkerchief, if for the purpose of vanishing. In performing
-<em>The Knots</em> (<a href="#Page_218">page 218</a>) a small handkerchief is generally included
-amongst those borrowed. It is not used for the trick; but the
-performer says he is very fond of such handkerchiefs, and forthwith
-rolls it up in his hands, pops it into his mouth, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> swallows it.
-Whilst the company are wondering, he suddenly pulls the handkerchief
-out of his leg. This is a most wonderful sleight, and one the conjuror
-must endeavour to become perfect in. He should begin with a small
-piece of muslin, which rolls up very tight and easily. This he takes
-between the two hands, the left hand below, with its back turned
-somewhat towards the company, and rolls it sharply round and round,
-until he feels that it is well balled. Then, with the right hand, he
-apparently takes it up, the left hand really retaining it by means of
-the thumb, and grasping the coat-flap, as in other cases, or the wand
-under left armpit. The right hand apparently conveys the handkerchief
-to the mouth, where the choking and swallowing performance is gone
-through. After a pause of a couple of seconds, the conjuror looks
-curiously down at his leg, and, pouncing at a spot in the rear of the
-thigh, just above the knee-joint, presses the handkerchief there,
-to enable the fingers to obtain a hold of a very small portion of
-it. It is then at once jerked forcibly away, when it will appear to
-the spectators precisely as though it had been pulled out through
-the cloth. The different movements must all follow one another with
-regularity and swiftness, and yet the performer must not appear to be
-hurrying himself in the least. If the handkerchief experimented upon
-be large, some risk is run of a portion appearing from the left hand.
-Even with small handkerchiefs this will, at times, occur; but if the
-performer carries out the movements of the right hand properly, the
-eyes of the company will be directed solely to that.</p>
-
-<p>The same sleight is employed in feigning to throw back a handkerchief
-to its owner, the action of throwing being employed instead of
-affecting to place the article in the mouth. In this case, it is as
-well to pivot round at once, vesting the handkerchief in so doing, and
-then at once inquiring, with empty hands, if the handkerchief arrived
-at its destination all right. It may be afterwards produced from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> the
-interior of a spectator's coat, by being whipped quickly in and then
-produced very slowly and at extended length. If this reproduction
-is to follow quickly, then do not vest, which is only done for the
-purpose of showing the hands empty. If the performer pleases, he may
-plunge his hand into his breast, and produce the handkerchief; but it
-will cause less wonderment, and no amusement at all.</p>
-
-<p>Small birds present considerable difficulty, the object being to
-conjure with the bird without injuring it. A bird cannot be palmed,
-like a walnut, nor can it be rolled up, like a handkerchief. But,
-strange to say, the very difficulty of the feat assists the performer.
-In the first place, the company never suspect that the bird is about
-to be made to disappear, unless the performer is weak enough to
-forewarn them; and, secondly, never having experimented, they do
-not suppose for an instant that the bird will be simply retained in
-the hand all the time, as it really is. All the conjuror has to do
-is to hold the bird in the right hand, outside the wings, and head
-downwards, the tail pointing up the wrist, and then affect to put it
-in the left hand, which is bulged so as to appear to hold it. The wand
-must be under the right armpit, and the right hand seizes it at once,
-the left hand being struck and opened, showing the bird to be flown.
-The sooner the bird is reproduced the better. The most unlikely, and
-therefore the best, place to produce it from is the bottom of the
-trouser&mdash;a lively course of speculation as to how it got there being
-thrown open to the company. If it be desired to get rid of the bird
-altogether, the performer must pivot round and vest. There is not much
-chance of the bird moving in that position, but, of course, it will be
-better for the performer to make an early exit, and relieve himself of
-the encumbrance.</p>
-
-<p>Doves are made to disappear by means of the shelf at the back of
-the table, or the pocket directed to be made at the bottom of the
-coat-tail. The shelf vanish is more open to suspicion, but I have,
-nevertheless, found it enormously successful, when properly managed.
-The performer, in the first<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> instance, must not announce, by word or
-deed, that the disappearance is about to take place. Standing to the
-left (<em>his</em> left, facing the audience) of the table, and slightly to
-the rear of it, he takes the dove in the right hand. Walking briskly
-past the table, at the back, he casts his eyes upwards, and just as he
-reaches the extreme corner of the table, makes a movement of tossing
-the bird into the air. It is, instead, placed gently (not dropped, or
-thrown) upon the end of the shelf, the brisk pace of the performer
-carrying him at once a good yard beyond the table, from which spot
-the dove is apparently cast into the air. The success of the sleight
-depends very much upon the exactness with which the performer imitates
-the actual throwing of a bird into the air, and the fearlessness with
-which it is conducted. Any symptom of a glance at the shelf would be
-fatal. The bearings must be taken whilst stationary, and the rest
-carried out with the eyes fixed earnestly on the ceiling. Rabbits and
-guinea pigs may be similarly treated; but large-sized rabbits are
-unsuited, since it is not easy to place them upon the shelf. When
-the pocket is used, supposing it to be in the right coat-tail, as it
-probably would be, the performer should stand with that side away from
-the audience, and ascertain, by means of the right hand, if the mouth
-of the pocket be open. Lean slightly over to the right, and then,
-taking the dove in the right hand, make a movement of casting it into
-the air, straight upwards, whither the eyes are directed. It is, of
-course, left in the pocket, head downwards. An attempt to place it
-there tail first would be likely to lead to disaster. As this sleight
-may be performed away from any table or chair, it is, of course, to
-be preferred. It is, undoubtedly, more difficult of accomplishment
-than the shelf vanish, requiring more neatness in depositing the bird;
-for, if the downward sweep be too vigorous, it will have the effect
-of disturbing the coat-tail, which will be momentarily seen, pushed
-out behind the performer, by the company, and the place of concealment
-thereby betrayed. It need hardly be pointed out that, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> either case,
-the hand must grasp the bird firmly by the body, clasping the wings
-tightly down. If it be felt struggling in the pocket, the performer
-should bow himself off at once.</p>
-
-<p><em>Mesmerising a Dove.</em>&mdash;The apparent mesmerising of a dove makes, of
-itself, a capital effect, leading the audience to pay high respect to
-the necromantic powers of the conjuror. Also, it makes an admirable
-introduction to the vanish. The bird is taken in the right hand,
-outside the wings, and laid upon its back on the front edge of the
-table, so that the head just projects over. The beak is now taken
-in the left hand and the head turned backwards, as far as it will
-go. When held in that position for a few moments, the hands may be
-removed, when the bird will lie perfectly still. It will not always
-do this at the first, or even the second, attempt, but perseverance
-will always be rewarded with success. The performer must be as gentle
-as possible, and go slowly to work. We need not stay to discuss the
-reason for the singular phenomenon, it being sufficient for our
-purpose to know that the bird will lie still when placed in the
-proper position. The performer waves his hands over the bird, as
-though mesmerising it, and then he may take one of the feet in his
-fingers and actually raise the bird, by one of its legs, completely
-off the table. This will require the greatest delicacy and patience
-to accomplish, operations being discontinued the instant the bird
-shows any signs of fluttering. Anything approaching a jerk will rouse
-the bird, so the lift must be made as gradual and as imperceptible
-as possible. The reader will, doubtless, be able to appreciate the
-sensation that will be caused when, the mesmerising accomplished, the
-bird immediately afterwards vanishes from sight, no one knows whither.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Exchange Borrowed Rings for Dummies.</em>&mdash;With a single ring, and
-in a small way, this may be done by means of the finger palm (<a href="#fig3">Fig. 3</a>),
-the dummy being already held in the left hand, between the roots
-of the fingers, and a feint made of placing the borrowed one into it.
-(See "Tricks with Coins,"<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span>
-<a href="#trickb"><em>b</em>, p. 11</a>). This does very well for
-the drawing-room, in which domain the following method may also be
-adopted when two or more rings are borrowed. Have the dummies screwed
-up in a piece of paper, which hold in the left hand, and cover with
-a precisely similar piece of paper, open. Into this latter place the
-borrowed rings, and screw up. All that is now necessary is to reverse
-the positions of the two parcels, the left hand carrying away the
-borrowed rings, the right taking the dummy ones, the paper containing
-which is, of course, not opened again during the trick. The same
-method should be adopted with large audiences when a borrowed watch
-and chain have to be exchanged; but the following method is far away
-the best to adopt on the stage with rings.</p>
-
-<p>For the purpose of collecting rings borrowed from the audience, the
-conjuror should provide himself with an ebony wand, rather thicker
-than an ordinary penholder, and about eight inches in length. If he be
-performing with an assistant, that person should do the collecting.
-Upon the wand are already placed the dummies, covered by the hand
-holding it by one of its ends. The wand is presented the persons
-lending the rings, who slide them on. The performer remains well up
-the stage, and, the assistant, turning towards him, changes the wand
-from one hand to the other, securing the borrowed rings under the
-latter, and spreading the dummies along the wand. This can be quickly
-effected, and the assistant at once turns round facing the company,
-presenting the wand, with dummy rings, to the performer, who takes it;
-the borrowed rings remaining in the assistant's hand, dropped at once
-to his side. The performer at once draws attention to himself, and the
-assistant makes off with the rings for whatever purpose may have been
-previously arranged. An assistant must be something of a conjuror to
-possess the necessary <em>sang froid</em> for effecting the exchange without
-drawing attention to his movements, so the performer may have to
-execute it himself, in which case he would place the dummy rings in
-some conspicuous position, and pass behind the scenes momentarily on
-the strength of some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> plea, which would suggest itself according to
-the trick in course of performance.</p>
-
-<p><em>How to Show the Hands Empty whilst still containing Coins.</em>&mdash;In
-many tricks with money ("<a href="#hold_them_tight">Hold them Tight</a>!" for instance) it may be
-advisable, or even compulsory, by reason of the doubt of a spectator,
-to show that the coins are not in the hand, whilst they really are so.
-With a single coin to manage, the reverse palm will suffice. When two
-or more are in the hand the coins must be slid inside the doubled up
-fingers which hold the wand, placed across the hand. The really empty
-hand is opened, and the one containing the coins also, as far as the
-performer dare. Now, if he held the fingers doubled up without the
-wand in the hand, the spectators would know where the coins were; but,
-seeing the wand, the partial closing of the hand seems natural enough.
-Of course the hands are boldly thrust out, the performer saying the
-while, "It is pretty plain that I haven't the coins, for here are my
-two hands both wide open. Now sir, what have you done with them?" &amp;c.
-Unblushing audacity is again the order of the day. A capital effect
-is made if, after showing the hands apparently empty, the coins are
-abstracted from the hair or beard of a spectator. One never knows when
-such a sleight may be wanted. When it is, it is as well to know what
-to do, so as to prevent exposure.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Mark a Card, in the Course of Performing, so as to be able to
-Recognise it again.</em>&mdash;This is a very useful little dodge, as by
-its means the machinations of the obnoxious person in this book
-denominated Mr. Interference may be defeated. It is only requisite
-when it becomes absolutely necessary to convince the company that you
-do not know the position of the card in the pack. It is necessary to
-get at least a portion of the card in the hand, when, from the upper
-side, an indentation is made in the card with the thumb nail, one of
-the fingers, on the under side, performing the office of pressure
-pad. The card need not be removed from the hand of the chooser, the
-performer merely touching it momentarily whilst<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> explaining what
-he wishes done. It is as well to make the mark near the centre of
-the card, as then it is more easily found. After it has been made,
-the pack may be given the company, the card placed in it, and the
-whole well shuffled by anyone. The card will at once be recognised
-by the slight projection that has been made on the under side.
-Should a repetition of the ruse become necessary, the performer must
-either leave the card originally marked out of the pack, or else
-make two marks on the next; but it is better to leave the first one
-out. As the whole of the pack is not used&mdash;at least, not under my
-instructions&mdash;some spare cards are always lying unused upon the table.
-This spare heap is always exceedingly useful, as cards such as the
-one under notice may be placed in it, whilst others, which may be
-presently wanted, can lie upon the top, ready at hand.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Pass a Handkerchief over the Flame of a Candle without Burning
-it.</em>&mdash;This is a remarkable effect, which only requires confidence
-to ensure its successful execution. The performer has a lighted
-candle standing upon the table, and when in possession of a borrowed
-handkerchief for a trick, he introduces the sleight as an interlude.
-Grasping the handkerchief by one corner, in such a way as to spread
-it somewhat with the fingers, he holds it in front of the candle, and
-then draws it upwards and backwards, right over the flame, almost
-extinguishing the latter in so doing. The handkerchief should be an
-ordinary white one, and the flame will be seen by the spectators to
-be eating into it, apparently. There is not the least necessity to be
-in any hurry, the action of drawing the handkerchief over the flame
-being a steady and deliberate one. It may be repeated as often as the
-performer chooses, but not made anything of by him, the impression
-to be conveyed being that the power of placing a handkerchief in the
-flame of a candle without injuring it is one necessarily possessed by
-him, as a matter of course. This sleight will come in particularly
-<em>à propos</em> if it precedes a trick in which a handkerchief is burned.
-It is not advisable to try the feat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> with a scented handkerchief, it
-being just possible that the spirit contained in the perfume might
-ignite.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Conjuror's "Shuffle."</em>&mdash;Nearly all good conjurors preface
-their card tricks with an exhibition of shuffling, a process always
-conducted in the showiest manner possible, although, by the time it is
-completed, it is possible that the position of the cards has not been
-interfered with in the least. As the term "shuffling" is only employed
-for want of a better one, and it is merely a question of exhibiting
-skill, this does not signify. When a conjuror wishes to shuffle the
-cards, he adopts the specious method generally in use&mdash;if he can.
-According to whether he be a genuine adept, or only a performer of
-an inferior order, so will the phenomena exhibited to the spectator
-in this connection vary. In the one case, the performer, holding the
-cards in the two hands, suddenly opens them very wide apart, the cards
-spreading, after the manner of a comet's tail, from one hand to the
-other. For an instant they form an aerial arc, when, before they can
-fall to the ground, the hands are brought smartly together, collecting
-the cards by the action. This movement is repeated twice or thrice.
-This is what the genuine man does. The impostor ostensibly does a
-very great deal more, for he begins by parting and bringing the hands
-together again, as one does in playing the concertina, several times,
-the cards acting the part of the concertina perfectly. He then tosses
-the cards about from hand to hand in the most <em>nonchalant</em> manner, the
-cards invariably following one another in an unbroken stream which
-assumes serpentine and other shapes, at the will of the performer.
-They are spread along the conjuror's arms, and over his chest, and are
-invariably gathered in again without a single one being allowed to
-fall. The feats performed appear to be nothing short of marvellous,
-until one becomes possessed of the interesting fact that the cards are
-all sewn together, so that the whole thing is merely child's play.
-Now, although I have seen conjurors with good reputations using these
-prepared cards, I entirely disagree with their use myself. In order
-to deceive the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> public, one must not be particular about the means
-employed; but here it is a question of one conjuror setting up to be
-vastly superior to others, the facts of the case being precisely the
-other way. As a matter of fact, these prepared cards are only used
-when the performer is so wanting in skill that he cannot execute the
-genuine shuffle. Looking, as I do, upon the use of these cards as
-being unworthy anyone but a music-hall performer, I never hesitate
-to expose the fraud whenever it is perpetrated. I shall, of course,
-describe nothing in connection with it, but pass on to the genuine
-article, which may be at once recognised by the noise accompanying its
-execution, the fraudulent method being quite noiseless. As the feat
-is really difficult of accomplishment, its study must be conducted by
-easy stages. The pack, which should be composed of small cards (the
-large English ones being very unsuitable), thirty or so in number,
-is held lengthwise in the right hand (left hand if the performer is
-very decidedly left-handed) by the thumb at one end, and the first,
-second, and third fingers at the other end, the body of the hand
-making an arch over the cards. The left hand is held out, a little
-lower than the elbow, in front of the body, with the fingers spread
-out, and slightly curled upwards, the first finger a great deal more
-than the rest. Now, if the cards be squeezed by the fingers and thumb
-of the right hand, they will bend thus, [downward curve]; but if, just
-as the pressure is put on, the fore finger of the left hand pushes
-the centre of the pack from below, the opposite curve will be taken,
-thus, [upward curve], which is the one wanted. With the cards thus
-bent, they must be held over the left hand, and more pressure then
-applied, when they will "squirt" into the left hand, their foremost
-ends striking against the up curled forefinger, and so being prevented
-from falling to the floor. In making the squeeze, it will be found
-that the middle and third fingers use more influence than does the
-first finger, which is merely an auxiliary at the commencement. The
-greatest power of all must be exerted by the thumb, which is always
-pushing the cards forwards with considerable force. The learner must<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>
-content himself with merely "squirting" the cards from the right hand
-into the left, at a distance of two or three inches only. When he can
-do this easily and smoothly, and without dropping any on the floor, he
-may increase the distance to six or eight inches. This is about the
-greatest distance he will be able to attain by simple "squirting."
-In order to make a more effective show, he will have to give to the
-right hand an upward movement at the moment the cards are pouring
-from it. This will tend to increase the distance between each card,
-but as, at the same time, it kills the forward <em>momentum</em>, the cards
-would simply fall to the ground were they not prevented from so doing.
-To accomplish this, the left hand must follow them up quickly. For
-an instant of time they will poise in the air, and then commence to
-fall; but, at that moment, the left hand comes upward with a rapid
-sweep, bringing the cards together against the right hand. By not
-attempting too great a distance at first, the learner will progress
-more rapidly; and he should not be satisfied until he can compass a
-distance of two feet. Great experts can accomplish very much more than
-this. As proficiency is attained, the "shuffle" should be made more
-across the body, the direction being from the left hip towards the
-right shoulder, this being more showy. A very difficult, but highly
-effective, method is to make the "shuffle" the reverse way, <em>i.e.</em>,
-downwards. The left hand is held nearly shoulder high and the cards
-"squirted" into it, the right hand sweeping downwards in the direction
-of the right hip. The performer must always direct his practice
-towards making the cards remain as long in the air as possible. To
-this end, the movement of the right hand must be exceedingly rapid,
-so that all the cards are visible to the spectators at once; and
-the longer the left hand dallies, the more rapid must be its motion
-towards the right hand. It must be distinctly understood that the two
-hands do not move simultaneously, there being two decided movements,
-one following the other. Old cards are useless for this feat, as they
-come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> off in batches, and have no spring. American cards are a trifle
-too thin, and are only good when new, whilst the regulation English
-whist card is too thick; therefore a medium thickness must be chosen.
-The finest quality cards will be found the cheapest to use, as they
-stand the strain better. Inferior cards soon become demoralised by
-the rough treatment to which the "shuffle" subjects them. After using
-a pack faces downwards for some time, turn it over, and use with
-the faces upwards, changing back again when the spring of the cards
-becomes weak.</p>
-
-<p><span class="smcap">Properties.</span>&mdash;Besides the auxiliary articles mentioned in
-connection with various tricks, there are some that are of general
-application which the conjuror should always have in readiness. They
-are here enumerated and described:</p>
-
-<p><a id="devils_handkerchief"></a><em>The Devil's Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;The peculiar use of this article is
-that anything wrapped in it is made to disappear when the performer
-desires, by simply shaking out the handkerchief. The secret lies in
-the fact that there are two handkerchiefs, three of the four sides of
-which are sewn together, the fourth being left open, so as to form a
-bag. The article to be made to disappear is apparently placed under
-the handkerchief, but really into the bag, and it is usual to give
-this to be held by one of the spectators. Later on, the performer
-takes the two upper corners of the handkerchief, and, asking the
-spectator to loosen his hold, gives it a vigorous shake. The company
-look in the air, or upon the floor, expecting to see the object there,
-but of course it is at the bottom of the bag. Cards are successfully
-vanished in this manner, as also watches, eggs, and articles not more
-bulky than they. The handkerchiefs should be of a sombre colour, and
-have a decided pattern. This will tend to conceal the contour of the
-article inside the handkerchief after it has been made to disappear,
-although the performer invariably retires with it to the stage, out
-of harm's way. Some performers use handkerchiefs sewn up on all four
-sides, and having merely a slit, from four to six inches long, made in
-one handkerchief.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>The Coin Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;This is an ordinary coloured handkerchief,
-into one corner of which, by means of a small extra piece of
-stuff, is sewn a piece of metal (to avoid unnecessary sinking of
-capital) resembling a coin. The performer should have on hand three
-handkerchiefs prepared with pieces of metal to represent sixpences,
-shillings, and half-crowns. For the latter, a penny will do admirably,
-and it will also act for florins and pennies, the public not being
-able to appreciate the slight difference in size when felt or seen
-through the folds of a handkerchief. The shilling handkerchief will
-answer admirably for halfpennies. A borrowed coin is apparently folded
-in the handkerchief, which the performer has drawn carelessly from his
-pocket, and not had lying in state upon a table, but palmed instead,
-the dummy being presented in its place, and given to be held. The
-palmed coin is then secreted in the place to which it is presently to
-be magically transported. To cause the coin, supposed to be wrapped
-in the handkerchief, to disappear, the performer shakes it by one or
-two corners, as in the case of the <a href="#devils_handkerchief"><em>Devil's Handkerchief</em></a>. Each of
-the three prepared handkerchiefs should be of the same pattern, so
-that, if more than one are used on the same evening, no remark will be
-excited as to the appearance of a new property upon the scene.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Flying Ring.</em>&mdash;This is a dummy ring, attached to a piece of
-elastic passing up the sleeve, with the other end fastened to the
-brace, or elsewhere. On a ring being borrowed, it is apparently placed
-in a handkerchief, the <em>Flying Ring</em> being substituted, and held by a
-spectator, of course through the handkerchief. At a given signal the
-ring is released and at once disappears up the performer's sleeve.</p>
-
-<p><em>Magician's Eggs.</em>&mdash;These are merely blown eggs, which should always
-be used when the employment of solid ones is not imperatively
-necessary. Their lightness enables the performer to palm them with
-considerable ease, and the same peculiarity renders them less liable
-to break; and, when they do, by chance, crack, no disconcerting
-emission of glutinous contents<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> ensues. Besides this, a stock can
-always be kept on hand ready for any performance, which cannot be done
-with real eggs. Imitation eggs are made in indiarubber. These are
-of everlasting wear, bodily, but the exterior paint wants renewing
-occasionally, in order to maintain the resemblance to the real
-article, at no time any too exact.</p>
-
-<p><em>Productive Eggs.</em>&mdash;These are blown eggs containing lengthy slips of
-coloured paper, rolled up tightly. The introduction of the paper is
-thus managed. The egg blown and dried, a slit is made along one side
-with a piercing saw or fine file. A wire is then passed longitudinally
-through both thick and thin ends, one end of the paper inserted
-through the slit, and rolled up by means of the wire, twisted from
-the outside, until the egg is full. A piece of cotton is attached to
-the loose end of the paper, and the slit and holes in the ends of
-the egg closed up with plaster of Paris. At the conclusion of any
-trick in which real eggs have been used, one can be exchanged for a
-prepared egg, which is then broken, and the paper extracted, the piece
-of cotton at once showing where the loose end is to be found. Into
-a good-sized egg some fifty or sixty feet of paper may be secreted.
-The paper may be purchased at conjuring shops in large rolls; and the
-conjuror will find it better to prepare a quantity of eggs at a time.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Coin-vanishing Tumbler.</em>&mdash;This is an ordinary tumbler, with a
-horizontal slit at the side, on a level with the interior bottom,
-large enough to allow of the passage of a half-crown. If the tumbler
-be held in such a manner that a finger closes the slit, liquid may
-be poured into it. This should be done casually, and not professedly
-for the purpose of showing that there is nothing peculiar about the
-tumbler, such a suggestion being unnecessary and dangerous. The
-company would naturally say, "If there be really nothing wrong with
-it, why does he not place it in our hands for examination?" A coin
-placed in the tumbler may be got into the hand at any moment <em>viâ</em> the
-slit, the top being covered with cards, &amp;c., to prevent the exit of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>
-the coin that way: as if coins were in the habit of leaping out of
-tumblers into which they have been placed, and deceiving audiences!
-Nevertheless, an audience is invariably satisfied when inanimate
-articles are covered up, and so supererogatorily prevented from
-performing acts which are not possible to them.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Magic Plateau.</em>&mdash;This is a glass plateau, in form like a school
-slate, there being a broad fancy wood border, glass taking the place
-of the slate. The plateau is held like a tray in the hands of the
-performer, and coins are placed upon it, which disappear when it is
-waved in the air. The secret lies in the fact that the wooden border
-is undermined, and, when a sideways movement is given to the plateau,
-the coins disappear underneath. The plateau is then carried with that
-side in which the coins are concealed, downwards. It makes a trick of
-itself, but is more useful as an adjunct to other tricks. As it is
-advisable to have a very narrow frame, shillings should be used: in
-no case coins larger than a florin. The plateau is also of great use
-when the performer is desirous of changing several borrowed and marked
-coins for some of his own. Taking the plateau, with the marked coins
-upon it, in the right hand, he pretends to pour them off into the left
-hand, where the conjuror has his own coins concealed. The marked coins
-disappear under the frame, and the concealed ones are exhibited. When
-the reappearance of the coins on the plateau is desired, they may be
-shaken out of the frame as easily as they were sent there; but I do
-not advise this addition, as it is very likely to give a clue to the
-mystery. The article is not difficult of construction, and the fact of
-the greater part of the material being transparent glass, lends it a
-desirably innocent appearance.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH CARDS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>HOW TO VANISH AND RECOVER A PACK&mdash;THE EGYPTIAN POCKET; HOW
-TO MANUFACTURE CARDS&mdash;THE MISSING LINK&mdash;ASCENDING CARDS;
-VARIOUS METHODS&mdash;THE CARD-HOLDER&mdash;WHAT APPARATUS NOT TO
-USE&mdash;THE SALAMANDER CARD&mdash;A LEGITIMATE USE FOR "FORCING"
-PACKS&mdash;HERRMANN'S BOUQUET&mdash;A HUMAN HEN&mdash;THE HATCHED
-CARD&mdash;THE WAND, AND HOW TO MAKE IT&mdash;MORE ABOUT APPARATUS.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>Nearly every modern conjuror of any pretensions to skill commences
-with a card trick. There is something about a good card trick well
-executed that always takes with an intelligent audience. When a
-performer does not commence with the cards, it is generally because
-he does not possess skill enough to do anything effective with them,
-although he will generally make a virtue of necessity (at which
-conjurors are particularly apt), and give some totally different
-reason.</p>
-
-<p><em>Vanishing a Pack.</em>&mdash;When the time is limited, none should be wasted
-in preliminaries; but, when possible, the performer should always
-vanish the pack, by palming it, and find it either at the elbow or
-sole of the boot, or else in possession of one of the audience; or
-he can pretend to give it into the hands of a spectator, and then
-discover it some distance off, with someone else. To execute this
-properly, the cards<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> should be palmed in the right hand, which affects
-to put them into the left hand. The right hand should take the wand
-or lappel of the coat, and the left be disposed, palm downwards, as
-though it held the pack. Such a little exhibition of skill makes a
-good impression at once, and puts the spectators on the alert from the
-very commencement.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Egyptian Pocket.</em>&mdash;One of the very best sleight-of-hand card
-tricks is that introduced by Herrmann, who, a few years ago, was
-such a favourite throughout Great Britain. He called it the Egyptian
-Pocket, though, for all the name implied, it might as well have been
-called the Nubian, Chinese, Japanese, or Brazilian Pocket. One of the
-audience took a pack round, and allowed four cards to be drawn from
-it. These cards were afterwards gathered in by the same person, who,
-after mounting the stage, placed them in the pack, which was then
-well shuffled. The pack he placed in his breast pocket, and then drew
-out, one by one, three cards of those selected in the audience as
-they were called for. The fourth card, however, he failed to find,
-and was told to search the pack for it. The search proving fruitless,
-he was told to manufacture the card, and, on expressing his ignorance
-of the proper method to pursue, was directed to blow into his pocket,
-where the missing card was then discovered. He was found, however,
-to have blown too hard, for his vest contained a perfect avalanche
-of cards; whilst his nose, on being squeezed, gave forth a stream
-of them, amidst roars of laughter. The method for performing this
-trick is as follows: Place upon your centre table two bulky packs of
-cards, and step forward with a third pack in your hands. Ask someone
-to assist you, and give him the pack in the shape of a fan, directing
-him to ask certain ladies, four in number, whom you will indicate
-with your wand, to select one card each. On this being done, take the
-pack from his hand, and direct him to receive the four cards, faces
-downwards, on the flat of one hand. Whilst this is being done, step
-on the stage, but never take your eye off the operations that are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span>
-going on, for you must notice whose card is placed undermost, whose
-next, and so on. Request your volunteer assistant to kindly step on
-the stage, and, opening the pack in the middle, ask him to place
-the four cards inside. Close the pack, keeping the finger inserted
-where the cards were placed, ready for the pass, and inquire if the
-person on the stage with you possesses an inside breast pocket to his
-coat. If it is outside, it does not much matter, but the inside one
-is better for the trick. On receiving an answer in the affirmative,
-ask to have the pocket emptied. Whilst this is being done, sometimes
-amidst much amusement, by reason of the miscellaneous character of
-the contents of the pocket, make the pass, bringing the four cards
-to the top, and, opening the pack slightly, carelessly run the eye
-over them. It is always as well to know them, in case of an accident
-occurring. Palm them, and give the rest of the pack to your assistant
-to shuffle. Taking the pack back, replace the palmed cards upon it,
-re-palming the top card only, and bid your assistant place the pack
-in his pocket. Feel the outside of his pocket, under the pretence of
-seeing that everything is all right, but in reality to give the cards
-a bend, crosswise. This bend will cause the back of the uppermost card
-to be the first met with by a hand entering the pocket. Now inquire
-of the chooser of this said top card&mdash;which, as you have palmed the
-original top one, will be the third one gathered in&mdash;what the name of
-her card is. You will affect to do this haphazard, and not as though
-you selected that particular person to inquire of. On receiving a
-reply, desire your assistant to put his hand quickly&mdash;"very quickly
-indeed, sir"&mdash;into his pocket, and draw out a card. If you have
-arranged everything properly, this will be the desired card. Now ask
-the chooser of the second card what the name of hers is, and repeat
-the operation. Do the same with the first card, and then with the
-fourth. By thus apparently dodging from one lady on one side of the
-room to one on the other side, it will still more appear that you are
-indifferent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> whose is asked for. This last card will not, of course,
-be forthcoming, and after a few fruitless attempts to produce it,
-plunge the hand, in which the card is palmed, into the pocket, and
-draw out the pack, leaving behind the palmed card. The assistant looks
-through the pack, but does not find the card, and you say, "Well,
-sir, you must make one, I suppose." On hearing that he does not know
-how, say, "Oh! it is as simple as possible. Take this wand in your
-right hand, and open your coat with the left. Good. Now blow into your
-pocket." The card will be found there, and your assistant, thinking
-it is all over, will be about to retire, when you, having just palmed
-one of the packs from the table, detain him with the remark that,
-"Although you did the trick very well, sir, for the first time, yet,
-owing to your inexperience, you unfortunately blew a little too hard.
-See here, sir, what you have inside your vest!" You then plunge the
-hand containing the cards rapidly inside his vest and draw out one
-card only, then another, another, and so on, and finally say that,
-as you do not know how many more there are, he had better take them
-out himself. Whilst he is doing this, palm the other pack, and say,
-"Have you any more cards, sir? No! Excuse me, but will you allow me
-to finish my experiment?" You then place your hand to his nose, and,
-compressing the hand, cause the cards to shoot forth in a stream on to
-the floor. Immediately it is over, shake hands with your assistant,
-and say you are extremely obliged. This will ease his mind of the idea
-that you meant to make a fool of him.</p>
-
-<p>Sometimes, in drawing the cards from the pocket, the assistant will
-accidentally take them from the bottom, instead of from the top. In
-this case, they will be wrong cards, and you must say, "Ah! you don't
-do it quickly enough; this is the way," and, plunging your hand in the
-pocket, draw out the desired card, giving the pack, at the same time,
-a good bend, when you can allow the assistant to try again. About
-thirty cards will make the best pack for this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> trick, and great care
-must be taken that it does not contain two cards of a kind, for if one
-of these duplicates is chosen, and it is the fourth card, <em>i.e.</em>, the
-one which is missing at the last, it (its duplicate) will be found
-in the pack when it is gone over, and all your blowing in the pocket
-performance, which is the great feature in the trick, will be knocked
-on the head. I have actually seen this occur. All the performer could
-do was to palm the card and pretend to pass it into the pocket, where,
-of course, the duplicate was found; but it was a very weak finish.</p>
-
-<p><a id="missing_link"></a><em>The Missing Link.</em>&mdash;This is another very telling card trick, and
-one that has made the fame of more than one amateur conjuror. A
-card is chosen from the pack and torn into shreds. The pieces, with
-the exception of a single one, which is given into the custody of a
-spectator, are then put into a little box, piece of paper, &amp;c., and
-made to disappear. The card is then found restored in some part of the
-audience, but it is noticed that a small portion of it is missing.
-The single piece, which was given to a spectator to hold, will be
-found to be of the very size and shape required, thus proving that the
-performer restored the actual card that was destroyed.</p>
-
-<p>For this trick, some slight prearrangement will be necessary. In
-the first place, a card (say, the six of hearts) must have a small
-piece torn out from one of its sides. This mutilated card must then
-be secreted in some out-of-the-way place in the auditorium, or, what
-is still better, in the pocket of one of the audience, of course
-some time before the performance begins. I once had it sewn up in
-the lining of a coat, and on another occasion inserted in the sole
-of a boot: but, in such instances as these, care must be taken that
-the article containing the card is to be worn on the evening of the
-performance, or a fiasco will result. It is, however, always worth
-while to run a little risk for the sake of increased effect. The small
-piece torn from the card is carefully kept, and, whilst the trick is
-being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> performed, should be on the table, concealed by any trifling
-object that may be upon it at the same time.</p>
-
-<p>"Force" (see instructions for "<a href="#the_force">forcing</a>") a card, exactly similar
-in every way to the one you have previously mutilated and concealed,
-and then ask the chooser to tear it up. Whilst this is being done, go
-to your table for your box or piece of paper, according to which you
-may elect to use, and bring with it, concealed in the fingers, the
-little piece of card. Then have the pieces, which should be reduced
-as nearly as possible to the size of your secreted piece, placed in
-the box or paper and, putting your fingers among them, affect to take
-out one piece, but, in reality, show the one you already had in your
-hand, and give it to a spectator to hold very tightly, or if he likes,
-to put it into his purse. If you have plenty of time on your hands,
-and wish to make extra fuss, you can have it put into an envelope and
-sealed by the audience, which certainly improves the effect. A very
-pardonable joke here comes in well. On giving the portion of the card
-to be held, say to the gentleman, "Will you kindly keep the piece,
-sir?" and then, affecting to notice reluctance in his looks, "No! then
-I must apply to a magistrate, who will, I have no doubt, bind you
-over to keep the <em>peace</em> for six months or so, whilst I shall only
-trouble you for a bare six minutes." If you have had the pieces put
-in paper, you can roll it up into a ball and vanish by palming in the
-right hand, whilst affecting to place it in the left, after the manner
-previously described for vanishing objects. A box can be treated in
-the same manner, or you can give the trick extra finish by having two
-boxes exactly similar, one being filled with chocolate creams or other
-comfits, and exchanged for the one containing the torn-up card. The
-box should be a small round one, and can then be treated exactly as if
-it were a coin, and palmed.</p>
-
-<p>The pieces are then commanded to pass to wherever you have originally
-concealed the torn card, which will be found<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> in due course. You
-exhibit it triumphantly, not affecting to notice the absence of a
-portion of it at first and, when you do make the discovery, you must
-appear overcome with bewilderment. Then suddenly remember the piece
-you have given to be held, and have it fitted to the card, which it
-will naturally make quite complete. Then, if you have used boxes, have
-the box supposed to contain the pieces opened by the lady who chose
-and tore up the card, and present her with it and its contents. Most
-conjurors leave the trick here, but, if the performer pleases, he can
-go still further, and render the card quite complete again. This is
-easily managed with the use of a card box (see <a href="#Page_127">p. 127</a>), which can
-have a perfect card concealed in it. The incomplete card and piece are
-put in, and the box turned over. This latter phase is not absolutely
-necessary for the success of the trick. When, as is sometimes the
-case, it is found to be impossible to conceal the mutilated card
-satisfactorily in the audience, the card box will have to be used in
-the first instance.</p>
-
-<p>This trick is best introduced in the middle of a performance, when the
-production of the card from the person of one of the audience will
-look more genuine than it would if it took place at the commencement.</p>
-
-<p><a id="ascending_cards"></a><em>The Ascending Cards.</em>&mdash;For this trick some little preparation is
-also necessary, and a certain amount of apparatus will be required.
-Three, four, or more cards are chosen, and then shuffled up in the
-pack, which is put into a metal or cardboard receptacle of the size of
-a pack of cards. At a word of command, the cards ascend, one by one,
-from the pack, without any apparent agency.</p>
-
-<p>The apparatus required for this trick consists of the case, which can
-either be made to conceal the cards entirely, or may have the front
-cut out so as to show the face of the foremost card, a small border
-being left for the purpose of preventing the cards from falling out.
-This case is divided into two divisions, the rearmost one being much
-smaller than<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> the other, and just large enough to hold about ten
-cards. To the top of the dividing partition affix a piece of fine
-black silk, which allow to hang over the smaller division. Into this
-smaller division now introduce a card, which, as it is put in, must
-have the silk under it. Now introduce a second card, but pass the silk
-over this one instead of under it. Put in a third card with the silk
-under it, and a fourth with the silk over, continuing the operation
-according to the number of cards you intend performing with. When
-the silk is pulled, it will cause those cards which have it passed
-beneath them to ascend. The same effect would be caused without the
-intervention of intermediate cards, but then they would all rise at
-once, whereas the trick is to make them do so singly. The performer
-must have all this arranged before commencing, and also have the
-silk passed out either at the back (which is to be preferred, where
-possible) or the side of the stage, where an assistant is stationed,
-holding the end of it. If at the side, then a small staple or pulley
-must be fixed in the back of the table and the silk passed through it,
-otherwise a direct pull will not be obtained. The case holding the
-cards can either be made to fit in the neck of a decanter by means
-of a cork on the under side, or can be permanently fixed to a tall
-stand. I prefer the decanter myself, as an opaque stand always causes
-suspicions of mechanical assistance to arise in the minds of the
-audience. The decanter should be given for examination.</p>
-
-<p>The performer must force duplicate cards of those arranged in the
-small division of the card-case, of course taking no notice of those
-over which the silk passes, as they will never be exposed, and, asking
-the audience to remember the names of them, have them put in the pack
-and shuffled. The rest of the trick follows as a matter of course.
-The pack is placed in the larger front division of the case, and, as
-the chosen cards are called for, the assistant, who must have a view
-of the cards from his place of concealment,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> pulls the thread. A very
-commonly practised piece of humour is to include a knave in the forced
-cards, and to place two in the small rear division of the card-case.
-The one that is to appear first is put in upside down, court cards
-with one head only being used. It is upbraided for thus making its
-appearance, and it is replaced in the pack&mdash;still upside down&mdash;but in
-the front division. The second time, the other knave appears, right
-side up. The marvel of the audience is how the card managed to reverse
-itself in the pack. These card-cases can be procured from any of the
-vendors of conjuring apparatus.</p>
-
-<p>A better arrangement is the following, which enables the performer
-to have his case examined by the audience&mdash;always a great advantage.
-It will require a little construction on the part of the performer
-himself, unless he is more fortunate than I ever was, and can find
-someone to carry out his ideas for him.</p>
-
-<p>Instead of having the tin case made with partitions, let him have it
-quite plain, and just large enough to take from thirty-five to forty
-cards. This will bear any amount of examination, and a pack of cards
-should always be put in it before the audience, to show that it is
-entirely filled therewith, and so cannot possibly be made to contain
-any mechanical contrivance. The performer's little arrangement lies in
-a few cards, which, with others, are lying carelessly upon his table.
-These cards are prearranged with the silk exactly as just described
-for the small partition of the case, the end of the silk being
-affixed to the top of the undermost card. When the performer returns
-to his table with the pack, he should place it, whilst arranging his
-case in the decanter, with the loose prepared cards, which should
-then be picked up with it, the pack being undermost. The trick can
-then proceed as usual, and the case be handed round for examination
-afterwards. Great care must be taken not to disarrange the silk whilst
-picking up the cards, as any fault in this respect cannot possibly
-be remedied. The more simple and free from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> apparatus the method of
-performing this trick, the better it will be appreciated.</p>
-
-<p>A third method, quite original, which I have adopted with unvarying
-success, the performer, will, I expect, prefer to any of the
-foregoing. It is the only method which does not call for the forcing
-of the cards; and its general surroundings are so simple that I find
-conjurors themselves sometimes puzzled to explain how the result
-is brought about. The performer has the usual bottle, which it is,
-perhaps, as well to open before the company. It should be of perfectly
-clear glass, and some fluid should be left in to give it steadiness
-during the performance of the trick. The card-holder should have the
-front side open, a quarter-inch flange being left on each side, to
-prevent the cards from falling out, and the inside coloured black.
-The silk, by means of which the chosen cards are to be made to rise
-out of the pack, has a small round cloth-covered button attached to
-the free end, and this button must be lying upon the table, in a
-convenient position. The performer first comes forward, and gives the
-bottle and card-holder into the hands of the company for examination.
-The examination concluded, he takes the articles to the table, and, as
-soon as possible, drops the button into the bottle. He next fits the
-holder into the neck, taking care, as he does so, to cause the thread
-to pass over the top of it. He now brings forward his pack, which he
-gives up entirely into the hands of the company, who select three
-cards. As many people nowadays have some idea of the "force," this
-at once disarms suspicion in a remarkable manner, and puts off many
-knowing ones, who are sure to have seen the trick before, otherwise
-performed, it being a very favourite one with conjurors. The performer
-now takes the pack back to the table, getting a picture card to the
-front, as he does so. If he chooses, he may ask the selectors of the
-cards to mark them with pencil, and whilst this is being done, he
-goes with the pack to the table, where he places it carelessly into
-the holder, taking care that the thread passes over the top of the
-cards.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> It also passes over the front of them, but, as a picture card
-is in front, it is not seen, as it would be if a card with much white
-showing were there. For this same reason, the inside of the holder is
-coloured black. The three cards are now fetched from the audience,
-faces downwards, so that the performer, as he will explain, cannot see
-them. It will not assist him in the least if he does; but audiences
-invariably think an immense deal attaches to the fact of the performer
-seeing a card, and it is as well for all conjurors to conspire to keep
-up the delusion. Laying the cards first upon the table, he takes up
-one, and places it amongst those in the holder, some three or four
-from the front. As the card is pressed down, it takes the silk with
-it, care being taken to keep the latter as near the middle of the
-card as possible. The second card is now placed a few cards farther
-in the rear, and the third still farther back. It will be necessary
-to keep a finger of the disengaged hand upon the top of the card or
-cards in front of the one being placed into position, or the downward
-pressure will cause a corresponding, but premature, upward motion to
-be imparted to those already in position, which would spoil the trick
-at once. Whilst the cards are being thus placed in the pack, the
-performer must be careful to keep the company engaged in conversation.
-The trick then proceeds as usual; but, at the conclusion, the
-performer, seizing the bottle in one hand and the holder in the other,
-separates them, and comes rapidly forward to give them and the cards
-for examination. The assistant keeping firm hold of the thread, the
-button is drawn out of the bottle, and no trace remains of the medium
-by which the ascension was accomplished. I take some pride in this
-little arrangement, which, I need scarcely say, is not elsewhere made
-public.</p>
-
-<p>To force three or more cards, pass them all from the bottom to the
-centre together, and not one at a time. Always be very particular
-about showing round the decanter or bottle, the most innocent portion
-of the whole apparatus. Where convenient, it causes a good effect to
-have a bottle of champagne<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> opened on purpose. Give some of the wine
-away, and use the bottle half emptied, saying that you must keep some
-of the spirits in it for your trick.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Salamander Card.</em>&mdash;A card is chosen and torn in halves. One half
-is given into the custody of the audience, and the other placed in
-a cleft stick or crayon-holder, and burnt over a candle. The ashes
-are put into a piece of paper, which is rolled up and made to vanish
-by sleight of hand, the method used being one which ought, by this
-time, to be familiar to the performer. A letter here arrives addressed
-to the performer, brought in by an attendant at the door by which
-the audience has entered. The performer asks one of the audience to
-open it for him, as he cannot stop in the middle of a trick. Inside
-the envelope, which is sealed, is found another, and, inside that,
-another; and so on until a fifth or sixth is reached. Inside the
-innermost of all that half of the card which was only an instant
-before burnt before the eyes of the audience is found, as is proved by
-fitting it to the portion in the custody of a spectator.</p>
-
-<p>This trick is thus managed: The cleft stick, which is an ordinary
-piece of firewood rounded and smoothed a little, has a cleft at each
-end. A metal crayon-holder, with double ends, also serves the purpose
-admirably. In one end, the performer has fixed the half of a card,
-which must be one of the pack from which the card is to be chosen,
-doubled up tolerably small. This end he conceals in his hand, and then
-has the half of the card which is to burnt doubled up and placed in
-the cleft in the other, retaining the stick in his hand all the time.
-On turning round to his attendant (who must know his part, and have
-rehearsed it once or twice) for a candle, he reverses the ends of
-the stick, and, removing the piece of card just placed in it, gives
-it to his attendant whilst in the act of taking the candle. If the
-attendant is not very proficient, the performer may go to the side
-and stretch the hand containing the abstracted piece of card behind
-the screen or curtain, and so effect the transfer. The attendant<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>
-should stand with one hand open and the candlestick in the other (of
-course, out of sight). The performer will call out for the candle,
-but, receiving no answer, will go quickly to the side, where he will
-obtain it. The stick, with fictitious card in it, he must have in the
-other hand, which must be outstretched all the time, and never for an
-instant removed from the view of the audience. If this is not done,
-no suspicion will be attached to the fact of his going to the side.
-The instant the attendant receives the piece of card, he must slip
-it inside the small envelope, which will be arranged, in order with
-the others, beforehand (the outside one being already addressed, as a
-matter of course), and either take it round to the front himself or
-deliver it to the servant who is to take it into the room. Too much
-rapidity cannot be exercised in executing this portion of the trick.
-When once the letter is delivered, the performer has nothing more to
-do in the way of exerting his skill, but has merely to do a little
-talking, and eventually have the letter opened. Indeed, in this trick
-there is but little sleight of hand to be exhibited; but a bungler
-would nevertheless make an egregious muddle of it. It requires great
-neatness of execution. For instance, in turning round for the purpose
-of reversing the position of the stick in the hands, great care must
-be taken that no movement of the elbows is visible. The movement made
-must be confined to the arm below the elbow, or even to the wrists
-only. This movement of the wrists must be practised, as it is a highly
-essential one and has to be brought into use frequently. If any of the
-audience see the arms moving, they know, or surmise, that something is
-going on, even though they cannot divine what it is.</p>
-
-<p>Although not absolutely necessary, it is as well always to force a
-card for this trick. The card can then be doubled up with the pips
-outwards if the prepared end of the cleft stick contains a portion of
-a similar card. For frequent performances of this trick and
-<a href="#missing_link"><em>The Missing Link</em></a>, it will be advisable to have what I have previously
-described as (but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> condemned the open use of) "forcing packs," viz.,
-packs the cards of which are all of one denomination and suite, as
-it will not do to tear up cards from ordinary packs. They are easily
-obtainable at conjuring repositories or card manufacturers.</p>
-
-<p>This trick is also exceedingly effective when a borrowed letter or
-other document is used instead of a card. In large public audiences, a
-bank note or other paper of value may be borrowed. It is easy to have
-a piece of a note of the "Bank of Elegance" in the concealed cleft,
-in imitation of a bank note. On important occasions the performer
-should always have three or four sticks prepared with various coloured
-papers, so as to be ready for any emergency. The preparation is
-trifling, and the sticks not used will do for another time.</p>
-
-<p>It is quite immaterial which way it is done, but sometimes I tell the
-person to whom I give the stick and candle not to burn the paper, but
-to "put it in the candle." When I notice that it is in a fair way
-to be burned I look in another direction, as if not noticing what
-is going on, and am horrified on turning round to find the paper
-destroyed. This answers best when the material burnt is a borrowed
-paper.</p>
-
-<p>Most conjurors perform this trick with the aid of a square wooden
-ladle, which possesses a movable flap similar to that of the "card
-box," and worked by twisting the handle round. This flap releases a
-fictitious paper, whilst it covers up the borrowed one. The excuse
-given for using this ladle is that the performer does not want the
-audience to suppose, as they would do if he handled it, that he
-changes the paper. This excuse is poor and weak, as it puts the idea
-of fictitious substitutions (the heart and soul of stage conjuring)
-into the heads of people who would otherwise never have dreamed of
-such a thing.</p>
-
-<p>The arrangement of the premises very often makes the employment of the
-envelopes one within the other impracticable. As a substitute method,
-I here give one of my own,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> which, whilst it is not as amusing as the
-first one, is far more wonderful and inexplicable to the company.</p>
-
-<p>Subsequently to borrowing a piece of paper or bank note from one
-of the company, the performer shows round a piece of glass tube,
-say four inches in length, having both ends hermetically sealed by
-being melted up. This piece of tube is folded in a piece of paper,
-and given into the custody of one of the company. The trick is gone
-through, as above described, except that the burnt paper is found
-restored inside the tube, which, of course, has to be broken before
-the contents can be recovered by their owner. This, on the face of it,
-is, of course, an utter impossibility; but it is thus accomplished.
-Glass-blowers, and those who have studied practical chemistry, know
-that to construct such a glass receptacle as that above described,
-all that is necessary is a piece of tube and a spirit lamp. The tube
-is held in the flame by the hands, and, as the glass melts it is
-drawn asunder, the result being that the two new ends thus formed
-collapse, and, cooling, take the form of points. Behind the scenes
-the assistant is provided with a piece of tube, eight or ten inches
-in length, one end of which has already been melted up. So soon as he
-receives the piece of paper from the performer he folds it up small,
-and pushes it down the tube as far as it will go. Then he melts this
-tube some three inches up, which will be far enough removed from the
-paper to keep it from being burned, and by this means the paper has
-become hermetically sealed inside a glass receptacle. If the assistant
-has had the necessary practice, the operation should not take long.
-When it is concluded, the assistant brings the glass on, and, under
-pretence of fetching away the candle, which the performer has placed
-upon the table, leaves it upon the shelf. The empty tube is upon the
-table, and the performer, in fetching it, takes with him, secretly,
-the one with the paper inside. This is very easily concealed in the
-hand if one end be pressed against the root of the thumb, the other
-end being pressed by the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> middle finger. The empty tube is shown, as
-also a piece of paper, in which it is ostensibly wrapped, the one with
-the paper inside being substituted. This substitution is effected by
-having the one tube concealed in the left hand, the empty tube being
-apparently transferred to it, but really palmed, as above directed.
-The right hand at once seizes the paper, and covers the tube in the
-left hand with it, and the wrapping-up is immediately proceeded with,
-as no further exposure may be permitted. If the performer prefers it,
-the assistant may wrap the prepared tube in paper, similar to that
-used by the performer, who then conceals the parcel under his vest.
-In this case, the empty tube is wrapped up by one of the company,
-the performer giving the parcel the necessary resemblance to the
-other (each should have twisted ends), and the exchange may be made
-subsequently. After the parcel has been opened, for the purpose
-of showing the tube with the paper inside, the performer must not
-approach it until the owner of the paper has broken it open with a
-hammer (the use of the wand for this purpose has less appearance
-of premeditation about it), and identified his property. I do not
-recommend the use of a card for this trick, as therein the spectators
-might find some explanation of its wonderful character. By employing a
-piece of a letter belonging to one of them, complete mystification is
-secured.</p>
-
-<p>The restored card may be reproduced from a candle, by way of variety.
-The performer has on his table two or more candles; on no account
-brought on purposely for the trick. It will not matter in the least
-how long they have been burning, so that a good portion of them be
-remaining. As though struck with a sudden inspiration, the performer
-suggests, in his happiest manner, that the destroyed article be found
-inside one of the candles. The company not objecting (spectators,
-anticipating amusement from them, never object to the conjuror's
-suggestions in these cases), the owner of the paper or chooser of the
-card is requested to say which candle shall be employed. One being
-pointed out, and extinguished, it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> is taken out of the candlestick and
-put upon the table, where the performer proceeds to cut it in two with
-a knife, affecting great pains in making the portions exactly equal.
-He now asks which half he shall take, and, when the person asked
-says, "the right" (or left) half, he must inquire, "Which right [or
-left]; mine or yours?" The chosen half is again cut in two, and one
-of the portions chosen, that portion being again divided. The pieces
-remaining will be an inch or so long, and one is selected of these.
-This the performer gives to the person most interested amongst the
-spectators, on a plate, along with a knife, and, when it is cut open,
-the paper or card is found inside.</p>
-
-<p>The way this is done is simplicity itself. The candles are all
-ordinary ones, so it really does not matter to the performer which
-is chosen, although he will do well to exhibit anxiety on the point,
-by way of effect. Neither does it matter to him which portion of the
-cut-up candle is eventually chosen, he having previously given off the
-piece of paper or card to the assistant, who has placed it in a small
-piece of candle, which the performer has safely secured under his vest
-whilst he is cutting up the chosen candle. When the last stage of the
-cutting is finished, the prepared piece is got down and exchanged in
-the usual manner for the innocent piece. It is then brought forward on
-the plate, and the remainder follows, as a matter of course.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Obliging Bouquet.</em>&mdash;This trick resembles to a great extent
-<a href="#ascending_cards"><em>The Ascending Cards</em></a>, and was one of Hermann's many masterpieces. As
-performed by him, it outshone, in exquisite neatness and effect, all
-other card tricks; but the amount of skill and daring necessary to
-carry it properly through is considerable, and persons of nervous or
-uncertain dispositions had better consider well before they attempt
-it. At the same time, those with the requisite skill and nerve may
-earn incalculable glory by including this trick occasionally in
-their programmes. The description of it (never before made public)
-is as follows: A bouquet of real flowers is handed to a lady in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> the
-audience, and three or four cards are then chosen from the pack. These
-cards are made to disappear. One by one they are then seen to rise
-from the bouquet, which is still held by the lady.</p>
-
-<p>As in <a href="#ascending_cards"><em>The Ascending Cards</em></a>, a case for holding cards is required,
-but in this instance it is made of zinc, and just large enough to take
-about eight cards. The outside is painted dark green. This case must
-be prepared beforehand, with cards, as described in <a href="#ascending_cards"><em>The Ascending
-Cards</em></a>, with the exception that human hair is substituted for silk.
-It is also as well either to have the intermediate cards, <em>i.e.</em>,
-those over which the hair passes, fixed permanently, or else to have
-partitions of the same material as the case. The loose end of the hair
-should have a tiny bead of wax on it, and the case must be placed in
-the centre of the bouquet, in such a position that, although it is not
-visible from the outside, yet the cards will have a tolerably free
-passage for their ascent. If possible, bring the mouth of it just
-beneath two buds of roses, which will give to the slightest pressure,
-and allow the card to come up between them. The hair should hang down
-between the buds, passing between the stalks. The greatest care must
-necessarily be taken in arranging all this, and the trick rehearsed
-within an hour of its performance, to make sure of everything being
-safe.</p>
-
-<p>Bring the bouquet on, and, selecting the lady least likely to
-interfere with your arrangements (this selection should be made whilst
-you are on the stage performing other tricks), ask her to kindly hold
-the bouquet for you, calling attention to the fact that the flowers
-are real ones. If possible, always have the bouquet held in the front
-row of the audience, and take care that the hair is towards you
-all the time. Now "force" duplicate cards of those in the bouquet,
-and then cause them to vanish as you please. As looking the most
-skilful, I prefer palming to any other method, on all occasions. If,
-from knowing the cards as you "forced" them, you are aware who took
-particular cards, you can ask the person who chose the duplicate card
-of the first in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> case, the name of it, and then desire that one
-to rise from the bouquet. On hearing the name of the card, or just
-before, advance to the bouquet, and ask the holder of it if she saw
-the fairies bring the cards to the flowers, or any other fanciful
-question you please, and then, under the pretence of having it held
-a little higher or lower, or a little more to the right or to the
-left, advance the hand to the bouquet, and so obtain possession of
-the end of the hair. A good deal of deceptive action must now be
-introduced, the wand being put into the hand holding the hair, which
-must then be pulled very slightly indeed, and if the card rises the
-strain can be continued. Just before the card shows itself, say, "No!
-I am afraid the fairies have been disobedient to-day." This will
-momentarily remove the interest of the audience from the bouquet, and
-attention will be directed to you, as if inquiring what will be done
-next. This is the opportunity you must seize for causing the card to
-rise, and then exclaim, "Ah! there is one, after all." Run the card
-up quickly, and take it out of the bouquet, or, if it appears to be
-very loose, allow the holder of the bouquet to remove it. If, at this
-juncture, you fancy your temporary assistant is at all suspicious, at
-once take the bouquet to someone else; but on no account take this
-step if all is going on well. Ask the name of the next card, which
-cause to rise in the same manner, and repeat the operation with the
-remaining card or cards. As the hair becomes gradually longer, you
-will be enabled to stand a little further off on each occasion. You
-must contrive to alter your attitude as often as possible, and also
-endeavour to look quite unconcerned. The best way to assume this by
-no means easy appearance, is to affect to be rather more amused at
-the ascension of the cards from the bouquet than the audience itself.
-One ticklish point is in ascertaining whether everything is in order.
-This never reveals itself until the first pull is made, when, if there
-is anything wrong, a jerk will be felt by the holder of the bouquet,
-and, in all likelihood,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> a clue to your secret will be given. If you
-only so much as fancy that anything is wrong, take hold of the bouquet
-with your disengaged hand, without taking it away from the holder of
-it, and have it held a trifle higher or lower. This will enable you
-to give a precautionary pull without allowing any strain to be felt.
-Such a thing as a hitch ought not to take place, for the previous
-arrangements should be so perfect as to do away with all possibility
-of such an occurrence. The cards all out of the case, inquire, for
-the sake of effect, if there are any more chosen ones that have not
-appeared, and then take the bouquet round, allowing people to smell
-at it, &amp;c. This is really to enable you to remove the case from the
-bouquet, but ostensibly to show that the flowers are real. The best
-way of removing the case is through the stems of the flowers, and for
-this purpose it is made of zinc, it being a weighty metal. As it is
-a small affair, it can easily be palmed. The bouquet should be then
-presented to the lady who held it during the performance of the trick,
-with the request that the flowers should be examined to see if there
-be any preparation about them.</p>
-
-<p>Taking into consideration the difficulty in performing the trick, the
-desirability of having as small a case as possible, and the usual
-shortness of hair, it is advisable to force only three cards, although
-three or four hairs may be employed. When I first saw Herrmann perform
-this trick, I was simply appalled at the audacity required to perform
-it successfully; but experience has taught me that, with practice,
-it is as easy as many other tricks which are not one quarter so
-effective. The difficulties to be overcome are causing the first card
-to rise without being discovered, and removing the case. It will be
-found that if the bouquet is held a little lower (only a few inches)
-than the hand holding the hair, there will be less likelihood of any
-strain taking place. If the performer pleases, the chosen cards can
-be torn up or burnt in the first instance, but the destruction is a
-needless one.</p>
-
-<p><a id="hatched_card"></a><em>The Hatched Card.</em>&mdash;A chosen card is destroyed or made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> to disappear,
-and on an ordinary egg (selected from a number) being broken, it is
-found inside.</p>
-
-<p>Before describing the trick itself, I will give a unique method
-(Herrmann again) for obtaining the eggs. A rehearsed assistant will be
-required, and he must have in his mouth an egg, and, besides, either
-a portion (either end) of the shell of, or a wooden or porcelain
-imitation of, one. Under the vest band, and sustained by the elastic
-thereof, you have four more eggs concealed. You come on with your
-assistant, whose mouth is then empty, and, telling the audience that
-you will require an egg, ask him if he has taken the egg powder you
-gave him, and whether he thinks he can give you any eggs. On receiving
-his reply in the affirmative, tell him to fetch a plate. This he does,
-and, at the same time, pops the egg and real or imitation portion
-of shell into his mouth, all done in an instant, so as to avoid
-suspicion. He now takes up his position in the centre of the stage, a
-little "up," with the plate held before him and elbows close to his
-sides. You stand beside him, and place your rear hand upon his head.
-He then slowly exhibits the egg, which, with the forward hand, you
-then extract with seemingly immense difficulty. Whilst the forward
-hand is thus engaged, the rear one takes an egg from the vest, and
-you cross over behind the assistant, and are just about to take the
-plate from him when he exhibits the shell, which, to the audience,
-appears to be another egg. You exclaim, "What, another! you must have
-taken too much powder," and then advancing the forward (late the rear)
-hand, you slip the egg palmed in it half into your assistant's mouth,
-and then proceed to drag it forth with the same difficulty which
-attended the abstraction of the first one. The rear hand has by this
-time another egg in it, and you go round behind the assistant, only
-to find him exhibiting another egg, which you extract, as before. The
-process is repeated until all the eggs are gone. It is not advisable
-to use more than five eggs, for precautionary reasons, and that
-number is quite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> sufficient to excite wonder. The assistant must be
-careful not to allow the shell inside his mouth to be seen whilst you
-are removing an egg just "laid." If you can find anyone with a mouth
-capacious enough to contain two eggs (small ones will do), secure him
-as an inestimable treasure. No trick being more conducive to laughter
-than this one, extra care must be taken with it. The performer should
-move about in an easy and unostentatious manner, and endeavour, by
-word and mien, to keep up the impression that the whole of the trick
-lies in the assistant's mouth. The use of the extra egg end is not
-absolutely necessary, for the palming can begin with the first egg,
-the one originally in the mouth being kept there till the last, when
-it may be allowed to fall out into the performer's outstretched palms.
-Either method is effective. Show the eggs round on a plate, and have
-one selected with which to perform the succeeding trick. For that, the
-following apparatus will be necessary.</p>
-
-<p>Make, either of wood or metal (tin, brass, zinc, &amp;c.), a hollow wand
-(open at one end, and closed at the other), painted or varnished on
-the outside, so as to resemble in every little particular the wand
-you ordinarily use. If the latter has ivory or brass tips, then your
-imitation wand must have the same. There is not the least necessity
-for running into any expense, for, by going to a working tinman or
-walking-stick maker, the thing can be obtained for a shilling. I much
-prefer wood to metal, and would recommend its use. This imitation need
-not be made of real ebony, although it should be of tolerably hard
-wood. Fitting inside there must be another piece of wood, an inch
-shorter than the interior of the wand itself, which should move up
-and down pretty easily, but not loosely. Commencing exactly 2in. from
-one end, cut a slit 1in. long, and, making a little peg of wood, or
-providing yourself with a small brass round-headed nail, which must
-be afterwards coloured to match the wand, drive it into the sliding
-piece of wood, which must be pushed up against the closed end of the
-wand at the time.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> By holding the wand at the closed end, and placing
-the thumb on the little peg, the sliding piece of wood can be made to
-move up and down as easily as can the pen or pencil inside an ivory
-holder. By making the slit the same length as the space left at the
-open end of the wand, the sliding piece will not protrude when the peg
-is pushed down by means of the thumb. The sliding piece should also be
-blackened all over, as, if left white, it might show through the slit
-or at the exposed end, which, however, should never be turned full
-towards the audience at any time.</p>
-
-<p>It is now open to you either to force a card or to have one selected
-haphazard. If the card is to be forced, then you can have the wand
-loaded beforehand. This is done by doubling up the card until it is
-only 1in. wide, rolling it up, and putting it into the wand, which you
-can then leave on the table handy. If the card is not to be forced,
-the wand must be behind, and the card chosen before the egg-laying
-performance (supposing you find your eggs in that way) takes place.
-Have only about twenty cards to select from, and let your assistant
-know what they are. They can be arranged in sequences or suits, for
-greater convenience. When your assistant retires, after producing the
-eggs, he takes the pack of cards with him; and whilst you are showing
-the eggs round he looks through the nineteen cards and finds out which
-one is missing. He then takes a duplicate of this, and puts it into
-the wand. For the sake of expedition, you should have a duplicate
-of each of the twenty cards in readiness. I remember once finding
-myself without a duplicate of a selected card, and I had actually to
-go forward and, under the plea of placing it in an exposed position,
-"where everyone could see it," effect a change. I left a dummy card on
-the chair (the "exposed position,") face downwards, and carried off
-the chosen one in triumph, feeling very much relieved. This method
-of having a card or cards chosen from a pack, the cards of which are
-known, does not belong particularly to this trick, but can be used in
-many others. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> is only worth while to take the trouble when your
-audience is a particularly sharp one, and not likely to be imposed
-upon by a "force." The egg and card both chosen, you may do what you
-please with the latter, so long as you get rid of it, and, taking the
-egg, which you have previously had minutely examined and held up to
-the light, to show that it is empty, upon a plate, give the plate to
-be held by a spectator, and then break the shell by means of the open
-end of your prepared wand. Immediately you are well through the shell,
-push the peg along by means of the thumb, and the rolled up card will
-be forced into the egg, whence have it extracted by a spectator. If
-you please, one of the audience may hold the egg whilst you break the
-shell. I need hardly mention that, before you bring your wand into
-play, you should make a fuss about passing the card into the egg. The
-reader, by this time, will take that as a matter of course. Always
-have a cloth or handkerchief handy in this trick for wiping egg and
-fingers.</p>
-
-<p>The preceding six card tricks, used judiciously, that is to say, not
-too frequently, should, with those described in "<a href="#Part_I">Drawing-room Magic</a>"
-(<a href="#la_carte_generale"><em>La Carte Générale</em></a>, for instance), last a conjuror a lifetime.
-They are the very best I have seen performed, for they combine
-sleight of hand with a minimum amount of apparatus; indeed, the
-articles I have directed to be used are hardly worthy of the name,
-the nearest approach to it being the card-cases and the hollow wand.
-There are a number of tricks sold in which cards rise from demons'
-heads, imitation plants, and pedestals; but these are all exceedingly
-expensive, and are nearly all worked by electricity. Besides this,
-there always seems to be an artificial effect about such things. For
-all the audience know, there may be a small boy concealed in the
-demon's head, or in the huge flower-pot in which the "Magic Rose Tree"
-is generally stood. At any rate, the idea of "sleight of hand" is not
-conveyed, and, if for that reason only, I will have none of them.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS AND GLOVES.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>THE RESTORED HANDKERCHIEF: ITS VARIOUS MISFORTUNES&mdash;THE
-CONJUROR'S PISTOL&mdash;SUN AND MOON: A TOTAL ECLIPSE&mdash;THE
-DISSOLVING KNOTS&mdash;THE DECANTED HANDKERCHIEF&mdash;THE MELTING
-HANDKERCHIEFS&mdash;THE ELASTIC GLOVE: HOW TO ACCOMMODATE ALL
-SIZES.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><a id="restored_handkerchief"></a><em>The Restored Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;This title will doubtless apply to many
-tricks with handkerchiefs, so, if the performer thinks it too general,
-he can find another of his own for this particular trick. Herrmann
-called it Le Mouchoir Serpent, from the fancied resemblance to a snake
-which the handkerchief was made to take at one stage of the trick. For
-it the performer must have prepared a lemon, with a small handkerchief
-inside. The way to operate on the lemon is as follows: Cut off one
-end&mdash;the apex is the best&mdash;and then, by means of a spoon, take out
-the whole of the interior, being careful to remove the inner white
-skin. Push in the handkerchief, replace the portion of lemon which
-you cut off, and sew it carefully on with yellow cotton or silk. The
-first lemon or two are rather tiresome to prepare, but after a time
-the job can be done very quickly and neatly. The method of sewing
-which should be adopted is that known as "under-sewing," and it will
-be necessary to guard against including the handkerchief itself in
-the stitching. As the handkerchief placed inside is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> meant to be
-subsequently destroyed, it need be of the very commonest description
-only. It can be obtained for three-halfpence. On the centre table have
-a small scent-bottle, with methylated spirits, a lighted candle, a
-common plate, and a knife. Concealed in the palm of one hand are about
-ten pieces of cambric, each about three inches square, and properly
-hemmed. Under the vest is a piece of cambric two inches broad and
-about four feet long, doubled, not rolled, up. Behind the scenes are a
-couple of pieces of thin wrapping paper about nine inches square. In
-the hand not occupied by the pieces conceal the prepared lemon, and
-advance to the audience. Pretend to see something in a gentleman's
-hair, and, after fumbling in it, produce the lemon. Let several
-persons smell at the fruit, taking care to present the better-looking
-end, in case your sewing has not been very successful. Of course, the
-lemon must not leave your hand, except to be tossed once or twice in
-the air, to show that it is real. Place this lemon on a side table,
-and there leave it, with the sewn-up end from the audience.</p>
-
-<p>Now borrow a small handkerchief, the smaller the better but do not
-take one that is much ornamented with lace. Turn to a gentleman, and,
-whilst asking him to stand up, roll the handkerchief up carelessly in
-the hand, and, working it round the bundle of pieces which you have
-concealed, bring it underneath and let the pieces appear at the top.
-This can be done in an instant whilst you are talking with the person
-whom you wish to assist you. Give the bundle of pieces, which the
-audience will think is the handkerchief, to him, with instructions to
-rub it gently in the hands. You have, in the meantime, taken care to
-keep the exchanged handkerchief well concealed in the palm. Retire to
-the stage, and, whilst mounting it, vest the handkerchief and take in
-its place the doubled-up long piece, which keep concealed by means
-of the wand. Ask your assistant how he is getting on, and explain
-that you wish him to rub the handkerchief<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> so small that it can be
-passed inside the lemon. After a little rubbing has taken place, ask
-him to open the handkerchief out, to see if it is any smaller. Of
-course, when he attempts to do so, it will drop about in pieces, to
-everyone's astonishment. Affect great annoyance, and advance, saying
-that the trick is now spoilt all through the handkerchief being
-<em>rubbed the wrong way</em>. Collect the pieces together, and, rolling
-them up, exchange them in the hand for the long piece. This exchange
-may at first seem very daring and difficult, but, if care is taken
-always to have the piece or pieces concealed well down in the hand
-before the substituted article is removed, there need be no fear of
-detection; only the performer must go right at it, and not falter in
-the least. Give the long piece to your assistant, and tell him to rub
-it this time with the left hand. Whichever way he rubs you must say
-is the wrong one, and finally ask him to give you one of the pieces
-that you may show him what you mean. In his attempt to give you one
-of the supposed pieces, he will unroll the long piece amidst much
-laughter. After suggesting that the gentleman pays for the destroyed
-handkerchief, rub it up in the hands and "pass" it into the lemon. For
-this purpose, it may be rolled up on the table, and passed down a trap.</p>
-
-<p>Instead of "passing" with the hands, it is in every way neater and
-more effective to use a conjuring pistol, which is loaded with the
-handkerchief and then fired. This pistol will have to be provided
-with a large tin funnel, so constructed that the tube portion, which
-must fit the barrel of the pistol closely, extends for a long way
-inside the funnel. When a handkerchief, or similar article, is rammed
-into the funnel, care is taken that it goes around the tube so that,
-on the pistol, which has been previously loaded, being fired, the
-flash passes harmlessly down the tube. The mouth of the funnel must
-never, by any chance, be seen by the audience. These pistols, which
-are exceedingly useful at all times, can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> be purchased at conjuring
-repositories; but it is easy for anyone possessing an ordinary pistol
-to have it fitted with a funnel by a tinman.</p>
-
-<p>Suppose the long piece either "passed" or fired out of the pistol,
-take the lemon and cut it open with the knife, and pull out the
-handkerchief that was already in it. Pretend to advance for the
-purpose of returning it to its owner, but suddenly discover that
-it smells of lemon. Say that you will put some scent on it, and,
-placing it upon the plate, saturate it with spirits from your bottle.
-Whilst advancing a step or two, to inquire if it is enough, your
-stage attendant enters and quietly sets light to the spirits with the
-candle. You turn back and nearly burn your fingers, and start aside
-horror-stricken.</p>
-
-<p>A slight scene now takes place between you and your attendant, who
-insists that you told him to set fire to the handkerchief. Run down
-to the audience with the plate and its blazing contents, asking the
-owner of the handkerchief to take it in its present state. Turn back
-and drop it on the floor of the stage, and then go behind the scenes,
-where quickly take the original borrowed handkerchief from the vest,
-and wrap it in one of the two pieces of paper (it will add to the
-effect if you scent the handkerchief a little), which hold in the
-hand covered by the second piece of paper, open. During your absence
-your attendant has been dancing about, affecting to burn his fingers,
-&amp;c. When the handkerchief is nearly burnt out, snatch up the remains
-of it quickly and pop it into the open piece of paper, roll it up
-rapidly and exchange for the real handkerchief in paper, vesting it
-at once, or a severe burn may ensue. This is done whilst hurrying
-towards the owner of the handkerchief, to whom you say that you have
-done the best you can, and are sorry that you have only the ashes of
-the handkerchief to offer; but that if she will leave her address,
-you will forward a new one in the morning, &amp;c. Finally, you have the
-supposed ashes blown upon, and then tear open the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> paper, revealing
-the handkerchief. If you have scented it, call attention to the fact.</p>
-
-<p>If I wanted to test a conjuror's ability, I should give him this trick
-to perform. No duffer could ever get half way through it; and yet, by
-attention to the rudiments of palming, &amp;c., it becomes easy enough.
-There can be no two opinions about the effect produced. The principal
-portions should be rehearsed with your attendant.</p>
-
-<p>A very amusing variation to this trick is the following: Purchase two
-cheap sunshades of a precisely similar pattern. They should be small,
-and the covers of light alpaca. From one carefully strip the cover, so
-as to leave the ribs bare, and, at the end of each rib, fasten a piece
-of cambric exactly similar to those used in the rubbing-away episode.
-This sunshade have lying upon the shelf at the back of the table,
-rolled up in paper. In one of the large side pockets have concealed
-the cover, rolled up and tied with very fine thread, that may be
-easily broken. Upon the table have lying a piece of paper similar to
-that in which the sunshade upon the shelf is wrapped. At the opening
-of the trick, show this sunshade round, and then proceed to wrap it
-up in paper, on the table. You will always have some extra sheets,
-and behind one of these the one sunshade is exchanged for the other.
-Give it to be held in the company. Then borrow a hat, and secretly
-introduce the cover, placing the hat on a side table. When the trick
-has proceeded as far as the discovery of the small pieces in the hands
-of the spectator who is rubbing the handkerchief, place them in the
-pistol and fire at the sunshade held in the company. Great amusement
-ensues when the bare ribs are discovered, with the pieces of cambric
-flying from them. These are then taken off, and the trick proceeded
-with, as before described, the cover being discovered in the hat at
-any convenient period. Break the thread, and shake it out well before
-bringing to view, so as not to suggest any idea of its ever having
-been rolled up tightly into small bulk.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><a id="sun_and_moon"></a><em>Sun and Moon.</em>&mdash;This is another amusing trick, in which handkerchiefs
-are destroyed and restored in a most lavish manner. Beyond the
-preparation of a couple of handkerchiefs, and the use of a conjuring
-pistol, no apparatus is required, if the trick be performed after the
-following method, which is according to my own arrangement, and in
-keeping with my belief in sleight of hand as opposed to apparatus.</p>
-
-<p>Purchase three common coloured cotton handkerchiefs, all of precisely
-the same pattern, and from the centre of one of them cut a circular
-piece some three or four inches in diameter. Replace this with a white
-piece, so that you have a coloured handkerchief with a white centre.
-Take a white handkerchief, and cut from its centre a circular piece
-just a trifle smaller than that from the coloured handkerchief, which
-latter then sew in the centre of the white handkerchief. A friend
-of yours in the audience should have the second of the coloured
-handkerchiefs in his pocket, and receive instructions to the effect
-that, when you ask for a handkerchief in a particular manner (you
-can easily arrange a sort of by-word between yourselves), he is to
-offer this particular handkerchief, which you tardily accept. This
-is one of the very rare occasions on which I permit myself to have a
-confederate in the audience; and I only do it because (1) a really
-capital trick would otherwise be impossible of performance, and (2)
-because it is not at all necessary that your confederate should know
-anything about the trick. I always say that it is necessary for me to
-have in such-and-such a trick a coloured handkerchief, <em>merely for
-effect</em>, and it is rarely that people bring coloured handkerchiefs
-with them, so, to avoid disappointment, &amp;c., &amp;c. If the person who
-officiates be a dullard, he will be none the wiser, and if he be a
-relative, as he should be, he is tolerably safe. Coloured handkerchief
-No. 3 you have rolled up in a piece of paper and placed in your
-capacious breast pocket. Besides these, you must have in the palm of
-one hand an ordinary white handkerchief concealed. The two prepared
-handkerchiefs already described are done up in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> paper in the shape
-of a ball and placed upon the shelf at the back of the table, on the
-top of which are lying a few loose sheets of paper similar to that in
-which the handkerchiefs are wrapped. Also on the table are two plates,
-some methylated spirits, a lighted candle, two pairs of scissors, or
-else two sharp knives, and a funnel pistol. Advance to the audience,
-with the white handkerchief concealed in the palm, and borrow two
-handkerchiefs&mdash;one a white one, at hazard, except that you endeavour
-to let it be one somewhat similar to your own, and the other, the
-coloured one, from your friend. Exchange the white handkerchief for
-your own, as in the preceding trick, and vest it, and then give both
-white and coloured handkerchiefs to be held by separate persons.
-Each handkerchief should be held horizontally by the two hands, one
-holding the very centre of it, and the other grasping it a few inches
-away. Give the scissors or knives to two other persons, and bid them
-mark the handkerchiefs. At first some hesitation will be shown at
-cutting the handkerchiefs, but you must say there is no fear. From the
-position in which each handkerchief is held, it will be incumbent on
-anyone cutting between the hands of the person holding it to take a
-piece clean out of the centre. When this cutting is over (you might
-do it yourself, only it looks more genuine and creates more fun to
-have it done by the audience), say that there will be no mistaking
-the handkerchiefs now, for they are marked with a vengeance. Now take
-the mutilated coloured handkerchief and the white piece, and put them
-on one plate, the the mutilated white handkerchief and coloured piece
-being put on the other. Pour spirits on both, and set fire to them.
-When they are well ablaze, pretend to discover that you have made
-the mistake of mixing the colours, and endeavour (fruitlessly, of
-course) to take out the burning pieces. Remark that it is a very bad
-job, as you had hoped to have shown a specimen of your skill, but now
-everything is spoilt through your forgetfulness. Your stage attendant
-can attend to the burning of the handkerchiefs, if you so please,
-in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> which case you can give him a good blowing up, and threaten to
-discharge him on the spot. The more penitent he can manage to look,
-the better it will be for the effect of the trick. Take the ashes, and
-put them in a piece of the paper which is on the table, and, whilst
-affecting to put this in a second piece, exchange it for the prepared
-handkerchiefs in paper on the shelf. This method is very easy, and
-is thus performed: Stand at the end of the table, and, with the hand
-that is nearest the audience, raise a piece of paper partly from the
-table, but not so much as to enable the audience to see under it, and
-behind this temporary screen the exchange can be effected by means
-of the rear hand with impunity, providing it is done quickly but not
-hurriedly, and with the eyes turned towards the audience, to whom the
-performer is impressively descanting on the many vicissitudes which
-chequer a conjuror's career. Directly the two parcels are safely
-exchanged, go forward and give the paper to be held by one of the
-audience. An ordinary pistol can now be let off, or a word of command
-given, and the paper then opened. Affecting not to notice that there
-is anything wrong, you proceed to return the handkerchiefs to their
-respective owners. Laughter will, of course, ensue, and you will
-then appear to be overwhelmed with confusion. Borrow a hat, put the
-handkerchiefs in it and take them out again, and finally drop one on
-the floor. The action of stooping to pick it up will enable you to
-bring the opening of the hat against your breast, and you must seize
-this opportunity of slipping the roll from the breast pocket into
-it. Go back to the table and place the hat upon it, and then, taking
-up the funnel pistol, ram the handkerchiefs into it, with the remark
-that you may as well get rid of them altogether. Fire the pistol, and
-then ask if anyone saw anything pass into the hat, as you fancy you
-did. Go to the hat and produce the roll, which open, and show the
-coloured handkerchief. Spread this out, to show that the centre is
-perfectly restored, and, whilst going forward with it, take the white
-handkerchief, unperceived, from the vest, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> roll it up inside the
-coloured one. Then say, "Ah! but we have not the white handkerchief
-yet; well, perhaps we shall be able to find it." Rub the coloured
-handkerchief in the hands, with the white one inside, and, finally,
-open both and return to their owners. This finale is, perhaps, the
-most difficult part of the trick. Take care when the funnel pistol
-is fired that you either stand it upon its broad end, or else place
-it upon the table with the mouth from the audience. Although, to the
-audience, an enormous amount of destruction appears to be going on,
-such is not really the case, as two handkerchiefs only are destroyed
-in the trick.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig42"></a>
-<img src="images/fig42.png" width="400" height="212" alt="Fig. 42" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 42.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig43"></a>
-<img src="images/fig43.png" width="400" height="225" alt="Fig. 43" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 43.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>The Knots.</em>&mdash;I call this trick by a simple name, because extreme
-simplicity is its prevailing feature from beginning to end. The last
-few tricks described have all had apparatus, to some extent, as a
-component part; this one is all sleight of hand. In "Drawing-room
-Magic" (<a href="#Page_65">p. 65</a>), I gave directions for untying a knot by word of
-command, and noted at the time that an enlargement of the trick would
-be given in "Grand Magic." We have now arrived at the enlargement.
-In the minor trick, the knot is tied in a peculiar fashion by the
-performer himself; now the knots are to be tied by various members of
-the audience, and it is this which gives the trick such a marvellous
-appearance. The performer advances, and begs the loan of several
-handkerchiefs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> He takes two of those proffered, and, advancing
-towards one of the audience, presents just four inches (on no account
-more) of one end of each handkerchief, one being crossed over the
-other, with the request to have them tied together in a knot. The
-reason for crossing one end over is to induce the tyer to make either
-a "granny" or a reef knot, which are the knots easiest to undo&mdash;that
-is, after the conjuror's method. <a href="#fig42">Fig. 42</a> shows a "granny" knot. The
-general appearance of a reef knot is somewhat the same, so it does
-not require a separate sketch, and the mode of proceeding will be in
-both cases similar. For convenience of description, I have depicted a
-dark-coloured and a white handkerchief, and the performer will do well
-to take this hint, and always, where possible, borrow handkerchiefs
-varying in colour or texture, in order that the sinuosities in the
-knots may be easily followed by the eye. As the performer wants a knot
-that is tied neither too loosely nor too tightly, he must keep his
-eye upon it whilst it is being tied. If it is loosely done, he must
-say, "Don't be afraid of tying it up tight, sir [or madam]; pull as
-hard as you like." In the event of a too literal acceptance of his
-words, he should take the handkerchiefs at once. Even when the knot
-is tied as hard as a stone, the performer takes it in the hands, and,
-with the remark, "Oh! this is not half tight enough<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> yet," pretends
-to pull it up with all his force. What he really does is to take the
-small end of one handkerchief in one hand, and the body of the same
-handkerchief on the other side of the knot in the other. By pulling at
-these hard, and, where they do not give easily by wriggling them as
-well, the end of the handkerchief will be pulled out quite straight,
-as in <a href="#fig43">Fig. 43</a>. It will there be seen that the white handkerchief
-has been manipulated upon, and that the dark handkerchief is now
-really only tied <em>round it</em>. In some cases, the greatest difficulty
-arises through some malicious person tying an extremely hard knot. If
-the performer pulls too hard, he will, in all probability, rend the
-handkerchief without making things much better. In this case, he must
-endeavour, whilst borrowing another handkerchief, for the continuation
-of the trick, and under concealment of the same, to loosen the knot
-a little in the ordinary way, and then he can straighten the end
-openly later on, as though trying if all the knots were secure. It
-is not often that the amateur will, at the outset of his career,
-find much difficulty of this kind, for his audiences will not be of
-the antagonistic class. Suppose everything has gone favourably, the
-performer then takes another handkerchief, and has that tied on also,
-of course to a disengaged corner, and so goes on with four, five,
-or six, each knot being operated upon as soon as it is tied. If he
-notices that anyone is tying a reef knot, he should at once audibly
-remark upon it, as the public has a great idea that a reef knot is the
-most difficult to untie, whereas it is really the easiest of all. When
-anyone goes in for a multiplicity of twists, one end being wound round
-the other several times, let the performer rest easily in his shoes,
-for he has only to pull that end round which the other one is coiled,
-and five or six coils will make no difference; at the same time, he
-must appeal to the audience whether it is fair, &amp;c., for effect. When
-the required number of handkerchiefs have been tied together, and all
-the knots have been operated upon <em>secundum artem</em>,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> the performer
-retires to the stage, and, taking a chair or low table (the chair
-for preference), proceeds to place the handkerchiefs in a pile upon
-it after the following manner: Knot No. 1 is held between the tips
-of the finger and thumb in such a manner that the main body of the
-straight end lies along the palm of the hand. The loose portion of
-the handkerchief is then opened out by the left hand and covered over
-the knot, which is placed, at the same time, upon the chair; whilst,
-under cover of the handkerchief, the little finger of the right hand
-is drawn up by a contraction of the hand as closely to the knot as
-possible, and there grasps firmly the main body of the straight end.
-By straightening out the hand again, the end will be pulled right out,
-and the handkerchiefs parted. All this must be done quickly. If the
-end, as it often will, requires two pulls to draw it clear, it is best
-to lift up the handkerchief, and exhibit the knot again, to show there
-is "no deception," or on any other plea, before giving the second
-pull. Proceed after the same manner with all the knots, each one being
-covered with a separate handkerchief, taking great care that none of
-them slip off the chair during the operation, or it will be shown
-that the knots are already undone. The handkerchiefs should either be
-trailed on the floor or hung over the back of the chair, where they
-will not become confused or get under the performer's feet, and so
-receive an undesired tug. For the purpose of diverting the attention
-of the audience during this operation, the performer should make some
-jocular remark concerning each knot. He should say something about
-having at length come to the "knotty point," and then describe each
-knot, whether correctly or incorrectly will not much matter. One, he
-must say, is the reef knot, another the Gordian knot, and another a
-weaver's knot. The last made will generally be a true lover's knot,
-about which the performer may remark, before small audiences, that it
-was a <em>knotty</em> (naughty) person who tied it. The performer has only to
-wave his wand over the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> heap, or to blow upon it, and then lift off
-the handkerchiefs one by one. The beginner will do well to try only
-three knots as a commencement, and to have them tied by ladies, who,
-as before explained, are always the best to fly to in risky cases.
-Whilst the knots are being tied, hang the handkerchiefs already joined
-over one arm, where they will be out of the way of danger, and in the
-way of assisting the performer by concealing any covert proceedings
-on his part in untying obstinate knots. The knot depicted at <a href="#fig44">Fig. 44</a>
-I have christened the <em>bête noire</em> knot, and such the performer
-will find it whenever it is tied for him. If he does not put the
-ends of the handkerchiefs crossed into the hands of the person whom
-he requests to tie a knot, he will find the <em>bête noire</em> appear with
-marvellous rapidity. When it or any other difficult knot appears, the
-only thing to be done is to untie it covertly, and do it up again
-after the matter described in "<a href="#untie_knot_by_word">Drawing-room Magic</a>." This may seem
-a very cool direction to give, but is the only one appropriate to
-the occasion, and the performer must make the best of a bad job. I
-have often untied a knot whilst mounting the steps of the stage, and
-had everything done up again by the time I reached the chair. The
-performer must practise by tying for himself the most intricate knots
-imaginable; or, if he learns with a companion, let the two tie knots
-for each other. Silk handkerchiefs are, as a rule, the best; they
-slip easily and do not tear readily, which latter quality is not the
-lesser advantage:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> it makes one very uncomfortable to have to return
-a handkerchief with one end hanging by a thread. This trick is one
-of the few which it is impossible to purchase. Let every conjuror be
-careful in his performance of it, and only give it "by request," or on
-special occasions, for it is worth half a dozen apparatus tricks put
-together.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig44"></a>
-<img src="images/fig44.png" width="400" height="167" alt="Fig. 44" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 44.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>Although very good indeed, the following method, in which one
-handkerchief only is used, is not so effective as when several are
-employed. The performer takes a large handkerchief, and ties a single
-knot in it, near the centre. He does not pull this knot tight, but
-leaves a loop large enough to receive his hand, or, at least, several
-fingers. Holding this loop in one hand, and presenting the two ends,
-side by side, with the other, he has another knot tied upon the first
-one. Whilst passing to another person, one end is pulled out straight,
-of course whilst ostensibly tightening the knot, and another knot
-is then tied; the end before straightened is again pulled at, and
-another knot tied, and so on until the handkerchief is all knots.
-The performer takes a pull at the straight end to ensure its running
-easily, and also pulls it through as far as it will come without
-actually untying. He then covers the bunch of knots with the loose
-centre of the handkerchief, and gives the whole to be held in the
-hands of a spectator. As the trying of many knots will have caused
-the centre of the handkerchief to become tightened up, it will be
-necessary for the left hand to take some time in opening it nicely.
-The time thus gained is just sufficient to enable the right hand to
-work out the straight end through the many folds; the movement being
-naturally screened by the open portion of the handkerchief in the
-left hand. Ask the person to whom the bundle is given to hold, to
-feel that the knots are still there. He will feel the hardened folds,
-and will mistake them for the knots. Always borrow a handkerchief for
-this trick, or the audience will infallibly think that the knotted
-handkerchief is rapidly exchanged for another. If anyone starts tying
-a <em>bête noire</em>,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> you can stop him at once by saying that there will be
-no room for anyone else to tie a knot. This method is much easier than
-its forerunner, but, as before stated, it is not half so effective.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Decanted Handkerchief.</em>&mdash;The performer comes forward with an
-empty decanter, which is examined, and then completely covered with
-a cloth and given to a spectator to hold. The performer takes a
-second decanter, and places in it a handkerchief, also previously
-examined, and stands upon the stage. At the word of command, the
-handkerchief vanishes suddenly from the second decanter, which is
-not covered, and, on the cloth being removed from the first decanter
-by a spectator, the handkerchief is found inside. This pretty trick
-is thus performed: Procure two toilet water-bottles&mdash;by courtesy
-called decanters&mdash;with as wide necks as possible; also two silk
-handkerchiefs, precisely similar. Scarlet is a serviceable colour for
-the purpose; and the handkerchiefs should be of very fine material,
-in order that they may be rolled up into a very small space, and
-not more than 15 in. square&mdash;rather less, if anything. Behind the
-scenes the performer folds up one of the handkerchiefs small enough
-to be concealed under the fingers when they are holding the neck of
-the bottle. If three fingers are sufficient, so much the better; but
-even if four are used no uninitiated person would ever suspect that
-anything would be concealed in so audacious a manner, especially
-as not the least clue has been given by the performer as to what
-is to be subsequently performed. The bottle shown round, a cloth
-is produced and covered over it, the handkerchief concealed in the
-fingers being popped into the bottle during the process. As it should
-at once spread out, it is not advisable to "double" it up tightly in
-the act of folding, but rather to "bunch" it, as it will then spring
-open the more readily. The bottle should be completely wrapped up in
-the cloth, bottom and all, and the spectator into whose custody it
-is placed must be enjoined to place one hand on the top and another
-at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> bottom. The performer now proceeds with his other bottle and
-the visible handkerchief. Around his left wrist he has attached a
-thick eyeglass cord, which passes up the sleeve, round the back, and
-down the right-hand sleeve, where it has a short hook attached. In
-order that it may be readily found, this hook should be fixed in the
-inside of the coat cuff. The performer shows round the handkerchief,
-leaving the second bottle on the table, and, as he turns to fetch that
-article, the hook is got down and fixed firmly into the <em>centre</em> of
-the handkerchief. It is then pushed down the neck of the bottle by
-the performer, the pushing down being conducted in such a way as to
-suggest the extreme difficulty of getting the handkerchief into the
-bottle. The wand may here be used with effect to ram it down. Standing
-with his right side towards the audience, the performer holds out
-the bottle, and announces his intention of causing the handkerchief
-to fly from it into the one held by a spectator, the holder being
-enjoined to keep a good watch, &amp;c. At the word "three" (counting
-"one, two, three," slowly, always adds to the effect, by preparing
-for a climax), the performer thrusts out both hands to their fullest
-extent, when the handkerchief will fly out of the bottle up the right
-sleeve, its passage being shielded by the right hand, which must, of
-course, be disposed preliminarily so as to afford a free course to the
-handkerchief. If the performer, holding the bottle in the right hand,
-presented his left side to the company, many spectators might be able
-to see the handkerchief fly up the sleeve. With the right side towards
-them, they only see it disappear suddenly from the bottle. The length
-of the cord will require adjustment, and it should be as short as the
-conjuror can conveniently manage without cramping the movement of the
-arms. Some performers use a piece of stout elastic, which certainly
-has the property of causing a self-acting, rapid disappearance; but
-when once the hook is in the handkerchief, and the latter in the
-bottle, a constant hold must be kept on the elastic to prevent a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span>
-premature flight, which would at once destroy the trick. The spectator
-holding the bottle is asked to remove the cloth and examine the bottle
-as much as he pleases, and the performer then hands the second bottle
-for examination, which has not been done before. A trick so very easy
-of management, and yet so effective, should be a favourite one with
-amateurs.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig45"></a>
-<img src="images/fig45.png" width="300" height="212" alt="Fig. 45" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 45.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>The Melting Handkerchiefs.</em>&mdash;The performer comes forward with a
-soup-plate in one hand and two silk handkerchiefs in the other. The
-plate, after being shown empty, is placed upon the ground, inverted,
-whilst the performer takes the handkerchiefs in his hands, and
-commences to roll them up in them. He rubs his hands together, and, on
-opening them, the handkerchiefs are found to have melted completely
-away. The soup-plate is then raised by one of the company, and the
-handkerchiefs are found beneath.</p>
-
-<p>The soup-plate portion of the trick is thus easily managed: The
-performer has balled up under the fingers of the hand holding the
-plate duplicate handkerchiefs of those he holds openly in the other
-hand. They are of very fine silk, and so are easily concealed. As
-he boldly shows the inside of the plate, where the fingers are, the
-spectators never suspect the presence of the handkerchiefs, or of
-anything else. As the plate is laid carelessly upon the floor, it is
-drawn a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> inches towards the performer, the side that is towards
-the company scraping the ground. In this way the handkerchiefs are
-got underneath. The melting away of the handkerchiefs is accomplished
-with the aid of the plain-looking implement depicted at <a href="#fig45">Fig. 45</a>. It
-is constructed of wood, is hollow, and is blackened on the outside.
-Through the end is a hole, and through that is passed a piece of
-stout elastic, having a knot on the inside. On the side seam of the
-vest is sewn a ring, and the end of the elastic, after being passed
-through this, is brought round the back and left side, and fastened
-securely to a button in front. This great length is necessary for
-the facile performance of the trick. When at rest, the wooden holder
-rests against the ring on the vest. After the performer has finished
-placing the plate upon the floor, he retires to the stage, and stands
-sideways to the company. Supposing the holder to be on his right side,
-that side would be nearest the company. First of all, the sleeves are
-turned very far back, and then, under cover of the right forearm,
-the left hand seizes the holder, and, drawing it out of concealment,
-places it in the right hand, where the handkerchiefs are being held.
-The performer may get out the holder before this, if he pleases&mdash;the
-proper time for so doing being whenever a favourable opportunity
-presents itself&mdash;and keep it palmed in the right hand. The arm will
-always prevent the elastic being seen by the company. With his arms
-outstretched, and the hands together, the performer proceeds to gather
-in the handkerchiefs by slow degrees, the fingers of the left hand
-pushing them into the holder. When they are all pushed home, the hands
-are opened slightly, the left hand only being moved for this purpose,
-and the holder, thus released, flies back until stopped by the ring.
-The performer continues rubbing away the handkerchiefs, still supposed
-to be in his hand, and he must act as though they were being rolled
-into an ever-decreasing ball, the final kneading being done by the
-tips of the fingers of the right hand, working in the palm of the left
-hand. All that now<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> remains is to have the plate lifted. The trick may
-be prolonged and varied if the performer has a second holder on his
-left side containing handkerchiefs of other colours to those first
-used. By getting this holder out and rolling up the handkerchiefs from
-under the plate, the new handkerchiefs may be got out and the old
-ones substituted. Or the trick may be done the other way round, and
-the change executed first, the second handkerchiefs being found under
-the plate. There is no reason why this trick should not be even more
-elaborated, and further changes of handkerchiefs made. This may be
-done by means of a holder, some four inches in length, open at each
-end, and connected with the elastic by a metal fork-shaped piece,
-upon which it swivels by means of a pin passing through the centre.
-Each side can contain handkerchiefs of different colours, the pin
-through the centre preventing their becoming mixed with one another,
-and a variety of changes made, which will be intensely bewildering
-to the spectators, especially as the performer each time gives the
-handkerchief for examination, and shows his hands empty. The perfect
-simplicity and completeness of the method of vanishing permits of
-its being repeated any number of times, each successive change or
-disappearance causing fresh wonderment. Care must, however, be taken,
-in each instance, that the handkerchiefs are pressed well home in the
-holder, as an exposed portion might be seen as it flashed under the
-coat; whilst there is still greater danger of its subsequently working
-out and becoming slowly visible to the company. If the great length
-of elastic which I have recommended were not employed, the performer
-would not be able to stretch his arms out to their full extent in
-front of him; and it is highly essential for effect that the hands
-should be as far removed from the body as possible. The ingenuity of
-the performer will enable him to employ the holder in many tricks in
-which handkerchiefs take part.</p>
-
-<p><em>Le Gant de Paris.</em>&mdash;For this trick, which will bring the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> performer's
-utmost skill into play, the following articles will be required: An
-orange, a lemon, and a walnut, all embowelled. The walnut contains a
-small kid glove, the lemon contains the walnut, and the orange the
-lemon. Besides these, the performer has a whole orange, lemon, and
-walnut, which he can either bring forward, or, for preference, find in
-persons' hair or on their noses. He has, also, concealed separately
-under the vest, a tiny glove, not more than three inches in length,
-and another quite ten inches long. These will be best manufactured at
-home under personal supervision, and they should be well made. The
-three fruits, produced or discovered, are placed in various positions
-on the table, or tables, care being taken that the lemon is situated
-conveniently near a trap. Opportunity must be taken for exchanging the
-orange for the prepared one. There are many ways for doing this. One,
-which is as good as any, is to give the perfect orange to the stage
-attendant, telling him to place it upon the table, and then at once
-engage the audience with something else. In going towards the table,
-the attendant effects the exchange. Other methods, such as having the
-prepared orange on the shelf, and exchanging it with the other whilst
-calling attention to the lemon&mdash;carrying it in the breast pocket, and
-exchanging it when the back is turned to the audience&mdash;will readily
-suggest themselves. It is impossible to set down any hard-and-fast
-rule for such <em>minutiæ</em> as these. Sometimes the disposition of the
-stage, or of the audience, will necessitate the adoption of a method
-that would, under other circumstances, be impossible of introduction.
-The small glove is now brought down and kept concealed in the palm,
-and a kid glove, of the same colour as the one inside the prepared
-walnut shells, borrowed. Express your intention of making it pass
-inside the walnut, and observe that it is a little too large. Saying
-that you will make it a little smaller, proceed to rub it in the
-hand, and eventually exchange it for the tiny glove, which produce,
-and give to a gentleman to fit upon the hand.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> Of course, it will be
-too small, and you will inquire what size glove the gentleman wears.
-You affect to misunderstand him, and clap on ten sizes more. Thus,
-if eight and a half is said, you exclaim, "Eigh<em>teen</em> and a half!
-That's a very large size, sir. But perhaps you think I can't make one
-so big. I will show you." It is sure to be explained that eight and
-a half, and not eighteen and a half, was the size mentioned, but you
-affect not to hear the correction, and proceed to rub up the small
-glove, having previously got down the large one. Make a great fuss of
-stretching, and finally produce the large glove, allowing the small
-one to drop inside it. The original borrowed glove in the meantime
-vest, if you have not done so already. Now proceed to the table, and,
-rolling up the large glove, with the little one inside it, tightly,
-pass it down a trap, and affect to rub it away into the walnut. Take
-up the walnut and vanish it by sleight of hand, pretending to pass it
-into the lemon, which get rid of, along with the nut, down a trap, and
-finally cut open the orange. Take out the lemon and cut that open,
-and produce the walnut. Ask one of the audience, on that side of
-the auditorium which is opposite to where the owner of the borrowed
-glove is seated, to open the walnut, at the same time getting down
-the borrowed glove from the vest. Take the glove from the walnut in
-one hand, and, pretending to place it in the other, whilst advancing
-towards the person from whom it was borrowed, effect an exchange. This
-must be done with all possible neatness and skill, or, at the last
-moment, the trick will fail. Supposing that you take the glove from
-the walnut with the left hand, the right should contain the borrowed
-glove. The left hand then makes a rapid movement towards the right, as
-if placing the glove in it. The glove in the left hand is in reality
-concealed, and the one in the right hand revealed. Half an hour's
-practice will make a wonderful difference in the execution of this
-pass, which will often have to be used, sometimes in cases of great
-emergency. On cutting open prepared oranges, lemons,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> &amp;c., always be
-careful to throw the skins behind you, or elsewhere away from the view
-of the audience, who are not likely to be deeply impressed in favour
-of your skill after a close examination of the remains of the prepared
-articles. If the triple combination of orange, lemon, and walnut is
-at first too difficult, try the dual one of lemon and walnut only. It
-is still very effective, and there is far less to think about. If the
-performer is limited as to traps, the large glove can be fired at the
-walnut from the pistol tube. The variation is quite unimportant.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH COINS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>THE INVISIBLE FLIGHT: THE GLASS&mdash;THE BOXES&mdash;OTHER
-APPARATUS USED IN THE TRICK&mdash;THE BANKER&mdash;HOW TO COLLECT
-MONEY&mdash;THE MONEY TUBE&mdash;THE MULTIPLYING TRAY&mdash;HOLD THEM
-TIGHT! OR, SKILL VERSUS STRENGTH&mdash;THE MONEY CHANGER&mdash;HINTS
-UPON MANNER&mdash;THE CRYSTAL PLATEAU&mdash;THE MONEY-PRODUCING
-CANDLE&mdash;THE FLIGHT&mdash;COIN AND WORSTED BALL TRICK.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><a id="invisible_transit"></a><em>The Invisible Transit.</em>&mdash;This is a remarkably effective coin trick.
-Several coins are inclosed in a little box, which is stood in a
-position close to the audience. An empty tumbler is placed upon a
-chair or table far away on the stage, and the performer, abstracting
-the coins one by one from the box, "passes" them into the distant
-glass, into which they are heard to fall. On the glass being brought
-forward, the coins are poured from it, and the box into which they
-were put is found to be empty.</p>
-
-<p>The tumbler used should be coloured and opaque, or semi-opaque. Into
-it is fitted a zinc plate, depicted at <a href="#fig46">Fig. 46</a>. This plate is,
-it will be seen, divided into two unequal portions, which are then
-hinged together. B is an arm which, in the position shown in the
-sketch, prevents the flap C from opening; and E is a tiny pin fitted
-into C for the purpose of preventing the arm B going too far, and so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>
-becoming difficult to control. At D is a pin which, first connected
-with the arm B, runs through the plate, and then through the bottom
-of the tumbler. Underneath, it is provided with another arm (A,
-<a href="#fig47">Fig. 47</a>), the position of which should correspond with that of B.
-The pin D should be considerably larger than the holes (they should
-be round ones) in the glass and zinc plate, and those portions of it
-which are to pass through the said holes must be filed down to the
-necessary thinness. By this means two shoulders will be formed, which
-will prevent the plate from coming down too far, and thus keep a space
-clear between it and the bottom of the tumbler. This space should be
-about three-quarters of an inch in depth. The best method for fixing
-A to D is to have a tiny hole through the protruding end of the
-latter, through which a cross-pin can be passed. It will be seen that
-so long as the arm B is kept against the pin E, or anywhere near it,
-the flap C cannot possibly open, even though the tumbler be inverted.
-The shifting aside of the arm A will cause a simultaneous and equal
-movement on the part of B, and, when the glass is again inverted,
-whatever has been concealed in the space beneath C will fall out.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 236px;">
-<a id="fig46"></a>
-<img src="images/fig46.png" width="236" height="300" alt="Fig. 46" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 46.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 296px;">
-<a id="fig47"></a>
-<img src="images/fig47.png" width="296" height="300" alt="Fig. 47" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 47.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><a id="two_little_boxes"></a>The performer will also require two little boxes, resembling each
-other in every particular. If nothing else be at hand, then little
-fancy cardboard boxes may be used, but it is by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> far the best to have
-a couple turned out of some light wood. The turner should receive
-directions to turn them both out of the same length of wood, which
-should have some slight imperfection running through it, as this will
-cause each box to be naturally marked in a similar manner. Should
-one lid have a little knot in it and the other be without such a
-blemish, it can be faithfully imitated by making a hole in the wood
-and running a little shellac into it. The boxes should be turned as
-lightly as possible, consistent with strength, and should just admit a
-half-crown. The interior depth should be that of six half-crowns. One
-of these boxes the performer conceals under the vest band. The tumbler
-he loads with four or five half-crowns, placed in the space under C,
-and the arm B is turned into position against E. This glass is placed
-upon the table. In one outside trouser pocket is a half-crown.</p>
-
-<p>The preparations made, the performer advances with five other
-half-crowns and one of the little boxes, and gives the whole into
-the hands of a member of the audience, with the request to have the
-box examined and the coins placed in it. Whilst this is being done,
-the concealed box is got down from the vest into the left hand. The
-box, with the money in it, is taken by the right hand, and apparently
-put into the left. It is, however, palmed, and the empty box shown
-instead. The performer executes this movement as he is passing to
-another portion of the audience, to whom he will explain matters
-briefly. This passing about the room is highly essential in concealing
-many movements, and the conjuror's actions should be well mapped out
-beforehand, and not left to accident. As I am describing the trick,
-the money should be put in the box by someone on the conjuror's right.
-It then becomes natural for the performer to place the box in his left
-hand, in order to exhibit it to those on that side of the room. The
-learner will find, as he progresses, how highly important it is to pay
-attention to these apparently small, but by no means insignificant
-matters.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> The performer's motions should balance, as it were; and
-his great study should be to make actions that are absolutely
-indispensable to him appear to be perfectly natural, if not the only
-ones that could be suitable to the occasion.</p>
-
-<p>The empty box is then placed in the fingers of the right hand, in
-which the box containing the half-crowns is still concealed. The
-performer brings a chair close to the audience, and places upon it the
-empty box, first shaking the hand once or twice to show that the money
-is still inside. The coins rattling in the hidden box will appear to
-be in the one which is really empty. Care must be taken to keep the
-back of the hand towards the audience, and to allow it to hang down
-considerably, so as to do away with any possibility of an accidental
-exhibition of the palmed box.</p>
-
-<p>The performer now proceeds to his table, pocketing the box with coins
-as he does so in as noiseless a manner as possible. He then takes
-the tumbler in one hand, and, rattling it hard with his wand all the
-time, turns it upside down to show that it is empty. On turning it
-back again the rattling must be repeated. This rattling, the reader
-will readily comprehend, is for the purpose of covering the slight
-clinking of the coins that are confined within. It is a good plan to
-have a piece of baize or cloth on the bottom of the tumbler, inside.
-This will deaden the sound of the clinking when the tumbler is being
-replaced upon the table. The performer now returns to the little box,
-previously getting the half-crown from the pocket into his palm, and
-feigns to abstract one coin from it, the palmed coin being shown.
-This, with appropriate explanation, he "passes" into the tumbler,
-into which it is distinctly heard to fall. The whole of the coins
-are, one by one, abstracted from the box, and made to pass into the
-tumbler. The methods of extracting them should be varied. One can
-be taken out by means of the wand, another caught in mid-air, the
-next be found at the tip of someone's nose, and the next in somebody
-else's hair, whilst the last will probably be found attached either
-to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> performer's elbow or to the sole of his boot. This variety of
-movement keeps the audience amused, and, consequently, distracts their
-attention, which might, perhaps, be employed in watching other matters
-somewhat too narrowly. The same system of variation should be observed
-in "passing" the coins, three or four different passes being brought
-into use. The last "pass" may be effectively made with the reverse
-palm, by the method described on <a href="#Page_8">page 8</a> for throwing the coin away.
-The palm can then be shown perfectly empty, the coin being recovered
-as the performer proceeds towards the glass.</p>
-
-<p>The mystery of the coins being heard to fall into the tumbler has
-yet to be explained. The explanation is, that the conjuror's stage
-assistant is concealed behind the scenes, in a position as proximate
-to the tumbler as possible, with another glass and some coins. The
-performer and assistant must have an understanding between them, and
-when the assistant hears the word given he drops one coin into the
-glass, allowing a short time for the supposed journey. The word "pass"
-is the one commonly used, and is the best, for the conjuror is using
-it all through the performance, and it does not, therefore, excite any
-particular attention. It is as well to vary the speed with which the
-coins travel. The first two should occupy from a second and a half to
-two seconds in travelling from hand to tumbler. The next the conjuror
-should say will take a little longer, it being a very old coin and,
-consequently, weak. Five seconds will be quite long enough for this,
-and the next can be despatched with the command, "Presto, pass!" This
-should arrive at its destination in half-a-second. If no arrangement
-on this head has been made beforehand, the performer must take care
-to speak loudly and distinctly. This co-operation of performer and
-assistant has already been explained in connection with
-<a href="#shower_of_gold"><em>The Shower of Gold</em></a>.</p>
-
-<p>Sometimes, with the view, I imagine, of making the trick appear still
-more difficult, the tumbler is covered with a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> borrowed handkerchief,
-pocketbook, programme, &amp;c. When this is done, the assistant must cover
-his glass with a handkerchief, and so cause the sound of the falling
-coins to be muffled. I have seen an assistant commit an absurd error
-of using only one coin. The sound caused by one coin falling upon
-others in a glass is very different to that of a coin falling into an
-empty glass.</p>
-
-<p>The use of the two little boxes in this trick is an idea of my own.
-Other conjurors invariably use a box with a hinged lid, which has
-a horizontal plate on a level with its upper rim. This plate has
-four slits in it, and into each slit is placed a half-crown. By an
-exceedingly ingenious mechanical arrangement, a coin is made to drop
-into the body of the box each time the lid is shut down. The performer
-affects to abstract one in the manner just described. The chief
-objection to this box is its great expense; otherwise, it is a very
-good piece of apparatus.</p>
-
-<p>Another piece of apparatus that is also frequently used in conjunction
-with the trick is what is called the Half-crown Wand. This is a hollow
-tin wand, with a sliding piston inside it. One end is divided into
-two parts, which are hinged. A half-crown, that has been cut into
-three portions, is concealed in this opening top, and by means of a
-complexity of hair springs, and the action of the piston, moved by
-the thumb from the outside, the three fragments are pushed out, and,
-ranging themselves side by side, cause the appearance of a half-crown
-on the end of a wand. All I can say about this piece of apparatus is,
-that it is a pity the inventor's ingenuity was not directed towards
-making something else. I believe, though, that the article sells well,
-as it does away with the last piece of sleight of hand left in the
-trick, and so gives lazy people and duffers a chance.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Banker.</em>&mdash;In "<a href="#Part_I">Drawing-room Magic</a>," a method for collecting
-coins from the air, &amp;c., and passing them into a hat through the
-crown, was explained. Before larger<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> audiences, the trick is capable
-of being much more elaborated. Going down amongst the audience, the
-performer collects quantities of coins from the heads and persons of
-the audience. There are various methods of executing this. One is
-to keep a coin palmed, and then produce it from the hair, whiskers,
-beards, sleeves, elbows, &amp;c., of different spectators, a motion of
-throwing it into the hat being made each time it is produced, and
-the hat shaken, to cause the resemblance of a coin falling into it.
-Another method, which I hardly like as well, although successfully
-adopted by some good performers, is to dip the hand into the hat, and
-gather some coins quickly in it. These coins are kept in the palm of
-the hand, and concealed by the two outside fingers, and the thumb
-pushes one forward as it is required for production. The coins, in
-this instance, are actually tossed in the air and caught in the hat,
-which is of itself a great advantage, but the chances of detection are
-considerable. Nevertheless, the effect is very fine when the conjuror
-moves rapidly about, picking coins indiscriminately from everyone
-around. It is possible to hold a great number of large coins in the
-hand without detection ensuing. The third method is somewhat similar.
-The coins are gathered in the hand from the hat, but, instead of being
-reproduced singly, they are all swept from the head of a spectator
-into the hat. Coins invariably drop on the floor when the latter
-method is adopted, and the conjuror is enabled to take a fresh dip
-into the hat unperceived, whilst busying himself about the recovery
-of his property. What I recommend is a happy mixture of all three
-methods. Whichever is adopted, the performer must be exceedingly rapid
-in his movements, never stopping in one place, and accompanying his
-movements with a running commentary, such as, "Ah, one more on your
-nose, sir. Thank you, sir, just a few in your hair. Madam, a little
-one hiding itself under your bow, and, I declare, another in your
-fan." A lady's muff, when handy, can be well employed. It should
-be taken in the hand containing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> the coins, which are allowed to
-run through into the hat. A good variation, too, is to snatch a hat
-from a person's head or elsewhere, and dropping a few coins into it,
-immediately toss them about, and then pour them into your own hat. The
-larger the audience, the better this money collecting will succeed. It
-is a great feature in a performance, and always takes well.</p>
-
-<p>A little piece of apparatus which, although I never use it myself,
-many find very useful for the magical production of coins, is what is
-known as the "money tube." This is a long flat tube of tin, japanned
-on the outside. It is just wide and deep enough to admit of the coins
-in use passing easily through it, and no more. At one end, on the
-outside, it is furnished with a broad flat hook, for the purpose of
-suspending the tube from a buttonhole or slit in the interior of the
-performer's vest or coat. The bottom end is furnished with a lever
-arrangement on the outside, which for half-crowns would be thus
-constructed: In length it would just exceed the width of a half-crown,
-and each end be furnished with a peg about a quarter of an inch long.
-In the centre is drilled a hole, and on the tube is a bifurcated
-projection, also with a hole through it. The lever is placed in its
-position, and a pin passed through it and the projection. A joint will
-thus be formed very similar in appearance to the centre joint of an
-umbrella rib. In the tube (exactly underneath the pegs, which must be
-towards the tube) pierce two holes, and under the upper half of the
-lever fix a small piece of spring, tolerably strong. The apparatus
-is then complete. The spring causes the upper half of the lever to
-rise, and, as a natural consequence, the lower half to be depressed.
-The lower peg thus prevents anything that may be in the tube from
-passing out at the end. So soon, however, as any pressure is put upon
-the upper half of the lever the lower peg rises and allows the coin
-to escape. The upper peg, descending at the same time, prevents the
-escape of any other coins that may be in the tube. The method for
-using<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> the tube is to fix it securely under the vest or coat flap,
-with the bottom end all but exposed. When the performer requires a
-coin, all he has to do is to curl his fingers under the mouth of the
-tube, and press the upper portion of the lever, when a coin will
-fall into his hand. As the operation is invariably accompanied by
-a slight clattering, however careful the performer may be, the hat
-should always be shaken for the purpose of smothering the sound made
-by the tube. A small band of elastic on the coat or vest will serve
-to keep the tube steady. The lever lies transversely across the tube,
-and not straight along it. This enables the little pegs to pass into
-the triangular spaces left between two coins, the edges of which are
-touching. It is not advisable to produce many coins in a short space
-of time by this method, as the frequent repetition of the movement of
-the hand might easily be noticed.</p>
-
-<p>An effective continuation is to apparently cause the coins to pass
-through the crown the reverse way, <em>i.e.</em>, from the inside to the
-outside. For this purpose, the performer must retire well up the
-stage, concealing, as he does so, several coins in the palm of the
-hand, one being shown at the ends of the fingers. The hat is held
-out, crown downwards, in the other hand, and the coin in the fingers
-then tossed high in the air. Whilst it is descending the thumb gets
-another coin in readiness, and as the coin in the air falls into the
-hat the one brought from concealment is put against the crown and
-instantly pulled sharply away from it. The effect is as if the coin
-thrown in the air had passed through the crown of the hat, and was
-caught by the performer as it came through. Considerable practice must
-be undertaken, as it is indispensable that the fall of the descending
-coin into the hat and the production of the fresh one at the crown
-be precisely simultaneous, otherwise the effect will be weakened,
-if not altogether spoilt. The hat must contain some coins at the
-commencement, otherwise the accumulation of those thrown into the air
-and subsequently caught in the hat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> would, of course, be noticed. The
-effect is improved if the crown of the hat be turned slightly towards
-the audience at the moment when the coin is supposed to come through
-it. As the eyes of the spectators always follow the coin in the air,
-the slight motion of the thumb in getting a fresh coin in readiness is
-never perceived. Large coins tell best, and about six should be used.</p>
-
-<p>When the performer has sufficiently amused the audience in this way,
-he can proceed with the trick under notice. For it he will require&mdash;at
-least, he will find it advisable to have&mdash;an oval tray of japanned
-tin. To all appearances, the tray is only an ordinary one, but it has
-a double bottom, the space between the two bottoms being a little more
-than the thickness of a half-crown, or whatever coin the performer
-may be in the habit of using. The rims of the two bottoms are joined
-all round, with the exception of a portion at one end, which is left
-open to the extent of a little more than the width of the coin in use.
-Two strips of tin, soldered firmly in their places, extend from each
-side of this opening, in parallel lines, to the other end of the tray,
-and so form a passage between the two bottoms capable of receiving a
-quantity of coins, ranging in number according to the length of the
-tray or the will of the performer. When the tray is tilted to any
-extent, the open end being the one that is depressed, the coins will
-naturally slide out one after the other. If the space between the
-double bottoms is too deep, the rearmost coins will overlap those in
-front, and so cause an obstruction. The tray is loaded with (say)
-five coins, and so brought on. Fifteen (a few more or less will not
-matter) coins are then taken from the hat, and placed upon the tray,
-which is then put into the hands of a spectator, who must be enjoined
-to rise for the purpose, and to keep very steady, so as not to upset
-the coins. A boy's cap is then borrowed, and put into the hands of
-another spectator, who is placed in a position close to and facing the
-holder of the plate. In the absence of a cap, a handkerchief, held in
-the form of a bag,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> will answer as well, if care be taken to arrange
-it so that none of the coins can escape and fall to the ground. The
-performer retires to the stage, and explains that, when he counts
-"three," the holder of the tray is to pour, as rapidly as he can, the
-fifteen coins into the cap, the holder of which is directed to close
-the cap immediately this is done. As the performer has taken care to
-place the tray in the assistant's hands, with the opening from him,
-it follows that, when the fifteen coins are poured from the surface
-into the cap, the five from the concealed receptacle will accompany
-them. A very distinct mark should be made upon the tray so that the
-performer can readily distinguish one end from the other. When the
-cap is closed, the performer counts five more coins into his hand,
-and "passes" them into the cap, the holder of which is then requested
-to count out the coins upon the plate, to show that the number has
-been increased by five. All counting of coins should take place both
-before and afterwards, or the audience may fail to perceive what
-has been done. The trays sold at conjuring repositories are nearly
-always round; this is a bad shape, as there is nothing to induce the
-holder of the tray to tilt it as the performer desires. When it is
-oval, it is only natural to pour the coins off the narrow end. It is
-also impossible to notice from any distance if a round tray has been
-shifted, accidentally or otherwise. A couple of inches difference will
-cause the trick to fail, for the coins will not pour out; and some
-people who are in the secret are malicious enough to be capable of
-wilfully turning the tray round for the purpose of spoiling the trick.
-The name of "The Banker" is given to the trick, because the performer
-supposes the holder of the cap to be the banker, and he then shows how
-he pays in his money. The great effect of the trick is derived from
-the fact that the performer never approaches the custodians of the
-money after once giving it into their hands.</p>
-
-<p><a id="hold_them_tight"></a><em>Hold them Tight!</em>&mdash;The
-performer takes a few coins&mdash;four half-crowns
-or florins will be found the most suitable&mdash;and
-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>
-also a strong white cotton handkerchief. He then asks the assistance of one of
-the spectators, stating his predilection for a very strong man. The
-more burly the volunteer, the better he will suit the conjuror's
-purpose. Seat him on a chair a little on one side, and facing the
-audience. Place the coins in the centre of the handkerchief, which
-then invert, and grasp the coins through it from the outside. This
-is done openly and deliberately, and the assistant is requested to
-hold the handkerchief firmly between the two hands a few inches
-below the coins. He is then asked if he thinks it possible for the
-performer to pull the coins through the handkerchief without making
-a hole, or to get them out without interfering with the assistant's
-hand. The answer will invariably be a negative one, and the performer
-then says, "Very good; that is your opinion. I will now see what the
-audience think about it." With this, the performer steps forward with
-the coins and the handkerchief, and explains to the audience that it
-is a trial of Strength <em>versus</em> Skill between the strong man on the
-stage and himself. He then requests someone to place the coins in
-the handkerchief, so that there shall be fair play, the handkerchief
-being spread over the performer's left hand for the purpose. When the
-coins are placed in the handkerchief, they should be grasped through
-it by the thumb and first and second fingers. The performer then turns
-suddenly to the person on the stage, and says, "I trust you are not
-nervous, sir; you look very pale." This will cause everyone to look
-at once at the person addressed, who will, if under the glare of
-footlights or other strong gas, infallibly bear a pale appearance.
-But whether he looks pale or not will not matter, the diversion being
-made for the purpose of distracting the attention of the audience
-from the performer for a moment or two. Whilst all eyes are directed
-towards the assistant, the performer turns the coins over twice in the
-handkerchief, a fold of which is taken at each turn, and the coins
-thus enveloped. The coins are then grasped in the right hand,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> and a
-good shake given to the handkerchief for the purpose of straightening
-it as much as possible. The result of this man&#339;uvre is that the
-coins are simply hidden in a couple of folds on the <em>outside</em> of the
-handkerchief, the supposition indulged in by the audience being that
-they are <em>inside</em>, and that the handkerchief has been merely inverted
-as before. This folding and turning is not easy to accomplish quickly
-and neatly. The coins must be held firmly, and the fingers then turn
-them over inwards, the thumb being raised to allow them to be pushed
-well under it. Before the fingers are removed, the thumb descends
-and nips securely that portion of the handkerchief pushed over with
-the coins by the fingers, and retains it whilst the second turn is
-being made, the same process being repeated. With the fold well made,
-the performer may venture to allow that portion of the handkerchief
-containing the coins to hang downwards, and even give a slight jerk to
-cause the coins to jingle. This will totally disarm suspicion. It is
-much easier to hold the handkerchief, with the coins, in one hand and
-make the folds with the other, but the proceeding is unbusinesslike
-and provocative of suspicion.</p>
-
-<p>The handkerchief is then put into the hands of the seated assistant,
-as before, the performer holding that portion containing the coins.
-A tremendous mock struggle ensues, the performer allowing himself to
-be pulled nearly over once or twice, which will cause him to remark
-that he has made a mistake this time, and has met with someone a
-little too strong for him. All the time he is working a finger into
-the folds, which he quietly undoes, and, under cover of the left
-hand, gets the coins out into the right. With this hand he takes his
-wand, which is held under the armpit during the trick, and continues
-pulling with the left. After a while, he says that it is no use, and,
-relinquishing his hold, asks to have his money given back to him. Of
-course, the assistant knows nothing about it; but the performer points
-out the fact that there is no hole in the handkerchief,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> consequently
-<em>he</em> cannot have the coins. Under the plea of finding out where they
-are concealed, the performer taps with his wand on various portions
-of the assistant's person. When he reaches either the elbow or the
-knee, he allows the coins in the hand to rattle against the wand at
-each tap, and it will appear to the audience that they are concealed
-up the assistant's arm or leg. Grasping the sleeve or trouser, the
-performer turns it up a little, and rattles the coins out on the
-floor. If found in the trouser, the assistant should be asked to place
-his foot upon a chair. It is very easy to jerk the coins a few inches
-up the sleeve or trouser leg as it is being turned up; they will then
-fall out naturally. The reason I give directions for using a strong
-pocket handkerchief is because the continued pulling will sometimes
-cause a sharp-edged coin to cut through. I never use any but my own
-handkerchief, for this reason.</p>
-
-<p>There is another method of folding the coins in the handkerchief,
-which surpasses the one above described for neatness, and it may be
-executed in full view of the audience, with their eyes specially
-directed upon the performer's hands, instead of momentarily diverted.
-The coins, in this instance, are taken between the finger and thumb
-of the left hand, and held perpendicularly. With the right hand, the
-handkerchief is thrown over them. This the performer does close to his
-temporary assistant upon the chair; upon which he says, "That is all
-very well: you know that the coins are safe inside the handkerchief;
-but I must also convince the rest of the company." Suiting the action
-to the word, the performer advances a few paces, performing, as he
-does so, the following man&#339;uvre: With the right hand inverted,
-<em>i.e.</em>, the palm turned upwards, the coins are seized between the
-first and middle fingers. Simultaneously the left hand is shifted a
-couple of inches backwards, and the right hand, turning over in that
-direction, places the coins once more between the left finger and
-thumb, but this time there are two thicknesses of the handkerchief
-intervening. That half of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> handkerchief which is hanging on the
-side nearest to the company is now raised by the right hand, when
-the coins will be exposed to view. The act of shifting the left hand
-back a couple of inches has caused the fingers of the left hand to be
-covered by a false fold of those dimensions. The company, therefore,
-cannot see the said fingers, the performer making doubly sure by
-holding his hand as low as possible, without exciting suspicion. Now,
-after having shown the coins, if the performer merely turned back the
-half he had lifted, no particular result would be arrived at; but the
-learner, who is, of course, following me with coin and handkerchief in
-hand, will at once see that, if that half of the handkerchief which
-is hanging on the side nearer the performer be turned over along with
-the one that has been raised to show the coins, in the direction of
-the company, the result achieved is that the coins are on the outside
-of the handkerchief, but enveloped in the 2in. fold. This turning
-back of two halves, instead of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> one, being the vital part of the
-whole thing, must be done with great carelessness. Indeed, the action
-of turning the rear half over with the right hand is a mistake: all
-that is necessary is to drop the left hand with a good shake, when
-both halves will fall on the same side, as naturally as possible.
-These little things require a good deal of explanation, but it is a
-really very simple man&#339;uvre, which I divide into four distinct
-movements, viz.: First movement&mdash;placing the coins under handkerchief,
-in left hand; second movement&mdash;turning over coins with right hand,
-and seizing again with left thumb and finger (see <a href="#fig48">Fig. 48</a>); third
-movement&mdash;dropping left hand and raising front half of handkerchief
-with right hand; fourth movement&mdash;releasing handkerchief with right
-hand and shaking two halves over with left. When the fourth movement
-has been completed, the right hand should seize the handkerchief
-just below the coins, which can then be struck upon the left palm,
-carelessly, but hard, so as to indirectly convey the idea of their
-being contained in a bag, made by the handkerchief. There need be
-no fear of the fold becoming loose if the handkerchief be gripped
-firmly; and the boldness of the act will disarm suspicion. The very
-security of this fold renders it more difficult to work the coins
-out when the "trial of strength" comes on, and the assistant must be
-made to hold the handkerchief some distance away from the coins, so
-that the performer's hands have plenty of space to work in. Whilst
-the assistant is thus holding the handkerchief, it is a good plan to
-allow that part in which the coins are folded to hang down&mdash;whilst the
-sleeves are being turned back, for instance. This will keep up the
-impression of their being enclosed in a bag.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig48"></a>
-<img src="images/fig48.png" width="400" height="414" alt="Fig. 48" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 48.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>The Money Changer.</em>&mdash;This trick is accomplished by means of the first
-deceptive fold described in <a href="#hold_them_tight"><em>Hold them Tight!</em></a> Its simple nature may
-cause it to appear easy of execution; but let not the learner foster
-this delusive idea, for the slightest bungle will spoil the trick,
-which depends entirely upon sleight of hand.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>In the left hand the performer has three pennies concealed. Three
-half-crowns and three pennies, all marked by various members of the
-audience, are then borrowed. The three half-crowns are first collected
-in the right hand, and given into the custody of one of the audience.
-The pennies are next collected, in the right hand also, and then the
-performer begs the further loan of a couple of handkerchiefs. Just
-as he is stepping forward to take the proffered articles, he says
-to one of the audience, "Would you kindly hold these pennies for an
-instant?" and, making a "pass" (<a href="#fig11">Fig. 11</a>) towards the left hand,
-exhibits and hands the coins therein concealed. The idea conveyed by
-the performer is that, the coins being in his way whilst borrowing
-the handkerchiefs, he wants to be rid of them for a short space of
-time. This covers the action of the pass, which might otherwise appear
-suspicious, as being unnecessary and meaningless. Take the first
-handkerchief in the right hand, and let the second hang over the
-left shoulder. Now go at once to the holder of the half-crowns, and,
-taking them from him, place them in the centre of the handkerchief,
-previously spread over the right hand, which contains the marked
-pennies. Turn briskly to another member of the audience, executing as
-you do so a single turn only of the coins in the handkerchief with the
-fingers of the right hand, the coins that are in the hand itself going
-over as well. Take that portion of the handkerchief which contains
-the coins in the left hand, grasping the whole securely. Remove the
-right hand from underneath, and with it grasp the handkerchief some
-four or five inches from the coins, and then reverse the positions of
-the hands, handkerchief and all, the right being above and the left
-below. The pennies which were recently in the right hand will now be
-in a bag, as it were, formed by the handkerchief. The half-crowns are
-still on the outside, hidden by one fold of the handkerchief, and held
-by the fingers of the left hand. Request the person to whom you have
-advanced to stand up, and inform him that you wish his right hand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> to
-take the place of yours, and that he is on no account to relax a firm
-hold for an instant, or to allow any coins either to enter or escape.
-As you say this, dance the coins two or three times up and down in
-the left hand, which hollow as much as possible, and the half-crowns
-will fall into it. Their clinking will not signify in the least, as
-it will be attributed to the coins in the handkerchief. Then give the
-handkerchief into the custody of the person selected, the left hand
-simultaneously finding its way to the handkerchief hanging from the
-left shoulder, which it takes. The same man&#339;uvre is then repeated,
-the handkerchief being spread over the left hand with the half-crowns
-in it, and the right eventually securing the substituted pennies. All
-that remains to be done is to command the coins in the handkerchiefs
-to change places, which feat is apparently accomplished. The great
-peril of the trick lies in the necessity of repeating the action of
-folding. To avoid detection, the performer must be always on the move,
-and endeavour by gesture and speech to continually direct the general
-attention of the audience to the persons whom he is addressing. The
-most dangerous person is he from whom the coins are taken before being
-put into the handkerchief. The best method for disarming him is to be
-very profuse with thanks for his kindness. By the time you have done
-thanking him, your object has been accomplished. It is strange what a
-trivial thing is required for the purpose of distracting the attention
-of the audience, whether collectively or individually, if the
-performer can only assume an appropriate expression of countenance.
-On the other hand, the least appearance of anything approaching to
-bewilderment only tends to make the audience doubly sharp. "Hallo!"
-they will think, "he is in a fix," and forthwith the minutest action
-is devoured.</p>
-
-<p>In this trick, the effect of manner will make itself manifest in a
-marked degree. It is evident that, if anyone in the audience fix his
-eyes intently upon the performer's hands<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> from the commencement of
-the trick to the finish, never removing his gaze for an instant, he
-is bound to notice the turns that are made. Now, it is impossible for
-a conjuror even to keep his eye upon every member of his audience
-for the purpose of noticing who is and who is not watching him. The
-utmost he can do is to make such diversions as are best calculated to
-accomplish his ends in a general way. If anyone in the audience be
-particularly sharp, and will not be taken in, it cannot be helped.</p>
-
-<p>I make these remarks in this place because a good opportunity presents
-itself: they are of universal application. It is only another sermon
-on the old text, misdirection.</p>
-
-<p>It is as well to borrow either very thick handkerchiefs or else
-coloured ones for this trick. Thin white handkerchiefs will reveal
-the nature of the coins contained in them under certain conditions of
-light. The person who temporarily holds the substituted pennies should
-be enjoined to close his hand. This is to prevent him from whiling
-away the time by seeking for the marks. A person might do this merely
-out of curiosity, and without any malice whatever. When practising,
-it is best to commence with a single coin of each sort, then two, and
-finally three. Four coins would only make the trick more difficult,
-without increasing the effect. With one coin only, the trick is
-very poor; besides, it naturally appears to the audience to be more
-difficult for the performer to transmit a number of coins from one
-spot to another than to perform a like feat with a single coin.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Crystal Plateau.</em>&mdash;This is a very pretty, but almost unknown
-trick. Hanging by a couple of cords at the back of the stage is an
-oblong plateau, composed simply of a frame and a piece of glass.
-The performer borrows three marked florins or half-crowns, which he
-can either hold in his hand, or place in the little box described
-in <a href="#invisible_transit"><em>The Invisible Transit</em></a>. He calls attention to the plateau,
-the transparent nature of which seems to render any examination
-unnecessary, and announces that, not only will he cause the coins to
-invisibly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> leave his hand (or the box), but they shall do so one at a
-time, and affix themselves to the glass of the plateau. This is done,
-the coins appearing one after another upon the face of the plateau,
-from which the performer removes them, and hands them back to their
-owners.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;">
-<a id="fig49"></a>
-<img src="images/fig49.png" width="400" height="319" alt="Fig. 49" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 49.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>This fine effect is thus managed: The plateau (<a href="#fig49">Fig. 49</a>) is composed
-of two pieces of glass, one behind the other. The front piece is
-fixed firmly into the frame, but that in the rear is only loosely
-fastened. An indiarubber band, passing across the lower portion of the
-latter, keeps the two glasses close together at their lower edges,
-but at the top they are kept apart to the extent of about twice the
-thickness of a half-crown. From the upper part of the frame three
-spaces are cut out, wide enough to admit a coin, and deep enough
-to cause a coin dropped in from that point to fall between the two
-glasses. To keep the coins temporarily suspended, three holes are
-drilled through the rear glass, just below the places for the coins,
-and little pegs inserted therein. To each of these pegs is attached
-a thread, held in the hand of the assistant behind the scenes. The
-latter should be immediately<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> in rear of the plateau, in order that
-he may get a straight pull. When the performer cries "Pass," one
-peg is pulled out, and the coin it supported falls between the two
-glasses. As these approach each other by degrees, the falling coin
-sticks fast about mid-way, appearing to the company&mdash;and, for that
-matter, to the performer, too, so perfect is the deception&mdash;to be
-stuck on the surface of the front glass, supposed by the company to be
-the only one. When all three coins have thus made their appearance,
-the performer proceeds to the plateau, and, placing a hat beneath it
-with one hand, opens the rear glass slightly out from the front one,
-the coins thus falling out. The marked coins have, of course, never
-left the performer's hand, three of his own having been placed in the
-little box, if that was used; and it is very easy for him to palm
-these in the hat, and produce the marked ones, as though taken from
-it. To pass them, one by one, from the hands, they must be held in
-the left hand, and palmed singly with the right. If the performer is
-skilful enough to palm them one over the other, so much the better,
-otherwise the palmed coin must be got rid of in the little trouser
-pocket each time, whilst the contents of the left hand are being
-exhibited.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Money-producing Candle.</em>&mdash;The performer commences by stating
-that the next trick will be performed with a quantity of shillings.
-He will want so many that the company can scarcely be able to supply
-them, so he will not put them to any trouble, especially as he has
-perfected a new invention by means of which money can be manufactured
-out of candles. He either borrows a hat, or takes a plate, which
-should be given for examination, and then approaches a candle, which
-has been burning for some time on the table. Turning up his sleeves,
-and indirectly showing both palms to be empty, he places his thumb on
-one side of the candle and the fingers on the other, near the bottom,
-and draws the hand upwards, as though squeezing the candle. Two or
-three quick movements are made, and then<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> a shilling appears in the
-performer's fingers as though it had been taken out of the very flame.
-The coin is placed in the plate, or hat, and, after the palm has again
-been shown empty, a second shilling is squeezed out of the candle,
-<em>viâ</em> the flame. This is repeated a great number of times, a quantity
-of shillings being produced, with which a trick should be subsequently
-performed, the candle experiment, in itself, being of insufficient
-length.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 74px;">
-<a id="fig50"></a>
-<img src="images/fig50.png" width="74" height="500" alt="Fig. 50" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 50.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The secret lies in the candle. This is a brass cylinder, covered with
-white paper (<a href="#fig50">Fig. 50</a>), a piece of candle being introduced into
-the top, and lighted. This introduction must be neatly done, and
-some wax from the candle scraped over the junction, so as to hide
-it. Inside the cylinder is a spiral spring arrangement, precisely
-similar to the cylindrical<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> sovereign-holders sold, from which one
-coin at a time is extracted by a simultaneous pressing and drawing
-action. Such a holder, placed inside the imitation candle, with the
-opening downwards, would be the very thing (for sovereigns), provided
-an opening were made just below it sufficiently large to permit the
-insertion of a finger with which to withdraw the coin. The spiral
-spring continually presses the coins from above, keeping the lowest
-one always at the opening, it being prevented from falling by a narrow
-projecting rim inside, which leaves a large portion of the central
-space of the coin free to be acted upon by the inserted finger. The
-side of the candle upon which the opening is situated is, I need not
-say, turned away from the spectators, and, as the performer slides his
-hand slowly upwards, a finger brings away a coin&mdash;the movement being,
-of course, continued evenly, and no stoppage made at this particular
-moment. With a little practice, the coin can be extracted with
-wonderful facility. Before commencing, the performer should show that
-there is no preparation about the candlestick, by turning it upside
-down, and banging it upon the table. The candle is grasped by the
-hand, for the purpose of removal, over the spot where the opening is,
-and it may then be shown on all sides; but I do not advise that the
-performer should draw attention to the candle. No hint of a prepared
-candle should be given the spectators, who are not at all likely to
-think of such a thing unless it is suggested to them, particularly
-if the performer advances boldly, candle in one hand and candlestick
-in the other, and exhibits them. It will be found that an imitation
-candle to take shillings will have to be a fairly large one, so the
-conjuror must use his judgment, and have one for sixpences only,
-if his exhibition of an abnormally large candle be likely to draw
-suspicion towards it. For large stage performances a candle capable
-of taking florins might be used. The candle can be profitably used
-incidentally to vary the collection of money in the air
-(see<a href="#Page_14"> page 14</a>, &amp;c.), a coin being now and again placed visibly into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> the hat,
-instead of "passed" magically through the crown, and a fresh one
-obtained from the candle, just as would be done from the money tube
-(see<a href="#Page_239"> page 239</a>).</p>
-
-<p><em>The Flight.</em>&mdash;This is a method for causing five coins to disappear.
-It is a very useful interlude when the performer is hard up for
-something to do, and when it is desirable to lengthen out the
-entertainment.</p>
-
-<p>Take five well-worn half-crowns (your own or borrowed; marked or not),
-stand sideways to the audience, right side to the front, and extend
-the left hand, palm upwards. Hollowing the hand slightly, place one
-coin upon the tip of each finger. Place the right hand upon the left,
-the corresponding fingers of each hand meeting at the tips, so that
-the coins are held firmly between them. Give the hands a half turn, so
-that the back of the right hand is towards the audience, and hold them
-in this position for a few moments, the eyes being directed upwards,
-as though the remainder of the trick were to be in connection with the
-ceiling. Give the hands two upward and downward sweeps, increasing in
-vehemence, and at the third bring the points of the fingers together.
-This will cause the coins to lap one over the other in tolerably good
-order, when they must be pushed firmly between the root and first
-joint of the right thumb, breadthwise (see <a href="#fig5">Fig. 5</a>). The action must
-be executed as the hands descend for the third time, and with such
-speed that the coins must be secure in position when the hands are
-brought up again, when they will affect to toss the coins hard up at
-the ceiling. This takes some little doing, as there must not be the
-slightest pause in the upward and downward swing. The coins can be
-reproduced from the person of the performer or from the audience, or
-they need not be reproduced at all.</p>
-
-<p>The feat is capable of being introduced into tricks where five coins
-are made to disappear. Unless each finger has an occupant, it does not
-look complete, so it is not advisable to introduce the variation where
-four coins, or fewer, are employed.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>Coin and Worsted Ball Trick.</em>&mdash;A very good trick indeed is performed
-with a ball of worsted and a coin. Have a flat metal tube broad enough
-to admit with ease the coin intended to be used, and wind round
-one end of it a quantity of worsted, so as to form a large ball,
-completely closing up one aperture, the other end being left open and
-protruding half an inch or so. Place this in a pocket or a bag, or
-behind a screen. You must have a duplicate coin palmed, which change
-with the borrowed one, and give to be held in a handkerchief. The coin
-would, of course, be marked. When the worsted ball is in a bag, or
-behind a screen, the coin must be dropped down the tube, which is then
-withdrawn, and the ball compressed in the hand so as to obliterate
-all traces of an opening. It is, however, a much neater way to have
-the ball and tube in the pocket (it will have to be a side pocket);
-another ball being sent round to be examined before anything is done.
-When the coin is in the prepared ball, and the tube withdrawn, it
-can be exchanged with the other. When this has been successfully
-accomplished, give the ball to be held high in the air, and, taking
-the substituted coin, "pass" it inside. Now have the ball placed in a
-tumbler, which is held by one person, whilst another pulls at the end
-of the worsted, and so unwinds it. In the centre will, of course, be
-found the borrowed article.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a><br /><br />
-
-MISCELLANEOUS.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>ON APPARATUS, AND ITS USES AND ABUSES&mdash;HOUDIN'S
-DIE&mdash;ADDITIONAL EFFECT&mdash;NEW METHOD&mdash;THE GOLD-FISH TRICK:
-PISCICULTURE EXTRAORDINARY&mdash;THE BOWLS AND COVERS&mdash;THE
-CLOTH&mdash;WHERE TO CARRY THE BOWLS&mdash;HOW TO PRODUCE
-THEM&mdash;BAD AND GOOD INNOVATIONS&mdash;HOW TO CAUSE THE BOWLS
-TO DISAPPEAR&mdash;MISHAPS&mdash;GOLD FISH AND INK&mdash;THE GLOBE&mdash;THE
-LINING&mdash;THE LADLE&mdash;HOW TO FILL IT&mdash;THE CARD&mdash;THE TRICK
-IN A SMALL WAY&mdash;TRAVELS OF A GLASS OF WATER&mdash;GOLD!
-GOLD! EVERYWHERE&mdash;THE HEN FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD&mdash;THE
-BEST BREEDS: NO. 1, NO. 2, AND NO. 3&mdash;HOW TO HATCH
-YOUR EGGS WITH DESPATCH&mdash;DECAPITATION NOT FATAL TO
-FOWLS&mdash;"KLING, KLANG"&mdash;HOW TO STAND FIRE&mdash;THE INTERCEPTED
-BULLET&mdash;THE WANDERING GINGER-BEER BOTTLE&mdash;THE PLUME AND
-THE SEED&mdash;COOKING MADE EASY: HAT VERSUS SAUCEPAN&mdash;A
-LITTLE ACCIDENT, AND HOW TO RECTIFY IT&mdash;THE FLAGS OF
-OLD ENGLAND&mdash;A NUT FOR BLACKSMITHS TO CRACK&mdash;THE DRAWER
-BOX&mdash;HOW TO MAKE IT&mdash;WHEN TO USE IT, AND WHEN NOT&mdash;THE
-CONE&mdash;BACCHUS' DOVECOTE&mdash;HOW TO PREPARE THE BOTTLE&mdash;HOW
-TO MESMERISE AND CAUSE A DOVE TO DISAPPEAR&mdash;THE
-WINE-DRINKING CRYSTAL BALL&mdash;BACCHUS' MAYPOLE&mdash;ON PROGRAMMES
-AND TITLES&mdash;HOW TO MAKE THE BOTTLE&mdash;THE ACCOMMODATING
-BOTTLE&mdash;HOW TO<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span> "WORK" IT SUCCESSFULLY&mdash;ANOTHER METHOD&mdash;THE
-MESMERIC SUSPENSION WAND: TWO METHODS&mdash;THE MAGI'S BRAZEN
-ROD&mdash;THE BALLS&mdash;HOW TO CHANGE THE RINGS&mdash;THE SHOWER OF
-PLUMES&mdash;THE FAIRY FLOWER&mdash;THE VASE.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>However great the respect which one may have for sleight of hand pure
-and simple, it is quite undeniable that a set performance is greatly
-improved by the occasional introduction of some neat-looking, but
-not gaudy, apparatus. Under this head need by no means be included
-self-acting machinery, during the performance of which the performer
-acts as a mere puppet. All the apparatus mentioned in this work will
-require adroit handling; and the conjuror will do well to practise
-as thoroughly with each article as he would towards the acquisition
-of a feat of sleight of hand. Apparatus seems to have a malicious
-pleasure in going wrong, always on the most critical occasions, and,
-for this reason, the majority of skilful performers feel most happy
-when using very little of it. One thing may be taken for granted,
-viz., that apparatus, exhibited without the assistance of sleight
-of hand, and plenty of it, causes the performer to degenerate into
-a mere showman&mdash;opening a box here, and taking off a lid there. In
-introducing apparatus, the performer must lay a very great deal of
-stress upon the sleight of hand portion of the business, as though
-therein lay the whole of the trick, the apparatus being a mere
-necessary evil in connection with it. By engaging the attention of the
-company with sleight of hand, it is drawn away from the apparatus, the
-spectators being so convinced of the performer's skill that they do
-not so readily accuse him of trusting to gaudy boxes and canisters for
-his effects.</p>
-
-<p>Some of the apparatus described can be made at home, but, as a
-general rule, it is cheaper and more satisfactory to buy it at a
-conjuring repository. Low prices are the order of the day; and, as the
-articles are made by experienced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> men, they must be superior to those
-manufactured by persons new to the business.</p>
-
-<p><a id="houdins_die_trick"></a><em>Houdin's Die Trick.</em>&mdash;Although this trick, sold everywhere for a
-shilling, must be as well known as any, I have found it appreciated
-by certain audiences, which have, by the way, invariably been
-drawing-room ones. Before a boys' school, or large public audience, it
-would not be advisable to exhibit it. The trick consists in placing
-a die upon the uppermost of two hats, covering it with a cover, and
-causing it to pass through into the lower hat. The secret lies in a
-hollow false die, which has five sides only, and which fits over the
-real die like a cover. The actual cover used in the trick fits over
-the dummy die. The method of performance is extremely easy. Place the
-dummy die in the breast pocket, in a handy position, and give the
-real one to be examined with the cover. Whilst this is being done,
-borrow two hats, and take them to the centre table, slipping the
-false die from the pocket into one of them when your back is turned.
-Place the hat containing the dummy on the table, crown downwards, and
-invert the other one over it. Now take the die and place it upon the
-uppermost hat, and explain to the audience as follows: "Ladies and
-gentlemen,&mdash;You have all kindly examined the die and cover, and found
-that both are genuine and free from trickery. I now take this solid
-die and place it upon this hat; but before doing so I will show you
-that the hat has no hole through the crown. [Take up hat, and hold it
-before the light, and bang it about a little, then replace and put
-die upon it.] The trick I shall perform will be to cover the die with
-this cover, and, on again removing it, it will be found that the die
-will have passed through the hat into the one underneath, thus [tilt
-the top hat so as to cause the die to fall into the lower hat]. Now
-that I have explained what is to be done, I will proceed to do it."
-Take the dummy die out of the hat (being careful to keep the open
-part from the audience, and leaving the real die behind), and place
-it, with the opening downwards, upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> the upper hat, which you have
-replaced. You can pretend to cut through the hat, all round the die,
-with a penknife, making a noise with the nail to imitate the sound of
-cutting, and then, placing the cover over the die, give it a rap with
-the wand. Grasp the cover very tightly near the bottom, and raise it,
-bringing away the dummy die as well. Hold it up to the spectators, and
-rattle the wand inside, and then turn out the real die from the hat
-on to the floor. Whilst doing this with one hand, the other should be
-passed behind the table, and the dummy allowed to slide out of the
-cover on to the shelf. This latter effect is invariably omitted by
-conjurors, and the trick, in my opinion, spoilt, as attention to it
-enables the performer to hand round the cover for inspection after
-the trick is performed, thereby totally upsetting those who, having
-purchased the trick, fancy they know all about it. I have frequently
-been asked by such people how I do the trick, they little thinking
-that the apparatus I use is exactly similar to their own. The die,
-cover, and dummy can be purchased so cheaply that it is scarcely
-worth while for the conjuror to manufacture his own. If he wishes to
-exercise his ingenuity, let him try the following method, which is an
-improvement on Houdin's old one only inasmuch as it is not so well
-known.</p>
-
-<p>Procure a die some four inches square, with dummy and cover complete.
-A smaller size can be used, but I give the most effective for the
-trick. Now take five pieces of cardboard, each the size of one side
-of the die, and join them together with hinges of linen, not all in
-a row, but with one in the centre and the four others on either side
-of it. Lay these upon the centre of a large coloured handkerchief,
-and place another handkerchief, of a precisely similar pattern, over
-it. Sew the two handkerchiefs and cardboard together through the
-centre piece of card only, and then sew the edges of the handkerchiefs
-together all round. The two handkerchiefs are made to pass as a
-single one only. Before commencing, the dummy must be placed, opening
-downwards,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> upon the shelf, and the handkerchief should be lying
-carelessly upon a chair or side table. Show the die and cover round,
-and borrow two hats. Take the cover and hats to the table, and whilst
-one hand is placing one hat over the other, as in the first method,
-the other should place the cover over the dummy die on the shelf,
-which must thus be picked up. Show the inside of cover (<em>i.e.</em>, the
-inside of the dummy), and place it upon the uppermost hat. Now take
-the die and place it upon the table, a few inches only from the
-back. Spread the handkerchief over it, and whilst taking hold of the
-centre piece of card of the internal arrangement across the middle,
-with one hand, from the outside, pass the other hand underneath the
-handkerchief, and, under cover of the same, place the die upon the
-shelf. The hand holding the handkerchief will all the time appear to
-be holding the die in the air a few inches from off the table. Fold
-the handkerchief carefully up, and the five pieces of card will give
-an exact resemblance of a die folded up in a handkerchief, which idea
-is what you wish to convey to the minds of the audience. Place this
-carefully upon a side table, and then explain that you are about to
-pass the die from the handkerchief invisibly under the cover. Raise
-the cover&mdash;and, along with it, the dummy die&mdash;once more rattle the
-wand inside, and replace it. Then take the handkerchief carefully by
-two corners and suddenly give it a hard shake in the air. The die
-that is supposed to be inside will not, according to the expectations
-of the spectators, roll upon the floor, but you will show it to be
-on the top of the hat by raising the cover only, and revealing the
-dummy. Remove the dummy from the hat to the table with two hands,
-as if it were solid, and act as if you were about to return the two
-hats. You, however, take one of them, opening downwards, and, bringing
-the brim on a level with the top of the table, but overhanging the
-shelf considerably, pop the die inside it with the other hand, which
-instantly takes up the second hat, and you advance with both. Before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span>
-you have progressed very far, however, you say that, perhaps, after
-all, the audience would prefer seeing the die back again; and it is
-very evident that so large an object must be somewhere. Of course,
-no one will object, and you replace the hats one over the other, the
-one containing the die being naturally the lower one. The trick then
-proceeds as before described, the dummy die being carefully lifted
-with two hands upon the uppermost hat, and the cutting operation gone
-through. The difficult portion of the trick is getting the die from
-the shelf into the hat. This should be well practised.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Gold-fish Trick.</em>&mdash;Of the first three questions asked a conjuror
-by a new acquaintance, one will infallibly be, "Can you do the
-gold-fish trick?" When it was first exhibited, it caused intense
-excitement, and, the secret being fairly well kept, the trick is but
-little known even now. The performer advances with a shawl or large
-handkerchief, and, after waving it about, he produces from it a
-large glass bowl full of water, in which gold-fish are complacently
-swimming. I have heard the wildest suggestions made in explanation of
-the trick. One says the bowls of water come up a trap door, regardless
-of the fact that the cloth does not reach the ground, consequently
-anything coming up through the floor must infallibly be seen at once.
-Another explains that the performer has the bowls empty about him,
-and has an indiarubber reservoir of water up his back, with a pipe
-coming down the sleeve. Where the fish come from is not explained.
-No one seems to be able to think of the real secret&mdash;an indiarubber
-cover. The bowls are flat, not more than two inches deep in the
-centre, resembling gigantic saucers made of glass. The indiarubber
-covers are made exactly the size of the rim of the bowls, and have a
-broad turn-under edge besides. The bowls are filled with water, the
-fish put in, and the covers are then stretched over. To put them on
-neatly and with dispatch two persons are required, as some force is
-necessary to pull the indiarubber out sufficiently far to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> enable it
-to go on the bowl. Deep, round-bellied bowls should be avoided, as
-the covers cannot get a good grip upon them. As, with ordinary care,
-there is no possible chance of a leakage taking place, the bowls can
-be placed anywhere the performer pleases, and in any position. The
-favourite places about the person are inside the vest, which will
-distend sufficiently if prepared with elastic behind, and inside the
-large breast pockets of the coat. Some conjurors, however, prefer
-placing the bowls simply under the armpits, inside the coat, and it
-is surprising how remarkably safe they are in such a position. They
-are certainly less liable to cause any extraordinary distension of
-the performer's person, and are far more easily got at. But this is a
-matter entirely for the consideration of the performer. Some go so far
-as to put a bowl up the back, which to me seems making the trick as
-difficult as possible. Wherever the bowls are put, they must be pushed
-well back, so that all the distension takes place behind, and the
-performer must necessarily always face the audience during the trick.
-A bowl is also sometimes placed upon the shelf of the table; but a far
-better place than this is the back of a chair, made opaque on purpose,
-where the bowl is held by means of two large wire hooks. As three
-bowls are generally sufficient for most audiences, one can always
-manage to carry a sufficient number about one's person. I usually have
-one in the vest and one in each breast pocket.</p>
-
-<p>To produce the bowls, the performer takes a cloth by two corners,
-and, after waving it about a short time for effect, he throws it over
-one shoulder, allowing it to hang well down in front of him. If the
-bowl is to be taken from the left side, then the cloth must cover
-that side most, and the left arm must be held out so as to allow the
-right arm room to work. With the right hand, take the bowl from its
-hiding place, and hold it horizontally under the cloth, which then
-draw off the shoulder by means of the other hand, and let it hang over
-the bowl. Now, with the disengaged hand, grasp the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> indiarubber cover
-firmly on the edge of the bowl, through the cloth, and remove it from
-the bowl with a backward motion. This wants some little doing, as,
-although it greatly heightens the effect to spill a <em>little</em> water, it
-looks clumsy to three parts empty the bowl. Lay the cloth carelessly
-aside and take up a fresh one for each bowl. Some conjurors, Dr. Lynn
-amongst them, use only one cloth, which is provided with pockets, into
-which the covers are stowed away; but this is a totally unnecessary
-innovation, and often obliges the performer to fumble about before
-he can get the covers into the pockets. The idea that the audience
-think more of the trick if the bowls are all produced from one cloth
-is erroneous, for in most instances the fact is not noticed; and
-when the performer uses a fresh cloth for each bowl the spectators,
-when they give the subject any thought at all, attribute it to the
-cloths becoming wet and so disagreeable to use a second time. By using
-several cloths, greater freedom of action is obtained.</p>
-
-<p>An innovation by Herrmann was calculated to make the trick even more
-wonderful than it is in its ordinary form. Herrmann, after producing
-no fewer than four bowls, used to go right amongst the audience, and
-there, from a borrowed handkerchief, produce a fifth. This bowl was
-carried either in the vest or in a breast pocket, and its production
-was the more extraordinary by reason of the handkerchief being held
-across the performer's breast by one of the spectators. It may be
-safely asserted that no such feat of daring has ever been performed by
-any other conjuror. Few men possessed such indomitable pluck and nerve
-as Herrmann, who, during a performance, was to be deterred by nothing.
-He took the precaution of using a very shallow bowl with sharp sides
-and a very thin cover. The instant the cover was off, the handkerchief
-containing it was rolled up in the hand and carried off along with
-the bowl as if by accident, to be immediately returned to its owner,
-<em>minus the cover</em>.</p>
-
-<p>The most recent addition to the trick is causing the bowls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> to
-disappear after production. The simple method for doing this is
-to have a double handkerchief, as described in the <a href="#houdins_die_trick">die trick</a>,
-with a circular piece of cardboard, the size of the bowl to be
-made to vanish, inside. The bowl is placed upon the table, and the
-handkerchief spread over it. As one hand raises the card the other
-hand places the bowl upon the shelf. The handkerchief is then brought
-forward with great care, and then shaken out in the midst of the
-audience. A piece of wet sponge is kept on the shelf, and this is
-squeezed when the performer goes forward with the supposed bowl. A far
-better method than this is to use a bowl the top of which is entirely
-of glass and made in one piece with the bowl, the water and fish being
-put in through a hole underneath, which is stopped with a cork or
-plug. It must not be quite filled with water, and when produced the
-surface must be held a little from the audience, so that the glass top
-cannot be noticed. When the bowl is to be vanished, all the performer
-has to do is to cover it with the cloth, and thence quietly put it
-back into his pocket or vest. It must, of course, be done quickly.</p>
-
-<p>Some ludicrous mishaps have occurred with carelessly covered bowls.
-One celebrated conjuror produced two bowls with the contents of a
-third distributed impartially about his person, saturating his clothes
-and filling his boots. Another performer, a very skilful amateur,
-accidentally threw the whole of the water from a bowl into a lady's
-lap, much to the discomfiture of both parties. Had due care been
-taken, these accidents could never have taken place.</p>
-
-<p>The bowls and covers can only be obtained at conjuring repositories.</p>
-
-<p><em>Gold-fish and Ink Trick.</em>&mdash;This is another instance of astonishing
-and inexplicable effect produced by most simple means. A large globe
-(not a bowl, such as is used in the foregoing trick), full of ink, is
-produced. The performer ladles out some of the ink and sends it round
-on a saucer for examination. He also dips a white card into the globe,
-and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> brings it out dripping with ink. After this, he merely spreads a
-handkerchief over the globe, and instantly removes it, when the ink
-is found to have disappeared and its place supplied by pure water and
-gold-fish.</p>
-
-<p>The preparation for this trick is as follows: Procure a piece of
-black silk, in width about four-fifths of the height of the globe,
-and sufficiently long to go once round it on the inside. Sew the two
-ends together, so that a broad band is formed. To any part of the top
-edge fasten a piece of thin wire, which blacken. With this silk line
-the inside of the globe, and then pour in water exactly to the height
-of the top of it. The wire must be turned over the edge of the globe
-a little, so as to be easily found. When the globe thus prepared is
-brought on, it is impossible to tell it from one full of ink. The
-ladle, which will be best procured at a conjuring repository, is not
-an ordinary one, but has a hollow handle communicating with the bowl
-by means of a tiny hole. This hole is made where the stem joins the
-bowl, and at the upper end of the handle is another small hole. The
-hollow handle is filled with ink, and a finger or thumb placed over
-the uppermost hole, thus preventing the fluid from running out. When
-the performer puts the ladle into the globe, as if dipping some ink
-out, the thumb or finger should be removed from the upper hole, and
-the ink will then flow from the handle into the bowl of the ladle.
-The methods for filling the handle with ink are various. One way is
-to fill the bowl of the ladle with ink, and then apply suction to the
-hole at the other end. This is a very simple method, but, unless the
-person who applies the suction has a decided taste for ink, it is not
-a pleasant one to adopt. Another method is to exhaust the air from the
-handle by means of suction, and then put the ladle in ink; but this
-is even worse than the other. The way I get over the difficulty is
-by making the upper hole, which is never seen, large enough to admit
-the nozzle of a very small syringe, by means of which article the ink
-can be injected into the handle with cleanliness and dispatch. In
-purchasing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> a ladle, care should be taken to procure as plain a one as
-possible. A fancy ladle excites suspicion. If the conjuror does not
-mind a little expense, he will possess a most perfect article if he
-purchase a cheap plated sauce ladle, and then have the handle and stem
-fitted with a hollow back. This will be entirely free from suspicion.
-The card which is dipped in the supposed ink is simply a piece of
-card, about an inch and a half wide and a few inches long, with about
-half of one side of it blackened with ink or paint. The white side is
-shown to the audience, and it is then turned over with the peculiar
-twist illustrated in "Drawing-room Magic," <a href="#fig19">Figs. 19</a> and <a href="#fig20">20</a>. It is
-then actually dipped into the water and brought out with the blackened
-side towards the audience. The water dripping from it will appear to
-the audience to be ink, and the deceptive twist can be again given to
-show that both sides are blackened.</p>
-
-<p>In apparently taking out ink with the ladle, and dipping the card
-in, care must be taken that the manner of the performer does not
-too forcibly impress upon the minds of the audience that he is over
-anxious they should believe there is actually ink in the globe. The
-ladling out and dipping the card in must be done tolerably briskly;
-for, if the audience have time, some of the members may suggest, what
-is only reasonable, that the performer should show the bowl round
-bodily. The trick is finished by a large, dark-coloured cloth or
-handkerchief being thrown over the globe, and instantly removed, the
-performer taking care to grasp the wire, which will, of course, be
-on his side of the globe, through the cloth, and so cause the silk
-lining to come away inside the cloth or handkerchief. I do not believe
-in introducing rock work into the globe, as it gives the audience
-the idea of something fixed, and they thus obtain a groundwork to
-start upon. Water and fish are enough to manufacture from ink, in all
-conscience. The trick is also very effective when performed in a small
-way with a tumbler.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Ubiquitous Glass of Water: First Method.</em>&mdash;Procure two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> small
-tumblers, exactly similar in size, shape, and appearance. Fill one
-with water, cover it with a tight-fitting indiarubber cover, and
-place it in the breast pocket or inside the vest. These little
-covers are easily procurable, as they are universally sold as covers
-for jam-pots. They cost about sixpence each. Have a small double
-handkerchief or cloth, containing a circular piece of card, the size
-of the mouth of the tumbler, with a few stitches through it to keep it
-in the centre. Show the empty tumbler, and then fill it with water.
-Cover it with the handkerchief, and affect to take it up, but place
-it on the shelf. Advance very carefully with the supposed glass of
-water, and either stumble on the floor and drop everything, or else
-pretend to place the glass in someone's hands. If you stumble you
-must take care to avoid injuring the concealed tumbler. The glass and
-water vanished, it is now your business to find them again. For this
-purpose, you call in the aid of a spectator (a youth preferred), whom
-you request to stoop. Over his back spread the cloth or handkerchief,
-and, grasping that portion containing the card, raise it gently.
-Hold it a short time in the air, and then say that you will throw it
-into someone's pocket, indicating the particular person. Shake out
-the handkerchief or cloth again and then desire the person indicated
-to examine his or her pocket. Of course nothing will be found, but
-you borrow the handkerchief, which will have been taken from the
-searcher's pocket during the examination, and, waving it about, get
-the tumbler into it from the pocket, according to the directions
-given for producing the bowls of water and fish. Remove the cover
-and produce the glass and water, saying that you knew you had passed
-them into the indicated pocket. The cover being small, it can be
-easily removed and the handkerchief returned. It improves the effect
-a great deal if a small piece of wet sponge can be introduced beneath
-the cloth whilst the glass, presumably found in the youth's back, is
-being held, and then squeezed in imitation of the spilling of water
-from the glass. The sponge can be carried at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> mouth of one of the
-large breast pockets, and, if carefully disposed, need not make the
-performer uncomfortable by wetting him. I have even seen the sponge
-attached to the under side of the prepared cloth or handkerchief,
-which is an excellent plan if the performer is careful not to expose
-that side, as the sponge is always at hand, and there is no necessity
-to introduce the hand under the covering, compression from the outside
-being equally effective in exuding the water.</p>
-
-<p>Some performers think it necessary to go through certain actions for
-the purpose of convincing the company that the handkerchief does not
-contain a card or other shape. I must confess that I regard such
-actions as being decidedly supererogatory, for there is not the least
-foundation for assuming that the audience suspect the existence of
-any such thing; and for the performer to do anything indicative of an
-anticipation on his part that the company are likely to divine what
-is the true secret of the trick is highly suicidal. However, all are
-not of my opinion, so, if any beginner thinks he would like to be able
-to draw the handkerchief through the fingers previous to using, he
-can easily do so. All he will have to do will be to run a couple of
-stitches from two adjacent corners to the centre of the handkerchief,
-and inclose his card in the triangular space thus formed. As it is now
-loose, when the handkerchief is held by one of the opposite corners,
-the card falls to the extreme border, and the bulk of the handkerchief
-may be drawn through the hands. When the handkerchief is held by that
-side which forms the base of the triangle, the card falls at once into
-position in the centre. A copper or brass wire ring, being heavier
-than card, is perhaps more serviceable, as it more readily falls into
-position.</p>
-
-<p><em>Second Method.</em>&mdash;For this a special tumbler will be required. It is
-a large one, with perfectly straight sides, and is furnished with an
-outside cylindrical shell, also of glass, which is not discernible
-from the glass itself when in position.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> This outside shell must be
-sufficiently large to slip over the hand of the performer, so it will
-be seen that it is of considerable dimensions. This fact is always of
-value from the point of view of effectiveness: the larger the article
-the performer can manage to successfully manipulate, the better. The
-performer advances with the glass and shell together, and fills the
-former to the brim with water. He then places the whole on the rear
-edge of the table, and covers with the cloth. Grasping the shell,
-from the outside, with one hand, and placing the other hand below,
-the glass is slid gradually off the table, when it will drop through
-the shell into the hand of the performer, which places it upon the
-shelf. The more rapidity there is employed, the better. The performer
-comes forward with the shell inside the cloth, and allows the audience
-to feel its shape, and also taps it with the wand, to make the glass
-ring. He cannot allow the shell to be actually seen, as the absence of
-any water would be at once noticed; but the satisfying of the senses
-of touch and hearing will be sufficiently convincing. Retiring to
-about the centre of the stage, the performer thrusts one of his hands
-through the shell, from the bottom, and, whilst supporting the card
-shape with the fingers, allows the shell to glide down the arm, inside
-the coat sleeve. The handkerchief is then shaken out, and shown to be
-empty. In this case, the glass is not reproduced, the trick depending
-for effect upon the apparent bringing of a very large glass, full of
-water, amongst the audience, and causing it to vanish before their
-eyes. In the first method, there is no tapping of the sides of the
-glass when in the handkerchief, or any feeling of its shape, which
-is, of course, a very great feature of this method. The cuff must be
-gripped by the third and little fingers, when the arm may be dropped
-without any fear of the glass shell falling to the ground.</p>
-
-<p><em>Third Method.</em>&mdash;This method is, in every way, vastly superior to
-either of the preceding, and, in clever hands, becomes perfectly
-marvellous to the uninitiated. Only one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> tumbler is employed. This
-should be of a substantial character, and requires to be fitted with
-a flat glass top, exactly the size of the top of the tumbler. To the
-under side of this should be cemented a slightly smaller circular
-piece, the size of the interior circumference of the mouth of the
-tumbler. The glass top cannot now possibly shift from its position.
-This top the performer has concealed under his vest or in his breast
-pocket, so that it is readily at hand. Without so much as approaching
-a table or chair he has the tumbler filled, and, as he covers it with
-the cloth, he gets out his top and places it into position. With the
-supposed object of, say, placing the tumbler upon a chair, so that
-some plea be instituted for bending the body, the tumbler is removed
-from the cloth and put into the pocket at the bottom of the coat tail.
-The performer now goes through any performance he pleases with his
-shape and sponge, and, at the proper moment, produces the tumbler
-again. In doing this, however, he must get both hands under the cloth,
-so that he may secrete the top in one of them. It would not do to lift
-this off from the outside of the cloth, as its extra presence would be
-noticed. Its size enables it to be readily nipped between the joints
-of the fingers and root of the thumb.</p>
-
-<p>As the performer does not approach the table, it is impossible for the
-audience to imagine what has become of the glass, filled, as it is,
-with water. There is no doubt that this method calls for more skill in
-execution than does the first, but the effect is immeasurably superior.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Invert a Glass of Water.</em>&mdash;This is an effect which may either
-be accomplished separately, or may follow the third method of the
-preceding trick. The performer places the tumbler upon the table,
-fills it with water, and, in the act of shifting its position, places
-the lid, unperceived, upon it. He is provided with a half-sheet of
-note-paper, which he places upon the tumbler, and then, covering the
-whole with one hand, inverts the glass upon it. He then addresses
-the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> company, remarking that they are, no doubt, familiar with the
-schoolboy trick of holding an inverted tumbler of water, with merely
-a sheet of paper to keep the contents from falling to the ground. To
-illustrate this, the performer holds the tumbler by the base in the
-disengaged hand, and removes the one below. In the ordinary way the
-paper would fall to the ground; but the performer has taken care to
-allow it to become slightly wetted, so that it adheres to the glass
-top. The performer now proceeds: "This any schoolboy can do; but I
-dare say you do not think it possible for me to remove this paper and
-yet retain the water in the tumbler. However, I will show you that
-such a feat is possible." Taking the paper by an edge, the performer
-gradually removes it, all the time affecting to hold the tumbler with
-the greatest steadiness, and keeping his eyes rigidly fixed upon it,
-as though momentarily anticipating some catastrophe, to avert which
-a concentration of all his energies is necessary. If he pleases, the
-performer may swing the tumbler into an upright position and back
-again, repeating the action three or four times. The paper may be
-eventually replaced, and the top removed inside it, or that article
-may be got rid of without the aid of the paper at all.</p>
-
-<p>A slight objection exists in connection with the use of the glass top,
-from the fact that it is liable to "talk," <em>i.e.</em>, make a noise, as
-it is being placed in position. This does not signify on the stage,
-but, when performing before small audiences, it may be as well to
-use a piece of mica. As this has no sunken edge, it is not quite as
-secure as the glass top; but, with ordinary care, no mishap need be
-apprehended. In removing the paper from beneath, it will be necessary
-to adopt great caution in avoiding all approach to a sideways sliding
-movement, which would probably have the effect of shifting the mica,
-when a deluge would immediately follow. The paper must be boldly
-peeled off away from the mica. Mica may be purchased in sheets,
-and the conjuror should cut several<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> sizes, both, for tumblers and
-wineglasses, and carry them in his pocket-book.</p>
-
-<p>When at a house, if even only for the evening, where he is likely to
-be called upon, he can soon obtain an opportunity for fitting the
-various glasses in use, by carrying a mica in the palm. Performed
-with a wineglass, the trick makes a very valuable addition to the few
-applicable to the table. In turning the glass back to the upright
-position, always place the hand beneath first, as, in removing it, it
-is then an easy matter to take away the mica.</p>
-
-<p><a id="shower_of_gold"></a><em>The Shower of Gold.</em>&mdash;The conjuror can perform this trick with the
-same tumblers and prepared cloth. One tumbler must be filled with
-imitation sovereigns (which are sold cheaply as whist counters) and
-placed upon the shelf. The empty tumbler is handed round, and then
-covered with the cloth, and apparently placed upon the table. It is
-instead rapidly exchanged, under cover of the prepared cloth&mdash;which,
-when held by the circular card, will sustain the idea that the
-tumbler is inside it all the time&mdash;for the one containing the coins.
-The performer now goes down to the audience, and continues to find
-in various ways either single coins or three or four of such at a
-time, which are "passed" into the distant tumbler by the various
-methods described in "<a href="#Part_I">Drawing-room Magic</a>." As coins thrown from a
-distance would not in the ordinary way fall into a glass receptacle
-without causing any sound, it behoves the conjuror to imitate such
-sound. This is easily accomplished by having an assistant behind the
-scenes, stationed as close to the table as possible, and provided
-with a quantity of coins and a tumbler. When the performer "passes"
-any coins towards the tumbler, the assistant should, after a short
-lapse of time, allow some to pour into his tumbler. The attention of
-the audience is so riveted on the covered glass that the deception
-cannot be detected. Indeed, it is difficult for anyone who knows
-exactly what is going on behind to notice anything at all suspicious.
-The deception is a very perfect one, and is used<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> in many ways by
-the best conjurors. Of course, performer and assistant must be <em>en
-rapport</em> with each other, the one being careful to state loudly at
-each "pass" how many coins are being transmitted, and the other paying
-strict attention to what is going on. Supposing the performer finds a
-single coin, he will exclaim loudly, "Ah! madam, here is just <em>one</em>
-coin on the edge of your fan! Permit me." And, on finding several,
-he will say, "Ah! in your head, sir, quite a quantity of coins. One,
-two, three, four, <em>five</em>!" Sometimes, too, it is as well, for effect,
-to vary the speed with which the coins perform their imaginary aerial
-journey. "This one," the performer will say, "is, I see, a very old
-coin, so will go very slowly indeed;" or, "quite a new one, I declare;
-see how quickly it will travel." If the assistant be not listening,
-the effect will be absurd. The tumbler into which he drops the coins
-should be covered, or the sound will be too sharp. It should be a
-muffled sound.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Egg Bag.</em>&mdash;This is a bag which, although repeatedly shown to be
-quite empty, continues to give forth eggs. In its smallest form, it
-consists of a square bag, made from chintz, or similar material. One
-of the sides is double, and thus forms a secret compartment, the mouth
-of which is at the bottom of the bag, inside. The bag can be taken
-and turned inside out, to show that it is empty, and yet have an egg
-inside the compartment. The bag, on being turned back again, can be
-held upside down and shaken without the egg falling out, for it will
-still be sustained by the inner lining. To produce the egg, all the
-performer has to do is to put his hand inside the bag and take the
-egg out of the compartment. He can then replace it, and cause it to
-disappear. Sometimes the inner lining covers only about three-fourths
-of the real side of the bag, but it is best to have it almost the
-same size. If, in turning the bag inside out, the double side were
-accidentally shown to the audience, they would infallibly notice the
-mouth of an inner bag, if it were placed about three-fourths of the
-way<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> down one side; but if it came on a level with the bottom of the
-bag itself, it would rarely be noticed.</p>
-
-<p>The larger egg bag, for the production of many eggs, is a very
-different affair, and requires some making. There are various
-patterns, the best of which I give: No. 1 is a chintz bag, about
-two and a half feet long, and of proportionate breadth. There is no
-double lining to it, but it is barefacedly provided with as many
-little pockets, each just capable of containing an egg, as one side
-can be made to take. These pockets have buttons, and the eggs are
-placed in them, and they are then fastened, their mouths being, of
-course, downwards when the bag is held in its proper position. The
-performer brings on the bag; and, after explaining that he has simply
-an ordinary chintz bag in his hands, proceeds to show that it is
-quite empty by turning it first upside down and then inside out. In
-performing the latter operation, that side which is provided with
-the pockets must, naturally be always turned towards the performer.
-The bag is then turned back again, and waved about, and, saying that
-he fancies something has been put into his bag by the fairies, the
-performer puts his hand inside, opening one of the pockets rapidly
-as he does so. The egg thus released is produced, and the bag again
-waved about. The operation of producing the eggs is continued until
-all are exhausted. It is perhaps better to open the pocket sometimes
-as the hand is withdrawn with an egg. This will enable the performer
-to compress the material round the egg, thereby released from the
-outside, before inserting the hand again to extract it, and exhibit
-its contour to the audience, who will then see that the egg is
-not placed into the bag by sleight of hand just previous to being
-withdrawn. No. 2 is made of any opaque material, a soft one for
-choice. Besides the ordinary mouth, it has two smaller ones, each some
-sizes larger than an egg, at the bottom corners. They are best made
-by simply cutting the corners off. The double lining is very small,
-it being only of sufficient breadth to take an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> egg. It is situated
-at the mouth of the bag and runs along the entire length of it. It
-has only one opening, a slit across the centre, and the eggs are put
-in through this. For safety's sake, it is as well to have the opening
-secured with a button. After the bag has been duly turned inside out
-and back again, and the slit (if closed) opened, the fingers are run
-along the top of the bag, where the narrow strip of inside lining is
-situated, and an egg squeezed out through the slit. This egg falls
-into the bag proper, which is then tilted sideways over a plate or
-a basket, or even a hat, and the egg thus caused to roll out of the
-open corner. No. 3 is similar in principle to No. 2, but has a net
-underneath, into which the eggs drop with very pretty effect. The
-corner openings are dispensed with, and the hand is inserted into the
-bag when an egg is to be taken out.</p>
-
-<p>What puzzles audiences as much as anything is that so many eggs
-are manipulated and yet not broken. The secret of this is that the
-eggs used are, with the exception of the one first produced, which
-is broken on a plate as a specimen, guiltless of the possession of
-any interior, the performer having taken the precaution of blowing
-them. This enables the performer to throw the bag carelessly on the
-floor and then to trample on it. Of course the trampling would be
-equally fatal to both blown and unblown eggs if the performer did not
-carefully avoid that portion of the bag which contains them; but the
-mere act of throwing a bag full of eggs in their original state on
-the floor would alone be disastrous to many of them. The method for
-holding a bag for the purpose of taking out an egg is to hold one
-corner between the teeth and the other in one hand stretched out.
-This leaves the other hand free for operation. Ordinarily, conjurors
-do not produce more than eight eggs. If the amateur wishes to perform
-the trick in really good style, he should have a bag made capable of
-producing at least two dozen eggs. For this, a large-sized chintz bag
-is recommended.</p>
-
-<p><em>Incubation by Magic.</em>&mdash;A very amusing trick can be performed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> when an
-entertainment is given in the country, or anywhere where a few very
-young chickens are procurable. Take four or five of these, and put
-them in a black alpaca or silk bag, the mouth of which is tied with
-cotton, and is easy to open. Place the bag on the shelf. Be provided
-with a blown egg, not too large, which palm. Borrow a hat, and find
-the egg in any way you please, and then retire to the stage. Place the
-hat on its side on the table, with the crown towards the audience,
-and the brim over the back edge, just where the bag is placed on the
-shelf. Do not place the hat in the desired position at once, but try
-it in various places first, and finally decide that the position in
-which you place it is the only secure one. Stand at the end of the
-table (<span class="smcap">r</span>), and place the left hand on the brim of the hat, to
-hold it steady. With the right hand take the egg, and, after one or
-two feints, make a pass at the crown of the hat with it. Palm the egg
-and rub the hat, as if the egg had gone through it. This process of
-palming is not difficult when the egg has been made light, by blowing
-out the inside; the small end fits nicely between the two fleshy
-portions of the hand. Find another egg (<em>i.e.</em>, the same one), in your
-leg, wand, or elsewhere, and pass it through the hat as before, and
-repeat the operation as often as you have chickens inside the bag.
-This bag will have to be introduced into the hat with the left hand,
-and the best time for doing this is when the right hand is engaged in
-finding another egg on any part of your person. It is not advisable to
-do it when the hat is first set down, as the eyes of the audience are
-full upon it. This is an illustration of misdirection. When you have
-"passed" the requisite number of eggs through the hat, raise it and
-bring it forward, remarking that not only have eggs passed through,
-but they have all become hatched. (The hatching can, of course, be
-done over a candle.) Great astonishment and amusement will be caused
-when you produce the chickens one by one. Before removing the last
-one secure the bag in the hand, for it will never do to allow the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span>
-audience to see that. The egg you, of course, vest before commencing
-to reveal the contents of the hat. This trick is but little known,
-which is a pity, as it is a very simple one, and invariably causes
-great amusement. It also serves to vary the conventional list of
-tricks performed with hats.</p>
-
-<p>There is a capital method for collecting the eggs for this trick in
-place of finding each one with the hand, and "passing" it through the
-crown of the hat. The hat is loaded, as before, with the chickens in
-a bag, and placed upon a side table, as being the least suspicious,
-brim upwards. The performer now takes a handkerchief, which is lying
-carelessly about, and opens it out. It is then doubled lengthwise,
-perpendicularly, and, held by opposite ends; one end is tilted over
-the hat, when an egg slides out. The handkerchief is then opened
-out to show that it is perfectly empty, is taken up by two corners,
-folded, and once more emptied of an egg into the hat. This process is
-repeated as often as necessary, when the handkerchief is put aside and
-the trick proceeded with, as before described.</p>
-
-<p>The secret of the handkerchief is that on one side is suspended a
-blown egg, by means of a piece of black silk thread. A very thick,
-or, at any rate, opaque handkerchief, must be employed, so that by
-no possible chance can the shape of the egg be seen through it. The
-length of the thread will require nice adjustment, as will also its
-position on the handkerchief, for naturally it must not be long enough
-to allow the egg to appear below the lower margin of the handkerchief,
-when that article is held up by two corners, but must still have an
-inch or two to spare, to enable it to fall into the hat without being
-jerked backwards in the least, for so unnatural a movement imparted to
-a falling egg would at once undeceive the company. The position for
-the thread to be sewn to the handkerchief is about half way between
-the centre and a corner. The folding of the handkerchief must be done
-in a very easy manner, but without imparting a wavy motion to it, for
-the least lifting of the lower portion will expose the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> egg. When the
-handkerchief is folded the performer may go with it to various parts
-of the room, seeking where he can magically find an egg. The egg
-found, one of the company may be allowed to feel its contour through
-the handkerchief. The opening out of the handkerchief, after the egg
-has been poured from it, requires some attention. The lower end is
-released, and then the two upper corners are seized, one by either
-hand, and the handkerchief thrown wide open, showing the side to which
-the egg is attached. It is then thrown forward, so as to spread over
-the hat. By this act it has been turned completely over, the audience
-having seen both sides of it, whilst the egg has been peacefully
-resting inside the hat, the thread not being sufficiently prominent
-to become observed. The two corners nearest the performer, originally
-those belonging to the lower end of the folded handkerchief as the egg
-was tilted into the hat, are then taken, and the handkerchief drawn
-off from the hat towards the performer, with an oblique upward motion.
-The handkerchief is then in the position for refolding, and right for
-the discovery of a new egg.</p>
-
-<p>One defect which always struck me as being apparent in this method
-was the fact that the handkerchief could never be given round for
-examination. This difficulty I surmounted by the following method: The
-egg and thread I keep apart from the handkerchief until the actual
-moment for performing the trick arrives. At the loose end of the
-thread, the length of which has, of course, been previously adjusted
-to a nicety, I fasten a bent black pin; that is, a very much bent
-pin&mdash;a hook, in fact&mdash;with the head end very short and the pointed end
-very long. The egg lies in my capacious breast pocket, and the hook
-is fastened in a convenient position in the edge of the coat flap.
-The handkerchief is given round for examination, and returned to the
-performer, who, as he retires to the stage, fastens the hook into it.
-Before he turns for this purpose, he must have fixed his eye upon the
-place where the hook should go, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span> have grasped the handkerchief
-there, so that afterwards he may be able to conclude his movements
-without turning his eyes upon the immediate scene of operations;
-not that this need take very long. The pin hook must not be merely
-stuck through the handkerchief, such a hold being very insecure,
-but it must be put through and brought back again immediately. This
-will effectually prevent its slipping out during the manipulations
-to which the handkerchief is subjected. So soon as the pin is fixed,
-the performer faces the audience, if otherwise ready, and, taking
-the handkerchief by the two upper corners, stretches them out, when,
-by putting his hands away from him in front, the egg will be drawn
-out of the side pocket. The trick then proceeds precisely as before.
-If the performer deems it necessary to allow the handkerchief to
-be again inspected, which is a matter of fancy, he must, prior to
-commencing, place a white handkerchief in the hat, "in order that the
-eggs may fall soft, and not make an omelette," he will explain. When
-the requisite number of eggs have been found, the pin is unhooked,
-and the egg allowed to remain in the hat, from whence it is removed,
-folded in the white handkerchief. If the performer observes a suitable
-handkerchief amongst the company, he may borrow it, when, of course,
-the egg must be got rid of; but it is not often that this circumstance
-will occur. It must be admitted that connected with the whole of this
-trick there are a style and a neatness which are very different from
-the general run of conjuring tricks.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Resuscitated Fowl.</em>&mdash;This can either follow the trick just
-described, or it can form a separate trick altogether. It is very old,
-and has formed a portion of the stock performance of conjurors for
-hundreds of years. The head of a fowl is concealed in the hand, and
-a live bird seized. The conjuror engages in a mock struggle with it,
-endeavouring to seize its head, the object of the disturbance being
-to enable the real head to be turned down under one of the wings, and
-there held with one hand, and the loose head to be held<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> on with the
-other hand, in its place. The stage assistant now advances with a
-large knife, and cuts off the imaginary head. The performer must make
-the deed as realistic as possible by causing the fowl to appear to
-struggle vehemently, and twitch its legs if possible. The head is then
-taken, and applied to the neck, the conjuror remarking that nothing is
-easier than to cause it to grow on again. Palm the loose head, and,
-at the same time, allow the real one to escape from its confinement,
-when it will at once appear to have suddenly grown on again. Release
-the fowl for a short run, to show that there is no mechanism about
-it. This trick is frequently performed by the very best conjurors,
-sometimes with a pigeon. The loose head must match the real one as
-nearly as possible, or the deception may be noticed.</p>
-
-<p><em>"Kling-Klang."</em>&mdash;This is a pretty little trick, and does not take
-long to perform. Take a fancy coloured silk handkerchief, of a small
-size, not more than a foot square, at the utmost. To the centre of
-this attach a <em>blown</em> hen's egg by means of a piece of thread 2in.
-to 3in. long. The end of the thread inside the egg is attached to
-the centre of a tiny piece of wood, such as a portion of a match,
-which can be pushed in, end foremost, through the hole at the end of
-the egg, but which, when once inside, will steadfastly refuse to be
-pulled out again. This method is far better than all other devices
-with cobbler's wax and glue. Two other silk handkerchiefs, quite
-opposite, in point of colour, to the one attached to the egg, will
-also be required, as will a toddy glass with a foot, and an ordinary
-egg, not blown. The last-mentioned article must be vested. One of
-the two handkerchiefs of a like colour fold neatly in the palm, and
-in the same hand take the blown egg, and, as a natural consequence,
-the handkerchief attached to it, which arrange neatly around the
-egg, so as to conceal the handkerchief in the palm. Place the other
-handkerchief in the toddy glass, and, with the wand under arm, emerge
-thus laden from the secrecy of "behind the scenes." Give the glass
-and handkerchief to one person,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> and ask him to examine them both,
-and then take from him the glass, to be held by another person. Then
-say, "I have here another silk handkerchief and an egg. The egg I
-will place in this glass, and then cover it with the handkerchief."
-Proceed to do this, taking care to slip in the concealed handkerchief
-<em>under</em> the egg, and then retire to the stage, taking with you the
-second of the duplicate handkerchiefs. As you go to the stage, bring
-down the egg from your vest, and take the handkerchief in the hand
-which contains it. Turn to the audience, and ask the holder of the
-glass to shake it gently to show that the egg is still inside. The
-peculiar "kling-klang" made by the egg against the glass gives the
-name to the trick. A caution from you not to shake too strongly, as
-you do not want an omelette inside the glass, is sure to amuse. Now
-bring both hands together in front of you, and commence to draw in the
-handkerchief little by little. At intervals have the glass shaken.
-When a few inches only of the handkerchief protrude from the hand,
-draw near the holder of the glass, whom desire to cease shaking.
-When you have drawn the handkerchief completely into the hands, and
-feel that it is perfectly concealed, ask a spectator to hold out his
-hand, and suddenly produce the egg, which give to him. Without losing
-a moment, raise the handkerchief from over the glass by its centre,
-thus removing the egg at the same time, taking care to continually tap
-the glass with the wand during the operation, otherwise an accidental
-knock of the egg against the side of the glass would be heard, and
-the whole trick spoilt. Call particular attention to the fact of
-the egg which you produce being a genuine one, and then get away
-with your other properties as fast as you decently can. The trick is
-mostly performed with an imitation egg, instead of a real one. The
-egg is hollow, and has a great opening in one side. Into this the
-handkerchief is forced. There is no sleight of hand about this, and
-the egg cannot be given for examination, which is fatal.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Harmless Shot.</em>&mdash;Procure a substantial-looking muzzle-loading<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span>
-pistol, the larger the better, and get a tinman to make a tube that
-fits neither tightly nor loosely inside. One end of the tube must be
-closed, and the open end be furnished with a turn-over rim, which you
-colour or polish, so as to resemble as nearly as possible the muzzle
-of the pistol. If it comes easier, by all means reverse the process,
-and make the muzzle of the pistol resemble the muzzle of the tube.
-The tube should be at least two-thirds the length of the interior of
-the pistol barrel, and not about an inch and a half only. Now make a
-wooden ramrod, which will fit rather tightly into the tube&mdash;tightly
-enough to bring it away from the interior of the pistol when withdrawn
-after being rammed into it. The exterior of the tube should match the
-ramrod in colour and appearance, so that the fact of the one being
-within the other when held in the hand in that condition will not be
-detected.</p>
-
-<p>Advance to the audience with the pistol, ramrod, powder, caps, paper,
-and bullets. The tube is concealed somewhere about you. Give round
-one or more bullets to be marked by the audience, and, at the same
-time, give the pistol into the hands of someone for examination.
-If the pistol takes to pieces, so much the better, as it is highly
-advantageous for the audience to be quite convinced that there is
-no mechanical preparation of the performer's own devising connected
-with the implement. Have a fair charge of powder put in, and give the
-ramrod for ramming the charge. Whilst this is being done, get the tube
-into the hand, and, when the ramrod is returned to you, pass it into
-the tube, and then at once say earnestly, "I hardly think you rammed
-it sufficiently, sir." Without taking the pistol yourself, hold the
-muzzle in the fingers of the left hand, and ram with the right. The
-left hand must pinch the rim of the tube, which will thereby become
-disengaged from the ramrod, and remain inside the pistol. By this
-means the tube has become inserted in the pistol without any occasion
-for the pistol leaving the possession of the person assisting. The
-bullet<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> or bullets are then dropped in by such of the audience as have
-marked them, the pistol being handed round by the volunteer assistant,
-who is also asked to put a piece of paper in as well. This piece of
-paper is very small, and is rolled up by the performer himself, who
-will, of course, take particular care that it is not bulky enough to
-jam in the tube. The performer now, without taking the pistol, puts
-in the ramrod and presses down the bullets&mdash;apparently. He, however,
-takes good care to avoid pressing them at all, but brings the hand
-holding the ramrod over the muzzle of the pistol, and so secures the
-tube. There is nothing in the action to excite the least suspicion;
-still, it is best to have the ramrod of such length that only an inch
-or so of it protrudes from the muzzle. If this particular be observed,
-then the hand must approach the muzzle on every occasion of ramming
-down a charge, and so no suspicion can possibly be excited by the
-action. The imaginary ramming is, of course, continued, the tube being
-moved up and down inside the pistol vehemently. Withdraw the ramrod
-and tube, carefully concealing the junction of the two, and have the
-pistol capped. Having secured the bullets in the tube, the next thing
-is to get them into the hand. As it is impossible to withdraw the
-rod from the tube in full view of the audience (it can certainly be
-done behind the table; but the unavoidably lengthened absence of both
-hands for the purpose would be fatally suspicious), the performer
-must necessarily retire behind the scenes. The best excuse is that of
-requiring a plate. Whilst fetching this, the rod is withdrawn from
-the tube, and the bullet or bullets shaken out. The paper ought not
-to stick, but it might; and so it is always as well to have a piece
-of wire with a sharp hook at one end in readiness. This abstraction
-of the bullets could be managed whilst the performer retires up the
-stage, and it would be advisable to do so if the bullets were certain
-to drop out, which, however, they are not. When the performer has a
-stage assistant, as he always should have when<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> possible, the matter
-becomes much easier. The assistant holds the box of caps on or near
-the stage, and the performer goes to him for them, and gives him the
-wand with the tube on it in an offhand manner. The assistant then
-manages all the abstraction whilst the capping of the pistol is going
-on, and stands, just removed from sight, with the plate in one hand
-and the bullets in the other. The performer then has only to stretch
-his arm behind to receive the bullets first and the plate next, both
-in one hand. The bullets are held under the fingers, which are on the
-inside of the plate. The performer now holds the plate either in front
-of his face or at arm's length, and requests that the pistol may be
-fired at it. When this is done, the bullets are allowed to roll on the
-plate, which is brought simultaneously into a horizontal position, a
-kind of "grab" being made with it, as if catching the bullets in the
-air. I like this method better than catching the bullets in the mouth,
-as the performer can at once run forward with them on the plate,
-and the audience will be thus enabled to see for themselves that no
-substitution has taken place during transit.</p>
-
-<p>The difficulty of extracting the bullet or bullets I finally mastered,
-after various trials, by using a tolerably thick piece of cork for
-the purpose of closing the one end of the tube. When the performer
-retires up the stage, he holds the closed end in his hand and presses
-the ramrod against his body, thus forcing out cork, bullet, and paper
-with one vigorous push. The operation does not occupy a second, and,
-when the performer turns facing the audience again, the ramrod is in
-his hand as before. It will naturally occur to everybody that, if
-the ramrod fits tightly into the tube, the whole arrangement will
-be neither more nor less than a popgun, and the cork will be blown
-out as soon as the ramrod is inserted into the tube. To avoid such
-a startling result, the ramrod must, although fitting the tube at
-certain places, be made out of truth, so as to admit of an escape of
-air, or else the cork must have a hole burnt through it by means<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> of
-red-hot wire. Piercing a hole through the cork will not suffice, as
-the nature of the material will speedily cause the opening to close up
-again. If this cork arrangement be used, then the performer need never
-leave the stage.</p>
-
-<p>I have given the learner what I consider to be the best method for
-performing the trick. A method which differs only slightly from mine,
-the principle being the same, is to use a tube barely two inches in
-length. This tube is dropped into the pistol by the performer, who
-takes the pistol entirely in his hands, for the purpose of ramming
-down the powder charge. As it lies secreted a long way down the
-pistol, it, of course, can never be seen. In pushing the ramrod down,
-it becomes fixed in the tube, and brings it away, the ramrod being
-the least bit tapered, to insure its going into the tube. It should
-be tapered at each end, so that there may be no bother about looking
-to see which end is the graduating one. The rest of the trick is
-performed exactly as in the other method. My objections to the use
-of the short tube are that, in order to get it into the pistol, the
-performer must secure actual possession of the firearm, and he must
-repeat the man&#339;uvre when he wishes to take it out again. Again, it
-is very difficult to conceal the point of junction of a short tube on
-a long ramrod. If the performer does not use the utmost caution, the
-tube will be noticed sticking on the rod as they are withdrawn from
-the pistol. The rim of the long tube is covered with the hand before
-the abstraction is made, and added to this is the fact that the pistol
-never leaves the hand of the volunteer assistant, which is a great
-feature in the trick. The only objection to the long tube I found to
-be the difficulty sometimes arising in abstracting the bullets; but
-my cork has now removed that difficulty. I have given both methods
-that the learner may choose for himself. Although I have said "bullet
-or bullets," because some conjurors employ one only and some three or
-four, I should, myself, never think of using more than one. The effect
-is the same, whilst the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> trick is made immeasurably easier to the
-performer. People may, perhaps, be a little more satisfied at seeing
-several bullets marked by different people, but it is just as easy,
-and quite as effective, to have one bullet thus treated. It will not
-matter in the least to the performer how many people mark it.</p>
-
-<p>Another method for performing the trick is to substitute for the
-marked bullet a blacklead one. This, on account of its lightness,
-the performer must himself drop into the pistol and see that it is
-so rammed that it is broken up. I would never advise anyone to adopt
-this method, although Houdin caused consternation amongst the Arabs by
-allowing himself to be fired at from a distance of a few paces. With
-his usual completeness he finished the trick by firing another pistol
-at a whitewashed wall, on which appeared a large splash of blood. This
-was managed by means of a ball of black wax, the inside of which was
-filled with blood. The Arabs were duly impressed.</p>
-
-<p>There are some pistols made with spring openings in the barrel,
-through which the bullet falls into the hand of the performer; but,
-in this case, the pistol cannot be examined, which fact is quite
-sufficient to taboo the method. Unless the pistol is given to be
-examined, and left in the hands of the spectators the whole time,
-there is, in my opinion, nothing in the trick.</p>
-
-<p><a id="bottle_ginger_beer"></a><em>A Bottle of Ginger Beer.</em>&mdash;The reader will scarcely require to be
-told that one of the great deceits practised by conjurors is that
-of duplication. In order to apparently execute the impossibility of
-conveying a large solid body invisibly through space, the conjuror has
-to cause the article itself to disappear by any means at hand, and to
-produce another similar article, or counterfeit thereof, at the spot
-to which the original one is supposed to be magically transported. In
-the case of <a href="#houdins_die_trick">Houdin's die trick</a> a counterfeit die was made use of, and
-in many of the coin tricks duplicate coins were employed. Whatever
-the article used, the method is almost<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> invariably the same; and the
-public are often invited to witness the exhibition of a new wonder,
-which is in reality only a variety of what has been done in hundreds
-of ways before.</p>
-
-<p>One very effective variety of this particular deceit is the
-transposition of a ginger-beer bottle from one paper cover to another.
-The trick and its explanation are as follows: The performer brings
-forward a ginger-beer bottle and a glass, on a tray. If he pleases,
-he may have two ginger-beer bottles, and ask the audience to choose
-between them. He should ask them to select between the one on the
-right and the one on the left. If "right" is said, and the one with
-which the trick is to be performed is on the left of the audience,
-then the performer must say, "On <em>my</em> right. Thank you"; and instantly
-take up that bottle without more ado, and uncork it. He then pours
-out the ginger beer, to show that it is genuine&mdash;so he says, but the
-real object is to keep the spectators from suspecting that there
-is anything "uncanny" about the bottle itself. The peculiarity of
-the bottle is that it either never had a bottom to it, or else that
-portion of it has been forcibly removed. Some few conjuring trick
-makers supply bottles without bottoms; but any lapidary will perform
-the desired operation should the performer himself be unsuccessful
-in accomplishing it with a hammer. The chief thing is to obtain
-two bottles that match exactly in colour. Height is not of much
-consequence, as that is not so readily retained by the eye as is
-colour; still, it is as well to have them match in that even, but
-colour stands first in importance. One of these bottles is placed
-upon the right-hand side of the shelf behind the table, and the other
-is fitted inside with either a piece of thick cork or gutta-percha.
-Whichever it is, it must fit very tightly, and be situated about an
-inch from the foot of the bottle. The cork must be left out until the
-last minute, or the fermentation of the ginger beer will cause the
-false bottom to come out unexpectedly with a "pop." This prepared
-bottle is the one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> that is brought on on the tray, with or without
-another genuine one, as the performer pleases. When two are brought
-on, the second one should always be left with the audience for them
-to open if they be so minded. It is sure to be examined with strict
-minuteness, and its unblemished innocence will reflect upon its late
-companion.</p>
-
-<p>Under his vest band the performer has a small apple, a walnut, or
-little ball. This he gets down as he retires to the table, and slips
-it in the lower cavity of the bottle, holding it there suspended
-by means of the little finger. He then places the bottle upon the
-left-hand front corner of the table, and on the corresponding corner
-he places a duplicate of the article which he has secretly introduced
-under the bottle. This duplicate will have been lying on the table
-all the time, and can, of course, be examined. The performer now
-takes two cardboard or paper covers, each just large enough to cover
-a ginger-beer bottle easily, and shows them round. These covers
-can be made with very little trouble, and the plainer they are the
-better, in my opinion. Spectators think no more of a trick because
-of a cover of many colours covered with gold or silver stars. A
-fancy paper on the outside is all that is required, for it will not
-do to look "beggarly." These two covers are now taken back, and the
-performer goes behind his table. With the left hand he places one
-cover very slowly and deliberately over the bottle, and calls very
-particular attention to what he is doing. The cover in the right hand
-is meanwhile being placed over the bottle on the shelf. The conjuror's
-whole attention, eyes and everything, must be engrossed on what he
-is doing with the bottle which is visible. Any glance which he may
-want to take for ascertaining the exact position of the bottle on the
-shelf must take place as he goes behind the table; any downward look
-after this would be fatal. Directly it is felt that the hidden bottle
-is safe in the cover, the latter must be brought into view again; and
-care must be taken that it is held a little obliquely, the mouth being
-towards the performer.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> As an additional security, it is always as
-well to have the inside of the covers blackened, or lined with black
-paper, and the inside and base of the second bottle treated likewise.
-Any accidental exposure will then not be so likely to be attended by
-serious results.</p>
-
-<p>When the first cover is fairly over the bottle, the second one,
-containing the other bottle, is placed over the little ball, or
-whatever it is. The performer next takes up his wand and says,
-"Now, what I am about to do is to cause the ginger-beer bottle and
-the little ball to change places. This, I am aware, anyone can do
-by simply lifting off the covers and altering the positions of the
-articles with the hand; but I shall do nothing so transparent. I will
-show you that the articles are still where I placed them, and that I
-have not already moved them from their positions." (The covers are
-alternately lifted, care being taken not to prematurely expose the
-wrong article.) "My method of procedure is as follows: First, I take
-out the little ball" (on the shelf there is a third article, similar
-to the other two, and this the performer palms in the left hand) "in
-this manner. You see, I simply run my wand up the side of the cover,
-and here I have the little ball in my hand." (Strike left hand with
-wand, and open it and put the ball on table.) "This cover is now
-empty. By means of my wand, I remove the ginger-beer bottle, large and
-cumbrous as it is, from the cover&mdash;here it is, see, on my wand!&mdash;and
-pass it gently, for fear of breakages, into the empty cover. This
-little ball I take thus, and pass into this cover, where the bottle
-was, not five seconds since." (Perform any pass with the ball, and put
-it back upon the shelf.) "On raising the covers, it will be seen that
-the change has actually taken place." Raise the left-hand cover first,
-grasping it firmly so as to ensure the bottle from slipping, and then
-show the second bottle on the right, bringing the left hand, at the
-same time, over the shelf, upon which the first bottle is permitted to
-drop, very gently, from the cover. Both covers should be afterwards<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span>
-shown round, although the trick can be repeated, i.e., done backwards,
-if the performer desires. If he does so, he should say, "Ah, I daresay
-everybody did not see how that was done, and, as I always like the
-method of my tricks to be understood by everybody, I will do it over
-again. There is no fun in a trick if one does not see how it is
-done." On removing the bottles at the close of the trick, care must
-be taken that the hidden ball, &amp;c., is not knocked down on the floor,
-as is sometimes done by accident. This is a genuinely good trick, the
-opening of the ginger-beer bottle before the audience serving to throw
-that body off its guard.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Flying Plume and Seed.</em>&mdash;This is another trick in which
-duplicated representations play an important part, but the articles
-and methods employed are so totally distinct from those used in the
-preceding trick that one might follow the other in a performance, and
-yet both appear to be totally distinct in every way. There is a little
-simple apparatus in connection with the trick. First of all, a tin
-tube, 18in. long, and at least 1-1/2in. in diameter. It is provided
-with a cap at each end, fitting inside, and not over, as is usual. The
-tube also possesses the peculiarity of being divided longitudinally,
-by a tin partition, into two portions. This partition does not run
-down the centre of the tube, but takes a transverse direction from one
-side of one end to the opposite side of the other end. By this means,
-both ends are open to their full extent, and the tube can be shown
-briskly round, with the cap off, without anyone being able to detect
-anything wrong. Of course, only one end will be given for inspection,
-the audience not suspecting the existence of more than one opening.</p>
-
-<p>Then there is a vase, also of tin, but painted on the outside or
-japanned. This vase has a foot about 3in. high, which is hollow, and
-is connected with the body of the vase by means of a very large hole.
-This hole is hidden by a large domed cap on the end of a pin, which
-runs through the foot, and is furnished with a button underneath. A
-spiral spring inside<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> keeps the cap down on the hole, but pressure on
-the button under the foot causes it to rise, and any seed that may be
-in the body of the vase will instantly run down into the foot. Two
-plumes of exactly the same colour and length will also be required.
-These plumes can be obtained at a cheap rate at any plumassier's. One
-of the compartments of the tube is secretly filled with seed, and the
-end opening that division is closed with the cap. This cap should bear
-a distinct mark to distinguish it from the other. In the vase there
-should be an egg, orange, lemon, or apple, &amp;c., which must not be seen
-by the audience, and on the table there should be another similar
-article. Up the performer's sleeve, or in his side pocket, one of the
-plumes is secreted. The other plume is handed round and then thrust
-down the tube, which, to all appearances, it entirely fills. Place the
-tube on a chair or on the floor, and then take the vase, and into it
-pour a quantity of seed, going forward so soon as the article at the
-bottom is covered. Show the vase round full of seed, and then place it
-on another chair, the button being pressed and all the seed allowed to
-run away in transit.</p>
-
-<p>Now borrow either a hat or a handkerchief. If the plume is up the
-sleeve, then a handkerchief is required. Spread the handkerchief over
-the hand, as if showing there is nothing in it, and seize the end
-of the plume through it with the other hand. Draw the handkerchief
-smartly away with the plume inside it, and throw both on the floor. If
-the plume is in the pocket, then borrow a hat and slip the plume into
-it. The plume will curl round inside the hat, and remain firmly fixed,
-so the hat can be turned brim downwards without fear of the plume
-falling out.</p>
-
-<p>These preliminaries concluded, proceed as follows: Touch the tube
-with the wand and say you have taken out the plume, which you then
-"pass" into the hat or handkerchief, as the case may be. Now touch the
-vase with the wand, and say that you have removed all the seed, which
-you then command to go into the tube. Vanish the egg, or whatever
-it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> may be that you use, down a trap, and "pass" it into the vase.
-Nothing then remains but to open the tube, and to show the vase and
-handkerchief or hat. Millet is by far the best seed to use. It is
-light, and its spherical shape causes it to run smoothly. A conjuror,
-who was experienced enough to know better, persistently used rice for
-this trick. The result was extra delay, for the rice generally managed
-to clog somewhere, and always made a tell-tale rattling as it trickled
-into the foot. It made one tremble to look and listen. The trick is
-very easily managed, and creates a remarkably pretty effect. The
-conjuring shops supply the apparatus.</p>
-
-<p><em>How to Make and Cook a Pudding in a Hat.</em>&mdash;Procure a large size
-gallipot with nice thin sides. Have a tin lining made to fit the
-inside of this, and divide the lining into two portions by means of a
-horizontal division across the middle. The inside of a gallipot being
-somewhat narrower at the bottom than it is at the top, the lining
-will be taper, and consequently one partition will be larger than the
-other. Into the larger partition put a plum pudding, or cake, hot, and
-stand it on the shelf, without the gallipot. Borrow a hat, and, whilst
-busy about putting some paper at the bottom of it, and explaining that
-it is to prevent its being spoilt, take an opportunity of slipping
-the tin containing the pudding into it. Now take some flour, eggs,
-plums, sugar, and water, and mix them all up in the gallipot, to the
-accompaniment of some facetious remarks about your being a first-rate
-cook. Next pour the paste from the gallipot into the empty division of
-the tin, and, putting the pot momentarily into the hat, press it down
-well over the tin, which it will bring away, leaving the pudding alone
-behind. Now hold the hat over a spirit lamp (a candle would spoil the
-hat), and profess to be cooking the contents, which presently take out
-close to the audience and distribute. Some conjurors make omelettes
-and pancakes, which certainly make a good show, and are suggestive
-of being cooked on the crown of a hat. Some address is required in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span>
-executing this trick, especially in getting the tin into and out of
-the hat. The knack of putting things into hats from the shelf neatly
-is one of the most difficult things to acquire, and the performer must
-never be nervous at the moment, or he will be certain to allow himself
-to be discovered. Sometimes the egg is first broken into the hat
-(<em>i.e.</em>, the tin), and the flour and water afterwards mixed up in the
-gallipot. The effect of the contents of an egg dropping into a hat is
-certainly good.</p>
-
-<p>An amusing interlude, when borrowing a hat, is to apparently push the
-forefinger through the crown and then restore the hole supposed to be
-made by the act. This deception is managed by having a cast of a human
-forefinger made in either wax, gutta-percha, or plaster, and provided
-with a pointed wire at the thick end. This finger is concealed in
-the right hand, and the left hand put inside the hat. The right hand
-is then brought on the outside of the crown, and with the remark, "I
-fancy you have a hole in your hat, sir," an apparent effort is made,
-and a finger shown protruding through the crown. All that is done is
-to pass through the wire, which is held on the inside by the left
-hand. After making a few sharp movements simulating a finger in the
-act of being shaken, bring the right hand on to the crown again, and
-make as though considerable exertion were required in order to get
-the finger back again. The dummy is, of course, merely secured in the
-right hand, and the hat immediately shown ostentatiously round, so as
-to keep attention away from the right hand. The imitation finger must
-naturally be coloured to resemble the performer's flesh. The trick
-must not last long&mdash;a quarter of a minute is ample. If the finger
-remains through the hat for any length of time the audience will soon
-realise what the nature of the deception is. It should appear as if
-the finger had been just pushed through, shaken derisively, and then
-withdrawn.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Flags of Old England.</em>&mdash;Without any visible preparation,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> and
-from no conceivable source, the performer produces hundreds of
-flags with the hands. The flags, which can, of course, be of any
-colour, but, for obvious reasons, should be red, white, and blue,
-for preference, are thus made quickly: Procure some sheets of tissue
-paper, and cut them into slips of equal dimensions. A good size to
-commence with is 3in. by 1-1/2in., three of which will make a flag of
-4in. by 3in., a very nice size. For rapid pasting, place, say, the red
-slips one over the other, each one permitting just a quarter of an
-inch of the one beneath it to be seen. With one sweep of the brush a
-large number can be thus pasted. Perform the same operation with the
-blue papers, and the white ones will not require any paste at all.
-Join the three together, and, when dry, paste them on either very
-thin sticks or wire, or else on bass. The latter is far preferable to
-any other substance, and can be easily procured. Now make some flags
-about 6in. by 4in. in the same manner, and, if you choose, a few even
-larger still. Roll them all up very tightly in two or three bundles,
-and secrete them about you. I always place a bundle of small flags
-up each sleeve, the larger ones being either in the vest or in the
-large breast pocket of the coat. Take a little flag in each hand, and
-advance with them. Wave them about, and, lowering one hand, allow the
-bundle to slide into it from the sleeve, care being taken that the
-back of the hand is towards the audience. Bring the hands together
-immediately, and continue to wave them about for a few seconds, when
-commence to unroll the flags, and cause a few to appear first at the
-top, and then to fall on to the floor. Continue this, all the time
-moving about, until you find the supply getting low, when, with a
-downward sweep of the hands, extract the bundle from the other sleeve.
-This movement will be perfectly concealed by the numerous flags flying
-about. It will also be perfectly easy to obtain possession of the
-other bundles from the vest or pocket, if care be taken to raise the
-flags that are being exhibited, so as to conceal the motion of the
-hand. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> the larger flags are being unravelled, the waving should
-increase. The effect of a quantity of flags coming from apparently
-nowhere is always very bewildering to an audience, and this is
-heightened when the larger ones appear. I remember producing one quite
-8ft. in length, with a complimentary motto, allusive to the season of
-the year, elaborated upon it. There is, however, no necessity to go to
-such a length as this. Buatier, instead of two flags to commence with,
-takes a bundle of coloured paper, which he rolls up, and then pretends
-to transform into flags. This is not at all a bad method, and, if
-the performer prefers it to my own, there is no harm in adopting it.
-Buatier decidedly makes a mistake, though, in producing the original
-paper after he has manufactured several hundreds of flags from it.
-This is not consistent.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Chinese Rings.</em>&mdash;Whether originally Chinese or not, is of little
-moment: the trick has received the name, and is known by it only, so
-I adhere to it. The trick consists in apparently accomplishing the
-evident impossibility of linking strong metal rings, that have no
-break or opening in them, one within the other. The secret of the
-trick lies in the fact that one of a number of rings is provided
-with a slit or opening, which is kept carefully concealed by the
-performer's fingers. As, however, one ring with an opening would not
-alone suffice to link several others together in a continuous chain,
-the rings are made in sets of three and two welded together, besides
-three or four single ones. The set of two I always dispense with as
-useless. There is not the slightest necessity for going to a conjuring
-repository to obtain the rings, for an ordinary smith can produce a
-much more serviceable article. My idea of a good ring is one made of
-iron wire fully 3/8in. in thickness and 9in. in diameter. Let the
-metal be well burnished, and see that the welding is properly done.
-The opening in the one ring should be 7/16in. wide so as to admit the
-other rings freely. Some rings have a slit merely, whilst others have
-the ends springing one into the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> other. These precautions are quite
-unnecessary, for the secret ring is never given round for examination.
-When the performer comes on, he has the open ring concealed either
-under his armpit, in his breast pocket, or in the vest; or he may have
-it hanging behind a chair, if he has one with an opaque back on the
-stage. The other rings he has in the hand, and gives them round for
-examination. Unless this examination takes place, there is nothing in
-the trick, for the audience would justly argue that all the rings have
-secret spring-bolt openings which are invisible at a short distance.
-To abstract the concealed ring without detection requires, at times,
-considerable address. A good way is to allow some of the others to
-fall, and whilst stooping quickly for them, get out the concealed
-one. Turning the back upon the audience, and deliberately taking the
-ring out from its place of concealment whilst walking towards the
-stage, is the method I usually adopt. When it is hung at the back of a
-chair, the bulk of the rings should be placed upon the seat, and two
-or three taken up in one hand; say, the right. In stooping to pick up
-some more rings with the left hand, the right, naturally enough, finds
-its way to the top of the back of the chair, and, as the ring will be
-suspended half an inch down, the end of one finger will be sufficient
-to obtain it.</p>
-
-<p>I lay some stress upon this recovery of the open ring, for in its
-neat execution lies the whole secret of the trick. If the performer
-feels that he has accomplished the feat without being observed, he
-may boldly assert that he knows that other conjurors perform the same
-trick with prepared rings&mdash;he does nothing so mean and despicable. As
-a rule, I disagree with any hint whatever that may give a clue to the
-secret of a trick; but this particular one is so widely known that I
-doubt if an audience of ordinary size could be found with everyone
-ignorant of its secret. Under these circumstances, the conjuror who
-wishes for success must be different to everyone else. If he is not
-"prepared to do or die," let him leave the Chinese rings alone.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>The method of "working" the trick is to first take up the open ring
-and one of the single ones, one in each hand. Unless the performer
-be left-handed, or ambidextrous, it is always advisable to hold the
-open ring in the right hand, the opening being between the finger
-and thumb. Stand at the front of the stage (if there are side boxes,
-then a little back), and let the open ring hang carelessly on the
-thumb, only broadside on to the audience. By turning up the point of
-the thumb ever so little, the opening is rendered quite invisible
-to spectators, who will think that two perfect rings are being held
-before them, they having no possible reason to suspect even that an
-open ring is anywhere about. Bang the two rings together several
-times, and pretend to make two or three attempts to fit one into the
-other, by what precise movement does not matter in the least.</p>
-
-<p>Presently slip the solid ring rapidly through the opening of the
-other, without ceasing for an instant the movements you have hitherto
-made, which continue as if the two rings were still apart. Soon you
-will work the two close together, and, by degrees, bring round the
-solid ring to the bottom of the open one, and then allow it to hang
-from it. Be careful, however, that the opening is never so much as
-approached by the solid ring after the latter has been passed through
-it. By a reversal of the proceedings, the ring must be taken off
-again, the two rings being held touching one another, and worked about
-as if still linked, long after the actual detachment has taken place.
-The audience are supposed to actually see one ring pass through the
-other, and the performer must cause this to appear to be done at the
-lower half of the open ring. Performers always make a grand mistake
-in hurrying over this, the opening part of the trick, which is really
-the most important part of it. Within reasonable bounds, the linking
-of the two first rings cannot be much too long drawn out. If he be
-possessed of sufficient daring, the performer may advance to one of
-the audience with the two rings linked, and give him one of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> them
-(the solid one, of course) to hold. Just as the ring is put into his
-hand, the disconnection should take place. This is an interlude, which
-the performer may use or not, according to how he feels in spirits,
-for conjurors are like race-horses, and are at times "in" or "out of
-form." Two loose rings can then be put on the open one, one at a time,
-and then removed and held together. The open ring can be passed over
-the arm out of the way, the opening being, of course, concealed, and
-some "business" can be gone through with the other two, which, as they
-never were together, can be separated without much difficulty.</p>
-
-<p>Some conjurors become breathless at the bare idea of allowing the open
-ring to leave the hand, whereas, when properly managed, there is not
-the least danger to be apprehended. When the ring is passed over the
-arm, the hand does not leave the opening until it is well embedded
-inside the elbow joint. It is bad policy to hold one ring continually
-in the hand, as the fact is extremely likely to be noticed. When a
-few evolutions have been performed with the single rings, including
-throwing one in the air and catching it on the open ring on its
-descent, the triplets should be taken up, and, after plenty of shaking
-about and turning round and over, an end one should be linked on. By
-linking up the other end as well, a square is formed. Give two rings
-of this to be held by different people, and tell them to pull. Give
-one or two jerks yourself, and at one of them disconnect, and then
-gradually appear to unlink the square, bringing, at last, the four
-in a single chain. Make a lot more flourishes, but merely bring the
-four side by side in one hand, hanging. Hold the open ring firmly,
-and allow the others to drop steadily. This they will do in two
-distinct stages or jerks, at each of which you make a movement with
-the disengaged hand as if controlling them. As a finish, it is usual
-to put all the rings in a bunch on the open one. When this is done,
-one of the solid rings should be made to sustain the rest for a short
-time in place of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> open one, which may be allowed to hang down in
-the rear of the others, where it will not be seen. The solid ring thus
-temporarily used should be held alternately in several places, so that
-the audience, and especially such as know the secret of the trick,
-may see that there is actually no opening it. This is an excellent
-<em>ruse</em> to adopt. When performing with the rings, always make a deal
-of clatter with them; it adds to the effect. An effective <em>finale</em>
-is to grasp the open ring by the solid part immediately opposite
-the opening, and, turning the whole bunch rapidly over, shake the
-other rings loose upon the floor, dropping the open ring amongst the
-rest. The apparent recklessness of this goes still further to disarm
-suspicion as to an open ring.</p>
-
-<p>It will be seen that, beyond obtaining the open ring, everything is
-what is understood as "hankey-pankey"&mdash;in fact, downright humbug&mdash;but
-it is humbug of a superior order. The performer who introduces it
-injudiciously and unskilfully will have reason to regret any imperfect
-study of this trick. There is not much true sleight of hand in it, but
-the perfection of "address" will be required.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Drawer-Box.</em>&mdash;This is not the name of a trick, but of one of the
-most useful pieces of apparatus which a conjuror can possess. I have
-purposely refrained from making any mention of it before, because I
-wanted to make the beginner an adept at vanishing and producing with
-his hands before I gave him an article that would save him the trouble
-at the loss of a large amount of effect. When a person is able to do
-considerable execution with his hands alone, there need be no anxiety
-about giving apparatus into them. It is only with the beginner that
-the danger lies, for he will say, "Oh! this box does all I want&mdash;at
-least, quite well enough for me&mdash;so why should I take the trouble
-to learn to do it without?" The expert is never too anxious to use
-apparatus, and invariably manages with as little of it as he can.</p>
-
-<p>Now, the drawer-box is an article of such peculiar handiness on so
-many occasions, that the temptation held out to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> beginners to use
-it frequently is too great to be resisted. It will bear a cursory
-examination, and yet, although crammed with any kind of article to its
-fullest extent, it is made to appear quite empty, by merely being shut
-and re-opened, and this in the midst of the audience; or the operation
-may, with modifications, be reversed, and the box shown first empty,
-and then full.</p>
-
-<p>Most of us must have seen the little cigar-case which is so handy to
-smokers who wish to keep a good brand of cigar to themselves. The
-drawer-box is made on exactly the same principle as this, only, of
-course, in an enlarged form, and in wood.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig51"></a>
-<img src="images/fig51.png" width="450" height="190" alt="Fig. 51" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 51.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig52"></a>
-<img src="images/fig52.png" width="450" height="183" alt="Fig. 52" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 52.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>The appended sketches (<a href="#fig51">Figs. 51</a> and <a href="#fig52">52)</a> show the apparatus. I give a
-minute description of it here, as it is only in very large towns that
-the article is procurable, made in the manner it should be, so the
-conjuror can either get a cabinet maker to make him one, or, if he be
-anything of a carpenter, make one for himself.</p>
-
-<p>A (<a href="#fig51">Fig. 51</a>) is a lightly-made drawer, without any back end,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> and
-fits somewhat easily into F (<a href="#fig52">Fig. 52</a>), which should be made of
-3/8in. stuff, and strongly put together. B is another lightly-made
-drawer, smaller than A, into which it fits. A has a narrow combing all
-round the upper surface of the front end and sides. This serves to
-conceal the presence of B, which in reality looks like the inside of
-A. To perfect this deception, the open sides of A are, as depicted in
-sketch, made with mortises, and the end of B being allowed to extend
-a little each side, and also mortised, the two dovetail one into the
-other, and present a most innocent appearance. The knob D is not
-fixed, but has a slight perpendicular play. It is connected with a
-piece of flat metal, which extends from the knob to the upper portion
-of the wood, inside the combing, where it is furnished with a catch,
-which can be made by turning over the end of the metal and sharpening
-it a little. In B there is a slight incision made at C. When B is
-pushed home into A, and the knob D pressed downwards, the catch fixes
-itself into C, and thus keeps the two drawers firmly together. The
-action of shifting the knob up and down is very slight indeed, a
-1/4in., or, at the outside, 1/3in. play being ample. When the two
-drawers are thus fixed, they may be shown round, and no one not in the
-secret will suspect that there is more than one drawer. The more care
-and attention that is paid in fitting the drawers nicely together, the
-better.</p>
-
-<p>At the lower part of the back end of B will be noticed a protruding
-piece of wood, E. This fits closely against A when the two are closed
-together, but it plays an important part in the working of the box.
-In the body, F (<a href="#fig52">Fig. 52</a>), is cut a square hole, immediately under
-the point where the thumb is seen to be pressing. G is a flat spring
-let into the bottom of F, and fixed at the end farthest removed from
-the square hole. A square piece of wood, the same thickness as the
-bottom of the body F, and slightly smaller than the hole, is glued
-firmly on the free end of the spring, so that it is always in the
-hole. The exterior of the box should<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span> be painted or French polished,
-and the bottom covered with baize or cloth. The material should be
-glued on, the space covering the spring, and half an inch all round
-it, being left free. The apparatus is then ready for use, and is thus
-"worked": We will suppose that it is required to cause several apples
-to disappear. The drawer A, with B inside it, and the knob pressed
-firmly down, is shown in one hand, and the body F in the other. The
-apples are then put into A (really into B), which is then pushed into
-F. After the performer has pretended to extract the apples by magical
-means, he takes up the box with both hands, one hand grasping one end,
-with the thumb on the spring G (<a href="#fig52">Fig. 52</a>), and the other hand seizing
-the knob D, which it presses upwards, thus removing the catch from the
-slit C. With the thumb pressing as hard as possible on the spring,
-the drawer A is pulled out. The square piece of wood on the end of
-the spring G, being pressed inside the box, causes an obstruction to
-the inner drawer B through the medium of the protrusion E, and B is
-consequently held back in F. The drawer A, which is, after all, merely
-an outer shell, is shown instead, and the audience, not knowing of
-the existence of a double drawer, imagine that the one shown them is
-the one which they saw filled with apples. When the box is opened, it
-should be held sideways, with the top turned towards the audience,
-and when it contains such articles as apples, which easily shift in
-a very audible manner, it should be placed in this position on the
-table, before the contents are made to disappear. It would be stupid
-to pull out an empty drawer and then cause a rumbling to be heard. The
-audience would at once divine that the articles were kept back in the
-body of the box by some means.</p>
-
-<p>When the box is made so large that the hand cannot grasp it in the
-manner shown at <a href="#fig52">Fig. 52</a>, the closed end should be furnished with
-a knob matching that on the drawer A. This can then be held by the
-fingers, and so enable the thumb to find a purchase.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>A very good box is one made without the spring acted upon by the
-thumb. In its place is a loose metal peg, which drops in and out
-of the hole in the double drawer by the mere tilting of the box.
-This style of box is best made with both ends of the cover open, an
-increased appearance of innocence being thereby secured.</p>
-
-<p>With such a handy article at command as the drawer-box, which will
-vanish or produce anything at will, it will be easily understood that
-the beginner is extremely likely to be tempted into using it with
-too great a frequency. Let him beware of this, and, at the outside,
-use it not more than twice in the same evening, and then only under
-completely differing conditions, and after the lapse of a good
-interval of time. In a number of the foregoing tricks the drawer-box
-could be used with success, I grant, but not with any very great
-effect. In the trick with the large die and the handkerchief, it would
-be handy for causing the die to vanish. It could be used in
-<a href="#sun_and_moon"><em>The Sun and Moon</em></a>,
-<a href="#bottle_ginger_beer"><em>A Bottle of Ginger Beer</em></a>, and in a dozen others, but the
-temptation to do so must be resisted.</p>
-
-<p>Popular usage has assigned the drawer-box the position of a regular
-"property" in a very effective trick performed with a large solid
-block of wood, familiarly known as the Cone. It can be made of any
-size, but it is as well to have it as large as possible, that is,
-not less than 6in. in height. When large, it is just as easy to
-manipulate, and is much more effective. The only desideratum is that
-it should go comfortably into the drawer-box. It should be well
-tapered from the base to the summit, which may be simply flat or
-fancifully turned. Over this block fits a thin shell, the <em>facsimile</em>
-of it&mdash;the die and dummy repeated, only in a different shape. The
-dummy shell is usually turned out of a piece of wood similar to that
-of which the block is made, and both are polished to match. It is
-essential that they be very smooth. All else that is required is a
-very tall paper cone, which passes very loosely over the shell, and
-a couple of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> apples, oranges, lemons, or any similar articles, both
-being placed on the shelf. The drawers, fastened, should be taken out
-of the body and stood upon it at one end of the table, and the cone,
-with the shell on it, at the other end. The performer next takes the
-paper cone and exhibits it. He then says, standing behind the table,
-"This cover, which is, as you see, made simply of paper, is for the
-purpose of covering this solid block of wood." The paper cover is
-passed over the cone and shell, which are grasped firmly with one hand
-and slid off the table on to the other hand. The shell is then grasped
-a little higher up, through the paper, and the solid block jerked out
-of it on the floor. The paper containing the shell cone is then laid
-flat on the table, with the closed end towards the audience, and the
-solid cone picked up and placed in the drawer, which is first shown
-briefly round. The drawer-box is closed and placed on a side table
-to the left, and the performer, passing behind the table, takes up
-one of the two articles which are upon the shelf. This he produces in
-any way he pleases, taking it from the wand being the most effective
-method (see "<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Sleights for General Use</a>"). He should then say that he
-requires an orange, &amp;c., for the trick, which he will ask his wand to
-give him. The orange, or whatever it may be, is then placed upon the
-table, and covered with the paper cover, with the dummy cone inside
-it. The performer then explains that what he is going to do is to
-cause the solid cone to come out of the box and pass into the paper
-cover. Whilst saying this, he goes behind the table and secures the
-second of the two articles that were on the shelf, in the right hand.
-He then comes round, and proceeds: "To do this, it will be first
-necessary for me to remove the orange from the paper, and I accomplish
-the feat in this manner." (He runs the wand lightly up the side of
-the paper, and then produces the orange out of it, the action being
-somewhat similar to that used in the previous production.) "Now that
-the cover is empty, I can pass the block of wood into it. I take it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span>
-out of the box, thus" (taps box with wand), "and, see, it is on my
-wand. I carry it carefully to the cover and pass it thus into it." The
-wand is carried very gingerly, in a horizontal position, as if the
-block of wood were really balanced upon it.</p>
-
-<p>The paper is then taken by its very apex, and lifted carefully off the
-dummy shell, and the drawer-box opened, as previously explained for
-showing it empty. The performer, after a short pause, to allow of the
-free circulation of universal wonderment, says, "Ah! but perhaps I
-did it a little too quickly, and you did not notice how it was done.
-I will do it in a different way. Here we have the piece of wood,
-which I cover with the paper; my box, empty, I shut and place here,
-and the orange I take in my hand, thus" (trap it), "and rub it slowly
-away. I command the block of wood to pass back again into the box,
-and the orange to appear under the paper cover." Lift the paper and
-dummy together, pinching them at the base, and lay them down as before
-directed, and then tilt out the drawer, allowing the wood to fall
-upon the floor. If the cone be not very large, then the dummy may be
-allowed to slide out of the paper cover on to the shelf, and the paper
-shown empty.</p>
-
-<p>There is an objection to having the dummy shell made of wood, which
-is that it is necessarily very light, and so easily overturned. An
-accidental stumble against the table will sometimes effect this
-untoward result. Zinc and tin are heavier, but there is an objection
-laid against them as well: they "talk"&mdash;that is, they make a scraping
-noise against the real block of wood when withdrawn from it. I leave
-the conjuror to decide which is the lesser of the two evils. Cones
-standing two or three inches in height can be successfully passed
-through hats, after the method employed in Houdin's <a href="#houdins_die_trick">die trick</a>.</p>
-
-<p>Further uses for the drawer-box will appear in the course of the
-description of other tricks.</p>
-
-<p><em>Bacchus' Dovecote.</em>&mdash;The performer advances with a bottle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> and
-glasses on a tray, and a dove on his shoulder. From the bottle he
-pours some wine, and then places it upon a side table. The dove
-is next wrapped in some paper, from which the tail is allowed to
-protrude, and the performer then jumps upon it or else burns it. On
-the bottle being broken, the dove is found inside.</p>
-
-<p>The bottle is prepared by having the bottom knocked out, which can
-be easily managed with a hammer, smart taps with which have to be
-administered, in a circle. The hand holding the bottle whilst this
-is being done should have a glove upon it, in case of a breakage. A
-dove is put into the bottle, head first, through the bottom. This
-is rather uncomfortable for the bird, and I cannot bring myself to
-think that the latter likes it; but no bad results seem to follow
-the treatment, which should be rendered as gentle as possible. A tin
-tube is passed down the neck of the bottle, secured at the mouth by
-means of red sealing-wax, and then filled with red wine. On the table
-are spread some sheets of paper, on the margin of one of which are
-pasted some dove's tail feathers. The exhibited dove is placed upon
-the centre trap, and the performer pretends to wrap it in the paper
-having the feathers upon it. It is, instead, passed through the trap,
-and the paper rolled carefully up, as though the bird were inside.
-The protruding feathers leave no doubt of this in the minds of the
-audience. The ends of the paper should be screwed up tightly, and
-a little hole torn in the parcel, "to give the dove air." If, when
-placed upon the floor or table the paper should accidentally roll
-slightly, the performer must attribute it to the restlessness of
-the bird supposed to be inside, and apostrophise it accordingly. If
-crushed, it should be treated lengthways, so that the feathers are not
-afterwards observed, or the audience might think it only reasonable
-that the bird found inside the bottle should be <em>minus</em> a tail if he
-has left it behind him in the paper. It may seem very simple on their
-parts, but audiences never seem to doubt that the dove apparently
-wrapped in paper and the one found in the bottle are<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span> one and the
-same bird. There is no distinguishing mark on it to identify it, and
-everything tends to make one think otherwise; but never a doubt is
-raised. This circumstance should be very consoling to the conjuror.
-I have even seen two doves put into a drawer-box and two other doves
-made to appear at the other end of the room, and no one seemed to
-doubt for a moment that they were the same ones that had been just
-before put into the box.</p>
-
-<p>Doves are most docile creatures, and accommodate themselves to
-circumstances in a remarkable manner. When passed through a trap, they
-never wander about and exhibit themselves at the corners of the shelf,
-or otherwise expose the performer's secrets. At times, though, they
-will start their peculiar call, but this happens very rarely. Most
-regular performers, whether professional or not, usually keep a pair
-of doves at least. They are very hardy, and soon become accustomed to
-being pulled about.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Wine-drinking Crystal Ball.</em>&mdash;The tube in the neck of a
-bottle, mentioned in the preceding trick, is a very effective and
-much-practised deception. In the present instance, the performer
-selects an opaque bottle with a deep "kick" in the foot, and has a tin
-tube fitted into its neck. The mouth of the tube is provided with a
-rim turning outwards, to prevent a total disappearance of the article
-inside the bottle. This rim should be nicely rounded, so as to fit
-the mouth of the bottle neatly, as it will not do for the audience
-to entertain the slightest suspicion of its presence. The bottle
-is three-parts filled with water, and the tube with red wine. The
-performer is provided with two clear white glass balls, a little over
-an inch in diameter, and one red one, of the same dimensions. These
-are concealed conveniently about the person. The trick is commenced
-by the wine being poured into glasses and handed round. Retiring to
-the table, the tube is extracted and "vested," or put elsewhere out
-of sight, and one white ball got into the hand. By means of the wand,
-this ball is magically produced. The performer<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> then remarks that
-he wants two balls, and manufactures another by striking the one he
-has in the hand with the wand; the explanation given being that the
-original one has been cut in two. The reader will understand that the
-second white ball has been got down from concealment, and exhibited at
-the proper moment. Two balls are not really required for the trick,
-but the diversion is made for the sake of increasing the attention of
-the audience, and for giving the trick a general completeness. If he
-so pleases, the performer can proceed to rub one of the balls until
-it becomes as small as a pea, or as large as an orange: all that is
-required is to be provided beforehand with balls of the necessary
-sizes. The ball which is supposed to be undergoing the compression
-or expansion can be easily palmed in the right hand, the fingers of
-which are engaged in shaping the latest arrival by rolling it in the
-palm of the left hand. To get it back to its original size from the
-tiny one, the small ball has only to be concealed between the roots
-of the third and fourth fingers (<a href="#fig25">Fig. 25</a>). To get it back from the
-large size, place the large ball upon the table over a trap, and,
-after admiring it as a splendid production on your part, pretend to
-take it in the hands, trapping it. After much hard squeezing and
-rubbing, accompanied by expressions of doubt as to the success of your
-exertions, all enacted close to the audience, the original ball will
-be produced, it having been, of course, palmed the whole time. Give it
-to a spectator to hold, and then fetch the bottle. Whilst retiring get
-down the coloured ball and introduce it into the "kick," where keep
-it by means of the little, or any other convenient, finger. With the
-bottle in the left hand, return to the audience, and, taking the white
-ball from the person holding it, palm it at once, retiring a few steps
-as you do so, holding the fingers as though they contained the ball.
-If the palm be kept upwards, there is no fear of the ball slipping out
-of it, which it possibly might do&mdash;it being an awkward thing to hold
-firmly&mdash;were the fingers turned<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> downwards. Explain that you are about
-to throw the ball into the air and catch it in the bottle. As the ball
-is considerably larger than the mouth of the bottle, this announcement
-will naturally be received with incredulity. You, however, with the
-hands as widely separated as possible, toss an imaginary ball into the
-air with the right hand, and affect to catch it in the bottle with
-the left. A vigorous shake given to the bottle will cause the ball
-held in the foot by the left hand to rattle, and the illusion of the
-catch will be perfect. Now say that, having got the ball inside the
-bottle, you must break open the latter in order to get the ball out,
-and turn round, feigning to look for a hammer. This will give you an
-opportunity for concealing elsewhere the ball in the palm. So soon as
-this is done, say, "Well, perhaps I shall only make a litter with the
-broken glass; so I will get the ball out in a more artistic manner.
-Whilst I am talking, though, I fear the little gentleman inside is
-making very free with the wine." Ask the ball how he is getting on,
-and advise him not to drink too much, &amp;c., and then proceed to get
-him out of the bottle by striking the palm of the right hand on the
-mouth of the latter with considerable force. At the third blow or so,
-release the ball in the "kick," and it will fall to the ground with
-the appearance of having been forced through the bottom of the bottle.
-Call attention to the fact that it is red, and consequently, as you
-feared, must have been drinking the wine. To test this, pour out
-the contents of the bottle, which, being pure water, will cause the
-audience to be of your opinion, ludicrous though it may appear. After
-this, hand round both bottle and ball for inspection. It is a great
-mistake to omit showing the bottle, as the audience is invariably
-impressed with the idea that it has an opening in the bottom.</p>
-
-<p>Instead of the imaginary catch, the bottle can be stood upon a table,
-and the ball passed into it by any ordinary "pass." The disadvantage
-attending this is that the ball is not heard to fall into the bottle,
-as in the other method.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> It is natural that a heavy ball falling into
-a bottle must make some noise on striking the bottom. Audiences,
-perhaps, are not sharp enough to remark the absence of this natural
-result, but there is no denying that the trick is rendered more
-complete with its addition. Besides, when placing the bottle upon a
-table, the ball in the "kick" would naturally be loose were not some
-method for preventing this to be adopted, and it would become a matter
-of great difficulty, if not an absolute impossibility, to raise the
-bottle again without revealing the real state of affairs. A little
-black wax in the apex of the "kick" serves to sustain the ball in a
-very satisfactory manner; but, in adopting this auxiliary, one has to
-dispense with what I consider to be a most necessary feature in the
-trick, viz., giving the bottle round for examination afterwards. The
-wax will tell an undeniable tale.</p>
-
-<p>It is possible to vary this trick in many ways, quite according to the
-fancy of the performer. It is well, however, to be certain of palming
-and vanishing your ball quickly and neatly before attempting the trick
-at all, as everything depends upon this. If the white ball is observed
-to be still in your palm, no amount of rattling in the "kick" of the
-bottle, however seductively executed, will convince an audience that
-it has passed into the bottle.</p>
-
-<p><em>Bacchus' Maypole.</em>&mdash;I do not mind admitting to the reader that,
-where my imagination will permit, I am inventing new names for my
-tricks. I do this in order to save those who may hereafter undertake
-performances a certain amount of trouble, and also to get a little out
-of the beaten track. Ever since this trick has been invented it has
-been known as "Ribbons and Bottle." Now, that is a very poor title
-to put upon a programme, which, as it cannot possibly give any very
-valuable information to the spectator, may as well be embellished
-with neat terms as slovenly ones. A bottle and some ribbons certainly
-are used in the trick; but, as the old title does not reveal whether
-the ribbons go into or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> come out of the bottle, or whether the bottle
-comes out of the ribbons, a more fanciful one, so long as it is near
-the mark, seems just as appropriate, and much more ornamental. At the
-same time, it is very unadvisable to fill a programme with outrageous
-and ridiculous titles. I went to an entertainment once, given by a
-gentleman afflicted with a liking for high-sounding titles. At first
-I thought I was going to see something totally new, and waited for
-the curtain to draw up with some impatience, for the first item on
-the programme was thus designated: "The Celestial Mystery; or, the
-Winged Fairies of the Emperor Foo-Chow." This was the butterfly trick.
-However, although greatly disappointed, I kept up my courage, for item
-No. 2 was "The Sorcerer's Secret; or the Sheik's Visit to the Great
-Mogul." The egg bag! I collapsed, and took no further interest in the
-"Arabian Necromantic Divinations," "Scandinavian Second Sight; or,
-the Finnish Seer," &amp;c., for they were all tricks of the most ordinary
-class. Let the performer, by all means, embellish his programme with
-well-chosen titles; but let him, at the same time, steer clear of
-the other extreme. Experience teaches one that there is more in a
-programme well got up than at first meets the eye.</p>
-
-<p>Although there is rather more of mechanism, and less of sleight of
-hand, in it than I usually adopt, still this is such a very pretty
-trick that it would be a pity not to mention it. The performer comes
-on with a bottle, from which he pours a quantity of wine, beer, or
-other liquid, and then, either still holding it in his hand, or
-placing it upon a table or chair, he draws from it a ribbon of any
-colour that may be asked for by the audience. More liquid is poured
-out, and more ribbons produced.</p>
-
-<p>The secret lies in the manufacture of the bottle. In most cases, an
-imitation one of blackened tin is used, but, as the difference between
-a metal bottle and a glass one is easily discernible, this is a bad
-principle. The best method is to procure a tapering bottle, quart
-size, and opaque, and get the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> bottom neatly cut out by a lapidary. If
-the glass be semi-transparent it is easily rendered opaque by being
-painted with Brunswick black on the inside. Into the bottom fit a
-block of wood nearly an inch thick, the upper half of which has been
-turned away half an inch, so as to form a step. To this step have
-fitted a long tin funnel of such a length that, when the block of wood
-is fitted into the bottle, the small end will be within the third of
-an inch of the mouth. This funnel is much smaller than the interior
-of the bottle, so that when it is in position there is space for a
-considerable quantity of liquid between it and the glass sides. The
-small end is closed up with a piece of metal, which is provided with
-a number of slits, each large enough to admit of a ribbon passing
-through it.</p>
-
-<p>On the block of wood arrange as many tiny reels as it will take. It
-will be necessary to do this in tiers. There is no reason why they
-should be like the ordinary reel, for the smaller they are the better.
-Each of these reels carries a differently coloured ribbon, which has
-been previously passed through one of the slits at the closed end of
-the funnel. It will be discovered that it is not possible to wind them
-up quite tightly, but an inch or two hanging loose will not signify
-if care be taken not to cross the ribbons in any way. That end of
-the ribbon which appears outside the slit must have a piece of wire
-sewn in it, to prevent its going quite through. With the block thus
-prepared, and the funnel fitted firmly upon it, put the whole into
-the bottle, and then pour the liquid carefully down the sides of the
-funnel, taking care not to let any get in through the slits.</p>
-
-<p>Having poured out a little of the liquid, for the benefit of the
-company, say that you are now going to ask the bottle to give you a
-colour, and request the audience to say which particular one it shall
-be. Of course, some half-dozen, at least, will be given by as many
-persons, which is all in your favour, as you may then choose which you
-please, or, more properly speaking, not notice any extraordinary one
-with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span> which you may not be provided. Some clever person is sure to
-rack his brains for some impossible colour, but, as you will take no
-notice whatever of him, it will not matter much. Each time a colour is
-asked for, turn to some object of that particular hue, and pretend to
-convey some of it on the end of the wand to the mouth of the bottle.
-There is nothing in this, perhaps, but it gives an air of finish to
-the trick. Snatch up the bottle every now and then, and pour out some
-liquid from it, and also call attention in an indirect manner to the
-fact that the ribbons are perfectly dry. Also tap the bottle once or
-twice with the wand, for the unexpressed purpose of showing that it is
-glass, and handle it generally in a careless manner, swinging it about
-by the neck, taking care, however, not to expose the bottom. This
-makes a very effective stage trick.</p>
-
-<p>A second method, which the reader is not at all likely to have seen
-performed, seeing that I invented it myself, enables the conjuror
-to employ an ordinary glass bottle, having no preparation whatever
-about it. It should be a dark bottle, so as to be quite opaque at a
-distance. The bottle is shown for examination, and placed upon a low
-table or chair, and the performer extracts coloured ribbons, just as
-they are called for. As the bottle has been examined, no necessity
-exists for occasionally pouring out liquid from it, which is a dumb
-way of saying that the bottle is an ordinary one. Secreted beneath the
-vest band, the performer has his rolls of ribbon arranged. They may be
-either upon bent pins, stuck in the vest itself, or the performer may
-have a band, fitted with wire hooks, which may be buttoned on in a few
-moments. As the ends of the hooks or pins are towards the performer's
-body, the ribbons cannot fall off; but the ends of the fingers,
-curled slightly underneath, obtain them at once. The colours must be
-arranged in a certain order, which the performer will, of course, have
-to remember, and he must depend entirely upon his sense of touch.
-Directly the colour is named, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span> performer commences to seek for
-some article of furniture or dress containing it; and whilst the wand
-is extended towards the object, for the purpose of magically bearing
-away some of its colour, the other hand is getting down the ribbon,
-that side of the body upon which it is secreted being turned from the
-audience. Proceeding to the bottle, the wand affects to place the
-colour magically obtained into the bottle, and, as soon as the other
-hand has secured the loose end of the ribbon, it is brought to the
-mouth, and the ribbon allowed to unroll. A tiny piece of lead, sewn
-in the end, will assist this greatly; but the ribbons should always
-be kept flat, except when in actual use, otherwise they will assume
-a curl, which will betray the fact that they have been rolled up. If
-symptoms of curling manifest themselves, the wand should be held at
-the mouth of the bottle and pressed against the ribbon as it comes
-out, and it should be then taken in both hands and held stretched
-until placed upon the table.</p>
-
-<p>By adopting this method, the performer is enabled to produce a very
-great number of colours; and it is advisable to have two or three of
-them twice over. However well the trick may be performed with the
-prepared bottle, the company instinctively feel that a certain number
-of ribbons are concealed somewhere or other, and that when they are
-once produced no more can come. By producing the same colours twice,
-the notion of an inexhaustible productive power is conveyed.</p>
-
-<p>There is a third method, which can only be employed on a regular
-stage. The bottle is a specially constructed glass one, that part
-which is known as the "kick" extending upwards to the neck, and having
-a hole in the top. Thus there is still space left in the bottle for
-plenty of liquor, whilst there is an open passage up the middle of it.
-This bottle is placed over a hole in a table having a hollow leg (a
-small, single-legged round table is invariably used), and the ribbons
-are passed up on the end of a rod by an assistant below.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span> By this
-method, an endless supply can be taken from the bottle, but few of my
-readers will, I fancy, be able to adopt this method, although it could
-be done over a draped table under which a small boy was secreted for
-the time being. When the performer advances to the bottle he gives out
-the name of the colour very loudly, and places his fingers over the
-mouth, at the same time pressing hard, to prevent the bottle being
-shifted by the action of the ascending rod. The assistant below has
-his ribbons arranged in order, and, as soon as he hears the colour
-given, attaches the proper one to the pin at the end of the rod. When
-the performer is quite ready he strikes the bottle with the wand,
-upon hearing which, but not before, the assistant pushes up the rod.
-He must be in no hurry to withdraw it, but give the performer plenty
-of time to clear the ribbon. A suitable bottle may be manufactured by
-knocking the bottom out of an opaque glass bottle, and then fitting a
-tin lining to it, inside, which can be fixed and rendered watertight
-by means of putty, afterwards blackened, if white putty be used. The
-bottle is occasionally taken up, and liquor poured from it, as in the
-first method.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Accommodating Bottle.</em>&mdash;This is a bottle from which the
-performer pours any kind of wine or spirits that may be asked for.
-The secret, as in the foregoing trick, lies in the bottle, and it
-is only introduced here on account of its remarkable effectiveness
-in clever hands. The interior of the body is divided into a number
-of compartments, usually five. Each compartment has a tiny tube
-running from it half way up the neck of the bottle, and has also an
-aperture, just capable of admitting an ordinary pin, at the side
-of the bottle. Four of these apertures should be arranged an inch
-apart in a slightly curved line, so that one finger can be placed
-upon each when the bottle is grasped in the hand. The fifth aperture
-should be situated underneath the thumb. It is possible, but very
-difficult (owing to the absolute necessity for having the partitions
-hermetically closed, except at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> the tubes and the apertures), to have
-an ordinary quart bottle, with the bottom knocked out, fitted with a
-tin lining, properly prepared. When this can be done, it is decidedly
-advantageous; but, in the ordinary way, one has to be contented with a
-tin article, japanned.</p>
-
-<p>By means of a specially fine funnel, each compartment is filled with
-a different wine, and great care must be taken in remembering which
-contains the port, which the sherry, and so on. So long as the fingers
-and thumb are kept firmly pressed upon the apertures, no liquid
-will escape, even when the bottle is inverted, as it will be by the
-performer, previous to commencing, to show that it is empty. Some
-bottles have an extra compartment, into which water is poured, in full
-view of the audience, and the bottle apparently washed out, the water
-being poured out again. The adoption of this addition is a matter of
-taste. A dozen or so of liqueur glasses upon a tray, and carried by
-an attendant, will be required, and, after calling attention to the
-fact that the bottle is quite empty, and that he has no pipes running
-up his sleeve, the performer asks a lady what particular wine she
-would like. It is as well to use the words "port, sherry, or what?"
-by way of suggesting something which you have in your bottle to start
-with. You will, of course, have champagne, claret, and hock, which,
-with the sherry and port, will make about as good a quintet as could
-be selected. On any particular wine being called for, all you have to
-do is to raise the finger covering the hole corresponding with the
-compartment containing the required beverage, and it will flow out;
-on replacing the finger the flow will cease. By using small glasses,
-one appears to supply so much more than would be the case with larger
-ones. Never more than half fill a glass, and always pass as rapidly as
-possible from one person to another. Of course, you will be frequently
-asked for a wine with which you are not provided. This, in nine times
-out of ten, you can manufacture out of your stock. For marsala,
-for instance, give a little sherry and hock mixed. For sparkling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span>
-burgundy mix champagne and port, or champagne and claret. When you
-make a mistake, pretend to be in a great hurry to attend to another
-applicant, and accidentally (!) drop the glass on the floor. Never
-mind if the glass does break; your trick is not spoilt.</p>
-
-<p>It is wonderful how much success is attained by management in this
-trick. In one person's hands, it falls so flat as to be almost a
-failure; whilst, in another's, it will probably be the success of
-the evening. It is especially successful in the hands of a brisk and
-lively performer, before, or rather amongst, a large audience of a
-free and easy nature. It is not a good trick to introduce before a
-select and stiff company. Should any particularly fastidious person
-be met with, he can generally be settled by the administration of a
-mixture of the whole five wines. If he is still dissatisfied, ask him,
-if the beverage is not the one for which he asked, to say what it is.
-It will puzzle him to answer, and you will then be able to retaliate
-upon him by supposing that he does not know the taste of the wine for
-which he was so anxious.</p>
-
-<p>Some first-rate continental conjurors, who, as a rule, take infinite
-trouble with their tricks, perform this trick with an ordinary
-bottle, which, after being examined, is filled with sweetened water
-(ostensibly plain water), and then any liqueur is given from it. The
-secret in this case lies in the glasses, which are coloured, and
-contain each an extract of a certain liqueur. The sweetened water
-answers for all. By this means, it is possible to be provided with an
-immense number of flavours, but the trouble in preparation is such as
-only a professed conjuror could undertake.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Mesmeric Suspension Wand.</em>&mdash;The Fakir of Oolu (he is known in
-private circles by a far less sounding and much more cockneyfied name
-than that) was the first to introduce this trick to the British public.</p>
-
-<p>The performer is provided with an ordinary conjuring wand, blackened
-all over. He passes it through one hand,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> to show that it is not
-attached to any suspending medium, and then performs a series of feats
-with it, which apparently entirely upset the laws of gravitation.
-For instance, when placed horizontally against the under side of the
-outstretched hand, it does not, as one would expect, fall at once
-to the ground, but remains in the unnatural position. When placed
-perpendicularly against a finger or thumb, the result is the same;
-and it can be just as easily suspended from the tip of the finger by
-its extreme end. There are three methods in general use for producing
-these phenomena. One is to have the rod provided with several black
-pins, which stand out a little from the wand, and are then bent at
-right angles. The heads are taken off, and the exposed ends left
-rough. If two of these pins be placed about five inches apart, with
-the points of each turned towards the other, a hand placed flatly
-between them will be enabled to sustain the rod in any position by
-merely opening out the fingers, thereby causing a pressure on the
-two pins. This is the whole secret of the first method. The conjuror
-can arrange his pins according to fancy. I find five ample viz., two
-about two and a half inches apart at each end, and one small one at
-the actual tip. There is no necessity for more; and the space of two
-and a half inches admits of the introduction of two fingers, which
-possess quite sufficient power to sustain the rod. The advantage of
-using two fingers only is that, by employing the middle ones, those
-on the outside are left free to be moved about, as they should be, to
-assist in abolishing the idea of any connection existing. When the
-wand is drawn through one hand, the action must be quickly executed,
-and no notice given of the intention to perform it, otherwise the
-attention of the audience will be sufficiently attracted to the wand
-to cause it to be noticed that the hand does not actually touch it,
-although it appears to do so. A serious pantomime of mesmerising the
-wand by means of a few passes may be indulged in with advantage,
-according to the ability of the performer in this direction;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span> but he
-must treat it seriously. If it is at all well done, one half of the
-audience will remain almost convinced that some influence has been
-exercised over the rod. The wand should then be taken in one hand, and
-struck smartly on the palm of the other, to show that it is solid,
-or it can be done previous to the mesmerism. This is very necessary,
-as a universal idea exists, amongst those who do not know the trick,
-that the wand is made of pith, and that the performer has some "sticky
-stuff" on his fingers. It should next be held horizontally at the end
-by one hand, and the other passed slowly along it once or twice, the
-motion becoming slower and slower until it ceases altogether. The
-fingers will then be between two pins, and, on the rod being released
-by the other hand, it will apparently cling to the under surface of
-the one above it. To cause it to attach itself to a finger or thumb
-perpendicularly, it is only necessary to hang it by one pin on the
-outstretched member, and the prodigy is accomplished. The pin at the
-tip is for the purpose of suspending the rod from the end of a finger.
-This is accomplished by pushing the pin under the nail. No trick could
-be simpler; therefore the performer must do all he can to make the
-audience believe in its extreme difficulty. Once or twice, at least,
-the mesmeric power should fail, and fresh passes resorted to in order
-to restore it. An effective action to introduce is that of placing
-both hands above the wand whilst it is in a horizontal position, and
-then appearing to move them backwards and forwards along it. This is
-accomplished by fixing the fingers of one hand only in the pins. The
-hands are then parted, and joined twice with considerably rapidity.
-The disengaged hand must not alone be moved, but the other as well,
-otherwise it will be seen that the wand is affixed to one hand, and
-the other merely moved along it. The care taken by the conjuror will
-make this trick the more or less successful.</p>
-
-<p>The second method is to have a ring upon the finger provided with a
-clamp, which receives the wand in its embrace.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> The only thing to be
-said in favour of this device is that it enables the wand to be shown
-round. In all else it is vastly inferior to the bent pin arrangement.
-The number of positions in which it is possible to suspend the rod
-are exceedingly limited, and the probability of the ring being
-accidentally exposed is by no means remote.</p>
-
-<p>As it is decidedly advantageous to give the rod round for examination,
-it is always well for the performer to devise a method for handing
-round one rod, free from any preparation whatever, and then exchanging
-it for a prepared one. This is, perhaps, best managed by concealing
-the prepared one up the coat sleeve. The one that is shown round is
-dropped into the tail pocket, which can be specially arranged for such
-a use without much difficulty. The change behind the table is weak,
-and a large majority of the audience invariably see through it, in
-which case all the performer's subsequent actions with the article are
-looked upon as farcical. When a dummy article is to be exchanged for
-a prepared one, the change must be perfect, or left alone altogether.
-If the performer have any doubt about it, let him rather dispense
-with the examination and consequent exchange, for then the audience
-can only suspect; but, if any covert action is detected, then the
-suspicion resolves itself into a tolerable certainty.</p>
-
-<p>The wand for this trick is very easily made, any ordinary wood being
-suitable, and a packet of black pins, a pair of pliers, and a file
-will do the rest. It is best as a stage trick, private audiences in
-small rooms being somewhat too close for safety.</p>
-
-<p>There is, however, a third method, which I think the reader will,
-after giving it a trial, find commend itself highly, as it enables
-him to use his ordinary wand, and so avoid the suspicion naturally
-engendered by the employment of a fresh article expressly for a
-special trick. Our old friend, the silken thread, is once more the
-means employed, and it may be either passed round the performer's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span>
-neck, in the form of a large loop, or be affixed to a waistcoat
-button. Experiment will at once determine the proper length, which
-will naturally vary with the physical proportions of each performer.
-The wand is, of course, given round for examination, and may be passed
-through the loop whilst the performer is facing the audience, although
-it is, perhaps, the safer way to do this whilst retreating to the
-stage. It will be found that when the thread is stretched outwards
-from the body by means of the wand, acted upon by the hands, it
-supports the wand by drawing it hard against the fingers. At first the
-wand is taken in the two hands, one near each end, and held out very
-gingerly. When the thread is felt to be tightly stretched, the fingers
-are opened, and it is as well to at once give a swinging motion to
-the hands. The hands should then be drawn together and parted again
-two or three times, both slowly and fast, a slight swinging being
-still kept up, and then two or three, or single fingers can be
-employed, as may the sides and backs of the hands. These movements
-will necessitate some little practice, in order to ensure facility of
-execution. When enough has been done by two hands, one hand should
-be placed in the centre of the wand, the thread passing between the
-fingers, when the wand will be just as securely supported. The hands
-should be changed, the one hand taking the wand from the other, from
-beneath. The <em>finale</em> to this method of doing the trick is the most
-startling of all, the wand being suspended by one end from the tip of
-a finger, and from thence given to the company. To bring this about
-neatly, grasp one end of the wand with the right hand and place the
-tip of a finger of the left hand against the other end. Let the wand
-assume a perpendicular position, the right hand undermost, and, at the
-same time, cause the thread to slide along until within a bare inch
-of the finger at the other end. If the wand be fitted with ferrules,
-as directed, the thread is certain to rest at their terminations.
-The pressure of the finger against the resistance of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> the thread,
-delicately dispensed, will cause the wand to be supported, and with it
-in this position the performer advances to the company, and, with the
-right hand, places it in their hands, a very slight under sweep, quite
-compatible with a graceful presentation of the article, sufficing to
-free it of the slight tenure the thread holds over it. As the Fakir's
-wand has been on sale for very many years, there will probably be
-amongst the spectators some who know its secret. With these the method
-now described will be most successful in creating astonishment, for it
-will be quite beyond them.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 487px;">
-<a id="fig53"></a>
-<img src="images/fig53.png" width="487" height="500" alt="Fig. 53" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 53.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p>A little additional sleight may be practised, which gives finish to
-the trick. This is to cause the wand to apparently attach itself to
-the tips of the outstretched fingers of one hand. To the spectators,
-it appears as if the fingers were merely outstretched, and the wand
-placed against them, when it adheres. It is quite true that only the
-tips of the fingers touch the wand, but they must be so disposed that
-the first and fourth are on the inside, and the second and third on
-the outside. The theory of the grip is the same as though<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> the wand
-were held between the four fingers, an inch or more down them. What
-the conjuror has to study is to bring sufficient pressure to bear
-by means of the tips only, the nails of the first and third fingers
-resting against the wand. The hold is really of the most fragile
-description, only one longitudinal half (the inside one) of the wand
-being operated upon. A strong and rather fleshy finger will succeed
-best, but, in any case, the first and fourth fingers must be stretched
-out as wide as they can be made to do, and the whole operation will be
-very materially assisted by using a wand that is neither heavy, thick,
-nor slippery. An unvarnished wand would be the best, and it should be
-as much less than half an inch in thickness as can be made convenient.
-Weight will then be comparatively immaterial. The performer will find
-the effect of his trick wonderfully enhanced if, in handing the wand
-from one member of the company to another, he does so by means of the
-apparently magnetic tips of his fingers. The sleight is illustrated at
-<a href="#fig53">Fig. 53</a>.</p>
-
-<p><a id="magis_brazen_rod"></a><em>The Magi's Brazen Rod.</em>&mdash;This is a solid brazen rod, one quarter of
-an inch in thickness. At each end is a brass ball, free (whether solid
-or not) from any preparation whatever. One ball is firmly fixed, and
-the other screws off and on. Some ladies' rings are borrowed, and a
-solid wooden ball, which is subjected to examination, is then passed
-on the brazen rod, and the movable brass ball screwed on. The ball
-ends are then held firmly by two of the audience, and a handkerchief
-spread over the wooden ball. The performer introduces his hands,
-containing the rings, beneath the handkerchief, and, in a moment,
-the ball drops from the wand, upon which, on the withdrawal of the
-handkerchief, the rings are seen.</p>
-
-<p>There are many variations in the details of the trick; but the one
-great secret in connection with it is that, besides the solid wooden
-ball which is shown round, the performer has one behind the scenes
-that is hollow, and is divided into two equal parts, which fit firmly
-together, like a box<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span> and lid. In the box portion is fitted a piece
-of cork, in which are three slits. Ostensibly to fetch the solid
-ball, the performer retires behind, and there rapidly places the
-three borrowed rings, for the possession of which at this stage I
-shall presently account, lightly into the slits, closes the ball up,
-and palms it. Returning to the stage, with the solid ball openly in
-the hand, he gives it to be examined. On receiving it back, he has
-to exchange it for the prepared one (a feat neither too difficult
-nor too easy), which is passed on the rod instead, the solid ball
-being vested. The sequel follows as a matter of course. The solid
-ball is re-palmed, and secretly introduced under the handkerchief at
-the same time as the rings (<em>i.e.</em>, their substitutes); the hollow
-ball is opened, thus leaving the rings alone on the wand, re-closed
-and palmed, the solid ball at the same moment being dropped on the
-floor. The performer must be careful not to have the wooden balls
-larger than is absolutely necessary, or he will find some difficulty
-in exchanging and concealing them neatly when occasion requires. They
-must be turned with circular grooves, in one of which the opening
-of the prepared ball is made, so as to escape detection from casual
-glances. The method of obtaining the rings varies considerably. Some
-performers put them into boxes with secret openings, and thus obtain
-possession of them. The simplest plan, if one has a stage assistant,
-is that described under the heading "<a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Sleights for General Use</a>." The
-assistant remains on the stage, holding the wand until the rings are
-required again. The performer then puts them in a piece of paper,
-ostensibly to "take better care of them," but really to make it easier
-for him to get rid of them, and they are palmed, along with the dummy
-ball, when that is taken off the wand. I have seen it attempted to
-place the dummy rings inside the ball before re-closing it, but the
-operation took too long by far in execution. If too much paper be
-not used, and the rings are small and tightly folded together, it is
-possible to pop the little parcel inside the lid of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> ball. The
-rings could be of such a size as to allow of this. The method for
-managing the exchange of the rings depends much upon circumstances.
-The one I have given will be found generally applicable, especially as
-the trick is essentially a stage one. The handkerchief that is thrown
-over the rod should be drawn off smartly, so as to cause the rings to
-spin round, by the hand containing the ball just removed from the rod,
-which it will assist to conceal. On the completion of the trick, hand
-back the borrowed rings on the rod itself, and also show round the
-ball again.</p>
-
-<p>There is no reason why this should be an expensive trick. A brazier
-could make the rod and knob ends for a very few shillings, and the two
-wooden balls should cost about 1s. 6d.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Shower of Plumes.</em>&mdash;This is a trick requiring a great display
-of dexterity, combined with considerable boldness. The performer
-produces, from a large handkerchief, enough plumes, each nearly 2ft.
-in length, to cover the floor of an ordinary room. The plumes are
-rather expensive articles to purchase, but, when once obtained, form
-an excellent stock-in-trade. The method for producing them is to
-take off the coat, and then, grasping a large quantity by the lower
-ends in each hand, replace the coat. The compressible nature of the
-feathers enables a dozen or more plumes to be concealed up each
-sleeve. Care should be taken that they lie along the back of the arm.
-The performer, thus padded, comes on with a large silk handkerchief
-in his hands, but contents himself with remaining well at the back of
-the stage, and also refrains from turning his back to the audience.
-He waves the handkerchief to and fro, to show that it is empty, and
-then says that he will try and find something in it. To do this, he
-spreads it over one hand, and, with the other, seizes the end of one
-plume through it. At the same moment, with a sharp swift movement,
-the handkerchief and plume are withdrawn, the underneath hand falling
-to the side, assisting thereby in the withdrawal of the plume, and
-also keeping the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> ends of the remaining ones out of sight. The hand
-holding the handkerchief is inverted, and the plume will be revealed.
-Under pretence of removing this plume, the disengaged hand seizes
-another plume through the handkerchief, and withdraws it with the same
-movement which casts the one exhibited on the floor. The second one
-is then shown, and the process of drawing out another repeated from
-each arm alternately, the production of the plumes being made as rapid
-as possible, the motive being to bewilder the audience, who, if the
-performer does not make any blunder, will never imagine that they are
-concealed up the sleeves. It is as well to draw out a couple at one
-time once or twice, for the sake of extra effect, and, with the same
-object in view, have the plumes of several colours. Some should be
-all white, some all red, and others all blue, whilst another variety
-can be of two or even three colours. Never attempt to produce a plume
-until the handkerchief has fallen well over the arm from which it is
-to be drawn, and let the whole trick be executed with great dash.
-Sometimes larger plumes are placed round the body and drawn out
-from the vest, the handkerchief being spread over the chest for the
-purpose. The attendant who picks up the plumes should make the best
-show he can with them. Some performers place the plumes in fan-shaped
-vases or other receptacles, but the operation hampers the performance
-of the trick too much, and also leads to too many undesirable
-movements to be recommended. An excellent ruse is to conceal one plume
-beneath the carpet, with the end just through a hole or slit in the
-seam. The handkerchief is spread on the floor, and the plume produced.
-It is undoubtedly a very difficult trick to perform well, but it
-produces a great effect.</p>
-
-<p>The trick may be performed, in a small way, by means of ostrich
-feathers laid inside the shirt sleeve, the coat sleeve being turned
-back.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Fairy Flower.</em>&mdash;From a large cut-glass vase, having a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> cover,
-cut out a large portion&mdash;say, a piece 3in. wide, and extending from
-the top almost to the bottom, or foot. Along the back edge of the top
-of the table affix a spiral spring of several close coils, the free
-end of which should be of sufficient length, and of such shape as to
-enable it to extend well over the top of the table. To the extreme
-end of it affix a cut rose, camellia, or other showy flower, and then
-bend it down until it is out of sight behind the table. A sliding pin,
-working in a couple of staples, and having a loop at one end, must be
-brought on at the side of the spiral spring, and when the end with
-the flower on it is bent back, this pin is pushed across it, and so
-prevents it returning to an upright position. A thread attached to the
-loop, and passed out at the side, will enable the assistant to release
-the spring when desired. The vase is brought on, and the best side
-shown to the audience, besides being rung with the fingers or wand
-to show that it is sound, and it is then placed in position exactly
-against the spot where the spring is affixed, and the cover put on.
-The performer then says that he will cause the fairies to place a
-flower inside the vase, and commands them to do so. He can either
-spread a handkerchief momentarily over the vase, or dispense with
-the operation altogether. The attendant pulls the thread, the pin is
-drawn aside, and the spring with the flower on it flies into the vase.
-The cover is then removed, and the flower taken out from the top, a
-strong nip of the nails being necessary to remove it. The assistant,
-in removing the vase, bends back the wire and pushes the pin over it.
-This trick is usually performed with the aid of a box-shaped pedestal,
-on which the vase is stood. Within this pedestal the spring and wire
-arrangement, with flower attached, is concealed, the working being
-practically the same as that just described; but the reader will,
-doubtless, agree with me, that the introduction of a large box is
-likely to bring suspicion along with it.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Perambulating Bottle and Tumbler.</em>&mdash;This is a trick in which
-absolute sleight of hand does not appear; but it calls<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> for a certain
-amount of finish in execution, and, like <a href="#bottle_ginger_beer"><em>A Bottle of Ginger
-Beer</em></a>, makes an agreeable change in a programme, both to company
-and performer. The performer has a bottle of beer, a tumbler, and
-two cardboard covers, which are, in fact, mere cardboard tubes,
-open at each end. Beer is poured from the bottle into the tumbler,
-and both articles are then placed upon the side tables, and covered
-with a cover. After the performance of the usual magical passes,
-the covers are removed, when the glass and bottle are found to have
-changed places. The following is the ingenious method by which the
-impossibility is apparently brought about: Have a tin bottle made,
-exactly in imitation of a beer bottle, between nine and ten inches
-high, and japanned so as to look like glass at a distance. The bottom
-of this bottle is open, but four inches from the lower edge is a tin
-partition, dividing the bottle laterally into two compartments. The
-upper compartment is for the purpose of containing the beer. Passing
-through its very centre, and reaching to within half an inch of the
-top of the neck, is a tube about a third of an inch in diameter, or,
-at any rate, large enough to take a small funnel. Thus communication
-is established with the lower open compartment, by means of the tube.
-Then have a second bottle made, also of tin, and japanned to match,
-just large enough to pass over the first one. This bottle has no
-interior whatever, and is, in fact, a mere shell. In height it need be
-only the merest trifle taller than the other, and the tinman should
-be enjoined to keep it as narrow as possible, compatible with an easy
-fit over the smaller bottle. Each bottle should be decorated with a
-flaring beer label, taken from genuine bottles. Needless to say, they
-must be precisely similar, and if each has a piece accidentally (!)
-torn out of it, sufficiently large to be noticed by the spectator,
-so much the better. In the middle of the body of each bottle is cut
-a circular hole, nearly an inch in diameter, and fully two inches
-removed from the nearest edge of the label. Further will be required
-the two pasteboard<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> covers, which may be of any length between twelve
-and fifteen inches. These must be made to fit very closely over the
-bottles, without actually clinging to them, consequently one will be
-larger than the other. Finally, two tumblers, precisely similar, will
-be wanted. They must not exceed four inches in height, or they will
-not go under the small bottle, on account of the partition there.
-Behind the scenes the small bottle has its compartment filled with
-beer, and is then placed over one of the tumblers, the large shell
-bottle being finally placed over both. Placing the middle finger
-through the holes in the bottles pressure is brought to bear upon the
-tumbler, which in this way may be lifted with the bottles. The whole,
-looking to the audience merely like a single bottle, is thus brought
-on, and placed upon the centre table. The two covers are shown, the
-performer explaining that they are merely made to cover the bottle.
-Suiting the action to the word, he places the large cover over the
-bottle, and at once withdraws it, nipping it near the bottom, so as to
-bring away the outer shell inside. With the other hand, the smaller
-cover is then placed over the smaller bottle, and at once withdrawn.
-The company, knowing of only one bottle, will fancy they have seen
-both covers placed over it. The large cover, having the shell within
-it, must not be laid upon its side, but stood up alongside the empty
-one. The performer now takes the smaller bottle in one hand&mdash;holding
-the tumbler beneath it as well, by means of a finger through the
-hole&mdash;and the visible tumbler in the other. Beer is poured out until
-the tumbler is filled. The performer now says that he does not want
-his glass too full, and, replacing bottle on table, places a small
-funnel into its mouth, care being taken to insert it in the tube. Half
-the beer&mdash;neither more nor less&mdash;must now be poured into the funnel,
-and it of course finds its way into the tumbler beneath. The conjuror
-will have to experiment beforehand, so as to discover how much liquid
-he must leave in the visible tumbler, and how much he must pour away,
-slight marks being made, with a diamond<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span> or file, for his guidance
-whilst exhibiting. It is highly essential that each glass contains
-precisely the same quantity. The visible tumbler is now placed upon
-one side table and covered with the large cover, containing the shell.
-The small bottle is placed upon the other side table, with the tumbler
-still concealed under it, and covered with the small cover. By means
-of his wand, an imaginary exchange of the articles is now made, and
-the covers are lifted&mdash;that containing the shell lightly, so as to
-leave the shell behind; whilst that containing the bottle is gripped
-nearer the bottom, so as to lift that article with it, exposing the
-second tumbler. The general method adopted in lifting the covers is
-to take them by the extreme top when the article contained is to be
-exhibited, and at the very bottom when it is to be carried away. These
-are certainly very safe methods; but they are unnecessarily so, and
-afford far too much clue to the spectators. The variation between
-the positions of the hand need never exceed a couple of inches. The
-height of the upper edge of the body of the bottles the performer may
-have indicated upon the outside of the cover. Half an inch below that
-line he has only to exert pressure to ensure the carrying away of the
-bottle or shell. A little above it he is clear of them, and need not
-fear carrying them away by mistake. A variation of two or three inches
-is a natural one, and unnoticeable. Poor conjurors, too, always treat
-a cover containing anything in a far too gingerly manner. An empty
-cover they flourish about with extreme recklessness, exhibiting the
-interior freely; but, a few moments later, they carry the same cover
-about as gingerly as one would a very lofty and quivering tipsy cake
-or jelly. Spectators cannot but notice this sudden change from extreme
-freedom to plainly-depicted trepidation, and generally draw very
-correct conclusions. The conjuror should practise to be as free and as
-<em>nonchalant</em> as possible with articles that are really mysterious, and
-study carefully how far he may go without exposing any secrets. In the
-present instance, the cover containing the shell should be flourished<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span>
-about a good deal, and finally placed over the tumbler in a careless
-manner.</p>
-
-<p>The change made, the performer will of course offer to do it again,
-"in order to give everyone a chance of noticing how it is done." He
-may pretend to give his spectators some assistance by telling them,
-in confidence, that the tumbler and bottle really came out at the
-tops of the covers, his original statement, that the openings were
-there to prevent suspicion, being untrue, their real purpose being
-to afford easy exits and entrances for the articles. The articles
-then make a return to their original positions, after the covers have
-been replaced, the shell being carried away, and the bottle allowed
-to remain. The feature of the trick, which completely mystifies the
-company, is the transposition of the beer-containing tumbler. The fact
-that the bottle has been nearly inverted, in the act of pouring out
-the beer in the first instance, precludes the idea that it could ever
-have been concealed in that. Although beer is here mentioned, claret
-or claret and water may be used, or any other showy liquid at hand.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Magic Omelette.</em>&mdash;This is a very favourite trick. The performer
-borrows two or three rings, which are cast into an omelette pan.
-Eggs are broken into the pan, and spirit added, and lighted. A cover
-is momentarily placed over it, and, when removed, all traces of the
-omelette have vanished, two doves taking its place. This would,
-perhaps, not be so very extraordinary were it not for the fact that
-around the birds' necks are pieces of ribbon, having upon them
-the borrowed rings. Such a trick may well be admired. It is thus
-performed: The pan, about 10in. in diameter, and between 2in. and 3in.
-deep, is made of plain brass, copper, or nickel, and has a slight
-turnover edge, turning outwards. The cover, which is a shallow one,
-has a 2in. flange. This flange is for the reception of a secret lining
-to the pan, containing the doves, and left behind when the cover is
-raised, after being placed over the pan. It fits outside the cover
-flange, loosely,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> but very tightly into the pan, for there must be no
-danger of its being carried away when the cover is lifted. It also has
-a turnover edge, precisely as has the pan, and by means of this edge
-it is temporarily attached to the cover. The cover, on the under side,
-at the extreme border, has two flat hooks, an inch or so in length.
-These are placed on opposite sides. In the turnover edge of the lining
-are two slits, admitting the flat hooks. To attach the lining to the
-cover is therefore simple, the hooks being placed in the slits and a
-twist given to the cover, which has only to be twisted the reverse way
-to withdraw the hooks from the lining again.</p>
-
-<p>Firstly, the performer sends his assistant forward to borrow the
-rings, which the lenders place upon the little wand he carries. In
-returning he changes them for dummies, as described at <a href="#Page_176">page 176</a>,
-and at once retires behind the scenes, where he has the cover and
-lining already prepared with the birds inside, but not with the hooks
-in position. The ribbons around the necks of the birds are left
-outside, the insertion of a stick in the loops preventing their being
-pulled inside by the movements of their wearers. This prearrangement
-is necessary, as rapidity of action is essential. A ring is rapidly
-attached by the ribbon loop being first passed through it, and then
-opened out over it. When attached, the rings are popped inside,
-the cover hooked to the lining, and a prearranged signal given the
-performer that all is in readiness. The performer, in the meanwhile,
-has been making his omelette, which he must not light until his
-assistant signals that he is ready. Then he applies fire, and, rushing
-forward, shows the spectators the rings frizzling in the midst of the
-eggs. This is done rapidly; and it is certainly advisable to avoid,
-if possible, the actual owners of the rings, or the absence of a lent
-one may be noticed. The assistant seizes this opportunity for bringing
-on the cover, which he does in a careless manner; and it is as well
-to bring on the wand at the same time, as though both articles had
-been carelessly forgotten. The majority of the spectators, if not all,
-will, however, be<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> engaged with the movements of the performer, who
-rushes back to his table, claps on the cover, his assistant firing a
-pistol to stir up the company to increased excitement, and takes it
-off again, giving, at the moment, the disengaging twist, the lining
-being thus left inside the pan, with the doves. The latter are brought
-down to the company, with the rings on their necks, and the pan shown
-empty, the contents being concealed between the bottom of the lining
-and the bottom of the pan.</p>
-
-<p><em>To Pass a Borrowed Ring Inside an Egg.</em>&mdash;A ring is borrowed, and
-placed in a handkerchief, or elsewhere, and an ordinary full egg,
-which may be examined, is placed in an egg-cup. The ring is "passed"
-into the egg, which is broken by the spectators, who also find the
-ring inside the egg by means of a little hook, with which they fish
-for it. The secret of the trick lies in the egg-cup. This may be of
-wood or metal&mdash;the latter for preference, wooden egg-cups being open
-to suspicion, whereas plated ones are not. Inside the cup, at the
-bottom, is cut a moderately deep slot; and when the performer has
-obtained possession of the ring by one of the methods described in
-this book, he secretly places it in the slot. The egg is now placed
-in the egg-cup, but, before doing so, the performer accidentally (!)
-breaks the shell at the small end, either by tapping the egg on the
-table or striking it with his wand, whilst in the act of explaining
-that the ring is to be found inside when the egg is placed into the
-cup, with the cracked end downwards. A little pressure will cause
-the ring to be forced into it. A small hook is now presented to a
-spectator, who is desired to break the top of the egg, and fish for
-the ring with the hook. Sooner or later, the ring will be brought to
-light. Particulars to be observed in connection with this trick are
-that the borrowed ring must not be too broad, or it may jam in the
-slot, nor must it be of a nature likely to be injured by the contents
-of the egg. The cup, with egg in it, should be brought forward on a
-plate or small waiter, in case of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> an overflow, a napkin being also
-necessary, for the same reason, and for the additional purpose of
-wiping the ring. The performer should present several eggs to the
-company, who select the one with which the trick is to be performed;
-but he should previously ascertain that each of them fits well into
-the cup, and does not jam at the sides. The safest plan is to have a
-special egg-cup made sufficiently large to take any ordinary hen's
-egg, as occasions may arise when the eggs will be provided by the
-house, as would be the case in the country. An additional feature is
-sometimes introduced of having a second egg-cup, without any slot
-in it, this one being given for examination, and the prepared one
-afterwards exchanged for it. The prepared one can very well be kept
-under the vest, and exchanged in the act of turning round.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Flying Cage.</em>&mdash;The performer comes forward with a square cage
-in his hand, containing a live bird. Standing close in front of
-the audience, he suddenly makes a movement as of throwing the cage
-upwards, when that article disappears, bird and all. The secret lies
-in the fact that, whilst the framework of the cage is actually of wood
-or metal, and the wires of real wire, the whole is jointed together at
-the corners with elastic, and the wires looped or hinged where affixed
-to the framework, so that the whole may be shut up, cornerwise,
-longitudinally, and made to disappear up the coat sleeve. The sleeve
-must be pretty large for this purpose, and the shirt cuff must offer
-no obstruction; in fact, a cuffless shirt should be worn. At one
-corner of the cage is affixed a strong black cord, which passes up the
-sleeve, round the back, and down the other sleeve, where it is tied to
-the wrist. The length must be such that the performer is just able to
-hold the cage, and have the cord tight. The bird is inserted through
-the wires. When the performer desires to cause the cage to disappear,
-he shuts up the cage obliquely, and, by simultaneously stretching
-out his arms, it is made to fly up his sleeve. So<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> instantaneously
-is this accomplished, that even those acquainted with the means by
-which the disappearance is arrived at cannot actually see the cage go,
-although the performer faces the company during the entire execution
-of the trick. It is advisable to purchase a cage ready made, in
-preference to constructing it oneself. A black frame is preferable to
-a brightly-burnished brass one.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Great Dictionary Trick.</em>&mdash;Few tricks have caused more general
-wonderment than this one. It is presented in various ways; but
-the original form, to which the reader may make what variations
-circumstances and ingenuity may suggest, is as follows: The performer
-advances with several pieces of paper, all blank. These are folded
-and thrown into a hat. One is selected by a spectator, and left in
-custody of the company. Several dictionaries are now produced, and
-handed round for subsequent reference. A paper-knife is placed in
-the hands of a spectator, who is desired to thrust it at will into
-the dictionary which the performer presents to him. The book is
-opened at the place thus indicated, the performer announcing the
-pages, to which the holders of the other dictionaries at once turn.
-The audience select which page and which of the two columns upon
-it shall be employed; and then, in order to ascertain which word
-shall be selected, a bag containing numbered counters, shown to be
-all different, is presented to another spectator, who draws one,
-and is asked to announce it. The word corresponding to that number,
-counting from the top of the page, is then read out, and on the paper
-previously chosen being opened, the word is found written upon it.</p>
-
-<p>The working of this trick is as follows: The dictionary which is
-presented by the performer to the holder of the paper-knife is
-composed of two pages only, repeated over and over again, throughout
-the book. Thus, it makes no difference where the knife may be thrust.
-Say that the thirteenth word on the right-hand column of the left-hand
-page of the book is the one selected by the performer. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> would
-first ask someone which page he should take. If the right hand were
-said, the performer immediately ejaculates, "<em>Your</em> right hand;
-thank you!" and immediately proceeds to have the right-hand column
-selected by someone else, in the same one-sided manner. The selection
-of the proper word is thus managed. The bag is a double one, and in
-one side are numbers running in proper arithmetical progression.
-These are shown and replaced. In the other side are a quantity of
-counters, but each is numbered "thirteen," so the drawer is bound to
-draw that number, the performer taking care to open that side for the
-insertion of his hand. The corresponding word has been previously
-written upon the paper. This may be forced upon the selector by being
-placed upon the crown of a hat in a circle with other pieces, the hat
-being adroitly turned at the proper moment, so that the desired piece
-of paper comes to the hand of the chooser. This force must not be
-insisted upon if the chooser be at all unwilling, and the performer
-must resort to the alternate ruse (which many prefer entirely to the
-force) of a change. For this, the prepared paper is held in the left
-hand, and a plain paper apparently put into it by the right, it being,
-of course, retained there, and the one in the left hand exhibited.
-When performed many times before the same company, different
-arrangements of pages will have to be adopted, or the recurrence of
-the same page may easily lead to detection of the fraud.</p>
-
-<p><em>Magical Wine.</em>&mdash;The performer comes forward with a glass of port wine
-in his hand. He then explains the convenience of being a conjuror,
-since one can always accommodate one's friends. For instance, here
-is a glass of port wine. The friend to whom it is proffered does
-not happen to care for port. In the ordinary way the wine would be
-wasted; but not so with the conjuror. All he has to do is to borrow
-the friend's handkerchief (here a handkerchief is borrowed), and,
-waving it thus over the glass, see, the wine has changed to sherry!
-But the friend does not like sherry either. What does he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> like, then?
-A little spirit? Yes! Gin, perhaps? If you please. The handkerchief is
-once more waved over the glass, and the sherry turns to gin, which the
-company are welcome to prove by the ordeal of taste.</p>
-
-<p>The secret of this trick lies in two pieces of coloured glass, shaped
-thus: <span class="inlinefig" style="width: 40px;">
-<img src="images/p338.png" width="40" height="32" alt="cup shape" />
-</span> so as to fit perpendicularly into a wineglass.
-One piece of glass is yellow, to represent sherry, and the other red.
-The performer advances with the glass full of gin, and the two glasses
-placed in it. The red and the yellow commingling produce the tawny
-port colour. It need hardly be said that the edges of the glasses
-must never be towards the company. The first time the handkerchief is
-placed over the glass the red glass is abstracted, leaving the yellow,
-which is removed on the second occasion. The glasses are most easily
-palmed. Provided with his glasses, the performer will find this a
-handy trick to perform extempore at the houses of friends, where water
-might be used if gin were not handy, or else very pale whisky. It is
-not of sufficient importance for the stage.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Sack Trick.</em>&mdash;This trick is variously performed, but I shall only
-give one method, as being the one best within reach of the amateur.
-It requires the aid of an assistant, who comes forward undisguisedly
-as such. A large sack is handed round to the company, along with a
-piece of cord, for examination. As a matter of fact, there is nothing
-to be discovered in connection with these articles. Into the sack the
-performer or his assistant steps, and it is tied securely over his
-head, the cord being finally sealed by one of the company. A screen is
-placed in front of the individual in the sack, and, in a very short
-space of time, he comes from behind it with the sack in his hand, and
-minus a boot. The sack is given to the company for examination, when
-the mouth is found to be firmly tied and the seal unbroken, whilst
-the missing boot is clearly inside, it being thereby conclusively
-demonstrated that it was actually the sack which contained the owner
-of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span> that piece of wearing apparel. The seal has to be broken before
-the boot can be recovered.</p>
-
-<p>The explanation is that there are two sacks, the second one being
-concealed up the back of the person who is tied up. So soon as he
-is put into the first sack he gets down the concealed one, and pops
-his boot into it. He then folds the mouth of it neatly, and, as his
-<em>confrère</em> forms up that of the visible sack for tying, he thrusts it
-up into his hand. The tyer, holding his hand so as to conceal the fact
-of there being two mouths, ties up the inside one very securely&mdash;a
-few folds of the cords just nipping the outside sack also, so that
-the hand holding them may be presently removed without any exposure
-resulting. The greatest care must, of course, be taken that the
-sealing is done upon the inside sack only, the tyer superintending
-this operation very closely. Everything depends upon the neatness
-with which he performs his part. If it is a clumsy job, the sealing
-must be dispensed with, or the sealer will notice the presence of
-two sack mouths. The material of which the sacks are made should,
-therefore, not be very thick, or the cord will not be able to conceal
-the outside sack mouth. When the screen is placed in front, the man
-inside carefully pulls away the outside mouth from under the cord, and
-he is free. The first sack he merely hangs up behind the screen&mdash;which
-is afterwards folded up and carried away with the sack inside it&mdash;and
-comes forward with sack number two, which he has never been inside, in
-his hand. It is a good stage trick.</p>
-
-<p><a id="dancing_sailor"></a><em>The Dancing Sailor.</em>&mdash;This is a trick which may always be relied
-upon not to fall flat, and should be introduced whenever the audience
-has had a good dose of serious tricks administered. The feat consists
-in taking the rude effigy of a sailor, cut out of a simple piece of
-cardboard, which may be freely and minutely examined by the company,
-and, standing it on the floor, to cause it to remain there, and to
-dance according to the directions of the performer, without any
-visible means of support becoming evident. The sailor can<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> be very
-easily manufactured in an hour or so, out of a piece of fairly thick
-card. The trunk and head should be cut out of one piece, with the arm,
-from the shoulder to the elbow protruding at a considerable angle.
-The forearm is jointed on, as are also the legs, which must be in two
-pieces. The joints may consist of thread, and should be very loose.
-The design may be varied according to the fancy of the maker, but
-he will be safe in giving to the cheeks and nose an extravagantly
-rubicund hue, and the mouth a humorous turn. The hat should be on one
-side, the trousers broad at the bottom, and the feet large, and turned
-outwards, and slightly upwards. When the jointing has been done, it is
-as well to cover the whole figure with thick paper, on both sides, in
-order to obtain a smoothness of exterior. In pasting on this paper,
-care must, of course, be taken that the joints are not touched by
-the adhesive matter employed, or they will not work properly. The
-whole figure, to look sufficiently imposing, should stand quite 15in.
-high; but if it be intended to dance it upon the table, then 12in. is
-sufficient. Effect is everything in conjuring, and a great deal may be
-lost by having things just a size too small.</p>
-
-<p>In performing the trick, the conjuror brings forward the sailor, whose
-appearance, if properly designed, should at once create amusement. He
-is given for examination, and the performer then retires to the stage,
-bending, as he does so, the arms of the figure at the armpits slightly
-backward from the body. He then proceeds to show the company that no
-threads or wires are anywhere about. This he does by slashing about
-in every direction, high, low, and on either side, with his wand. As
-a matter of fact, no threads or wires are within his reach, so he
-cannot do wrong; but a thread does exist in connection with the trick
-all the same. It should be a fine silk thread. Invariably use silk
-for everything, as it is both stronger, finer, and more durable and
-pleasant than cotton. If two assistants are available, there should be
-one on each side of the stage, holding the ends.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span> When the performer
-is doing his slashing around, the thread is simply held as high as
-possible, the expedient of standing upon chairs being resorted to by
-the assistants, if necessary. It is very often the case, however,
-that the aid of only one assistant is possible or advisable. The
-thread must then be fixed on one side of the stage, at the proper
-height from the floor, a few inches of elastic being first tied on to
-counteract the effect of any unpremeditated jerk, which might easily
-prove disastrous to the trick. The elastic, being thick in substance,
-must be out of sight. If the dancing is to be done upon the floor,
-then the thread must be affixed about an inch higher than the armpits
-of the figure (to allow for the drop in the centre of the thread),
-and allowed to lie upon the floor, except when in actual use. If the
-dancing be done upon the table, the assistant must do the best he
-can, and the performer use judgment in the way he sweeps with his
-wand. When the assistant receives his "cue" from the performer, which
-may be done in a thousand different ways, he lowers the thread, and
-holds it taut. The performer then places the figure directly over it,
-allowing the thread to pass under the armpits. As these have been
-pressed back, the thread will pass across the front of them, and
-across the back of the figure. The assistant must watch the figure
-narrowly, so that no motion whatever is given to it. A rehearsal or
-two is all that is necessary to make it appear that the figure stands
-of its own accord, and without aid, upon the floor. Any swaying motion
-will tend to destroy this illusion. The rest of the trick follows as
-a matter of course. If music be at hand, the performer has a lively
-air, such as a hornpipe, played, or, in the absence of any instrument,
-the performer must needs whistle. In any case, he keeps time with his
-wand, and looks approvingly at the figure, talking to it occasionally.
-The assistant need jerk but very slightly at the thread to cause the
-figure to dance, and he can easily vary his motions to fast or slow.
-The legs of themselves assume various steps, which many of the company
-will think to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> been brought about by design. Once or twice the
-performer passes his wand over and before and behind the figure whilst
-it is dancing, to show that there really is no connection. If it be
-dancing upon the table, a borrowed hat may be held in front of it,
-and the figure made to advance upon it and dance upon the crown.
-This, besides being additionally diverting, indirectly does away with
-any suspicion, which might excusably exist, as to the presence of
-mechanism within the table. When the assistant and performer are well
-together, all sorts of tricks may be indulged in. The figure may be
-made to dance <em>inside</em> a hat; and I have even seen a skilful performer
-twirl an umbrella between it and the floor, the sailor continuing his
-hornpipe merrily and unconcernedly all the while.</p>
-
-<p>If the performer chooses to add to the humour of the situation, he
-may, if the figure be dancing upon the table, take it by the head (it
-should never be touched elsewhere) and lay it down, saying that there
-has been dancing enough. He then turns to the company, and commences
-to say something, as if about to explain a new trick, when the figure
-suddenly starts up and commences dancing with great vigour. The
-company laugh, and the performer goes to the figure to lay it down,
-this time with the wand placed across it to keep it quiet. So soon
-as he begins to speak to the company, however, up starts the figure
-a second time, the wand rolling off on to the floor, the dance being
-renewed with fresh energy.</p>
-
-<p>When the trick is to be brought to a close, the assistant holds the
-thread firmly, and the performer, seizing the sailor by the head,
-lifts him off. Now, if I had not directed both sides of the figure
-to be covered with paper, a very great risk would be run of the
-projections at the joints catching in the thread. Properly covered on
-both sides, everything is smooth, and so there is nothing to catch.
-The figure should be instantly brought forward to the company for
-re-examination.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>In a small way, i.e., before children, the figure may be made to dance
-between the legs, the thread being attached to the legs. (See
-<a href="#stick_poker_stand_on_end"><em>To Cause a Stick or Poker to Stand on End</em></a>.) The slightest movement of
-the legs in an outward direction will give motion to the figure, the
-feet beating time with the air, whether played, hummed, or whistled,
-so as to cover the action. The country public-house conjuror affects
-this phase of the trick.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Anti-Gravitation Ball.</em>&mdash;The performer produces a solid wooden
-ball, having a thick cord passing through it, and this he allows the
-company to examine. It is seen that the cord passes freely through
-the hole. Placing one end of the cord under his foot, he holds the
-other end at arm's length, so that the cord is perpendicular. With the
-disengaged hand, the ball is raised up to the other, and, on being
-released, of course falls to the ground; when, however, the performer
-gives the word for it to remain at the top of the cord, instead of
-descending, it obeys. He then points with the wand to a part of the
-cord a foot or so down, and the ball at once descends so far, and
-then stops dead. To any place on the cord that is indicated by the
-performer or any of the company the ball will stop and remain.</p>
-
-<p>The secret of this is, that the hole is not drilled straight through
-the ball, but has an angle, or bend, in it. The result is, that when
-the cord is pulled tight the ball is held, but when it is slackened
-the ball falls, a sudden tightening being sufficient to arrest it in
-its career.</p>
-
-<p>A very good form of ball is that now generally sold. It has a very
-large hole indeed, quite a dozen times larger than the cord passing
-through it. This hole is slightly tapered, and the cord is passed
-through a small plug fitting into the hole. This plug is concealed in
-the performer's hand as he holds the cord, at one end of which is a
-big knot, or tassel. The plug has a crooked hole drilled through it,
-and when the ball is run down the cord, so as to get the plug inside
-it, the two become one, and the ball behaves precisely as it would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span>
-were it itself prepared. As the spectators, however, fancy the ball
-to be strung on a cord that is many times smaller than the opening,
-the force which causes the object to remain wherever it is ordered, in
-defiance of the laws of gravitation, is quite inexplicable. I once saw
-a Chinaman with a doll which went both up and down a cord. This was
-very ingenious and diverting, but was too obviously mechanical.</p>
-
-<p>A neat way of performing this trick, and one which I recommend for
-drawing-room use, is to take a ball of worsted and thread it with
-cotton or thread, the threading not being done straight through the
-ball, but crookedly. This ball will then be found quite amenable to
-discipline, and, of course, not the least suspicion can attach to it,
-the worsted being borrowed from the hostess's work-basket, and the
-threading done before the company's eyes. In any form, this trick is
-not sufficiently important for the stage, there being no variety or
-change in it.</p>
-
-<p><a id="stick_poker_stand_on_end"></a><em>To Cause a Stick or Poker to Stand on End.</em>&mdash;For this feat the
-performer must be provided with 2ft. or so of fine black cotton or
-silk, with a black pin at each end, securely tied on. The pins may
-be either bent or straight, and must be fixed in the trousers at the
-calf, one in each leg, which will enable the operator to walk about
-without any fear of the thread getting him into trouble. The performer
-first takes a stick or poker (if a poker, it should be a light one),
-and, after having had it examined, proceeds to mesmerise it, as he
-will call it. This mesmerism should be conducted with the greatest
-seriousness imaginable. When the magnetic influence has been properly
-aroused by rubbing, &amp;c., the performer should sit down and open his
-legs, so causing the cotton or silk to become stretched. He then takes
-the stick or poker, and stands it upon the floor in front of him. On
-being left to itself, it, of course, falls to the ground, but after
-three or four failures, the performer brings it against the thread,
-and then, making several mesmeric passes with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> the hands, relinquishes
-all hold. The stick or poker will, of course, be supported by the
-thread, but during the whole time it is so sustained the hands must be
-waved over and around it, as though exercising some influence over it.
-Do not prolong this trick more than can possibly be avoided, but get
-out of sight and remove the pins and thread with all despatch. (See
-also <a href="#dancing_sailor"><em>The Dancing Sailor</em></a>.)</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a><br /><br />
-
-THE CORNUCOPIAN HAT.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>ON SKILL&mdash;CANNON-BALLS&mdash;CAULIFLOWERS&mdash;THE
-DISTRIBUTION&mdash;BONBONS AND FLOWERS&mdash;SHOWER OF
-CUPS&mdash;MULTIPLYING BALLS: HOW TO MAKE AND HOW TO PRODUCE
-THEM&mdash;BUNDLE OF FIREWOOD&mdash;RETICULES AND DOLLS: HOW TO
-MAKE THEM&mdash;BIRDCAGES&mdash;A FEAST OF LANTERNS&mdash;AN UNFORTUNATE
-CLIMAX: HOW TO GET OUT OF IT&mdash;THE FLYING HAT.</p></div>
-
-
-<p>One of the most taking of all the tricks performed by the many public
-exhibitors is that in which a hat is borrowed from the audience, and
-at once from its interior are produced a quantity of heterogeneous
-articles, the nature and number of which cause, not only the greatest
-merriment, but also the most unbounded astonishment that they
-should ever have found lodgment in so unsuitable a receptacle as an
-ordinary "chimney-pot" hat. The reader will hardly require to be told
-that every article which is produced from the hat has first to be
-introduced into it by the performer, and on the skill with which this
-is done will the success of the trick depend. It must be understood
-that there is no middle degree of perfection allowed in performing
-this trick. No one must be able to say, "Yes; he got them in pretty
-well that time&mdash;I hardly noticed him." The motion which accompanies
-the introduction of any article or articles into a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> hat must be
-absolutely unobserved by anyone of the audience. No extraordinary
-degree of speed is required, for success will depend more upon the
-completeness of the arrangements made by the performer for the
-accomplishment of his designs than upon mere rapidity of movement,
-which, as I have often explained, is by itself of no use whatever, it
-being impossible for the human hand to make any movement openly so
-rapidly that it cannot be followed by the human eye. The object of
-the performer being to introduce certain articles into a hat without
-detection, anything falling below this accomplishment is imperfect;
-but, at the same time, anything which goes beyond this in a striving
-to obtain an ideal perfection is useless, and results in a mere waste
-of energy.</p>
-
-<p>The essence of the trick being that it is (apparently, at least)
-performed for the most part whilst surrounded by the audience, the
-articles to be produced must be chiefly such as can be concealed
-about the performer's person. Of such a nature, the reader will
-doubtless be astonished to find, are, when properly constructed,
-bird-cages containing live birds, quantities of ladies' reticules,
-lighted Chinese lanterns, and many other articles entirely at variance
-with any possibly preconceived notions of what might ordinarily be
-contained in a hat. The beginner, however, will have to commence with
-less startling productions than bird-cages, &amp;c., and graduate in the
-art, as it were.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Cannon-ball.</em>&mdash;One of the commonest articles which it is still
-the fashion to produce from a hat is a cannon-ball, or, rather, the
-wooden semblance of one. This is introduced from the shelf, which
-is provided with little hollows for the reception of such unstable
-articles. It has a deep hole, just large enough to admit the middle
-finger, and is so disposed that a hand placing a hat momentarily, brim
-downwards, on the back edge of the table would be able to introduce
-the finger without difficulty. The finger firmly inserted, the hat
-is drawn off, and, naturally falling backwards, covers the ball,
-which is furthermore curled into the hat by means<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> of the finger.
-If the ball were solid and made of any heavier material than wood,
-this would not be possible of accomplishment. The usual method is
-to have two cannon-balls, one a hollow one of zinc, blackened, with
-a hole about two inches across made in it. This hole is covered by
-means of a sliding lid, which lid has a smaller hole in it for the
-introduction of the middle finger. The ball is filled with articles,
-almost invariably purchases made at a baby linen warehouse, which
-are produced, with all possible effect, one by one, before the ball
-itself. Sometimes the ball is packed as tightly as possible with
-feathers, in which case a very large quantity can be produced, a small
-pinch from the ball sufficing to apparently fill the hat, which should
-be exhibited, ostensibly full, to the audience every now and then. If
-feathers are used, a large cloth should be spread upon the floor, or
-there will be a sad litter.</p>
-
-<p>The introduction of the cannon-ball must not, however, form the
-commencement of the trick, but follow on something else in which a hat
-has been required. It would never do to borrow a hat and straightway
-march with it to the table, there to execute divers entirely
-unnecessary movements. Under such circumstances, the audience would
-be surprised if something were not produced from the hat. There are
-many tricks mentioned in which a hat is used. Whilst the result of
-one of such tricks is being exhibited with one hand, the other can
-easily introduce the cannon-ball, without fear of detection, if the
-performer's manner leads the attention elsewhere. The ball safely in
-the hat, the performer steps briskly forward to return the borrowed
-article, and, just as he is about to put it into the owner's hand,
-he makes a slight start, saying, "I did not notice it before, sir,
-but there is a little something just at the bottom of your hat.
-What is it? Something belonging to your little girl, I presume&mdash;a
-pair of socks," &amp;c. The articles are then deposited on a chair or
-side table, and a motion made of returning the hat when "a little
-something else" is noticed. The ball being<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> by this time worked round
-in the hat so that the opening is concealed from view, the hat can
-be exhibited with the ball sticking inside. After remarking that
-it is a very extraordinary thing to carry in a hat, and surmising
-therefrom that the infant to whom the clothes just discovered belong
-must be a "Woolwich infant," great, but unavailing, efforts are made
-to extract the ball. In order to make it appear to stick in the hat
-(which sticking makes its presence there at all seem all the more
-inexplicable), invert the hat, and introduce a forefinger from each
-hand beneath the ball. The whole can be then well jerked two or three
-times. It is at length got out by the assistance of your attendant,
-who is directed to give it to the gentleman to put in his waistcoat
-pocket. For the sake of effect he staggers towards the audience, but
-the performer recalls him, saying that he will send on the articles by
-parcels delivery. Whilst this is being done, the wooden ball is got
-inside the hat, which is once more carried down towards the owner.
-The discovery of more contents is made, as before, and the performer
-remarks that had he known that the owner of the hat carried a complete
-arsenal about with him he would have borrowed someone else's hat. The
-hat is jerked as before, and at the third or fourth attempt the ball
-is allowed to drop on the stage. This will confirm the idea in the
-audience that the first ball was solid, should there, by chance, be
-any wavering on the point.</p>
-
-<p>The only objection to this really very effective phase of the trick
-is, that it has been done so often; the consequence is that so many,
-anticipating correctly that which is about to come, are better able to
-divine the means by which it is accomplished. The best way to guard
-against this is to introduce the features at unusual moments, taking
-advantage of any favourable circumstance or opportunity that may
-casually transpire.</p>
-
-<p>A cabbage or cauliflower is often introduced into a hat in place of
-the solid ball, and is very effective. A hole for the finger can be
-made in the stalk, but it is advisable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> to push a tin tube into the
-hole, or bind the outside of it with cord, as the stalk will sometimes
-give way, and a disaster, in the shape of a vegetable falling
-down heavily from behind the table, occur. In using a cabbage or
-cauliflower, be careful to clean and dry it well on the outside, or a
-hat lining may be spoiled.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Distribution.</em>&mdash;The gratuitous distribution of bonbons,
-flowers, &amp;c., from a hat is, owing to the expense entailed, hardly
-such a favourite variation of this trick with professionals as with
-amateurs&mdash;that is, with those very few amateurs who are able to
-execute it with any degree of success. It requires an unusual amount
-of <em>sang froid</em> and boldness, combined with a perfect dexterity.
-When I can obtain nothing else, I use bonbons, but they are not the
-best article to employ, on account of their bulk. The sweets known
-as "kisses"&mdash;pieces of toffee wrapped in gold and silver paper&mdash;and
-gelatine bags of sweets are far more showy, as so many more can be
-introduced at a "load." The performer must have either some black silk
-bags or else some pieces of black silk, in which the articles are
-packed and tied with the thinnest cotton or silk, which need only be
-just strong enough to keep all together. Three or four little parcels
-should be made up and stowed away inside the vest and in the breast
-pockets of the coat, where they can be reached without difficulty. The
-performer then advances, with an orange or similar article concealed
-in the hand, and borrows a hat. The hat is quickly taken in the hand
-containing the orange, and shaken, with the remark, "Why, you have
-left something inside, sir." The shaking is to prevent the article
-falling on the crown of the hat with a thud, which would too plainly
-reveal the moment of its introduction into the hat, which is then
-inverted, thereby causing whatever may be inside to fall out upon
-the floor. All eyes, including more particularly your own, will be
-turned towards it, and you seize the opportunity to introduce one
-of your packages into the hat. The action of stooping to see what
-it is that has fallen will<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> naturally cause the hat in the hand to
-come against the breast. The other hand is then introduced beneath
-it, and the bundle slipped noiselessly in. The instant this is done,
-obtain possession of the orange, and be as funny as you can about it
-with the owner of the hat. You then discover other things in the hat,
-and just before one bundle is exhausted introduce another. The most
-extraordinary expedients will at times have to be resorted to for
-accomplishing this, varying according to the position in which the
-performer is placed. One movement that should always be tried is a
-rapid three-quarter turn on the heel, during which a bag is whipped
-in. Another ruse is to allow the wand or some of the contents of the
-hat to fall, and so obtain a momentary diversion whilst stooping for
-them. Any approach to hesitation will be fatal. When a fresh supply
-has been obtained, turn the hat upside down, supporting the contents
-with the fingers, and, shake it, thus appearing to show it empty. A
-splendid ruse to adopt at such a moment, in order to intimate that the
-hat is still empty, is to apparently read out the name of the maker
-(which you have previously noted), and say that you will go to him in
-future for your hats. Should there be no name, say you are sorry, as
-you wanted to know where such curious hats are to be bought.</p>
-
-<p>The introduction of flowers from the performer's person is not
-advisable, it being impossible to keep them from being crushed.
-They are best introduced from the shelf, and for this purpose the
-following little arrangement will be found useful: Procure a tin or
-zinc cylinder, about two inches in diameter, and two inches long.
-Around the outside of this have affixed a number of small cylinders,
-each capable of admitting the stalk of a flower. Such an article will
-hold some thirty flowers at least, or even tiny "button holes" can be
-employed. Round the cylinder pass some wire, a portion of which form
-into a loop. The whole arrangement can then be suspended at the back
-edge of the table, or behind a suitable chair. By having some packs
-of cards introduced into<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> the hat in the first instance, an excuse
-for going to the table or chair is obtained. Packs of cards make a
-great show when the hat is tossed vigorously about, so that some of
-the contents fly in the air and out on the floor. The last few can
-be taken out by the hand and thrown in the air in such a manner as
-to flutter as much as possible between the audience and the hat,
-which is, at the same time, brought into the position favourable for
-getting the flowers into it. The wire loop is easily found by the
-fingers, and, on the hat being brought backwards, when the table is
-used (forwards, with the chair), the bouquet is easily introduced. The
-cylinder arrangement is often made much larger than two inches each
-way, but no very increased effect is thereby obtained&mdash;certainly not
-sufficient to compensate for the augmented difficulty in getting rid
-of the article after it is done with. When made of the size I have
-given, it is simply concealed in the hand, as are the bags or pieces
-of silk in which the cards, &amp;c., have been wrapped.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Shower of Cups.</em>&mdash;Amongst other things, a favourite production
-from hats is an enormous quantity of tin cups, very similar to those
-used in the cup and ball trick described in "<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Drawing-room Magic</a>,"
-but much larger. These cups, being all of the same taper, fit well one
-into the other, and, being also very thin, a large number can be well
-put together without forming a very formidable pile. Fifty is a very
-common number to introduce into a hat at one "load." The upper rim is
-turned over outwards, to give the cup a look of great solidity, and
-the bottoms are fairly thick, for strength. They should be wrapped in
-silk, and the inside cup filled tightly with ribbons or cut paper,
-or anything else that will make a great show when distributed. The
-performer then walks about the stage tossing the cups out of the hat
-with great rapidity on to the floor, occasionally placing a few on the
-table upside down. A dozen or so on a table make a good show, and they
-are also useful for concealing the bags and silk used previously for
-containing other articles. Spread out a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> in the hat now and again
-and show it thus filled. Very few will suffice to fill a hat to the
-brim. These cups are, perhaps, best purchased at conjuring apparatus
-houses, their manufacture not being universally understood.</p>
-
-<p><em>Multiplying Balls.</em>&mdash;These, which are by some persons considered
-even more effective than the cups, can be made, for the most part, at
-home, with a little expenditure of ingenuity and trouble. They consist
-of an ordinary cloth ball covering, with an extraordinary interior,
-consisting, as it does, of a tapering spiral spring. Although I have
-succeeded in producing springs of the required shape by twisting wire
-round a peg top, I cannot conscientiously recommend anyone else to
-adopt a similar method of proceeding. A professed wire-worker would
-do the thing much more satisfactorily in every way. The covering is
-a very easy matter, and any one of the weaker sex may be confidently
-entrusted with it. Six of these balls, when pressed tightly together
-and tied with cotton, take up only a very little more than the space
-that would be occupied by a single ordinary ball. Eighteen, or more,
-in batches of six, can be introduced at one time if tied up in silk.
-The cotton of one batch being broken, the hat will be entirely filled,
-and the process can be repeated, the hat being each time shown to the
-audience in a replete condition. A tray should be at hand on which to
-place the balls, great care being necessary to prevent any of them
-falling to the floor, which would at once reveal their unreal nature.
-When the balls are used, as is not unusual, in conjunction with the
-cups&mdash;that is to say, either immediately preceding or following
-them&mdash;it is advisable to have an ordinary stuffed cloth ball, exactly
-resembling the multipliers, inside the inner cup. This ball is allowed
-to fall and roll towards the audience (accidentally, of course!),
-who will require no admonition to examine it. The balls can also be
-made to multiply in the hands. For this purpose, take one bundle and
-spin it high in the air (be sure to spin it well), and, catching it
-as it descends, give it a sharp twist, to break the cotton. As the
-balls will all suddenly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> expand, the hands must be held very hollow
-and kept close to the breast, against which they should be sustained.
-Another method is to break the cotton, but prevent their bursting out,
-and, holding up the hand containing them, with the back towards the
-audience, roll the balls into view, one by one, by means of the other
-hand. These effects are both good, but must be done with dash.</p>
-
-<p>Both the cups and balls are best got into the hat from the shelf. The
-safest way to get them is, in the first instance, to introduce the
-cards into the hat, which, after shaking about, empty on the table
-with a bang. A favourable opportunity for introducing anything is thus
-made. Some conjurors have an arm protruding at the back of the table,
-on which bundles of cups, balls, &amp;c., are suspended, and got into the
-hat by means of a sweep of that article. This is an excellent method,
-when the performer does not make a bad shot, and sweep the whole on
-the floor instead of into the hat. Bringing the hat round the end of
-the table, and, tipping things into it from the corner of the shelf,
-is a method in use, but it is a bad one.</p>
-
-<p><em>Bundle of Firewood.</em>&mdash;Immediately after the taking out of a dozen
-or two of balls or tin cups, the performer may, if his previous
-arrangements tend thereto, proceed to extract from the hat a common
-bundle of firewood, which, the company may see, entirely fills the
-interior of the hat by itself. As, subsequent to the extraction of the
-balls, the performer has not even retreated to the stage, the company
-cannot but be at an utter loss to account for the presence of so
-ponderous a body. The bundle of wood is, however, far from being what
-it seems. That portion of it, the exterior, which is visible to the
-company, is genuine enough, being firewood, but this is only an outer
-layer glued upon a cylindrical shape of thick pasteboard, bound round,
-so as to look real, with a piece of string taken from a genuine bundle
-of wood. The bundle has only one end, made, of course, of pasteboard
-also, and covered with half-inch lengths of wood, which will present
-a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> perfectly real appearance. Into the open end are crammed the cups,
-balls, or other articles, which, being produced, enable the performer
-to subsequently extract the supposed bundle of wood without having
-refilled the hat. Some bundles are made with both ends covered, one
-end having a trap opening in it. This is to prevent the possibility of
-the unreal nature of the article becoming known; but I really do not
-see why both ends should ever be exposed; and, with the end perfectly
-open, the extraction of articles is very much facilitated. The bundle
-must, of course, be introduced into the hat from the shelf, it being
-too decidedly bulky to carry about the person.</p>
-
-<p><em>Reticules.</em>&mdash;A quantity of these articles are sometimes produced from
-a hat. They are, as may be imagined, far from being the substantial
-objects they represent. The ends fall inwards and lie flat on the
-bottom, to which they are hinged by means of calico, and the tops,
-sides, and bottom are hinged together also by means of calico, and
-so double up. A piece of cord, tape, or thin leather strap runs
-through two holes, about an inch apart, in the top, the ends being
-affixed to the ends of the reticule, inside. A pull at the centre of
-this cord, &amp;c., raises the ends, which force the other portions into
-position. The outside is covered with cloth, and otherwise decorated
-to represent a small reticule. I have seen them made of playing cards
-without any outer covering whatever. The result was, that the audience
-saw through the whole thing at once, as was but natural. A dozen or
-more of these reticules can be introduced at once, and they make a
-good show. They can be easily made from playing cards, and afterwards
-covered.</p>
-
-<p><em>Dolls.</em>&mdash;Calico dolls, with spiral springs inside, can also be
-effectively employed. A tolerably large one, introduced into the
-cannon ball with the baby's clothes, is effective when produced last
-of all. In any case they should not be less than 6in. in height. The
-face and greater portion of the dress must be painted on, a few little
-bows, artfully disposed,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span> serving to make the doll look as substantial
-as possible.</p>
-
-<p><em>Bird-cages.</em>&mdash;This is a trick which ranks almost as high in public
-estimation&mdash;the only gauge, by-the-bye, by which conjuring tricks can
-be measured&mdash;as the gold-fish trick. The same principal feature&mdash;the
-production of a substantial article, containing living things, from
-such unsuspected regions as the interior of a hat, or the folds of a
-handkerchief&mdash;is in both, and the audience is, in each instance, in
-the same dilemma in endeavouring to explain where the article comes
-from, and how the living creatures get into it. It may sound like
-exaggeration to assert that two substantial cages, 6in. high, each
-containing two live canaries or other birds, can be produced from a
-hat from one "load," but such can be done, nevertheless. The cages
-are of wire at the top and on the sides, the bottom being solid and
-heavy. The sides are hinged to the top, under which they fold, when
-the bottom, which slides up and down the sides, is pushed up. The top
-being domed, the birds are safe therein, not as comfortable, perhaps,
-as they might be, but still unhurt. The bottom pushed up and the sides
-doubled under, the whole is scarcely 2in. in depth; and two cages,
-placed bottom to bottom, and kept together by means of an elastic band
-or by a thread, can be got into the hat from the coat breast-pocket
-in the prescribed manner. To produce them, it is only necessary to
-raise the upper portion, by means of the ring there affixed, and the
-bottom will run down into its place, causing the sides to go into
-their positions. These cages are also produced from handkerchiefs, in
-which case it is usual to have them of very large dimensions. Herrmann
-produced one at times which had to be concealed up his back, so large
-was it. This was produced, without detection, in the very centre of
-the audience.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig54"></a>
-<img src="images/fig54.png" width="300" height="308" alt="Fig. 54" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 54.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig55"></a>
-<img src="images/fig55.png" width="300" height="323" alt="Fig. 55" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 55.</div>
-</div>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<a id="fig56"></a>
-<img src="images/fig56.png" width="300" height="297" alt="Fig. 56" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 56.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>Chinese Lanterns.</em>&mdash;The production of six or more of these articles,
-all ablaze, from a borrowed hat, causes an effect not far from
-astonishing. The well-known collapsible nature of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span> the articles would
-render the production of a number of them from a hat a matter of no
-great marvel were they unprovided with a light. What cannot be readily
-explained is the feature of so many lanterns being alight in the hat
-at one time without burning either the hat or one another, or, indeed,
-how they can all be alight at one time at all. The secret lies in the
-construction of the bottoms of these lanterns, and the positions of
-the candle or wick holders. The bottoms are made of tin, and on one
-only of each series of lanterns is the candle holder placed in the
-centre. This lantern I will call No. 1 (see <a href="#fig54">Fig. 54</a>). No. 2 has the
-holder a little on one side, and a hole through its centre to admit
-of the candle or wick of No. 1 passing through it (see <a href="#fig55">Fig. 55</a>).
-No. 3 has two holes, corresponding exactly with the candle holders
-of Nos. 1 and 2, which pass through its bottom, and its holder is at
-the side of the hole through which the holder of No. 2 passes. No. 4
-has three holes, No. 5 four holes, and so on all through the series,
-which generally consists of seven or eight, that number being about
-as many as can well be managed at one time (see <a href="#fig56">Fig. 56</a>). As the
-holder of No. 1 has to pass through the bottoms of the remaining seven
-lanterns, it must, of course, be very long. The holder of No. 2 will
-be a little shorter, and the next shorter still, that of No. 8 being
-of the ordinary length. By this means all the wicks will be on the
-same level when the lanterns<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> are packed together. The tin bottoms do
-away with any danger of a flare up, and also, from their weight, cause
-the lamps to open easily, which is of great assistance towards the
-success of the trick. The upper rims are also of tin, for strength and
-security. A few sulphur matches, which strike noiselessly, should be
-affixed to the upper rims of the topmost lantern, whereon should also
-be some sandpaper, on which to strike the matches. The whole should be
-tied together with string, and concealed in the breast pocket, from
-whence they can be introduced into a hat in the midst of the audience.
-The match struck, the wicks are all lighted almost simultaneously;
-and, the flames burning the string, the performer is enabled to take
-out the lanterns in rapid succession by means of a bent piece of wire
-affixed to the rim of each. An attendant should be at hand with a
-pole or broomstick, on which to hang the lanterns. A deep round hat
-is better than a "chimney-pot," the extreme depth of which sometimes
-causes the performer to burn his fingers.</p>
-
-<p>This trick is well worthy the attention of amateurs, as it is but
-little worked, the majority of performers being frightened at it, but
-without any reasonable cause. Any tinman will make the plates and rims
-cheaply, and the paper sides can be taken from the ordinary lanterns
-and transferred, so that the trick need not be an expensive one, by
-any means. An excellent title for it is "A Chinese Feast of Lanterns."
-Always remember to hold the hat as high as possible when it contains
-anything: premature disclosures of the contents mar the effect
-considerably.</p>
-
-<p><em>Climax to the Hat of Plenty.</em>&mdash;When the performer has a stage
-attendant of average ability, he can conclude this or any other
-trick with a hat in a very startling manner. The hat is given to the
-assistant to return to its owner, and, just as he is leaving the
-stage, he stumbles, falling heavily upon the hat, and flattening
-it completely. The performer is of course in despair, and after a
-slight scene the hat is eventually restored, it being found under the
-owner's chair, or elsewhere.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span> This exceedingly impressive and amusing
-trick makes a very appropriate conclusion to a performance, and is
-managed in two ways: Either the hat used in the preliminary trick is
-actually the property of a stranger in the audience, and is exchanged
-for the one to be destroyed, or a confederate brings it in with him,
-and takes his seat on a chair or sofa, beneath which his own hat
-has been previously concealed. In the first instance, the exchange
-must be adroitly managed. The excuse of going off to brush it, and
-returning immediately with the brush, is as good as any, although it
-will always be subsequently apparent to thinkers when the hat was
-exchanged, by whatever method the substitution is accomplished. I
-may say at once that this method is not so good as the second; but
-confederates are not always to be obtained when they are wanted.
-Sometimes the performer borrows two hats, and whilst he is producing
-something startling from one, his attendant quietly removes the other
-and substitutes for it a duplicate.</p>
-
-<p>By whatever means arrived at, suppose the exchange effected, or, what
-is the same thing, the conjuror's own hat borrowed, and the assistant
-lying prone upon the floor. He must then rise slowly, with a rueful
-look upon his countenance, and, if any object, such as a tin cup, be
-lying upon the floor, he must abuse it as the cause of the disaster.
-The performer does not at first notice what has happened; when he
-does so, he is, of course, greatly enraged with the assistant, and
-assumes a very despondent look. He expresses his regrets to the owner
-of the hat, and asks if he would like the hat done up in a small
-parcel for convenience in carrying. Without waiting for a reply, he
-and the assistant tear the hat up to little pieces, some newspapers
-being produced and spread upon the table. On the shelf is a newspaper
-parcel containing a crinoline, a large doll, or anything else that
-is ludicrous in appearance. The shreds of what was recently a hat
-are wrapped in a piece of the newspaper, with the exception of one
-solitary piece, which is purposely allowed to fall upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> floor,
-on that side of the table opposite to where the conjuror is standing.
-When the parcel is made up, the performer notices this piece, and,
-leaning well over the table, points to it, at the same time, under
-cover of his body, effecting an exchange of parcels. The shred is
-rolled up, and a pretence made of putting it in the parcel (it is, of
-course, palmed), which is then given to one of the audience to hold
-over his head. A pistol is fired, and, if the hat be borrowed from a
-confederate, he is bidden to look under his chair, where, naturally,
-his own hat will be discovered. If, on the other hand, the borrowed
-hat be genuinely the property of one of the audience, it will be
-seen to fly across the stage and attach itself to the top of the
-proscenium, from whence it falls at the command of the performer,
-and is caught by him. This additional effect is managed by passing a
-black cord through a hole in the proscenium, and attaching it to the
-hatband by means of a very large loop. The end to which the hat is
-affixed must, of course, be removed from sight beforehand, the usual
-place being behind the proscenium. The construction of the place of
-performance will naturally have a good deal to do with this particular
-matter, and the performer must study what arrangements will be best.
-Wherever the hat is concealed, it must be thrown into the air when
-the pistol is fired, and the cord at once gathered in as rapidly as
-it is possible to do so. On the command for the hat to descend being
-given, the large loop is cut through, and the hat falls. If the cord
-were simply tied by a knot to the hatband, a piece of it would remain
-attached after being cut away, and this would give a clue to the
-mystery. After the hat is safely restored, open the parcel and exhibit
-its contents.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a><br /><br />
-
-TRICKS WITH WATCHES AND LIVE STOCK.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>ON BORROWING WATCHES&mdash;THE PUTTY WATCH&mdash;THE GLASS&mdash;TWO KINDS
-OF MORTARS AND PESTLES&mdash;THE DUMMY WATCH&mdash;THE WATCH BAG&mdash;HOW
-TO REPRODUCE THE WATCH&mdash;THE LOAF&mdash;THE TARGET&mdash;ANOTHER
-TARGET&mdash;THE PLATE SCREEN&mdash;THE ADHESIVE WATCH: A JOKE&mdash;THE
-WATCH BOX&mdash;A NOVEL RABBIT WARREN&mdash;HOW TO CAUSE RABBITS TO
-DISAPPEAR&mdash;THE BRAN VASE&mdash;THE BRAN&mdash;THE WELSH "RABBIT"&mdash;THE
-SAUCEPAN AND COVER&mdash;THE HAT STOVE&mdash;THE FUEL&mdash;THE
-INGREDIENTS&mdash;THE RESULT&mdash;THE BIRD AND CARD.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><em>Tricks with Watches.</em>&mdash;The reader has doubtless been on the look-out
-for the chapter which shall initiate him in the art of pounding up
-a friend's gold chronometer before his very eyes, and immediately
-afterwards restoring it whole. I have purposely introduced the subject
-so late in the day, because watches are very awkward things to perform
-with, and the performer should be tolerably expert before he touches
-them.</p>
-
-<p>On borrowing a watch, it is always as well to do, or pretend to do,
-something with it that shall cause the greatest anxiety to the owner
-as to its safety, and consequent amusement to the unsympathising
-remainder of the audience. To expect this of a conjuror seems to
-be a fairly-established<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> custom. One way of acquiescing with this
-unexpressed desire is to apparently incapacitate the watch for further
-use by bending it several times nearly double. This feat is managed by
-holding the watch with its back to the audience between the fingers
-and thumbs of the two hands, the hands being on opposite sides of
-the watch. If both hands and watch are worked rapidly backwards and
-forwards (<em>i.e.</em>, inwards and outwards) three or four times, the
-varying light and shade upon the shining back of the watch will
-cause it to appear to be really bent each time a movement is made.
-The illusion is very perfect, the effect being always the same, to
-initiated, as well as uninitiated, eyes. The remark, "Ah! yours is one
-of the new putty watches, I see, sir," will assist in carrying out
-this effective prelude. Precisely the same effect may be produced with
-a bright florin or half-crown.</p>
-
-<p>Another effective introduction is to have palmed a watch-glass
-that has been either well cracked previously, or cut deeply with a
-glazier's diamond. Bring this glass over the one on the watch, but not
-touching it, and then, addressing the owner of the watch as to the
-strength of the glass, strike it carelessly with the wand, but not so
-carelessly as to break both glasses. When the breakage takes place,
-of course, great consternation will be exhibited on the face of the
-performer, who makes profuse apologies to the owner of the watch. The
-pieces of the broken watch-glass are allowed to lie on the perfect
-one, and the whole shown round, it being impossible to detect the
-presence of the perfect glass beneath the pieces. The pieces are then
-put in a piece of paper, for convenience in vanishing, and the trick
-can proceed.</p>
-
-<p>The ordinary method for destroying a borrowed watch is to have a
-mortar (usually of wood) into which fits an inner lining. Over the
-whole fits a pasteboard cover, with a fairly large round hole in the
-top, in which the lining is concealed at the commencement of the
-trick. The mortar is shown round and the watch put in. The cover is
-then put on&mdash;for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> the purpose of preventing the pieces of the watch
-flying out, it is explained&mdash;and the false lining thus introduced.
-This should be done quickly, and without any show of care, which would
-only excite suspicion. A pestle is then introduced through the hole in
-the cover, and a terrific amount of pounding goes on. Some old watch
-works and bits of plated gold, which have been in the false lining
-from the commencement, are then exhibited by removing the cover only.
-Another description of mortar is one with the bottom revolving on a
-pivot. When the watch is put in, this bottom is pushed up a little
-on one side from underneath, and the watch falls through into the
-hand. The pestle used in conjunction with this is a very thick one,
-especially at the end, in which are concealed some watch works. The
-action of a piston, similar to that used in the one for
-<a href="#hatched_card"><em>The Hatched Card</em></a>, will propel these pieces into the mortar.</p>
-
-<p>A far bolder method is to be provided with a dummy toy watch, and
-exchange it for the borrowed one, and then actually pound it up in
-an ordinary metal mortar. This method will succeed best in public
-audiences, where an individual watch is not likely to be known by many
-persons in the audience. In showing round the watch, in its demolished
-state, in the mortar, there is no necessity for allowing a lengthened
-view, much less a minute examination, to be taken by anyone; and it is
-as well not to allow the owner of the watch to see the wreck at all.</p>
-
-<p>Instead of a mortar, a long bag, made of alpaca or any other strong
-stuff, and about three inches broad and two feet in length, is
-sometimes used. This has sewn in one end of it some solid body,
-fairly resembling a watch in shape and weight, and the other end is
-open. About four inches from the mouth a seam is stitched across.
-The watch, on being put into the bag, stops at the seam, whilst the
-performer takes up the other end, to which the watch has presumably
-descended, and exhibits the contour of the article or articles (a
-quantity of small broken pebbles is frequently used) there<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> concealed,
-with one hand, the other hand holding securely the end containing
-the watch. The dummy end is then struck upon a table, or against the
-wall, several times, for the purpose of making it "go better," or of
-converting it into a "stop" watch. To take the watch out of the bag,
-hold the end containing the dummy with one hand, and invert the whole.
-The watch will slide into the other hand, having apparently come from
-the far end of the bag. An addition to this bag is to have the mouth
-portion divided into two pockets, each one having a flap and a button.
-In one are concealed some broken watch works and bits of metal. The
-borrowed watch is put into the empty side, and, after the process of
-banging about has been gone through, that containing the pieces is
-opened.</p>
-
-<p>The manner of reproducing the watch depends greatly upon the ingenuity
-and resources of the performer. Every conjuror differs somewhat from
-his rivals. A very favourite plan is to discover the watch in a loaf
-or roll of bread. Another is to cause it to appear on the centre of a
-target, or in the midst of a bouquet of flowers. It will be readily
-understood that when the supposed process of destruction has been gone
-through, and whilst the performer is amongst the audience with the
-pieces and engaging their attention, the assistant unostentatiously
-removes the mortar or bag containing the borrowed watch, and arranges
-the sequel of the trick behind the scenes. If the watch is to appear
-in a roll, then it is put into one by the assistant through a slit,
-and the roll is brought on with some others. The performer takes three
-of these, including the one containing the watch, and puts one on each
-of the front corners of the table and one between them in the centre,
-this centre roll being the prepared one. He then asks the audience to
-select one of the three rolls. Of course, all three will be named,
-but the performer affects to perceive a majority in favour of the
-centre one. A great show should always be made of deferring to the
-wish of the audience, this being very effective, and also the best
-way to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> secure the desired end. The pieces of broken watch works can
-then be put into the conjuring pistol, having been previously wrapped
-in paper, and then fired at the roll, which, on being cut or broken
-open, will, of course, be found to contain the watch. Should any
-decided predilection be shown for one of the outside rolls, a change
-of tactics must be made. Remove the one selected and say, without
-exhibiting the slightest appearance of embarrassment, "That leaves
-two; which one shall I now take?" If the one containing the watch be
-chosen, say, "Are you quite sure, now, that you would not like the
-other one?" This will cause a firmer adherence to the choice, for it
-will appear that the other roll would be preferable to the performer.
-Knock the other roll off the table, and fire at the remaining one. If
-the watch has been neatly inserted in the roll, it can be given into
-the hands of a spectator to hold whilst being fired at. When a bouquet
-is used, the watch is merely concealed among the flowers. It should be
-given to a lady to hold, in which case the pistol must be directed in
-the air, and not at the bouquet.</p>
-
-<p>The use of a target is very effective, and the target itself is not
-of very difficult construction. It can be either of wood or tin,
-and the face should be circular, about 12in. across, and affixed to
-a pillar rising from a square foot. The centre, or bull's eye, is
-pierced out and revolves on a pivot, an arrangement of watch spring
-or elastic causing it to keep in its place. It should be black both
-at the back and front, the front having a hook on which to hang the
-watch. The assistant, on obtaining possession of the watch, hangs it
-upon the hook and reverses the centre, a little bolt serving to keep
-it temporarily in that position. To this bolt is attached a piece of
-black thread, the disengaged end of which is behind, in the hands of
-the assistant. On the pistol being fired, this bolt is removed by the
-thread being pulled smartly, and the centre flies back to its normal
-position, exhibiting the watch to the audience. The revolution is so
-rapid that it cannot be detected, the watch appearing to actually
-attach itself to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> face of the target. A good effect is produced
-by having the revolving centre of looking-glass, the corresponding
-glass on the other side, with a hook through the centre, being badly
-starred. It will appear as though the arrival of the watch had smashed
-the mirror.</p>
-
-<p>Another target is one with the centre in the shape of a recess, over
-which a little spring blind is drawn after the watch has been hung
-upon a hook within it. The blind has merely to be released and will
-fly up, revealing the watch. This principle is carried out on a much
-larger scale, two or more watches and chains and a broken plate
-being used. The chief apparatus employed is a large picture-frame,
-the centre having no picture, but being made in the form of a
-recess. In the top is concealed a spring blind, of the same colour
-as the back of the recess, which should be black. The articles to be
-magically exhibited on the frame are hung upon convenient hooks by
-the assistant, who then pulls down the blind and brings the frame
-upon the stage. The blind has along its lower edge a piece of wire
-or wood, from the centre of which projects, horizontally, a small
-pin. In the centre of the lower portion of the frame, and inside the
-recess, is a small catch, working perpendicularly on a pivot. The
-upper portion of this catches the projecting pin of the blind, and the
-lower portion passes out at the bottom, where a communicating cord
-is attached to it. The action of pulling the cord releases the pin,
-and the blind flies up, leaving the articles on the back of the frame
-exposed to view. The means for getting the watches or other articles
-into the hands of the assistant are various, the most effective, in my
-opinion, being the following: The performer borrows two watches, with
-or without the chains attached, and proceeds to wrap them in a piece
-of paper which he holds in his hands. Underneath this piece of paper
-is another, in which some dummy watches have been previously folded.
-In wrapping up the borrowed ones, it is very easy, whilst turning the
-parcels round and round in the hands, to bring the dummy one to the
-top, and, getting away<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> the real watches, to conceal them under the
-vest or elsewhere. Passing subsequently behind the table, they are
-left upon the shelf, from whence they are removed by the assistant.
-The supposed borrowed watches, still in the paper, are then put upon
-a plate and given to the assistant to place upon the table. Before
-reaching the table, the assistant stumbles, and plate and watches fly
-all over the floor, the plate naturally in many pieces. The usual
-fuss is made about the assistant's carelessness, and he is despatched
-to fetch the frame. The performer, in the meanwhile, gathers up the
-pieces of the plate (less one piece purposely allowed to remain on
-the floor) and the watches, and puts them into the conjuring pistol,
-putting in some paper to keep them in position. During this time,
-the frame is brought on and placed in position, the pistol is fired,
-and, the blind flying up, the plate is seen in the centre, and the
-watches on either side of it. The plate is, however, not complete,
-one piece being missing. The piece upon the floor is then discovered
-by the performer, who "passes" it towards the plate, to which it is
-seen to affix itself. The plate and watches are then brought to the
-audience, who are unable to discover any trace of joining in the plate
-or damage to the watches. The remarkable effect of the restoration
-of the missing portion of the plate is managed by having a ragged
-triangular piece of black cloth put upon the plate, and, attached
-to it, a thread. When the "pass" is made, the assistant pulls the
-thread, and the piece of cloth falls down inside the frame. The frame
-can, of course, be used for the reproduction of any class of borrowed
-articles. Anyone with a very light turn only for carpentering should
-be able to make one for himself. The pedestals or feet of both target
-and frame should be heavy, so as to remain firm in case the assistant
-pulls with unpremeditatedly extra strength.</p>
-
-<p>An amusing and neat little trick with a borrowed watch is to cause
-it to appear on the back of a volunteer assistant from the audience.
-The performer is provided with a sharp-pointed hook, the blunt end
-of which is turned back in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span> shape of a smaller hook. This he has
-concealed about him. A watch is borrowed and immediately exchanged
-for one belonging to the performer, which is given to be held by one
-of the audience, as far removed from the owner as possible. A member
-of the audience is then desired to step up on the stage, where he is
-accommodated with a seat in the centre, and facing the audience. The
-performer has, meanwhile, hooked the loop of the watch on the smaller
-hook, and, taking the head of the assistant in the hands&mdash;the one
-containing the watch being behind&mdash;for the purpose of directing him as
-to the position in which it should be held, he affixes the larger hook
-to the back of his coat. He then directs the volunteer to open his
-mouth very wide, and pretends to pass the supposed borrowed watch into
-it. On finding that it has not reached its destination, the performer
-must surmise that he threw it a little too hard, and request the
-assistant to see if it be behind him. On his turning round for this
-purpose, the watch on his back will be revealed. An extra effect can
-be introduced by trying the extent of the assistant's throat capacity
-with the wand. The wand is taken by one end with the left hand, which
-is placed against the assistant's mouth. The other end is introduced
-secretly up the performer's right sleeve, and the right hand worked
-vigorously up and down the wand. The illusion is that the wand is
-thrust repeatedly down the assistant's throat to its full length.
-This should be done quickly, and only about three thrusts should be
-made. If the wand used for this particular effect be a special one,
-having an extra loose ferrule, the illusion may be rendered still
-more perfect if the performer keeps the loose ferrule in the hand,
-and slides it up and down the wand. This is a very important little
-addition to the trick.</p>
-
-<p>A piece of apparatus that is very much used in connection with watches
-is what is universally known as the watch box. It is a box, the
-rough dimensions of which are: length, 3-1/2in.; breadth, 2-3/4in.;
-and depth, 2-1/4in. The sides, ends, and top are very substantially
-made, and the bottom is, to all appearances,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> equally so; but as a
-matter of fact, it is made of two thin veneers, which have little
-blocks of wood glued between them, so as to leave an intervening
-space of one-sixth of an inch. The sides and ends come down flush
-with the bottom, and so conceal the deception. One of the ends works
-on pivots, the pivots being placed one-third of an inch from its
-upper edge; and near the lower edge on the inside is a little brass
-plate, with the centre keyed out. The ends, it must be understood,
-are fitted inside the sides. In the hollow of the bottom is concealed
-a catch, which protrudes just sufficiently to enter the aperture in
-the brass plate. No spring will be required to keep it in its place,
-as is usually the case, for if it be glued to the lower veneer, that
-will possess sufficient springiness for the purpose. The catch will
-of course require very neat adjustment, which is merely a matter of
-patience. It must be so arranged that the end is very easily closed,
-and opened with equal facility, by the mere pressure of a finger on
-the thin underside, providing the pressure is administered just under
-the spot where the catch is affixed. For facility in opening the box,
-it is usual to place two rounded pieces of watch spring on each side
-of the catch, adjusted so as to always bear just sufficiently against
-the end to cause it to fly open a quarter of an inch when the catch
-is released. These pieces of spring are fixed in blocks of wood glued
-into position for the purpose. I am not sure that the springs are
-not superfluous. They cause the end to fly open, certainly, and so
-expedite matters, but they are far from being noiseless. I have found
-the action of the fingers quite sufficient for opening the end. For
-the sake of strength, it is as well to fill in the end where there is
-no spring with a large block of wood. The interior should be lined
-with cloth or velvet, and a good lock and key added. The box is very
-useful for obtaining possession of any description of article that is
-fairly solid and that will go into the box. The following description
-of a trick performed with a watch will suffice to show how it can be
-employed:</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>Give the box and key into the hands of a lady, with the request to
-have everything examined and the lock tried. Keep very near whilst
-this is being done, in case of an accidental release of the catch.
-If there are no springs used, then this will not matter, as the end
-will not fly open with a "pop," as it otherwise would, which should
-be sufficient argument in favour of their disuse. Borrow a watch that
-has a light chain attached, and, winding the chain round the watch,
-have both placed in the box. Allow it to be locked and the key to
-remain in the lady's possession. Now take the box, and say, "Although
-there is no doubt that the box is securely locked, you may reasonably
-think that I have some secret means of opening the lock. To prevent
-the possibility of my doing this, will some gentleman kindly tie
-his handkerchief firmly round the box?" Hold the box in both hands
-whilst this is being done, by the opening end, and make a deal of
-fuss about the knot being tied securely. Open the end, and, tilting
-the box, allow the watch and chain to fall into the hands, turning
-round sharply to someone else at the same time. It is absolutely
-necessary to make a turn at this point to cover the abstraction. Give
-the box, at the same time closing it, into the hands of any one of
-the audience, with the strict injunction not to shake it&mdash;for fear
-of injuring the contents, you will say, but really to escape the
-revelation of the fact that it is empty. The watch and chain will be
-in the left hand by this time, covered by the wand. If there be any
-music available, have a little of the gentle rippling order ("The
-Brook" is a suitable air) played, and make passes in the air, as if
-clutching something, with the right hand. Finally make one vigorous
-clutch, and hold the hand closed for a few seconds, then open it,
-showing, of course, nothing. Instantly take the wand in the right
-hand and strike the sole or heel of the right foot, raised for the
-purpose, and then apply the left hand to the spot struck, the watch
-being allowed to drop down, a portion of the chain being held between
-the fingers. The several actions<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> must follow each other with "one,
-two, three" briskness, when the effect will be really very fine.
-Naturally, it must be done far back upon the stage. Do not forget to
-have the knot untied by the person who tied it and the box unlocked
-by the lady who put the watch in. Be careful not to borrow a heavy
-chain. In my early days, I borrowed a huge watch with a chain only
-a trifle smaller than a ship's cable, and with about a pound and a
-half of charms attached. The result was the not unnatural one of a
-stoppage and visible embarrassment on the part of the performer.
-If there are no small chains about, rather borrow a watch without
-any at all. The use of the watch box does not in any way interfere
-with the introduction of the previously described watch-bending and
-glass-breaking surprises. They can come in as preludes.</p>
-
-<p>It will naturally occur to the conjuror that the watch box may be used
-in connection with the watch target or loaf, the watch being merely
-placed in the box instead of pounded in a mortar. It will occasion
-the performer's leaving the stage on some pretext in order to get the
-abstracted watch or other article behind to the assistant, unless the
-method of placing it upon the shelf be adopted. I certainly object
-to the performer's absence from the stage as much as anything. If
-it must be done, then some suitable pretext
-(see <a href="#restored_handkerchief"><em>The Restored Handkerchief</em></a>) should be worked up to give it a colouring.</p>
-
-<p>The watch box is a handy article to use in conjunction with
-<a href="#magis_brazen_rod"><em>The Magi's Brazen Rod</em></a>, it being directly employed by having the rings
-placed in it. The rings should in this case be tied loosely together
-with a piece of ribbon, to ensure their simultaneous abstraction. The
-ribbon should be of sufficient length to enable the rings to be placed
-in the slits in the hollow ball side by side without the necessity
-of untying or cutting it. But on no account must the conjuror permit
-the convenient adaptability of the watch box to tempt him into using
-it more than once during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> same performance. This is a fixed maxim
-which applies to all <em>visible</em> apparatus, and is one which should be
-always rigidly adhered to.</p>
-
-<p><em>Tricks with Rabbits.</em>&mdash;The gentleness and docility of the rabbit
-makes it, like the dove, a favourite with the conjuror, who does not
-hesitate to produce it from a hat, and to cause it to disappear from,
-and re-appear in, most unexpected places. The production of a couple
-of rabbits from a hat is always very startling, and requires a deal of
-doing. The animals are placed one in each of the large side pockets,
-where, if undisturbed, they will lie as peacefully as could be
-wished, and evidently perfectly contented with their lot. The success
-attending the transfer of the rabbit from the pocket to the hat will
-depend entirely upon the skill of the performer, and no middle course
-can possibly be admitted. It must be done well or not at all. The
-usual expedient of palming some article and introducing it into the
-hat directly it is taken into the hand will have to be resorted to,
-and the article should be of a startling nature. (A pack of cards
-does very well.) Whatever is put in must be emptied out on the floor,
-and, whilst stooping, or rather bowing slightly to see what it is,
-the performer brings the hat against his body and quickly introduces
-the rabbit into it. The animal must be helped in, as it were, by the
-body, and not dragged into the hat by the ears. So soon as it is in
-the hat, one hand should be placed under the crown, which, if not very
-strong, might otherwise be forced out by the weight of the rabbit.
-Produce the rabbit with all due affectation of surprise, and, whilst
-showing it about, allow it to fall. By the time it is picked up again,
-either by yourself or by a spectator, the second one is in the hat,
-and you express yourself anxious to know if the owner of the hat keeps
-a rabbit warren in it. So much for producing the rabbits.</p>
-
-<p>A favourite and very effective method of conjuring with them further
-is to apparently rub one into the other. This is managed by the
-aid of the large centre trap. One rabbit<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> is placed upon the table
-immediately in front of the trap, and the other pushed through the
-table behind it, a great show all the time being made of forcing one
-rabbit into the other. The remaining rabbit should be held up by the
-ears, with the rump resting on one hand, when, to the imagination of
-the audience, it will appear to be actually stouter than it was a few
-minutes before. The remaining rabbit you affect to wrap in a piece of
-paper, it being also passed through the trap, and the paper rolled up
-as though it really contained an animal, considerable agitation being
-communicated to it by means of the hands. The performer affects to
-lose patience with it because it will not remain quiet, and crushes
-the paper either beneath his feet or between the hands.</p>
-
-<p>The reproduction of the rabbits (<em>i.e.</em>, two duplicate ones)
-necessitates the employment of a rather elaborate piece of apparatus,
-unless the performer has a friend or two in the audience with rabbits
-in their pockets, the production of which has a good effect, but is
-seriously open to suspicion. The apparatus that is generally employed
-is a large glass vase or goblet, some eighteen inches or two feet in
-height, according to pleasure (or pocket). This has a zinc lining, in
-two halves, fitting exactly inside it, the halves being hinged to a
-slightly concave top, also of zinc. The hinges are on exactly opposite
-sides of the top. The whole is covered with glue and then spread over
-with bran. There is, besides, a large bell-shaped cover, usually of
-thin brass, large enough to conceal the body of the vase completely.
-In the centre of this, inside, is a catch, which is intended to pass
-through a hole made in the centre of the concave top of the zinc
-lining. The vase is prepared by having the zinc lining, previously
-loaded with two rabbits, put into it. It will then have the appearance
-of being full of bran, a quantity of which article is spread over the
-concave top. A raised rim round the hole in the centre will prevent
-the bran falling through. The vase is brought on by the assistant,
-and the performer takes some of the bran from the top and throws it
-off, and also thrusts a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> thin stick or wire through the hole to show
-that it goes quite to the bottom. He then shows the interior of the
-cover, that it may be seen to contain nothing, and places it over the
-vase, pressing it well down. The original rabbits are next manipulated
-at the table; and when that matter is settled the cover is raised,
-gently and slowly at first, and perpendicularly, bringing away with
-it the zinc lining, which opens as it ascends, and leaves the rabbits
-in the vase. The bran can be made to transfer itself into the drawer
-box, previously shown empty, if the same has not been before used
-during the evening. A much more effective and in every way a more
-preferable method is to cause it to make its appearance in a borrowed
-hat. This is best managed by giving the hat from which the rabbits
-were originally produced to the assistant to place upon the table.
-The performer at once engages the attention of the audience with the
-rabbits, saying that he will make the one eat the other, &amp;c., and so
-enables the assistant to slip into the hat, whilst retiring, a bag of
-bran that is very loosely fastened at the top. This bag the assistant
-has had concealed under the coat. The hat is placed carelessly upon a
-side table, and the bran "passed" into it by the performer as if on an
-afterthought, so as to avoid any appearance of premeditated effect.
-The bran must be first emptied out, and the bag can be abstracted,
-rolled up in the hand, which is inserted for the purpose of clearing
-the lining of any stray flakes.</p>
-
-<p>If the foregoing variations are all mingled in one trick the effect is
-very good; but the combination requires a deal of practice, and will
-prove trying at first.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 450px;">
-<a id="fig57"></a>
-<img src="images/fig57.png" width="450" height="302" alt="Fig. 57" />
-<div class="caption"><span class="smcap">Fig.</span> 57.</div>
-</div>
-
-<p><em>A Novel Welsh "Rabbit."</em>&mdash;Employ a tinman to make a saucepan of tin,
-the dimensions of which should be 7in. or 8in. in depth, and about
-5-1/2in. in diameter at the widest part, which will be the top, from
-whence it should taper slightly to the bottom. To this have fitted
-an outer casing (A, <a href="#fig57">Fig. 57</a>), also of tin, that is 2in. less in
-height than the saucepan itself. At the line where the upper rim of
-the casing comes when the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span> saucepan is fitted into it, have a beading
-(B, <a href="#fig57">Fig. 57</a>), either put on or hammered out of the metal. This will
-effectually conceal the fact that any outer casing exists, which
-will be regarded as the body of the saucepan. Into the saucepan fits
-loosely a secret pan, about 1-1/2in. only in depth, and into this
-again fits a lid, which is ostensibly the lid of the saucepan. The
-saucepan is provided with a handle, which must, of course, come from
-that part which is above the outer casing. The saucepan is prepared
-by having a rabbit placed in it, and the false pan put in, the lid
-lying loosely on the top. Holding it with one hand, and sustaining
-the casing, in which is a piece of cotton or cambric, by means of the
-pressure of one or more fingers, it is brought on, and going with
-it towards the audience, care being taken to hold it high, a hat is
-borrowed. Observe, on receiving the hat, that you intend making a
-stove of it, and then borrow a small handkerchief, which, you will
-explain, when you have obtained possession of it, you purpose using
-as fuel. As if indicating the meaning of your words, put the saucepan
-into the hat, and, on withdrawing it, leave the outer casing behind.
-Place the hat upon the table, with the saucepan beside it, and then,
-removing the lid, break an egg or two into the secret pan&mdash;apparently
-into the saucepan itself. Put in any ingredients you please, not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span>
-omitting candle drippings, and then place the lid firmly on. Place
-the borrowed handkerchief into the hat, between its side and the
-tin lining within it. Pour some spirits of wine upon the piece of
-linen or cambric, and then set fire to it. Of course the audience,
-on seeing the flames, will suppose that the borrowed handkerchief is
-being burnt inside the hat, and mingled amusement and consternation
-will be exhibited. Do not allow the burning to last long, or the tin
-casing will become undesirably heated; but put the saucepan quickly
-into the hat, after affecting to cook the contents, and perform the
-double operation of putting out the flames and bringing away the
-casing. If the casing be too hot, the action of the heat upon the
-fingers will speedily make the fact known, so any further directions
-upon this point will be unnecessary. Remove the lid, which, if it fits
-as tightly as it should into the false pan, will bring that away as
-well, and then take out the rabbit. Return the hat, previously taking
-out the handkerchief, and point out that neither are injured; and
-also show that the interior of the saucepan is quite guiltless of any
-contents. If such a combination of apparent impossibilities as are
-presented in this trick do not astonish, then nothing ever will. It is
-a great trick for large mixed audiences. Doves or guinea pigs can be
-used as successfully as rabbits. I have even seen a kitten employed,
-but the difficulty was to get it into the saucepan.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Bird and Card.</em>&mdash;A very pretty stage trick this. The performer
-must procure what is known as a bird box, which is a pretty polished
-box, having a secret metal flap inside, the latter, when turned down,
-forming a retreat for a small bird, such as a canary. It is held down
-by a small catch, released by pressing the key into the lock from the
-outside, the double action being performed of setting free the bird
-and concealing the card. It is useless having such a box constructed,
-as it can be much more satisfactorily procured of the proper vendors.
-Two small cages are also necessary. They may be round or square, but,
-in either case,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> should be all wire, like a rat trap. This is merely
-to give them an innocent appearance. One of these cages is concealed
-on the shelf, behind the table. The performer borrows a hat, either
-for this or a preceding trick (preferably the latter), and gets the
-empty cage into it. This is best done by placing the hat upon the
-table, the opening towards the rear, and leaving it there for a time.
-Then, when carelessly shifting its position, the article required to
-be got into it may be inserted with less suspicion. In the second cage
-is a bird, precisely similar to the one concealed in the bird box.
-Place this cage upon the table, and cover with a double cloth, having
-inside a card-board shape. A card is forced on one of the company, and
-placed in the bird box, in a little slit which will be found there,
-just over the hinge of the secret flap. The inside of the box may
-be carefully exhibited at a slight distance, the blackened interior
-preventing anyone from noticing the presence of the turned down flap.
-Whilst affecting to lock it, the key is pressed hard in and the flap
-released. In flying back this covers the card. The performer commences
-by extracting the card. This he can do by having a duplicate concealed
-in a card-box (see<a href="#Page_127"> page 127</a>), and causing it to appear in that; but
-it will look more artistic to have one palmed and affect to extract it
-from the box. This done, the cloth is raised by the shape, the cage
-being left upon the shelf. The cloth is then shaken out and laid flat
-upon the floor. The box is then opened and the bird allowed to fly
-out, if tame, or taken out in the hand, previously shown empty, if
-wild. The performer will derive a great advantage from having a tame
-canary, which returns to his shoulder. Finally, the hat is brought
-forward and found to contain the missing cage.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a><br /><br />
-
-SHAM MESMERISM, CLAIRVOYANCE, ETC.</h2>
-
-<div class="blockquot">
-
-<p>BLINDFOLD FEATS&mdash;IMITATION SECOND SIGHT&mdash;ON
-SPIRITUALISM&mdash;THE MESMERISED POKER&mdash;THE PERAMBULATING
-WALKING STICK&mdash;THE ASCENT&mdash;THE TALKING GLASS: TWO
-METHODS&mdash;THE SPIRIT BOUQUET&mdash;THE SLATE TRICK&mdash;FIERY HANDS,
-WRITINGS, &amp;C.&mdash;THE ELECTRIC TOUCH&mdash;THE ANIMATED SKULL.</p></div>
-
-
-<p><em>Clairvoyance.</em>&mdash;This is one of the most mysterious agencies with
-which the scientific world has ever had to deal. Doubted by the
-majority, because of its seeming improbability, and because of the
-difficulty of comprehending it, the faculty of clairvoyance or second
-sight has, nevertheless, been possessed, and is possessed, by not a
-few. Some marvellous manifestations of seeing without the eyes have
-been shown, and in a manner sufficient to convince even the most
-sceptical of its reality. This faculty has often been imitated by
-conjurors, some of whom have fairly admitted that they were only
-imitators, whilst others have assumed possession of the actual power
-itself. At that now defunct institution, the Polytechnic, and other
-places of amusement, cleverly arranged telegraphic communication has
-been the means adopted for bringing a person on the stage <em>en rapport</em>
-with another amongst the audience. I would not recommend the amateur
-to take any serious trouble in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span> matter, but to merely make himself
-master of a few tricks relating to it. A very simple one is performed
-with the aid of a pack of cards. An assistant is blindfolded on the
-stage, and placed with his back to the audience. Before proceeding
-any farther, the performer explains that, beyond a certain point, he
-will neither speak nor make any sound or movement, lest it should be
-said that he conveyed information to the assistant. He then proceeds
-to "force" three or more cards in an order previously agreed upon,
-and the holders thereupon ask of the assistant, as the performer has
-previously instructed them to do, what the names of the cards are. The
-performer must mentally reserve to himself the right of pointing with
-his wand to the person who is to speak next, so as to ensure the cards
-being asked for in the proper order.</p>
-
-<p>Instead of using cards, the performer can distribute slips of paper
-amongst the audience, for the purpose of having short sentences
-written upon them. He has a piece of paper of his own previously
-prepared, with a sentence upon it that is known to the blindfolded
-assistant. The papers written upon by the audience are folded up and
-placed upon a tray, or the crown of a hat, each some distance from
-the other. Whilst doing this, the performer contrives to effect an
-exchange between his own paper and any one of the others, it does not
-signify which. He then asks one of the audience to select one of the
-papers, and, manipulating the hat or tray adroitly, "forces" his own.
-Before it is opened, the assistant is requested to say what is written
-upon it.</p>
-
-<p>This trick is farther elaborated as follows: The performer hands
-round a fair quantity of paper slips, and asks the audience to write
-what they please upon them very plainly. As it is advisable that
-whatever is written should be brief, it is best to ask to have the
-names of celebrated deceased persons only written. The performer has
-a piece of his own, previously written upon and folded, concealed in
-his hand. Supposing this to be in the left hand, the right takes a
-folded<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> slip from one of the audience, and, under pretence of putting
-it into the left, for the purpose of handing it to another person, an
-exchange is effected, and the performer's own piece given instead.
-The learner will know the proper "pass" for effecting this by this
-time. The performer then says that he will go upon the stage and from
-a distance read what is upon the paper. He does so, and seizes the
-opportunity for rapidly opening the paper of which he has just become
-possessed, and of reading the name upon it. If much were written upon
-the paper, it would be impossible to read its contents in the limited
-space of time at the performer's disposal. When he turns round there
-is of course no trace visible of what he has been about, and he then
-proceeds to read the name on the paper held by one of the audience.
-This he does not do readily, but first names the sex of the person,
-and then the capital letter of the name, as if it were only developing
-itself by degrees and through some very mysterious medium. The first
-paper duly read, a second one is taken, exchanged as before, and borne
-off to the stage, to be read in transit. This process can be repeated
-any number of times, although four will be found quite sufficient, as
-it is a harassing trick to perform. An excellent finish is to "force"
-a previously prepared paper, and then have it burnt, after it has been
-read aloud by one of the audience. The ashes are collected and rubbed
-upon the conjuror's bare arm, upon which the name then appears in
-black. This is contrived by having the name written upon the arm in
-glycerine. This will be invisible, but if the ashes be rubbed lightly
-upon it they will adhere, and so show the name. There are chemical
-preparations used for the same purpose, but the method described here
-is by far the most simple and practicable. With this trick "Dr." Lynn
-created a great sensation for several months, some years ago.</p>
-
-<p><em>Anti-Spiritualistic Tricks.</em>&mdash;In the introduction to these papers I
-had occasion, the reader may remember, to refer to the impositions
-practised by the ancient priests and others<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span> on the minds of an
-unenlightened people by means of what were merely conjuring tricks,
-but which were made to appear before the ignorant in the guise of
-supernatural manifestations. Few will require to be reminded of the
-excitement that has of late years existed concerning spiritualism.
-One would have thought that, in these days, people would have been
-above believing that the spirits of the departed would be permitted
-to return to the earth for the sole purpose of answering questions
-and indulging in tomfoolery; but such is the simplicity of mankind,
-that those who have had the boldness to declare themselves capable
-of raising the dead, and to dress up themselves or others in muslin
-or newspaper, have not lacked faithful followers. The malpractices
-have been going on for years, and many shameless impositions have
-come under my notice. The victims, it will not cause astonishment to
-hear, were mostly weak-minded ladies, and the spirits have had the
-remarkable discernment to visit only those who were well provided
-with worldly comforts, backed by an amount of confiding simplicity
-wonderful to contemplate. The exertions of several amateur, and some
-professional, conjurors have succeeded in proving to all minds open to
-the workings of common sense that all those professing spiritualism
-as a means of gaining a livelihood are neither more nor less than
-scoundrels. But of course there are still thousands who would be
-as much imposed upon as ever by any white figure seen after dark,
-and, in a private way, the spiritualists are still reaping a rich
-harvest. Towards clearing away this darkness, conjurors, both amateur
-and professional, can do a great deal, and there is a definite and
-worthy task before them, which they can best perform by exhibiting
-such phenomena as are produced by spiritualists at their exhibitions
-by avowedly natural means. By this means ridicule, which nothing can
-survive long, will be thrown upon the black art, which is merely
-conjuring put to base uses. A performance consisting entirely of sham
-spiritualistic manifestations I have found take exceedingly well,
-especially with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span> audiences who have seen something of conjuring, and
-who are not averse to a change in the programme. I do not agree with
-pretending to call spirits to one's aid, for it smacks of irreverence:
-the performer should merely explain that what he is about to do or has
-just done by simple dexterity is brought about by the spiritualists
-with the asserted aid of familiar spirits. A simple trick which seems
-well to commence with is&mdash;</p>
-
-<p><em>The Mesmerised Poker.</em>&mdash;The performer seats himself with his legs
-apart, and, taking a poker, stands it up on one end before him. On
-removing the hand the poker falls, but, after two or three fruitless
-attempts, it remains standing without the aid of any visible support.
-This is very easily managed by having a fine piece of black cotton
-attached to the calf of the trousers by means of a bent pin at each
-end. It need not be so long as to drag on the floor, and the performer
-can walk about with comfort and without fear of detection. The action
-of opening the legs draws the thread out straight and tight, so that
-the poker can rest against it when it is required to cause it to stand
-upright.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Perambulating Walking-Stick.</em>&mdash;This is a very amusing trick, in
-which a walking-stick is made to walk across the stage by itself. The
-invisible agency is again a fine black thread. On a stage provided
-with "flies," it is managed from above, in which case the only
-direction required is to affix one end of a thread round the head of
-a walking-stick, and convey the other end above to an assistant. By
-means of this thread the walking-stick is made to progress across
-the stage by means of little jumps. But on the drawing-room stage
-the matter is not quite so easy. Two threads will be required,
-and they must lie across the floor when the curtain is drawn. If
-possible, an assistant at each wing should hold the ends, but when
-one assistant only can be obtained, he must do the best he can from
-one side, the ends of the thread on the other being tied to the back
-of a chair, about the height of a walking-stick from the ground.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span> The
-walking-stick should be provided with a substantial head, and the
-performer must hand it round for minute examination. He then takes it
-back to the stage, and flourishes it vigorously to show there are no
-threads or wires anywhere about. The instant the flourishing portion
-of the business is over, the assistants must raise the threads to
-the proper level, and one of them, by crossing his hands, causes the
-threads to cross each other at about the middle of the room. The
-performer then places the stick, with apparent carelessness, upright
-on the floor, but, as he takes care to place it between the threads
-just where they are crossed, it does not fall on the one hand being
-removed from it. The assistant who has crossed his hands now uncrosses
-them, which action has the effect of holding the stick tolerably
-firmly between the threads. On receiving commands from the performer
-the stick is made to dance, fall down and jump up again, and walk
-either to the right or to the left. If it is to go to the right, the
-assistant on that side lowers his hands slightly, and the one on the
-left administers a succession of jerks to the threads, which will
-cause the stick to progress by means of a series of jumps. These
-jumps can be made alternately long and short. As a final exhibition
-of skill, it can be made to turn a complete somersault, by both the
-assistants swinging their hands round in complete circles. For this
-it will be necessary to have a good head to the stick. When the
-performance is finished hand the stick round again for examination.
-In my opinion the trick shows best in a room, where the audience know
-there is no means of concealing anyone above.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Ascent</em> can be performed by means of the same threads. Books,
-pieces of music, &amp;c., are laid upon the floor, and rise slowly or
-quickly, and remain suspended in the air, where they can be made to
-rock about. Of course, they are simply laid upon the threads, the ends
-of which are then raised evenly and simultaneously. The best ascent is
-a sudden one, as being the most startling.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span></p>
-
-<p><em>The Talking Glass.</em>&mdash;Provide yourself with a tall, thin, and
-well-sounding glass vase. At a pinch a thin soda water tumbler will
-do. Across the room and above the table have a piece of thread or
-fine wire. Show the tumbler or vase round, and then place it upon the
-table, or on the top of an inverted tumbler, which will serve for the
-purpose of showing that there is no deception beneath, and will also
-act as a sounding medium. An assistant at the side draws the thread
-close against the side of the glass, and it is stretched as tight as
-is consistent with safety. The glass is now made to talk by means of
-sharply emitted sounds in answer to questions, a small code of signals
-being established. One sound means "yes," two "no," and so on. These
-sounds are caused by the assistant catching at the thread sharply with
-the nail, which will cause a distinct ring to come from the glass. The
-principle is very simple, but I have never known anyone but myself
-adopt it. The performer must endeavour to make his questions amusing,
-and, as the powers of speech possessed by the glass are but limited,
-they must not be too severely taxed.</p>
-
-<p>If a tumbler be suspended from the wand by means of a thread tied
-loosely round the wand and tightly round the glass, a sound will be
-emitted on twisting the wand ever so slightly. With practice this
-movement can be made almost imperceptible. If the onlookers begin to
-look at the hand and wand too much the display must cease at once.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Spirit Bouquet.</em>&mdash;One of the most usual, and at the same time
-most shallow, of deceptions practised by the "spiritualist," is that
-of the production of flowers. The gas is (of course) lowered, a few
-irreverencies gone through, and, on the room being re-illuminated, lo
-and behold, the table and floor have flowers lying upon them! As, of
-course, the manifestors of these wonders could not by any possible
-means have the flowers in their pockets on entering the room&mdash;even
-if they thought of practising-such a deception!&mdash;the spectators are
-struck with wonder. However, I shall teach the reader how<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span> to perform
-an even greater marvel, by causing a bouquet to glide through the air
-into his hand without the assistance of total or partial darkness. The
-bouquet can be either real or artificial&mdash;a real one, certainly, for
-choice. Take a piece of the finest iron wire procurable (jewellers'
-"binding" wire is the proper article), about 6in. in length, and tie
-it firmly round the stalks of the flowers, just below the buds. The
-other end tie round the centre flower, which is always a little higher
-than the others, and you will thus have a loop about 4in. in length.
-If the centre flower be not higher than the rest, then re-arrange
-the bouquet, and make it so. It is essential to have one end of the
-wire tied on considerably higher than the other, in order that the
-bouquet may hang properly. If both ends were tied round the main
-body of the stalks, the bouquet would hang upside down, whereas it
-should, when suspended by the loop, be almost upright, or, at least,
-only slightly on one side. From the most convenient position behind
-the scenes, which will depend entirely upon circumstances connected
-with the arrangement of the stage, have another piece of fine wire
-hanging, with a loop made in it at one end long enough to reach the
-centre of the stage. The spot usually the best for attaching this
-wire is at the side, as near the audience as possible. On a regular
-stage the "flies" are most suitable, but in the drawing-room, where
-there are usually folding doors and curtains (without them this trick
-cannot well be managed), the side must be chosen. When the trick is
-about to be performed, the bouquet must be put on the wire by means
-of the loop, and an assistant in concealment mounts a pair of steps
-with it and holds it in readiness. The end of the wire is so disposed
-that the performer can without difficulty insert his little finger in
-the loop thereon, under pretence, say, of shifting a chair. He then
-retires towards the centre of the room until he feels that the wire
-is drawn perfectly tight, and then proceeds to speak of the wonderful
-productions by humbugs, done in the dark, and finally finishes up
-by saying that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span> he has only to extend his hand in the air to find
-something in it. With the hand that is <em>not</em> holding the wire he
-makes a grasp in the air, and at the same moment opens the other
-hand, taking care to pull the wire quite tight. The attention of the
-audience is naturally momentarily attracted towards the hand making
-the greatest movement, and at this very instant the assistant starts
-the bouquet down the wire. The performer, when the bouquet has reached
-his hand, which it will do with remarkable swiftness, exclaims, "Ah!
-no; here it is, see, in this hand;" and, ridding his finger of the
-wire, brings the bouquet forward, of course keeping the loop upon
-it from view. When the performer's actions have been well contrived
-and carried out, the bouquet is not seen until it is almost in the
-performer's hands; but, under less fortuitous circumstances, which
-are all I bargain for myself, the trick is wonderfully successful.
-The fact of a small portion of the aerial journey of the bouquet
-being observed is not by any means undesirable, the only thing to be
-kept from the view of the spectator being the commencement of it. The
-communicating wire must be fixed some distance behind, so that the
-bouquet is descending at full speed by the time it comes into possible
-view. The reader will see that the principle is so simple, as to be
-almost commonplace, but he must not deride it on this account. The
-most natural actions possible must be brought into play, and plenty
-of rehearsals will be required. The reason for having the loop of the
-wire upon the little finger is that the safe arrival of the bouquet
-is better ensured thereby. The little finger must be kept undermost,
-the hand being at an angle of forty-five degrees, with the wire lying
-across the palm. A great deal lies in the neatness with which the
-bouquet reaches the hand. There must be no bungling. Therefore I say,
-Rehearse.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Slate Trick.</em>&mdash;Everyone will naturally wish to know how this
-is done. "Dr." Slade, as Mr. Maskelyne correctly showed in open
-court, produced his "spirit writings" on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span> slate by means of a
-thimble-shaped instrument, to which were attached a piece of pencil
-and a length of elastic. The elastic was fastened to the brace, or
-elsewhere, and caused the disappearance of the thimble and pencil up
-the performer's sleeve when they were no longer required. Under the
-table was a little ledge which supported the slate whilst the hand,
-which was supposed to be performing that action, was busily engaged
-in scribbling upon the bottom of the slate, the thimble arrangement
-enabling one of the fingers to execute certain letters in a very
-poor and scarcely legible fashion. The bad writing was supposed to
-look more mysterious; but Slade would have written more legibly had
-circumstances permitted it. Anyone may try this method, but as a
-conjuring trick it is poor. The trick as now sold is a slate with an
-extra or false interior. The answer that is to be given is written
-upon the genuine slate, and the false side then put on. The slate is
-shown casually round without leaving the performer's hands, and a
-question is then written upon one side of the slate, which is waved
-about, and an opportunity seized for allowing the false side to drop
-out behind the table, or at any other convenient place, and the answer
-is then exhibited. If the inside of the false slate have blotting
-paper pasted upon it, and a blotting pad be upon the table used whilst
-the trick is being performed, it may be allowed to drop out upon the
-table without any attempt at concealment.</p>
-
-<p><em>Fiery Hands, Writings, &amp;c.</em>&mdash;With the aid of phosphorus a very
-innocent dark séance can be given. The principal thing is to have
-the gas under control. This lowered, or turned completely out, for
-preference, the rest is easy enough. Bunches of cotton wool, or tow
-steeped in phosphorescent spirits, obtainable at any chemist's, placed
-upon the ends of fishing rods, create a good effect when protruded
-over the heads of the audience, and there waved about in circles.
-A washleather glove, stuffed with cotton wool, tied to the end of
-a rod, and wetted, is diverting, not to say alarming,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</a></span> when dabbed
-suddenly in the face of one of the audience. Imagination will fancy
-it the clammy hand of death. Care must be taken to withdraw it very
-suddenly. The best way is to have it swinging from the end of the rod,
-when it retires out of reach of a possible "grab" by virtue of its
-own impetus. The glove must not be phosphorescent. Japanese fishing
-rods, with the joints sliding one within the other, will be found very
-useful. A good effect is produced by the performer allowing himself to
-be tied to a chair, to which his arms are firmly bound, and the knots
-sealed by the audience. His assistants, having first removed their
-boots, can come on and manage everything, and, as a final effect,
-one of them has some words or characters written upon his arms and
-hands, or simply has them smeared with the phosphorescent preparation
-in use. He then kneels behind the performer's chair, which he must
-approach either backwards or with his coat on, and then extends his
-arms from the performer's shoulders. The form of the hands and arms
-will be seen, and it will appear as if the performer had loosened his
-arms and was exhibiting them in a fiery condition. So soon as the
-assistant is again out of sight the gas should be turned up, leaving
-the audience in a state of bewilderment. The most childishly simple
-things can be perpetrated in the dark, when the mind is by nature more
-easily imposed upon than it is at any other time. The simple expedient
-of someone coming on the stage in his stockings, after the room has
-been darkened, and, by turning back the sleeve, exhibit some words
-written upon the arm, is a very good illustration: it is impossible
-for an ordinary mind to divine how the sudden appearance of the
-writing in mid-air is managed. The arm must be extended horizontally
-before the sleeve is drawn back, and it must be kept so extended
-until the writing is again obscured. This is essential. The slightest
-expenditure of ingenuity and thought will produce other effects, which
-will vary according to circumstances and situations;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</a></span> whilst careful
-preparation will meet with its usual and deserved reward.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Electric Touch.</em>&mdash;The performer may, if he pleases, either
-commence or conclude those portions of his entertainments which have
-to do with mesmerism with a bogus explanation of the forces latent
-within him, the result of a natural gift. He must purposely make his
-elucidation a little far-fetched, in order to raise a smile, or even
-a remark, of incredulity. This gives him the desired opportunity for
-offering to practically prove the truth of what he states. Advancing
-to the company, he asks one of the spectators to extend his hands
-in front of him, palms downward. Standing immediately opposite this
-gentleman, the performer rubs the back of one of his own hands
-with the fingers of the other, and reverses the operation. This he
-continues for a quarter of a minute or so, and then suddenly extends
-his hands over the backs of those held out before him, an inch or two
-removed. The spectator feels no shock, so the performer continues his
-rubbing, and, at the third or fourth trial, the spectator jerks one of
-his hands away, a slight electric shock having been communicated to
-him. The experiment may be repeated as often as the performer pleases.
-A little pin is the cause of this marvellous manifestation. This the
-performer has about him (stuck under the vest is the best place), and
-often, in gesticulating, indirectly showing the hands to be empty,
-it is got down, with the head between the first joints of the first
-and second fingers, where it can be held firmly, of course pointing
-downwards. The nibbing of the fingers of each hand alternately upon
-the back of the other indirectly points to the absence of anything
-of the protruding nature of a pin being held in them, so the assumed
-excitation of electricity by friction is not the only reason for the
-action.</p>
-
-<p>It adds to the effect when the production of the shock on the
-first experimenter comes only at the third or fourth attempt. With
-others, it may safely come at the first or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</a></span> second, if the performer
-be careful to explain that, the electric power once worked up,
-very little is necessary to keep it going. The rubbing is kept up
-throughout. The shock is, of course, produced by bringing the hand
-holding the pin nearer and nearer to the one beneath it, until the
-pin's point touches it. The touch must be as delicate as possible,
-as then an after feeling is experienced which necessitates rubbing.
-If the point enters the skin, the presence of the pin is at once
-detected. It being so absolutely necessary to the success of the trick
-that the touch should be very delicate, the use of fine entomological
-pins is recommended, but they must not be too long. The performer
-will do well to fail to produce shocks on some of those experimented
-upon at first, a return to them being necessary when the electric
-power has accumulated. Any particularly healthy and rubicund person
-may as well prove quite impervious, the performer explaining that the
-strength of mind present is too great. The company will judge by the
-person's healthy exterior, forgetting that, notwithstanding, the mind
-within may be nothing very great. As the performer is standing and the
-company sitting, he must slant his hands downwards, or the pin will
-be seen. The hands experimented upon must, for the same reason, be
-kept low. Should anyone suggest a pin, that article must be at once
-dropped, the performer being, of course, provided with reserve ones.
-This part of the trick is very seriously carried out, the performer
-congratulating himself and the company upon a state of atmosphere
-which enables him to exhibit such satisfactory results.</p>
-
-<p><em>The Animated Skull.</em>&mdash;The performer places two ordinary chairs, which
-may be examined, back to back, and a yard or so apart. Across the
-backs he lays a piece of plate glass, previously examined, a perfectly
-transparent table being thus formed, and one, as the performer will
-explain, impervious to electricity. Upon this table the performer
-places either a real human skull or else a pasteboard imitation of
-one. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</a></span> imitation is recommended, the performer explaining that the
-reason for its use is that the feelings of some might be shocked,
-which really might be the case. The skull is examined previous to
-being placed upon the table, the company being safely depended upon
-for not noticing anything suspicious in the fact that the underside is
-very much rounded. The skull now answers questions, giving one nod for
-"Yes" and two nods for "No." What questions are asked must depend upon
-the wit of the performer, and the nature of the company assembled.
-Arithmetical problems should be solved, as the skull can give any
-number by means of nods. As a finale, the skull is asked if it would
-like to continue the performance, to which a couple of slow shakes are
-given.</p>
-
-<p>Our old friend, the black silk thread, is at work again here. A piece
-is stretched across the stage, tied up out of harm's way when not
-in use. As soon as the skull is placed upon the glass the thread is
-brought down to the level of the mouth, and made to enter there. The
-imitation article has a deep indentation at this place. In other
-cases the thread is brought under the projecting nasal bone. A slight
-movement of the hand causes the skull to nod, so long as the thread
-is in position, and the performer may pick it off the glass at any
-moment, to show that no connection exists. The slow shake is done
-by manipulating the thread sideways. It cannot be prolonged, as it
-tends to work the skull off the glass. The rounded underside is to
-render the rocking movement easy. In some cases a tiny bead of wax is
-fastened upon the thread, and this affixed to the skull, at the back.</p>
-
-<hr class="chap" />
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[Pg 392]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a><br /><br />
-
-FINAL INSTRUCTIONS.</h2>
-
-
-<p>Having at length brought the beginner to that point where he will
-first have to shift for himself in real earnest, I wish to leave him
-in a position to do credit to my tuition, and, with this object,
-impart a few hints for his guidance.</p>
-
-<p>On the subject of practice, I would not say any more if I could.
-By this time, it must have become so evident to everyone that
-nothing can be brought to any degree at all approaching perfection
-without assiduous attention to detail, that any repetition of my
-often-expressed injunctions to practice would become nauseating. But
-I ought to say something regarding the best method for learning new
-tricks or sleights from the foregoing text. It is a bad plan to read
-the description through, and then immediately try to produce the
-result right away. The whole trick should certainly be read carefully
-through first, so that the mind fully grasps what is required to be
-done; but, after that, the hands should be made to follow, step by
-step, the instructions given, and no progression made until it is
-certain that all is correct up to each point. It will be readily
-understood that my instructions have not been written without a large
-amount of care, or without making a due allowance for the great
-difference between teaching by word of mouth and by book. In many
-instances, a single word explains a great deal; so, if the reader
-scans the page carelessly, it is very possible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</a></span> that he may miss the
-point altogether, and perhaps conclude, in his own mind, that I am a
-charlatan and an impostor. With cards, this careful following of the
-text with the hands is especially essential, and attention to it will
-save much time, trouble, and annoyance at the outset, when everything
-new will naturally appear difficult, if not absurd. Thus much for the
-beginner. When he arrives at the dignity of an actual performer, let
-him be careful to prepare, and learn by heart, a little set speech to
-commence with, and also the accompanying talk for each trick. When he
-has exhibited for a year or two, he will perhaps be able to dispense
-with such preparation; but, at the commencement, few, if any, can
-do without it. The first appearance before an audience is in itself
-sufficiently unnerving, without any additional embarrassment in the
-shape of a consciousness that you do not know what you are going to
-say. Notwithstanding the most careful preparation, something is sure
-to go wrong at first, and unexpected difficulties will crop up on all
-sides, and to meet these successfully will require all the energies
-of the performer. It does not signify how superior the individual's
-natural aptitude or oratory may be&mdash;the task is too great for anyone
-at starting.</p>
-
-<p>For the first few "shows," it is as well to perform such tricks as do
-not require the assistance of an attendant, for the performer must
-be entirely master of the situation, and dictate to his assistant at
-pleasure. This he could not do with freedom if he were uncertain about
-his own powers. Let it also be borne in mind that assistants are like
-money, which, when good, is a valuable acquisition, but, when bad,
-only gets one into trouble. Have no assistant at all rather than a
-bungler, or, what is, if possible, worse, one who endeavours to attach
-to himself some degree of consequence in the minds of the audience.
-Except when it is to assist the trick, he should never open his
-mouth, and all his work should be done as silently and unobtrusively
-as possible, without absolutely scurrying away. His presence on
-the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</a></span> stage should be as brief as possible, and his appearance must
-always be excused by the performance of some very insignificant and
-subordinate task. The best assistant to have is one who looks so
-stupid that the combined efforts of fifty conjurors could not drum
-into him the method for making the "pass." The worst is the one who
-conveys by his appearance and actions that he "knows all about it."
-The spectators at once attribute the greater portion of the results to
-his agency&mdash;not incorrectly, perhaps; but it is unnecessary that they
-should have any cause to do so. On no account should the attendant
-attempt to perform any impromptu act, however clever he may be, for he
-is sure to confuse the performer by so doing, and so lead to awkward
-results.</p>
-
-<p>On many occasions, it is inconvenient, or, at any rate, highly
-inadvisable, to take the conjuring table. At the houses of friends
-it is exceedingly difficult to keep everything secret without being
-absolutely rude. The host (possibly followed by a friend or two&mdash;"men
-who understand things of this sort, you know, so you needn't be
-afraid") is nearly certain to take the fullest advantage of his
-position, and to penetrate into the performer's sanctum with all
-possible alacrity, and there worm from him valuable secrets. Of
-course, he wouldn't dream of telling anyone, not he; yet, somehow, if
-the tricks are exhibited on another occasion, the juveniles display an
-inexplicable and annoying knowledge of the why and the wherefore of
-them. It is of no use to say, "Oh! but no one would take the liberty,"
-and such like; my experience teaches me (and I do not think that I, in
-particular, have fallen among thieves) that they do, so there is an
-end of it. Such articles as multiplying balls, cups, reticules, &amp;c.,
-are easily put out of sight; but an unwieldy table is quite another
-thing. Of course, immediately the trap in it is discovered, away goes
-your reputation for miraculous sleight of hand; and, when you really
-do exhibit a genuine specimen of it, you will not get credit for it.
-No,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</a></span> no risks must be run on this head&mdash;that is, if the performer
-cares anything for his reputation.</p>
-
-<p>As an excellent substitute for the table, I have an oblong box, the
-rough dimensions of which are 18in. × 8in. × 6in. It has a removable
-sliding lid, and is covered with a dark cloth. In this I carry such
-of my belongings as will go into it; so, when it is seen during the
-performance, it is only regarded in the light of an ordinary deal
-box. One of the 8in. sides, however, has a trap cut in it, with a
-little bag inside the box for catching articles passed through. The
-box, <em>minus</em> the lid, and <em>plus</em> such articles as would be ordinarily
-placed upon the shelf, is brought boldly on, along with some of the
-articles which the performer will first require, as a "blind." It is
-placed carelessly down within three or four inches of the back of
-the table, with the open side, naturally, at the back, and the trap
-uppermost. The table itself plays the part of the shelf, and articles
-are now and then placed upon the box, as they would be, in the usual
-way, upon a table.</p>
-
-<p>Another way, much more deceptive, is to have a trap made in the top
-of an ordinary high hat. The crown lining should form the bottom of
-a collapsible bag, so that the inside of the hat can be first shown,
-but, so soon as it is placed upon the table brim downwards, the bag
-falls down. The brim should be tolerably flat, as the hat should not
-rock about. The crown itself will require some strengthening material,
-such as very thick pasteboard, glued to it before the trap is cut out,
-or the latter will curl up in an unseemly way. This trap hat serves
-for vanishing articles only. Its presence is very opportune at times.
-The presence of the shelf is by no means indispensable; indeed, I
-may safely say that I do not require it myself, except in important
-performances. If it be inconvenient to take the table, a programme
-can easily be arranged so as to dispense with the shelf entirely,
-but, if it can be used, then, by all means, make the most of it.
-Young conjurors must avoid the error of adapting their<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</a></span> tricks to the
-shelf, instead of the shelf to the tricks. Experience will show what
-an astonishing quantity of things can be concealed in the large breast
-and tail pockets for hat "loading" purposes. The tail pockets will
-carry a bundle of fifty cups with ease, and without fear of detection;
-and when these can be introduced, and produced without once leaving
-the audience, I need hardly say that the effect is considerably
-enhanced. When you are using a table, be careful never to go behind
-it without some good reason, and let your stay there be as brief as
-possible. Stand at the sides as often and as long as you like.</p>
-
-<p>The arrangement of the stage and the seating of the audience are
-matters of vital importance, and due regard must be paid to angles
-of vision. One of the greatest bug-bears a performer meets with in
-private audiences is he (no lady ever sins in this way) who, under
-pretence of being at hand in case of need, or by means of some even
-more transparent excuse, plants himself, in close proximity to the
-stage, between it and the body of the audience. It is all very well
-for the reader to say, "Oh, but I would never allow that under
-any circumstances!" If he be young, he will find that people will
-patronise him, do what he may, or be as clever as he will; and it is
-in the interest of the young beginner that I am making these remarks.
-There will generally be somebody who thinks himself a privileged
-person, and who will put himself just where he is not wanted. We know
-what mean things people will do for money: to find out the secret of a
-conjuring trick they will descend almost as low. I am not romancing,
-but stating plain truths, such as have forced themselves upon me time
-after time. Under these circumstances, the table should be placed as
-far back as is possible or convenient, and, if little tables are used,
-they should be well on one side and not too far forward. But more
-important than this even is the placing of some large object, such
-as a vase with flowers on a pedestal, a statue, or such like at each
-corner, as it is from thence that the best view<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</a></span> of the conjuror's
-secrets can be obtained. A person stationed at a corner can see
-half of what the performer does in the vesting line, and he has an
-unfair advantage, which must not be permitted, when avoidable. If a
-pianoforte be in use, by all means put it close to one of the corners.
-Curtains are not of much use, as they are easily pulled aside. If he
-have the opportunity, let the performer arrange the seats himself, and
-also take the bearings of his table from the corners. Be careful that
-no looking-glasses are in a position to reflect back to the audience
-those things which are not meant for them to see, and have the light
-as evenly distributed as possible; but do not have any candles or lamp
-on the table. I object even to an upright candelabrum being placed at
-each front corner. They are in the way.</p>
-
-<p>Programmes are a decided addition, and they should be made as
-interesting as possible without foreshadowing what is about to follow.
-The cheapest way is to have a quantity printed, with the performer's
-complete catalogue upon them, numbered, and then the numbers of the
-tricks to be performed can be announced in any convenient way. This
-will only do for private audiences. In performing in public the case
-is entirely altered.</p>
-
-<p>By all means call in the assistance of a pianoforte; but see that
-the player of the instrument is one who will not be likely to
-egotistically launch out into any brilliant fantasia. Waltzes,
-and such pieces as can be stopped suddenly, should be chosen. The
-performer must be as quick as he can between tricks; but to a waiting
-audience one minute seems ten, so it is quite necessary to have a
-little music when it is obtainable. The player should finish off
-directly the performer comes on the stage, without waiting for any
-word or sign. In such a trick as the <a href="#ascending_cards"><em>Rising Cards</em></a> a little "magic
-music"&mdash;of the gentle trickling order&mdash;will be found very effective.
-The cards would ascend to the music.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>The performer should always provide himself with a private programme,
-to be hung or pasted up behind his screen, or wherever his retiring
-place may be. On this programme should be detailed every property
-of each trick, down to the veriest trifle, for on trifles, be it
-remembered, often depends the whole success of a trick. It is also
-well to have written down beforehand what articles should be upon
-the shelf at the commencement of each part, and any preconceived
-pieces of appropriate wit should be put against the particular trick
-to which they belong. These precautions will save the performer&mdash;the
-beginner more especially&mdash;a world of trouble and anxiety. As a trick
-once written out is done for ever, it is as well to have each one on a
-separate card. In this case the writing out of an elaborate programme
-before each performance would be avoided, besides which the cards are
-more portable. Have the properties of each trick complete. If a knife
-be required in three tricks, have three knives, and not one, and let
-this principle be observed throughout. It is as easy to take three
-knives as one, and there is, besides, the comforting assurance that
-one will be at hand when wanted.</p>
-
-<p>Do not perform longer than forty-five or fifty minutes at a stretch.
-Both performer and audience are the better for a short rest at the
-end of that period, and an interval of ten minutes or so should be
-allowed. This will enable the performer to re-arrange his shelf, which
-should always be kept as clear as possible, and to remove articles
-from the trap bags, &amp;c.</p>
-
-<p>Above all things, keep the hands warm, and for this purpose be
-provided with a pair of woollen gloves, which wear indoors as well as
-out, previous to a performance. No one can palm with a hand like ice.</p>
-
-<p>I do not know that I can say anything more without repeating what has
-already appeared in connection with such tricks as seemed to me to
-afford the most appropriate opportunities; so my work is done.</p>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</a></span></p>
-
-<p>To use the words of Byron, "I have nothing further to add, save a
-general note of thanksgiving to readers, purchasers, and publishers,"
-and to wish the learner all success&mdash;but only according to his
-deserts&mdash;with as much true enjoyment as has been experienced by me in
-the pursuit of <span class="smcap">Sleight of Hand</span>.</p>
-
-<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;">
-<img src="images/p405.png" width="300" height="27" alt="" />
-</div>
-
-<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</a></span></p>
-
-
-
-
-<h2><a name="INDEX" id="INDEX">INDEX</a></h2>
-
-
-<ul class="index">
-<li class="ifrst">A.</li>
-<li class="indx"><span style="margin-left: 9em;"><span class="smcap">page</span></span></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Accommodating bottle, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Aces, congenial, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Action with rapidity, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_39">39</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Addressing audience, style of, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Animated skull, <a href="#Page_390">390</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Anti-gravitation ball, <a href="#Page_343">343</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Anti-spiritualistic tricks, <a href="#Page_380">380</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Apparatus, its uses and abuses, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Apples and ring, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And small eggs, palming, <a href="#Page_168">168</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">In cups, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Arm, cutting, with a knife, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Arrangement of stage, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Article, changing an, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ascending cards, <a href="#Page_192">192</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ascent of articles in spiritualistic tricks, <a href="#Page_383">383</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Assembly, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Assistant, choosing an, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Attached card, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Audience, seating the, <a href="#Page_396">396</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Style of addressing, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">B.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bacchus' dovecot, <a href="#Page_306">306</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Maypole, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bag, the egg, <a href="#Page_274">274</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Watch, <a href="#Page_363">363</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ball and bottle, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Balls and cups, tricks with, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And plates, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Anti-gravitation, <a href="#Page_343">343</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Balls, concealing, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">From a hat, multiplying, <a href="#Page_353">353</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing and vanishing, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vesting, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Wine-drinking, crystal, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Worsted, and coin, <a href="#Page_256">256</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Banker, the, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bending watches, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bird and card, <a href="#Page_376">376</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Cages produced from a hat, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Birds, vanishing small, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Blindfold feats, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Borrowed rings, exchanging, for dummies, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Borrowing handkerchiefs, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_63">63</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Watches, <a href="#Page_361">361</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bottle, accommodating, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And ball, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And dove, <a href="#Page_306">306</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And penknife, <a href="#Page_44">44</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And ribbons, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And tumbler, perambulating, <a href="#Page_328">328</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Magic wine, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of ginger beer, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bouquet, spirit, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bowls of fish, <a href="#Page_262">262</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Boxes, card, <a href="#Page_127">127</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Drawer, <a href="#Page_300">300</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">For watch, <a href="#Page_364">364</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing coin into, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Watch, <a href="#Page_368">368</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">With trap, <a href="#Page_395">395</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</a></span></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Boxing coins, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Brazen rod, magi's, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_371">371</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Breaking watches, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Broad and long cards, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Bundle of firewood produced from hat, <a href="#Page_354">354</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Burning a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_62">62</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Butterfly trick, Japanese, <a href="#Page_74">74</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">C.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cabbage and hat, <a href="#Page_349">349</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cage, flying, <a href="#Page_335">335</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cages, bird, produced from hat, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Candle, money-producing, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing handkerchief over flame of, without burning, <a href="#Page_178">178</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cannon ball and hat, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Card and bird, <a href="#Page_376">376</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks, value of, <a href="#Page_88">88</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cards, ascending, <a href="#Page_192">192</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Assembly, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Attached, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Boxes, <a href="#Page_127">127</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Catching two, in the air, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Causing one to appear in any position in the pack, counting from top or bottom, <a href="#Page_123">123</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Causing one to show itself on the top of the pack, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Chameleon, <a href="#Page_132">132</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Changing, <a href="#Page_132">132</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Changing two, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Clairvoyance, <a href="#Page_379">379</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Congenial aces, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Conjurors', <a href="#Page_89">89</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Cut packs, <a href="#Page_130">130</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Diagonal, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Egyptian pocket, <a href="#Page_187">187</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">False shuffle, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Forcing, <a href="#Page_117">117</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Hatched, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">La carte générale, <a href="#Page_119">119</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Lady's own trick, <a href="#Page_105">105</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Lightning change, <a href="#Page_146">146</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Long and broad, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Marking, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Missing link, <a href="#Page_190">190</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Napoleon, a game at, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Obliging bouquet, <a href="#Page_202">202</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Palming, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passes with, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Permeating, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Prepared, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Pricked, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Reversed, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Revolution, the, <a href="#Page_129">129</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Royal marriages, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Salamander, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sliding, <a href="#Page_116">116</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sympathetic, <a href="#Page_120">120</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Thought-reading, <a href="#Page_140">140</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Throwing, <a href="#Page_129">129</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Travelling, <a href="#Page_135">135</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>, <a href="#Page_186">186</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Universal, <a href="#Page_119">119</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing a pack, <a href="#Page_186">186</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Catching coins in the air, <a href="#Page_14">14</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Two cards in the air, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Causing a card to appear in any position in the pack, counting from top or bottom, <a href="#Page_123">123</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A card to show itself on the top of the pack, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A stick or poker to stand on end, <a href="#Page_344">344</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Challenges, how to answer, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Chameleon card, <a href="#Page_132">132</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Changing articles, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Cards, <a href="#Page_132">132</a>, <a href="#Page_146">146</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Dice, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Two cards, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Chinese fire eating, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Lanterns produced from a hat, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Marbles, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Methods of conjuring, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Rings, <a href="#Page_296">296</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Choosing an assistant, <a href="#Page_176">176</a>, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Clairvoyance, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Climax to the hat of plenty, <a href="#Page_358">358</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Coat, cutting person's arm through, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Coin and worsted ball, <a href="#Page_256">256</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Handkerchief, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Coins, banker, the, <a href="#Page_237">237</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</a></span></li>
-<li class="isub1">Best kind for use, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Boxing, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Catching in the air, <a href="#Page_14">14</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Changing, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Concealing, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Copper superior to silver, <a href="#Page_34">34</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Crystal plateau, <a href="#Page_250">250</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Dancing, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Extracting, from a glass of water, <a href="#Page_24">24</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Flight of, <a href="#Page_255">255</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Folding penny, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Hold them tight!, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Invisible transit, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Marking, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Minor tricks with, <a href="#Page_9">9</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Money changer, <a href="#Page_247">247</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Money-producing candle, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Palm practice with, <a href="#Page_9">9</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing into a hat, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing many, <a href="#Page_16">16</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing or vanishing, <a href="#Page_10">10</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing through table, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Selecting, when blindfolded, <a href="#Page_23">23</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Shower of gold, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Showing hands empty while still containing, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sleeving, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Substituting, <a href="#Page_22">22</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing, from a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_17">17</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Coin-vanishing tumbler, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Collecting eggs, <a href="#Page_278">278</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Common objects, tricks with, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Common palm, <a href="#Page_5">5</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Company, producing articles from the persons of the, <a href="#Page_166">166</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Concealing a ball, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cone and drawer-box, <a href="#Page_304">304</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Congenial aces, <a href="#Page_102">102</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Conjuring table, substitute for, <a href="#Page_394">394</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Conjuror's shelf, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_395">395</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cooking and making a pudding in a hat, <a href="#Page_293">293</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A "Welsh rabbit", <a href="#Page_374">374</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Copper coins superior to silver, <a href="#Page_34">34</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cork, false, <a href="#Page_30">30</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Corks, Houdin's dessert of, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Corks, tricks with, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cornucopian hat, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cotton, cutting up piece of, <a href="#Page_46">46</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Crystal ball, wine-drinking, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Plateau, <a href="#Page_250">250</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cup, passing one through another, <a href="#Page_61">61</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cups and balls, tricks with, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And oranges, apples, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_58">58</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">From a hat, shower of, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cut packs of cards, <a href="#Page_130">130</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Cutting a person's arm with a knife, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Up piece of cotton, <a href="#Page_46">46</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">D.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dancing coins, <a href="#Page_20">20</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sailor, <a href="#Page_339">339</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Decanted handkerchief, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Deception and rapidity of action, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dessert of corks, Houdin's, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Destroying a watch, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Devil's handkerchief, <a href="#Page_182">182</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Diagonal pass with cards, <a href="#Page_96">96</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dice, changing, <a href="#Page_81">81</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dictionary trick, great, <a href="#Page_336">336</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Die trick, Houdin's, with additional effects, <a href="#Page_259">259</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Distribution from a hat, <a href="#Page_350">350</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dolls produced from a hat, <a href="#Page_355">355</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dove and bottle, <a href="#Page_306">306</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Mesmerising a, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dovecot, Bacchus', <a href="#Page_306">306</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Doves, vanishing, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Drawer-box, <a href="#Page_300">300</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And cone, <a href="#Page_304">304</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Drawing-room magic, <a href="#Page_4">4</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Dress for a conjuror, <a href="#Page_160">160</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">E.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Eating fire, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Egg bag, the, <a href="#Page_274">274</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Orange, &amp;c., produced from wand, <a href="#Page_164">164</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Eggs and small apples, palming, <a href="#Page_168">168</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Collecting, <a href="#Page_278">278</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Magician's, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Productive, <a href="#Page_184">184</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</a></span></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Egyptian pocket card trick, <a href="#Page_187">187</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Electric touch, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">England, flags of Old, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Exchanging borrowed rings for dummies, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Extracting a coin from a glass of water, <a href="#Page_24">24</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">F.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fairy flower, <a href="#Page_327">327</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">False shuffle with cards, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Feast of lanterns, Chinese, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fiery hands, writings, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_387">387</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Filter tumblers, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Final instructions, <a href="#Page_392">392</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Finding sweetmeats in a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Finger palm, <a href="#Page_6">6</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fire eating, Chinese, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Firewood, bundle of, produced from hat, <a href="#Page_354">354</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fish and bowl, <a href="#Page_262">262</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And ink, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Flags of Old England, <a href="#Page_295">295</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Flight of coins, <a href="#Page_255">255</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Flower, fairy, <a href="#Page_327">327</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ring in, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Flowers produced from hat, <a href="#Page_351">351</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Flying cage, <a href="#Page_335">335</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Plume and seed, <a href="#Page_291">291</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Folding penny, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Forcing cards, <a href="#Page_117">117</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fork or spoon through a tumbler, passing, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Fowl, resuscitated, <a href="#Page_280">280</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">G.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Game at Napoleon, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Gant de Paris, <a href="#Page_228">228</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">General instruction and management in stage conjuring, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Remarks, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_392">392</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ginger beer, bottle of, <a href="#Page_287">287</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Glass of sherry, vanishing, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of water, extracting a coin from, <a href="#Page_24">24</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of water, to invert, <a href="#Page_271">271</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of water, ubiquitous, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Glass, talking, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Glove, gant de Paris, <a href="#Page_228">228</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Gloves suitable for conjurors, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Gold-fish and ink, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Trick, <a href="#Page_262">262</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Gold, shower of, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Grand, or stage magic, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">H.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Half-crown wand, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Handkerchief, coin, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Decanted, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Devil's, <a href="#Page_182">182</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Finding sweetmeats in, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">For egg collecting, <a href="#Page_278">278</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Lengthening a, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing through flame of candle without burning, <a href="#Page_178">178</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Restored, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ring and wand, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Through the leg, pulling a, <a href="#Page_64">64</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Twisting, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tying knot instantaneously, <a href="#Page_68">68</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tying knot on wrist, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Untying knot in, by word of command, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing coins from, <a href="#Page_17">17</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Handkerchiefs, borrowing, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_63">63</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Burning, <a href="#Page_62">62</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Knots, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Melting, <a href="#Page_226">226</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sun and moon, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_62">62</a>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing and reproducing, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Hands, fiery, <a href="#Page_387">387</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">To show, empty, while still containing coins, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Harmless shot, <a href="#Page_282">282</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Hat and cabbage, <a href="#Page_349">349</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And cannon-ball, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Bird cages produced from, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Bundle of firewood produced from, <a href="#Page_354">354</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Chinese lanterns produced from, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Cornucopian, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Distribution of presents from, <a href="#Page_350">350</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</a></span></li>
-<li class="isub1">Dolls produced from, <a href="#Page_355">355</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Flowers produced from, <a href="#Page_351">351</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Making and cooking a pudding in, <a href="#Page_293">293</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Multiplying balls produced from, <a href="#Page_353">353</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of plenty, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of plenty, climax to, <a href="#Page_358">358</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing coins into, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Rabbits produced from, <a href="#Page_372">372</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Reticules produced from, <a href="#Page_355">355</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Shower of cups from, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">With trap, <a href="#Page_395">395</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Hatched card, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Hold them tight!, <a href="#Page_242">242</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Houdin's dessert of corks, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Die trick, with additional effects, <a href="#Page_259">259</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">I.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Incubation by magic, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ink and gold-fish, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Instruction and general management in stage conjuring, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Instructions, final, <a href="#Page_392">392</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Intervals during performances, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Introduction, <a href="#Page_1">1</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of music in performances, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Introductory stage tricks, <a href="#Page_161">161</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Inverting glass of water, <a href="#Page_271">271</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Invisible transit of coins, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">J.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Japanese butterfly trick, <a href="#Page_74">74</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">K.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Kling-klang, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Knife and squares of paper, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Cutting a person's arm with, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Swallowing, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Knot on the wrist, tying a, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">That will not draw tight, tying a, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tying instantaneously, <a href="#Page_68">68</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Untying at word of command, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Knots in handkerchief, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">L.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">La carte générale, <a href="#Page_119">119</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Lady's own trick with cards, <a href="#Page_105">105</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Lanterns, Chinese, produced from a hat, <a href="#Page_356">356</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Large objects from the hand, vanishing, <a href="#Page_167">167</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Leg, pulling a handkerchief through the, <a href="#Page_64">64</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Length of time for performance, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Lengthening a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Live stock and watches, tricks with, <a href="#Page_361">361</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Long and broad cards, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">M.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Magical wine, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Magician's eggs, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Magic, incubation by, <a href="#Page_276">276</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Omelette, <a href="#Page_332">332</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Plateau, <a href="#Page_185">185</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Wine bottle, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Magi's brazen rod, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_371">371</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Making and cooking a pudding in a hat, <a href="#Page_293">293</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Management and instruction in stage conjuring, general, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Manner when performing, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Marbles, Chinese, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Marking coins, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Maypole, Bacchus's, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Meddlers, punishment of, <a href="#Page_151">151</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mesmeric suspension wand, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mesmerised poker, <a href="#Page_344">344</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mesmerising a dove, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mesmerism, sham, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Misdirection, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Missing link, <a href="#Page_190">190</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Money changer, <a href="#Page_247">247</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tube, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Money-producing candle, <a href="#Page_252">252</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mortar and pestle for watches, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Mouth, producing yards of paper from the, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Multiplying balls obtained from a hat, <a href="#Page_353">353</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</a></span></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Music, introduction of, in performance, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">N.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Napoleon, a game at, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Nest of boxes, <a href="#Page_21">21</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Novel "Welsh rabbit", <a href="#Page_374">374</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">O.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Obliging bouquet card trick, <a href="#Page_202">202</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Omelette, magic, <a href="#Page_332">332</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Oranges, apples, &amp;c., in cups, <a href="#Page_58">58</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Produced from wand, <a href="#Page_164">164</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vanishing, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Vesting, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">P.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Palm practice with coins, <a href="#Page_9">9</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Palming cards, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins, <a href="#Page_5">5</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Common, <a href="#Page_5">5</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Finger, <a href="#Page_6">6</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Proper, <a href="#Page_5">5</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Quick, practising, <a href="#Page_17">17</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Reverse, <a href="#Page_7">7</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Small eggs, apples, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_168">168</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Sugar, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Thumb, <a href="#Page_6">6</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Use of the wand in, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">With both hands, <a href="#Page_22">22</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Paper and knife, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">From the mouth, producing yards of, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Passes with cards, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Passing and vanishing a ball, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Articles through traps, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins, <a href="#Page_9">9</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins into a hat, <a href="#Page_13">13</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins through a table, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Fork or spoon through tumbler, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Many coins, <a href="#Page_16">16</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Penny into soda-water bottle, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ring into an egg, <a href="#Page_334">334</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">"Patter", <a href="#Page_154">154</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Penknife and bottle, <a href="#Page_44">44</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Penny, folding, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">passing, into soda-water bottle, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Perambulating bottle and tumbler, <a href="#Page_328">328</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Walking stick, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Performance, length of time for, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Introduction of music in, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Performer's private programme, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Performing, manner when, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Preparations before, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Skill in, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Permeable plates, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Permeating card, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Pestle and mortar for watches, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plateau, magic, <a href="#Page_185">185</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plate, vanishing a, <a href="#Page_78">78</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plates and balls, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Permeable, <a href="#Page_80">80</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plenty, hat of, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plume and seed, flying, <a href="#Page_291">291</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Plumes, shower of, <a href="#Page_326">326</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Pocket, Egyptian, card trick, <a href="#Page_187">187</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Poker, mesmerised, <a href="#Page_344">344</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Or stick to stand on end, causing, <a href="#Page_344">344</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Preparations before performing, <a href="#Page_149">149</a>, <a href="#Page_392">392</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Prepared cards, <a href="#Page_130">130</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Presents distributed from a hat, <a href="#Page_350">350</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Pricked cards, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Private programme, performer's, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Producing articles from the persons of the company, <a href="#Page_166">166</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Yards of paper from the mouth, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Productive eggs, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Programmes, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Performer's private, <a href="#Page_397">397</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Properties and sleights for general use, <a href="#Page_163">163</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Pudding cooking and making in a hat, <a href="#Page_293">293</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Pulling a handkerchief through the leg, <a href="#Page_64">64</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Punishment of meddlers, <a href="#Page_151">151</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Putty watches, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">R.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">"Rabbit," cooking a, <a href="#Page_374">374</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Novel "Welsh", <a href="#Page_374">374</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</a></span></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Rabbits produced from hat, <a href="#Page_372">372</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Reproducing, <a href="#Page_373">373</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_372">372</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Rapidity and deception of action, <a href="#Page_39">39</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Remarks, general, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Repetition of tricks, <a href="#Page_152">152</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Restored handkerchief, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Resuscitated fowl, <a href="#Page_280">280</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Reticules produced from a hat, <a href="#Page_355">355</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Reversed card, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Reverse palm, <a href="#Page_7">7</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Revolution of cards, <a href="#Page_129">129</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ribbons and bottle, <a href="#Page_311">311</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ring, flying, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Rings and apple, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">And wand, <a href="#Page_51">51</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Chinese, <a href="#Page_296">296</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Exchanging borrowed for dummies, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Handkerchief, and wand, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Inside an egg, <a href="#Page_335">335</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Palming, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_49">49</a>, <a href="#Page_334">334</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Rod, Magi's brazen, <a href="#Page_324">324</a>, <a href="#Page_371">371</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Roll, watch in, <a href="#Page_178">178</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Royal marriages with cards, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">S.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sack trick, <a href="#Page_338">338</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sailor dancing, <a href="#Page_339">339</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Salamander card, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Seating the audience, <a href="#Page_396">396</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Second sight, imitation, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Seed and flying plume, <a href="#Page_291">291</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Selecting a coin whilst blindfolded, <a href="#Page_23">23</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sham mesmerism, <a href="#Page_378">378</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Shelf, the conjuror's, <a href="#Page_156">156</a>, <a href="#Page_395">395</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sherry, vanishing a glass of, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Shot, harmless, <a href="#Page_282">282</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Shower of cups from a hat, <a href="#Page_352">352</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Of gold, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Plumes, <a href="#Page_326">326</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Shuffling, false, with cards, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Skill in performing, <a href="#Page_346">346</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Skull, animated, <a href="#Page_390">390</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Slate trick, <a href="#Page_386">386</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sleeving coins, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sleights and properties for general use, <a href="#Page_163">163</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sliding cards, <a href="#Page_116">116</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Small birds, vanishing, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Soda-water bottle, passing penny into, <a href="#Page_27">27</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Spirit bouquet, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Spiritualistic animated skull, <a href="#Page_390">390</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ascent of articles, <a href="#Page_383">383</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Electric touch, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Fiery hands, writings, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_387">387</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Mesmerised poker, <a href="#Page_344">344</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Perambulating walking stick, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Slate trick, <a href="#Page_386">386</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Spirit bouquet, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Talking glass, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks, <a href="#Page_380">380</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Writings, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_387">387</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Spoon or fork passing through a tumbler, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Stage, arrangement of, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Conjuring, dress for, <a href="#Page_160">160</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">General instruction and management, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Or grand magic, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tables for, <a href="#Page_155">155</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Traps for, <a href="#Page_156">156</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Stick and poker to stand on end, causing, <a href="#Page_344">344</a>, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Style of addressing audience, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_153">153</a>, <a href="#Page_161">161</a>, <a href="#Page_393">393</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Substitute for a conjuring table, <a href="#Page_394">394</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Substituting coins, <a href="#Page_22">22</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sugar, palming, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sun and moon, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Suspension wand, mesmeric, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Swallowing a knife, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A watch, <a href="#Page_368">368</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sweetmeats, finding in a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Sympathetic cards, <a href="#Page_120">120</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">T.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Table and dress, <a href="#Page_156">156</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks at, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Tables, passing coins through, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Position of, <a href="#Page_396">396</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Selecting, <a href="#Page_155">155</a><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</a></span></li>
-<li class="isub1">substitute for conjuring, <a href="#Page_394">394</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Talking glass, <a href="#Page_384">384</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Targets for watches, <a href="#Page_365">365</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Thought-reading with cards, <a href="#Page_141">141</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Throwing a card, <a href="#Page_129">129</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Thumb palm, <a href="#Page_6">6</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Time for performance, length of, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Touch, electric, <a href="#Page_389">389</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Transit of coins, invisible, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Trap box, <a href="#Page_395">395</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Traps for stage conjuring, <a href="#Page_156">156</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">In high hat, <a href="#Page_395">395</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing articles through, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Travelling cards, <a href="#Page_135">135</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Tying a knot instantaneously, <a href="#Page_68">68</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A knot on the wrist, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">A knot that will not draw tight, <a href="#Page_67">67</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Tumbler, coin-vanishing, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Filter, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing a fork or spoon through, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Perambulating bottle and, <a href="#Page_328">328</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">U.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Ubiquitous glass of water, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Universal card, <a href="#Page_119">119</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Untying a knot at word of command, <a href="#Page_65">65</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">V.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Vanishing and passing a ball, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Articles through traps, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins, <a href="#Page_10">10</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Coins from a handkerchief, <a href="#Page_17">17</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Doves, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Glass of sherry, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Handkerchiefs, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Large objects from the hands, <a href="#Page_167">167</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Oranges, &amp;c., <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Pack of cards, <a href="#Page_186">186</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Plates, <a href="#Page_78">78</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Small birds, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Vesting, <a href="#Page_160">160</a>, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></li>
-
-
-<li class="ifrst">W.</li>
-
-<li class="indx">Walking stick, perambulating, <a href="#Page_382">382</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Wand and ring, <a href="#Page_51">51</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Half-crown, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Finding articles in, <a href="#Page_305">305</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Mesmeric suspension, <a href="#Page_318">318</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Passing down throat, <a href="#Page_368">368</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Purchasing, <a href="#Page_3">3</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ring and handkerchief, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Use of, in palming, <a href="#Page_12">12</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Warm hands, necessity for, <a href="#Page_398">398</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Watches, bag for, <a href="#Page_363">363</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Bending, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Box for, <a href="#Page_368">368</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Borrowing, <a href="#Page_361">361</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Breaking, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Causing to appear on assistant's back, <a href="#Page_367">367</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Putty, <a href="#Page_362">362</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Reproducing, <a href="#Page_364">364</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Swallowing, <a href="#Page_368">368</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Targets for, <a href="#Page_365">365</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Tricks with, <a href="#Page_360">360</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Water, inverting glass of, <a href="#Page_271">271</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Ubiquitous glass of, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">"Welsh rabbit," novel, <a href="#Page_374">374</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Wine bottle, magic, <a href="#Page_316">316</a></li>
-<li class="isub1">Magical, <a href="#Page_337">337</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Wine-drinking crystal ball, <a href="#Page_308">308</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Worsted ball and coin, <a href="#Page_256">256</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Wrist, tying a knot on the, <a href="#Page_69">69</a></li>
-
-<li class="indx">Writings, fiery, <a href="#Page_387">387</a></li>
-</ul>
-
-
-<hr class="tb" />
-
-
-<p class="transnote"><b>Transcriber's Notes</b><br /><br />
-
-
-Minor punctuation errors have been silently corrected. Some
-illustrations have been relocated. Part I and Part II have been
-added to the Table of Contents.<br /><br />
-
-Page <a href="#Page_26">26</a>: Changed "Alway" to "Always."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: Alway obtain possession of the wineglass)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_78">78</a>: Changed "immmediately" to "immediately."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: between the legs, and immmediately covered with the napkin.)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_106">106</a>: Removed duplicate "in."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: it is not in in general use, but forms almost a separate)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_164">164</a>: "description" is probably a typo for "descriptions."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: one of the most wonder-inspiring description.)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_187">187</a>: Changed "maufacture" to "manufacture."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: he was told to maufacture the card,)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_197">197</a>: Possibly missing "be" before "burnt."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: half of the card which is to burnt doubled up and placed)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_220">220</a>: Changed "hankerchief" to "handkerchief."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: and the body of the same hankerchief on the other side)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_264">264</a>: Changed "that" to "than."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: trick even more wonderful that it is in its ordinary form.)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_314">314</a>: Changed "fron" to "from."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: and pour out some liquid fron it,)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_314">314</a>: Changed "unexpresed" to "unexpressed."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: for the unexpresed purpose of showing that it is glass,)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_349">349</a>: Changed "unvailing" to "unavailing."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: great, but unvailing, efforts are made to extract the ball.)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_353">353</a>: Changed "neccessary" to "necessary."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: great care being neccessary to prevent any of them falling)</span><br />
-<br />
-Page <a href="#Page_370">370</a>: Changed "when" to "then."<br />
-<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Orig: for a few seconds, when open it, showing, of course, nothing)</span><br />
-</p>
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-<pre>
-
-
-
-
-
-End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Sleight of Hand, by Edwin Thomas Sachs
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