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diff --git a/old/55279-0.txt b/old/55279-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6b2ec02..0000000 --- a/old/55279-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5684 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Latest Magic, by -Professor Louis Hoffmann and Angelo Lewis - -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: Latest Magic - Being original conjuring tricks - -Author: Professor Louis Hoffmann - Angelo Lewis - -Release Date: August 6, 2017 [EBook #55279] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LATEST MAGIC *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Angelo Lewis - -“Professor Hoffmann”] - - - - - LATEST MAGIC - - BEING - ORIGINAL CONJURING TRICKS - - INVENTED AND ARRANGED - BY - PROFESSOR HOFFMANN - (ANGELO LEWIS, M.A.) - - Author of “Modern Magic,” etc. - - _WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - FIRST EDITION - - NEW YORK - SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, 120 LIBERTY ST. - 1918 - - Copyright, 1918 - BY SPON & CHAMBERLAIN - - CAMELOT PRESS, 226-228 WILLIAM ST., NEW YORK, U. S. A. - - - - - TO - J. N. MASKELYNE, ESQ. - FOREMOST OF ENGLISH MAGICIANS, - AND - FEARLESS EXPOSER OF FALSEHOOD AND FRAUD - THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED - BY - HIS FRIEND AND ADMIRER, - THE AUTHOR - - - - -PREFACE - - -The tricks described in the following pages are of my own invention, -and for the most part are entirely new departures: not only the effects -produced, but the appliances by means of which they are produced, being -original. - -From the nature of the case, it follows that few of the items described -have been submitted to the supreme test of performance in public, but -all have been thoroughly thought out; most of the root-ideas having in -fact been simmering in my mind for more than two years past. One or two -of them may demand a more than average amount of address on the part of -the performer; but the majority are comparatively easy, and I believe -I may assert with confidence that all will be found both practicable -and effective. Should any of my modest inventions be found, as is not -improbable, susceptible of further polish, the keen wits and ready -fingers of my brother wizards may safely be trusted to supply it. - -The items entitled _The Mystery of Mahomet_, _The Bewildering Blocks_, -and _The Wizard’s Pocket-book_, have been described in the columns of an -English magical serial, but have never appeared in book shape, and are by -special desire, included in the present volume. - -A final word on a personal matter. Had I been prophet, as well as -magician, when I first began to write on conjuring, I should have chosen -a different pen-name. In the light of later events, my selection was -unfortunate. My identity has long been an open secret, but as I cannot -flatter myself that it is universally known, I take this opportunity to -assure all whom it may concern that I am British to the backbone. - - LOUIS HOFFMANN. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PORTRAIT OF PROFESSOR HOFFMANN _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - PREFACE vii - - - SOME NEW APPLIANCES OF GENERAL UTILITY 1 - Magical Mats 1 - Fairy Flower-Pots 5 - Patter Introducing the Flower-Pots 8 - Adhesive Cards and Tricks Therewith 10 - The Missing Card 12 - - NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE “BLACK ART” PRINCIPLE 17 - Black Art Mats and Black Art Patches 17 - A Magical Transposition 23 - The Detective Die 26 - Dissolving Dice 32 - Where is It? 38 - - CARD TRICKS 46 - Arithmetic by Magic 46 - Those Naughty Knaves 49 - Magnetic Magic 55 - The Telepathic Tape 57 - A Card Comedy 60 - The Fast and Loose Card-Box 63 - A Royal Tug of War 64 - Sympathetic Cards 66 - Tell-Tale Fingers 68 - Divination Doubly Difficult 72 - A New Long Card and Tricks Therewith 77 - The Mascot Coin Box 83 - - MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS 88 - Money-Making Made Easy 88 - The Missing Link 92 - Culture Extraordinary 97 - The Bounding Beans 104 - Lost and Found 110 - The Riddle of the Pyramids 115 - The Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo 123 - The Story of the Alkahest 130 - The Oracle of Memphis 137 - The Mystery of Mahomet 146 - The Bewildering Blocks 156 - An “Od” Force 162 - The Mystery of the Three Seals 170 - The Wizard’s Pocket-book 180 - - CONCERNING PATTER 192 - - THE USE OF THE WAND 203 - - A FEW WRINKLES 215 - - L’ENVOI 222 - - - - -LATEST MAGIC - - - - -INTRODUCTORY - - -SOME NEW APPLIANCES OF GENERAL UTILITY - -The little appliances to be presently described are the outcome of -ideas which, after a long period of incubation in my note-books, have -ultimately taken concrete form in what, I venture to believe, will be -found to be practical and useful items of magical apparatus. I may -further claim that they combine in an exceptional degree absolute -innocence of appearance with a wide range of practical utility. Examples -of their uses are indicated in the following pages, but the inventive -reader will find that these by no means exhaust their possibilities of -usefulness. - - -MAGICAL MATS - -The first to be described are of two different kinds, to be known as -the “Card” and “Coin” Mat respectively. They are in appearance simply -circular table--or plate mats, with an ornamental border as depicted in -Fig. 1, and about seven inches in diameter. In the centre of each is an -embossed shield, ostensibly a mere ornament, but in reality serving, as -will presently be seen, an important practical purpose. - -[Illustration: FIG. 1] - -To the casual observer the two mats look precisely alike, but there are -in reality important practical differences between them. The “coin” mat -is covered with leather on both sides, and each has the embossed shield, -so that, whichever side is uppermost, no difference is perceptible to the -eye. In the case of the “card” mat the upper surface only is of leather, -the under side being covered with baize. The object of this difference -is that the exposure (accidental or otherwise) of the baize-covered side -of the card mat may induce in the mind of the spectator the assumption -that the under side of the coin mat is covered in the same way, such -assumption naturally precluding the idea that it is reversible. - -Each mat has a secret space, after the manner of the old “multiplying” -salver, between its upper and under surfaces. The opening in each case is -opposite the lower end or point of the shield before mentioned, so that, -however the mat may be placed, a glance at the shield will always furnish -a guide to the position, for the time being, of the opening. - -[Illustration: FIG. 2] - -In the case of the card mat the secret space (see Fig. 2) is just -large enough to accommodate three playing cards, one upon another. The -corresponding space in the coin mat (Fig. 3) is shorter, narrower and -deeper, being designed to receive, one upon the other, a couple of -half-crowns, or coins of similar size.[1] - -[Illustration: FIG. 3] - -When required for use, the coin mat is prepared, shortly beforehand, by -rubbing the whole of the space within the ornamental border on one of -its faces with diachylon, in the solid form. The diachylon is used cold, -the necessary friction melting it sufficiently, without any additional -heating. This treatment renders the surface of the mat, for the time -being, adhesive, without in any way altering its appearance. To make sure -of its being just right, press a half-crown or penny down firmly upon -it, turn the mat over, and wave it about freely. If the coin adheres -securely, the mat is in working order. - -[1] Where coins of English denominations are referred to in the text, the -American wizard will naturally replace them by corresponding coins of the -U. S. currency. - - -THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS - -These are, strictly speaking, only flower-pot cases, called in French -_cache-pots_. They may be of leather or cardboard, ornamented on the -outside, but plain black inside, their general appearance being as shown -in Fig. 4. They have neither top nor bottom, and when not in use, can be -opened out flat or rolled up as in Figs. 5 and 6, for greater portability. - -[Illustration: FIG. 4] - -[Illustration: FIG. 5] - -[Illustration: FIG. 6] - -The pair, when needed for use, are exhibited in the first instance as -one only, the one within the other. The professedly single pot, after -being proved empty by exhibiting the interior and passing the hand -through it, is made into two, by simply drawing out the inner one. The -duplication is not presented as a trick, the _modus operandi_ being -self-evident, but it has a pretty effect, and the exhibiting of the two -pots as one in the first instance admits of the presence, within the -outer one, of a secret pocket, open at top, as depicted in Fig. 7, but -folding down, when not in use, flat against its side.[2] - -[Illustration: FIG. 7] - -The main object of this pocket is to enable the performer to “vanish” -a card. The card to be got rid of is dropped ostensibly into the -flower-pot, or rather, the pot being bottomless, _through_ it on to the -table, where, when the pot is lifted, the spectators naturally expect -to see it. It has however disappeared, having in fact been dropped into -the pocket, where it remains concealed. Two, or even three cards may on -occasion be dealt with in the same way. By covering the pocket with the -fingers in the act of picking up the pot, the interior of the latter may -be freely shown after their disappearance. - -The pocket, previously loaded accordingly (though the flower-pot is -shown, to all appearance, empty), may also be used for the production of -a card or cards. - -[2] It is extremely difficult to construct the “pots” so that the pocket -is workable on the concave inner surface, but if they are made four, -five or six-sided the pocket folds against a flat surface and works -perfectly.--ED. - - -PATTER APPROPRIATE TO THE FAIRY FLOWER-POTS - -The flower-pots may be introduced as follows: - -“Permit me to call your attention to one of my latest improvements. -Conjurers have a foolish fancy, as I dare say you have noticed, for -borrowing other people’s hats. If a conjurer wants to collect money from -the air, he collects it in a hat. If he wants to make an omelette, he -cooks it in a hat. If he wants to hatch a few chickens, he does it in a -hat. And, for fear of accidents, he never uses his own hat, but always -borrows somebody else’s. It’s very wrong of us. As Sir William Gilbert -says, about some other forms of crime, - - ‘It’s human nature, P’raps. If so, - O! isn’t human nature _low_.’ - -But we all do it. The worst of it is, we get so in the way of borrowing -hats that we do it without thinking. You will hardly believe that one -evening I came away from the theatre with two hats. One of them was my -own. The other I had borrowed--from under the seat. You don’t believe it? -Well, I said you wouldn’t. I always know! - -“But that is not all. It isn’t only the bad effect on the conjurer’s own -morals, and sometimes on the hat. People are so careless. They do leave -such funny things in their hats. Cannon balls and birdcages; babies’ -socks and babies’ bottles; rabbits and pigeons, and bowls of fish, and -a host of other things. And just when you are going to produce some -brilliant effect, you are pulled up short by finding some silly thing of -that sort in the hat. It’s most annoying. - -“So, after thinking it over, I made up my mind to do away with hats -altogether. Of course I don’t mean for putting on people’s heads, but so -far as conjuring is concerned, and it struck me that a pretty flower-pot, -like this, would form a capital substitute.” (Show as one, the combined -pots, inside and out.) “Much nicer than a hat, don’t you think? It is -prettier, to begin with, and then again, you can see right through it, -and make sure there is no deception. You see that at present the pot is -perfectly empty. - -“But no! I scorn to deceive you. I am like George Washington, except that -I haven’t got a little axe. I cannot tell a lie. At least it hurts me -very much to do so, and I don’t feel well enough to do it now. No! It is -useless any longer to disguise it! The pot is _not_ really empty, for you -see here is another inside it.” (Produce second pot.) “You wouldn’t have -thought it, would you? In fact, you would never have known, if I hadn’t -told you. - -“Of course I could keep on doing this all the evening, but there wouldn’t -be much fun in it, and no time would be left for anything else, so I will -proceed at once to make use of the pots for a little experiment with -cards.” - -(Proceed with any trick for which the card mat may have been prepared.) - -N. B. It will be taken for granted, in the description of tricks -dependent upon the use of the flower-pots, that these have been already -introduced, after the above or some similar manner. - - -ADHESIVE CARDS AND TRICKS THEREWITH - -I believe I may safely claim that the device I am about to describe was, -until I disclosed it some months ago in the _Magazine of Magic_, an -absolute novelty. It consists in the preparation of one card of a pack -(or, better still, of a spare card, to be substituted at need for its -double), by rubbing one or other of its surfaces, shortly before it is -needed for use, with diachylon, in the solid form. - -We will suppose, in the first instance, that the _back_ of the card is -so dealt with. The rubbing does not alter its appearance, but gives it a -thin coating of adhesive matter, and if another card is pressed against -the surface so treated, the two adhere, and for the time become, in -effect, one card only, viz., the one whose face is exposed, the other -having temporarily disappeared from the pack. - -This renders possible many striking effects. To take an elementary -example, let us suppose that the old-fashioned flat card-box, or some -other appliance for magically producing a card, is loaded with, say, -a seven of diamonds. The corresponding card is forced on one of the -company, and taken back into the middle of the pack, on the top of the -prepared card. The performer does not disturb or tamper with the pack in -the smallest degree. He merely squares up the cards, and, pressing them -well together, hands them to be shuffled, meanwhile calling attention to -the card-box, which is shown apparently empty. He then asks the name of -the drawn card, announcing that it will at his command leave the pack and -find its way into the box. - -He now counts off the cards, showing the face of each as he does so, and -leaving it exposed upon the table. The seven of diamonds has disappeared, -being in fact hidden behind the prepared card, which we will suppose to -be in this instance the queen of clubs. - -Leaving the cards outspread upon the table, the performer opens the -card-box, and shows that the missing card has somehow found its way into -it. - -In the hands of a novice, the trick might end at this point; but even a -novice may very well carry it a stage further. To do so, he will in the -first place replace the card in the box, in such a manner that it can be -again “vanished.” In gathering together the outspread cards, he takes -care to place the queen of clubs on top of the rest. As this, however, -is the double card, the actual top card is of course the missing seven -of diamonds. It is an easy matter, in handling the cards, to detach this -from the queen of clubs, and, after a little “talkee-talkee,” show that -it has left the box and returned to the pack. - -The above would, however, be much too crude and elementary a proceeding -to commend itself to the expert. In the trick next to be described the -same expedient is employed after a more subtle fashion. - - -THE MISSING CARD - -The requirements for this trick consist of two complete packs of cards -and an extra card, which we will suppose to be the knave of diamonds. One -of the two packs, which we will call _A_, has on top a card made adhesive -at the back as above described, and its own knave of diamonds at the -bottom. The other pack, _B_, is wholly unprepared. - -The first step is to offer pack _B_ to be shuffled, and when it is -returned to palm on to it the spare knave of diamonds, after which the -pack is left temporarily for the time being in view on the table. -The next step is to pick up pack _A_, and force from it the knave of -diamonds, receiving it back on top of the prepared card, passed to the -middle of the pack for its reception. Squaring up the pack and applying -the necessary pressure, the performer offers it to be shuffled, meanwhile -delivering himself to something like the following effect. - -“Before going further, ladies and gentlemen, I want you to remember -exactly what has been done. A card has been chosen from this pack. It has -been put back again, the cards have been shuffled, and you can all bear -witness that I have not touched them since. Nobody knows, except the lady -who chose it, what card she chose. Whereabouts in the pack it may be at -this moment not one of us knows, even the lady herself. I can assure you -truthfully that _I_ don’t, but I propose, by force of magic, to compel -that card, whatever it may be, to leave that pack altogether, and pass -into the other one. Nay, more than that, I shall compel it to place -itself at any number in that pack you like to name. What shall we say? -Seventh? Good. - -“Now please bear in mind that that pack, like the other, has just -been shuffled, and that I have not touched it since. It is therefore -manifestly impossible that I should know the position of any card in -it. Of course, as there is already a knave of diamonds in the pack, it -is just possible, though scarcely likely, that that card may have been -shuffled into the seventh place. We will see.” - -He counts off cards from the top of the pack on to the table, _faces -down_, not exposing any card till he comes to the seventh, which he holds -up so that all may see it. “Now, Madam, is that your card? I don’t want -to know the name of it yet. It is not your card? I did not suppose it -was, for the chances were over fifty to one against it, but you never can -tell!” - -He gathers up the cards counted off, and without disturbing their order, -replaces them on the top of the pack, thereby bringing the original top -card to the seventh place. - -“Now please observe that I do not touch these cards again till the -miracle has actually happened. I will now ask you, madam, to be good -enough to name your card. The knave of diamonds, you say? That is all -right. Had you taken the knave of clubs, I should have feared for the -success of my experiment, for that knave always gives trouble, if he can; -but the knave of diamonds is a very gentlemanly card, and I have no doubt -that he will readily oblige. Now, Percy (perhaps you didn’t know his name -was Percy), I want you to leave the pack you are in, and place yourself -seventh in the other pack. Go at once, like a good boy. Start at the top, -and go straight down. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven! - -“I should think he has arrived by this time. Let us make sure first, -though, whether he has really left the other pack.” - -Picking up pack _A_, he counts the cards slowly, not looking at them -himself, but showing the face of each before laying it on the table. -“Stop me, please, if you see the knave of diamonds.” He counts, “one, -two, three, four,” and so on to the end. “Fifty-one cards only! Then -there is one card missing, and as you have not seen the knave of -diamonds, and as all the other cards are here, it is plain that it is he -who has left the pack. We have still to find out whether he has obeyed -orders, and gone over to the other pack. You wished him to place himself -seventh, I think. I won’t touch the cards myself. Will some gentleman -come forward, and count them off for me?” (This is done.) “The seventh -card is really the knave of diamonds, is it not? - -“But, you may say, this might be the knave properly belonging to this -pack. Please look through the pack, sir, and if there has been no -deception you will find the proper knave in some other part of it. You -have found the other knave? Then you will admit that that proves clearly -that this first one is the identical card the lady drew.”[3] - -It would be easy to give other combinations dependent on the use of the -adhesive principle, but these may safely be left to the ingenuity of -the reader. If the face, instead of the back, of a given card be treated -with the adhesive, that card will itself disappear from the pack. By -due adjustment two adhering cards may (the one slightly overlapping the -other) be made to form a temporary long or wide card. - -[3] A somewhat more elaborate trick of mine on the same principle (_The -Elusive Card_) will be found described in the _Magazine of Magic_, Vol. -II, pp. 13, 47. - - - - -NOVEL APPLICATIONS OF THE “BLACK ART” PRINCIPLE - - -BLACK ART MATS AND BLACK ART PATCHES - -The Black Art Table has long since established itself in the affections -of the conjurer as one of his most effective aids. At a stage performance -the presence of one or more such adjuncts is almost a matter of course, -but the drawing room performer finds many occasions when, for one reason -or another, the use of such an aid is precluded. Some wizards, as a -matter of personal convenience, decline to burden themselves with more -artistic luggage than can be bestowed in an ordinary handbag. Others, -again, hold (and not without reason) that the use of a special table, -imported by the performer himself, tends to discount the marvel of his -show; as being suggestive of that “preparation” which every artistic -conjurer is anxious to disclaim. It is no doubt an easy matter to arrange -a good enough programme for which the aid of “black art” is not needed, -but this means the exclusion not merely of a valuable auxiliary, but of -many of the most striking magical effects. - -[Illustration: FIG. 8] - -I have pleasure in introducing to the reader a substitute which, though -its capabilities fall a good deal short of those of the actual table, -will answer many of its purposes, apart from special merits of its own, -and which has the further recommendation of exceptional portability. -It may be appropriately entitled the Black Art Mat. It consists of a -piece of Bristol board of size and shape suitable to the purpose for -which it is to be used, covered on both sides with black velvet and -edged with narrow ornamental braid or binding. The one side has no -speciality, but the other has a flat pocket across one or more of its -corners; as indicated in Fig. 8. In the case of a mat of small size the -pocket may extend diagonally from corner to corner as in Fig. 9. The -edge of the pocket may be braided if preferred (the rest of the surface -being ornamented to correspond) but if the mat be well made this is not -necessary. The mouth of each pocket is made slightly “full,” and is held -open a quarter of an inch or so by means of a stiffening along its -inner edge. By having the mill-board foundation cut in half before it -is covered, the mat may be made to fold like a chessboard for greater -portability. - -[Illustration: FIG. 9] - -If some small article, say a coin or ring, is laid on mat just behind the -mouth of the pocket, it may be made to disappear therein, being in fact -swept into the pocket in the act of apparently picking it up. In the case -of a coin, the pocket may by a slight alteration of procedure be used to -effect a “change”; a substitute, palmed beforehand, being exhibited in -place of the one professedly picked up from the mat. - -It is desirable when placing the mat upon the table for use to see that -the mouth of the pocket is duly open and has not been, by any accident, -pressed flat, and so closed. - -The utility of the black art mat, however, does not depend upon the -pocket only. Its unbroken or “plain” side, or indeed a mat wholly without -pockets may also be very effectively used for vanishing purposes. In this -case a little auxiliary appliance comes into play. This is a small velvet -patch, serving as an “overlay.” It may be round or square, according -to the purpose for which it is intended to be used. For coin-vanishing -purposes it is best circular, and about two inches (or less, as the -case may be) in diameter. The foundation is in this case a disc of thin -card covered on both sides with velvet, in colour and texture _exactly -corresponding with that of the mat_, under which conditions the patch, -when laid on the mat, will be invisible. The exact similarity of the two -surfaces is a point of the highest importance for black art effects, and -the velvet used, if not actually silk velvet, should at least be of the -silk-faced kind. Velvet which is all cotton will never give satisfactory -results. - -If a coin be laid on any part of the mat the performer has only (in the -supposed act of picking it up) to lay the velvet patch over it to render -it invisible. If it is desired to reproduce the coin, a handkerchief -shown to be empty, may be laid over the patch, and a moment or two later -picked up again, bringing away the overlay within it, and again revealing -the coin _in statu quo_. A practical example of the use of this device -will be found in the case of the trick entitled _Lost and Found_, _post_. - -[Illustration: FIG. 10] - -Another little device which will be found useful in connection with the -black art mat is a cardboard disc covered as above, to one side of which -a coin, say a half-crown or half-dollar, is cemented as in Fig. 10. Such -a patch, laid on the mat, coin side down, will attract no notice, but -the mere act of turning it over will at any given moment produce the -coin. The “change” of a coin may be expected very neatly by the aid of -this device. Suppose, for example, that the performer desires to retain, -unknown to the spectators, possession of a marked coin just handed to -him. He lays it, to all appearance, in full view upon the table, but as a -matter of fact merely turns over a patch, loaded as above, already on the -table, the borrowed coin remaining in his hand. - -The velvet patch may also be utilised in another way for “changing” a -borrowed coin. The performer, asking the loan of a marked coin, brings -forward held in his left hand a velvet mat (of small size) whereon to -receive it; the right hand meanwhile holding palmed against the second -and third fingers the velvet patch, and between this and the hand a -substitute coin of similar kind. Turning (to the left) towards his table, -with the coin in full view on the mat, he (apparently) picks it up and -holds it aloft with the right hand, placing the now empty mat alone -on the table. What he really does is to lay the velvet patch over the -borrowed coin and to pick the substitute in its place. The original lies -_perdu_ on the mat, whence it is child’s play to gain possession of it at -any later stage of the trick. - -The process may be varied by placing the mat, after receiving the -borrowed coin upon it, at once on the table, and a little later picking -up the mat with the left hand, then proceeding as above indicated. The -advantage of this plan is that the turn to the table to pick up the mat -masks for the moment the right side of the performer and gives him a -convenient opportunity to palm the coin and patch, bestowed in readiness -in the _pochette_ on that side. - -The same principle may be applied with appropriate modifications to card -tricks. The idea of the black art mat is so completely a novelty that I -have not found leisure to give it the full consideration it deserves, -and have probably far from exhausted its possibilities, but I offer by -way of illustration the trick next following, which it seems to me would -be rather effective, particularly as an introduction to some other card -trick. We will call it - - -A MAGICAL TRANSPOSITION - -Prepare two cards, say an eight of hearts and a seven of spades, by -blackening all their edges save one of the narrow ends,[4] and backing -each with velvet matching the mat. Lay the two cards so treated face down -with the white edge towards yourself on the mat at some little distance -apart, or preferably on separate mats. Force corresponding cards on two -members of the company and deliver an oration to something like the -following effect: - -“We hear people talk sometimes about the quickness of the hand deceiving -the eye. I suppose such a thing must be possible, or nobody would have -thought of it, but it seems to me that if it did anything of the kind, -either the hand must be extra quick, or the eye extra slow. I know I -should be afraid to attempt anything of that sort myself, but if you -are a magician of the right sort you have no need to do so, for you can -deceive the eye without any quickness at all. I will prove it to you by -means of these two cards which have been chosen. Please give me one of -them. I don’t mind which.” - -We will suppose that the card handed up is the eight of hearts. - -“Notice please what card this is; the eight of hearts. You can’t possibly -mistake it for any other card, can you? I will turn it down here on the -table. And now for the other card.” (It is held up that all may see -it.) “This one, you see, is the seven of spades. No mistake about that, -either! I will lay that one here.” The card is in each case laid upon the -velvet-covered card of the opposite kind. - -“Please don’t forget which is which. There has been no quickness of the -hand so far, has there? Now I am going to make these two cards change -places.” (You touch each with the wand.) “Presto, change!” (Picking up -the upper and lower cards exactly one upon the other you show what was a -moment previously the eight of hearts, but which now appears to be the -seven of spades.) “One card has changed, you see. And now for the other.” -(You show the other pair after the same fashion.) “And here we have the -eight of hearts. I will now order them to change back again.” You lay -both pairs again face down. - -“Now I again give the cards a touch with my wand, and say ‘Right about! -Change!’ and now, you see” (showing the faces of the original cards), -“they have returned to their original positions. - -“Now you will realise, if you think about the matter, that those two -cards couldn’t in any natural way change places without your seeing them -do it, neither could the one change into the other. But this is where -magic comes in. What I really did was to hypnotise you a little so as -to make you fancy, when I told the cards to change, that the eight of -hearts was the seven of spades, and that the seven of spades was the -eight of hearts. It’s quite simple, when you know it, and you can see for -yourselves that the quickness of the hand has had nothing to do with the -matter. For my own part I like to do things slowly; the more slowly the -better, and then you can all see how it’s done.” - -The trick is simple enough; but it will test the performer’s expertness -as to neatness of execution. He must be careful in the first place to -put each of the drawn cards as exactly as possible on the opposite -velvet-backed card; and in picking up two cards together he should -frame them, so to speak, between the middle finger and thumb at top and -bottom, and the first and third fingers at the sides. Held in this manner -they rest squarely one upon the other and there is little fear of their -“duplicity” (or “duplexity”) being perceived. In the act of again turning -the double card down the upper one should be partially drawn off the one -below it; this facilitating the picking of it up alone a few moments -later. - -An illustration of the use of the same device in a somewhat different -form will be found in the item next described, and in the trick entitled -_“Where is it?” post_. Other ways of using it will suggest themselves to -any reader of an inventive turn. - -[4] Better still, thicken the under edge by the interposition between -card and velvet of a slip of white card, as described in _The Detective -Die, post._ - - -THE DETECTIVE DIE - -This is another of the new departures dependent upon the use of the -velvet mat. Broadly stated, the effect of the trick is as follows. - -One of a group of six different cards laid out in a row or rows -repeatedly changes place with some other, the position which it occupies, -or to which it has moved, being indicated by the cast of an ordinary die. -This may be repeated any number of times.[5] - -The requirements for the trick are as follows: - -1. The Velvet Mat. This should be one with a plain surface, dimensions -preferably eighteen inches by ten, so as to admit of the six cards being -laid in one row. A smaller size, say twelve by nine, may suffice, the six -cards in this case being arranged in two rows. In either case there must -be a space of an inch or so between each pair. - -2. Six cards of like denomination (say for the purpose of illustration -six queens of diamonds), each backed with black velvet and blackened -at the edges all around save at one end. Here the card is thickened by -the interposition of a slip of white cardboard between itself and the -velvet, so that the card as viewed from that end shall show a clearly -visible white edge. Each card has all four of its corners snipped off to -a microscopic extent, say a sixteenth, or less, of an inch. - -3. An ordinary pack of cards one of which (in the case supposed, the -queen of diamonds) bears a mark upon its back recognisable by the -performer, but not conspicuous enough to be noticed by any one else. - -4. An ordinary die and dice-box, or a champagne tumbler to be used in -place of the latter. - -5. A tray or plate, about six inches in diameter, whereon to throw the -die. - -6. The wand. - -_Preparation._ Velvet mat on table, and laid upon it, face down in a row -(or a double row, in the case of a small mat), the six velvet-backed -cards. These, so laid, will be undistinguishable by spectators at a very -short distance from the mat itself. Each is laid with its “white” end -toward the hinder part of the table, so that this shall be visible to the -performer when standing behind it. The marked queen of diamonds is laid -on the top of the pack. The die and dice-box, on their tray, are laid on -the mat, which may partially cover two or more of the six cards. - -_Presentation._ Performer, picking up the pack of cards with his right -hand, transfers it to his left, leaving the queen of diamonds palmed in -the right. Picking up the tray and its contents with the right hand and -advancing with it, he offers the pack to some member of the company, -saying: “Will you kindly look well over this pack of cards and satisfy -yourself that there is nothing exceptional about them; and when you have -done so give them a thorough shuffle. And you, Sir” (handing tray and -die to another spectator), “please test this die in any way your please. -Throw it as many times as you like. I want you to be quite sure that -it throws a different number each time, and that it is not loaded, or -‘faked’ in any way. - -“I don’t like bothering people to examine things, for in most cases it -is a mere waste of time. But in this case I have a special reason for -asking. There is something about this pack of cards and this die which I -myself don’t understand; and I shall be much obliged to anyone who will -help me to do so. As a matter of fact, these cards, though quite ordinary -in other respects, are afflicted with a peculiar restlessness. They -change places without notice and without any apparent reason. If I were -to try to play bridge with them, for instance, I should find as likely as -not that my best trump had invisibly left my hand and passed over to the -enemy, which would naturally upset my game and get me into trouble with -my partner. The die is equally peculiar, but in another way. From some -curious effect of sympathy it knows where a given card is to be found -when I don’t know myself. - -“The only possible explanation I can think of for their peculiarities is -the fact that both cards and die were formerly the property of an old -magician, and that after his death they were shut up together for some -years in the same box with this wand, which also belonged to him, and -that they have imbibed some of its magical qualities. I will give you a -sample of their ‘eccentricities.’” - -Performer takes back the cards and proceeds to force the queen of -diamonds on some member of the company (a lady for choice). Leaving -the drawn card for the time being in her hands, he asks a gentleman to -shuffle and cut the rest of the pack and count off from the cut five -indifferent cards. The card drawn by the lady is then shuffled with -these, so that its position among the six shall be unknown. Performer, -taking these from the holder, deals them in a row (or double row, as the -case may be) upon the velvet mat, placing each exactly over one of the -velvet-backed cards; the white hinder edges of these guiding him as to -their positions. - -“We will now consider these cards as numbered in regular order, One, -Two, Three, Four, Five, Six! Among them somewhere or other, is the card -the lady chose. At what number it stands nobody knows (I can assure you -that I don’t), but the die will tell us instantly. May I ask you, Madam, -to name your card. The queen of diamonds; you say? Good! Now will the -gentleman who holds the die kindly throw it. What is the number thrown? -A three?” (Whatever the number happens to be.) “The die says the card -stands number three. Let us see whether that is correct.” - -He picks up the two cards occupying the position indicated, and shows -the face of the undermost, which is of course seen to be the queen of -diamonds. - -“But now we come to the more remarkable feature of the case. I told you -about the queer way in which the cards change places. Even in this short -time I daresay the lady’s card has got tired of being number three, and -has moved away to some other number. If so, the die will tell us. Throw -it again, Sir, please.” - -This is done, the die bringing up a new number, say “five.” - -“The die declares that the card has moved, and now stands fifth. We shall -soon see whether such is really the case. First, however, let us see -whether it has really departed from number three.” - -Performer has meanwhile replaced the two cards just lifted. He now lifts -the upper one only, which (being one of the indifferent cards) shows -a different face. “The queen has gone, you see. And now to ascertain -whether she has really passed to number five.” - -The two cards standing at that number are lifted together, and again a -queen of diamonds is exhibited. The trick can of course be repeated any -number of times, but it is better not to prolong it beyond a third or -fourth “move.” - -In picking up two cards together, in order to show the undermost, they -are lifted with second finger at top, thumb at bottom and the first and -third fingers at the sides. Thus “framed” so to speak, the two cards -will lie squarely the one upon the other and be undistinguishable from a -single card. When it is desired to lift the upper card alone, it should -be nipped between the second finger at top right-hand corner and thumb -at bottom left-hand corner, when it will be brought away clear without -difficulty. - -There is one contingency for which the performer must be prepared, -namely, that the throw of the die may happen to correspond with the -actual position of the card drawn. Both cards of the pair are in this -case alike, and the performer cannot, at the succeeding throw, show -that the drawn card is no longer in its late position. This possibility -is provided for by having the back of the card marked as before -explained. Should the contingency in question arise, the performer, -having meanwhile noted the marked card, does not call attention to the -disappearance of the queen from that number, but proceeds at once to show -that it has moved to its new position. There is not the smallest fear -that anyone will notice the omission. - -[5] Since the description which follows was written, it has come to my -knowledge that there is already on sale a trick on somewhat similar lines -in point of _effect_ entitled _The Educated Die_. I need hardly say that -my own trick, so far as I am concerned, is absolutely original. The -advertised description of _The Educated Die_ would suit either trick, but -there is little further resemblance between them. - - -THE DISSOLVING DICE - -_To be worked on a Black Art Table_ - -The requisites for this trick are as under: - -1. Three small billiard balls, one red, two white. - -2. A white half-shell to correspond, vested or placed in a pochette. - -3. Three hollow wooden dice, each of such a size as just to contain one -of the balls, and lined inside with velvet to prevent “talking.” One side -of each is left open, but the opening can be closed at pleasure by the -insertion of a loose side with a beveled edge. When this is in position, -the die appears solid. The inner surface of each of the loose sides is -also covered with black velvet, so that when lying with that side upwards -on a black art table it is practically invisible. - -4. Three cardboard covers, fitting easily over the dice. In preparation -for the trick the three balls are placed inside the dice, and these are -placed on the table, open side upward, but with the loose sides inserted -on top, and the covers over them. - -_Presentation._ The opening “yarn” may run as follows: - -“I once read a story about a man who invented a most ingenious piece of -furniture of the ‘combination’ kind. It started, say, as a table, but by -giving it a pull here and a push there, it became a step-ladder. Another -pull and push, and it turned into a mangle, or by just turning a button -or two, you could make it a clothes-horse. - -“The story says that at first it was a great success, but after a little -while the thing began to work too easily, and sometimes changed of its -own accord when least expected, which was a drawback. It was annoying, -naturally, when you were using it as a step-ladder, and hanging up a -picture, to have it suddenly turn into a clothes-horse, and land you on -the floor. It was vexing, too, when it was a table, and the family were -seated round it at breakfast, to have it turn into a mangle, and mangle -the cups and saucers. - -“I shouldn’t care myself to have a piece of furniture like that: it would -make life too exciting. But the story gave me an idea. It struck me what -a convenience it would be, after showing one of my little experiments, -to be able to turn the articles I had been using into what I wanted for -the next. I haven’t got very far as yet, but I have made a beginning in a -small way, and I will show you how it’s done. - -“I have here three wooden dice, with a cover for each of them.” (Take -off all three covers, placing each beside its own die. Then, placing one -of them on the end of your wand, advance with it to the company, tacitly -inviting anyone who pleases to take it off and examine it.) “I use these -covers to spare the feelings of the dice at the critical moment. Like -myself, they are rather bashful. They don’t mind doing the Jekyll and -Hyde business, but they don’t like to be seen doing it. By the way, there -is a very ancient trick (believed to have been invented by Noah in the -Ark, to amuse the boys on a wet Sunday), which is worked by means of a -sham die fitting over the real one. Please take my word for it that I do -not use any such stale device. If I did, you may be quite sure I should -not mention it. These are all three genuine dice. They are rather too -large to play backgammon with, but save as to size, they are merely big -brothers of the regular article. Most of you know, no doubt, that in -properly made dice, the points on opposite sides always together make -seven. Notice please, that each of these dice has the numbers placed -correctly.” (Taking up one of the dice and turning it about.) “You see, -five on this side, two on that; together, seven. Three on this side, four -on that; together, seven. Six on this side, one on that; again seven.” - -This is repeated, in a casual way, with the other two dice, the object -being two-fold, viz.: first, by showing all six sides, to induce the -belief that the dice are solid, and secondly, to enable the performer, -in replacing them on the table, to turn each the other way up, so as to -bring the loose side undermost. This is best done by placing the thumb -on top of the die, with the first and second fingers behind it, then -tilting the die over a little to the front, and slipping the two fingers -underneath it. After showing it on all sides, as above mentioned, it is -an easy matter to replace it with the loose side undermost, as desired. - -“Now, as it happens, I have no immediate use for dice, but I want to -show you a pretty little effect with billiard-balls. Naturally, the -thing to be done is to change the dice into billiard-balls. It’s quite -easy, if you are provided with my patent quick-change combination dice. -All you need to think about is to take care to have even numbers in -front.” (You turn the dice accordingly, and in so doing lift each die -a little, and shift it forward a couple of inches or so, leaving the -loose side undisturbed just behind it, the ball travelling forward with -the die, though still covered by it.) “You don’t see why they should -show even numbers? Because they would look ‘odd’ if they didn’t. Quite -simple,--when you know it. Now I cover all three dice over, to spare -their blushes, as I explained just now. I wave my wand over them and say, -‘Presto! Proximo! Change!’ And we shall find the dice have all turned to -billiard-balls.” - -The right hand lifts the first cover, pressing its sides sufficiently to -lift the die within it, exposing the ball, and in bringing it down again -lands it close to one of the wells of the table. The exposed ball is -picked up with the left hand, and while the attention of the company is -attracted in that direction, the die is allowed to slide out of its case -into the well, after which the ball and cover are brought forward and -handed to someone of the company. - -The other two balls are now uncovered in the same way, but in this case -the dice may be left in their covers, the offer of the first cover, found -empty as above, having sufficiently proved that they really disappear. - -“Well, we have got our three billiard-balls. Good, so far. Next, can any -gentleman oblige me with the loan of a billiard table? Nobody offers: -that’s unfortunate. Well, does any gentleman happen to have a cue about -him. No again? Well, perhaps it would be ‘cuerious’ if any gentleman had. -I beg your pardon, it slipped out unawares. It shall not occur again. - -“It’s unfortunate that I can’t borrow a billiard table and a cue, because -it prevents my showing you my celebrated break of ninety-three off the -red with my eyes shut. When I showed it to Gray, he turned green, but -that is another story. You don’t believe it? Well, I told you it was a -story. - -“Anyhow, as we have got the balls, we must do something with them.” - -The sequel may vary, according to the fancy of the performer, and his -skill in ball-conjuring. For lack of a more effective _dénouement_, the -trick may be brought to a finish as follows: - -Secretly getting the shell ball into his right hand, and picking up the -red ball with the left, the performer proceeds: - -“Well, here we have three balls, one red and two white. To prevent ill -feeling between them, I think we had better make them all the same -colour: and as the white are in the majority, we will have them all -white. It is quite easy, if you know how to do it. You have only to -breathe on the ball, give it a roll round in the hand to take the colour -off, and there you are.” - -After breathing on the ball, you bring the right hand containing the -shell over it, and exhibit it, shell in front. You then transfer it in -the same condition, to the opposite hand. Then pick up one of the two -white balls with the right hand, transfer it to the left and show the two -side by side. Then pick up and add the third ball, in so doing letting -the red ball fall into the right hand, and while calling attention to the -three in the opposite hand, drop it into the profonde. You then bring -up the shell over one or other of the two solid white balls, thereby -transforming the three into two. Drop the solid from the shell into the -right hand, making the two into one; finally causing the disappearance of -this last after the usual manner. - -If the reader (being an expert) is provided with a spare red ball and -red shell, he may offer the choice as to which shall be the colour of -all three, finally causing their disappearance after the manner above -described, or his own version thereof. - - -WHERE IS IT? - -This is another of the tricks dependent on the novel application of the -black art principle. - -For programme purposes the trick may, if preferred, be entitled “The -Erratic Shilling.” Its effect may be broadly described as follows: - -A marked shilling, lent by some member of the company, after being -professedly magnetised or mesmerised by rubbing, is laid upon a black -velvet mat and covered with a playing card, face down. Two other cards -are laid (also faces down), one on each side of the first, at a few -inches distance from it, and the audience are given to understand that -the rubbing has imparted to the coin the power to travel from card to -card at command, and indeed sometimes of its own accord. When the card -which covered the coin is lifted, this is found to be the case. The -shilling is no longer where first seen, but is found to have placed -itself under one of the other two cards. The spectators may be invited to -say under which of the cards they would like the coin to pass, when it -will place itself accordingly. The coin may be identified by the owner -in the course of the trick, as well as at its close. - -The requirements for the trick are as follows: - -1. The velvet mat. - -2. A pack of cards, arranged as presently to be explained. - -3. Three overlays (see p. 20), each consisting, in the present instance, -of a court card, backed with velvet of similar tint and texture to that -with which the mat is covered. Three of the edges of each card are -blackened, but the fourth (one of its shorter sides) is left white, and -thickened by the insertion of an extra slip of white card along that end. -The effect of this is that, as the card lies on the mat, its white edge -is visible from that side, but from no other position. - -4. Three cards, corresponding with the three overlays, which we will -suppose to represent the queen of clubs, and the knaves of spades and -diamonds respectively. The queen is wholly unprepared, but each of the -two knaves has a point of fine wire, or a black bristle projecting a -sixteenth of an inch or so, midway from each of its sides. The “queen” -overlay is furnished with similar points, the object of these being to -enable the performer the more easily to lift a given card with or without -its duplicate overlay. - -In preparing for the trick the two “knave” overlays, each covering a -shilling, are laid beforehand on the mat, velvet side up, eight or ten -inches apart, as shown in Fig. 11, under which circumstances they are -invisible to the spectators at a few feet distance, and very nearly so -to the performer, save that their white edges, turned towards himself, -furnish him with an exact guide to their position. On the top of the pack -are laid, first the two knaves. On these the queen overlay, and uppermost -the unprepared queen. - -[Illustration: FIG. 11] - -In presenting the trick the borrowed shilling is laid on the mat midway -between the two overlays already on the table, and is covered with the -top card of the pack, the third overlay being lifted off with it, and -resting beneath it with its centre as nearly as possible over the coin. - -The two following cards are now laid one on each side of the first, as -in Fig. 12, each on the corresponding overlay, the white edges of these, -visible to the performer, but not to the company, serving as guides to -exact position. When the performer desires to show that the coin is not -under a given card, he raises the card only, lifting it lengthwise, and -leaving the coin covered by the overlay. When he desires to exhibit a -coin, he picks up the card covering it breadthwise between finger and -thumb and with it the overlay beneath it. - -[Illustration: FIG. 12] - -The introductory patter may run as follows: - -“You have all heard, no doubt, of what is called the thimblerig trick, -frequently exhibited at fairs and on race-courses. Some of you gentlemen -may even have parted with a little money over it. For the benefit of the -ladies I will explain what it is. - -“The operator has before him on a small board or tray three thimbles, -or half walnut-shells. He exhibits a small pea, or a pellet the size of -a pea, which he affectionately calls the ‘joker.’ This he places under -one of the thimbles, all three of which he then shifts about on the tray; -inviting the spectators to bet with him as to which thimble the pea is -under. He has two or three confederates, who bet, and naturally win, -but if an outsider is rash enough to back his own supposed smartness he -loses; for as a matter of fact the pea is not placed under either of -the thimbles at all until after the bet is made, when it is skilfully -introduced under whichever thimble best suits the performer. - -“The trick is in truth a mere affair of dexterity; the performer having -acquired by long practise the power of placing the pea under any thimble -he pleases. What I propose to show you is a similar effect, but more -surprising, because, as you will see, there is no room for dexterity, or -indeed any form of trickery; so that I have to depend entirely upon my -magic power. I shall use a shilling, as being more easily seen than a -pea, and three cards from this pack to represent the thimbles. - -“Will some gentleman oblige me with the loan of a shilling; marked in -such a way that he may be sure of knowing it again.” - -Receiving the coin in his right hand, the performer makes believe to -transfer it to his left; wherein he already has a shilling of his own. -Surreptitiously depositing the coin lent to him behind the pack of cards -on the table, he exhibits the substitute on the palm of the left hand and -rubs it with the fingers of the right. - -“I do this,” he explains, “in order to drive out all adverse magnetisms, -and to substitute my own. I will now put the coin in full view on the -table and cover it with a card. See that I do so fairly.” - -After laying down the coin he takes the top card of the pack, and with -it, unknown to the spectators, the overlay beneath it, and lowers them on -to the coin. - -“Notice particularly, please, where I have placed the coin, and notice -too that I do not touch it again. I will now place two more cards, one -on each side of the first one.” He does so, letting the spectators see -clearly that there is nothing in the hand save the card itself, and then -slowly lowering it exactly on to one of the two overlays on the table. -“Now I make a few magnetic passes over the cards, so.” He waves his wand -backwards and forwards above the cards, at a few inches’ distance. - -“And now, where is the coin? Still under the middle card, you would say? -You are mistaken.” He lifts that card lengthwise, leaving the overlay -covering the coin; then replacing the card. “It is no longer there, you -see. In point of fact it has passed under this card.” - -He lifts one of the side cards breadthwise, the overlay coming with -it, and exposes the coin beneath it. “Here it is, you see. We will try -once more.” He replaces the card and then shows, in like manner, that -the coin has passed to the card on the opposite side. After one or two -transpositions have been shown, the audience being allowed to say under -which card the coin shall appear, and the last shift having been to one -of the side positions, the performer says: “I should like you to be -satisfied that it is really the marked coin and no other, that wanders -about in this way. I will ask the gentleman who lent it to me to verify -his mark.” - -He picks up from one of the side positions the coin last uncovered and -brings it forward, but in transit “switches” it for the borrowed coin, -which he has a moment previously picked up from its resting place behind -the pack. It is, of course, this last which he offers for identification, -again exchanging it for the substitute before replacing this in its -former position. The final reproduction must be from under the centre -card, the performer again ringing the changes before returning the coin -to the owner. At the close of the trick all three cards are placed on the -pack, the centre overlay going with them. The other two overlays are left -on the mat, each still covering its own coin, and the whole being carried -off together. If the mat is of the folding kind it can be closed before -removal, effectually concealing the accessories used in the trick. - -Some amount of skill will be found necessary to pick up the card with -or without the corresponding overlay, as may be desired. The difficulty -however speedily disappears with practice. On the other hand, the trick -is well worth the trouble needed to master it, for if the spectators are -convinced (as, given perfect execution, they should be) that it is really -the borrowed coin which travels about as it appears to do, nothing short -of genuine magic will furnish an adequate explanation. - -The performer is of course by no means bound to adopt the _mise en scène_ -above suggested. If preferred, the patter might be based on a supposed -plot between the two knaves to rob the queen, the coin representing the -stolen property, secretly passed from the one to the other when either -was accused of the theft. The story might conclude with an appeal by the -queen to a benevolent magician, through whose good offices her property -is brought back to its original position, and in due course restored to -her. The touch of the mystic wand would naturally play an important part -in effecting the restoration. - - - - -CARD TRICKS - - -ARITHMETIC BY MAGIC - -_Preparation._ The two “flower-pots” (see page 5), separated, are placed -upon the table. Also the card mat (see page 1), loaded with the _ten_ of -any given suit, say diamonds, taken from the pack performer is about to -use, and a double-faced card, representing on the one side the seven, and -on the other the three of the same suit. The deuce and five of same suit -to be laid on the top of the pack. - -Performer, advancing pack in hand, palms off the two top cards, and -offers the rest to be shuffled. This done, he forces these two cards on -different persons. On receiving back one of them, he brings it to the -top; executes a false shuffle leaving it in the same position; brings it -again to the middle by the pass, and has the second card replaced upon -it; then, once again making the pass, brings both together to the top. - -(The use of the Charlier pass is here recommended.) - -The patter may be to something like the following effect: “Two cards have -been chosen, ladies and gentlemen. I can’t say what they are, but I can -very easily find out. I shall simply order them to rise up and paw the -air. It all depends on the strength of the will. I myself happen to have -a very strong will, in fact, I don’t know anyone who has a stronger will, -except my wife. I exert my will, and say, ‘first card, rise!’ and up it -comes, as you see.” - -Stepping well back from the spectators, so that they cannot distinguish -from what part of the pack the card comes, he works up the hindmost card -by the familiar “hand” method. (“Modern Magic,” p. 129.) - -“Here we have one of the two cards. Let us see what it is. The five -of diamonds! Good! And now for the other. Second card; rise! Up comes -another card, you see, the deuce of diamonds. Those are the cards which -were drawn, are they not? - -“Now the question arises, ‘what shall we do with them?’ It is a pity the -ladies didn’t choose bigger cards. You can’t ‘go nap’[6] on a deuce and -a five, can you? I think I can’t do better than use them to show you a -little experiment in conjurer’s arithmetic. Will some young mathematician -among the audience kindly tell us what two and five, added together, -make?” (He waits for reply, but if none, pretends to hear one.) “Seven! -Right first time. And if you take two from five how many remain? Three? -Good again. Really there are lot of clever people about, if you know -where to look for them. - -“Now I want to show you that the cards know all about it themselves; in -fact, they are just as clever at doing sums as we are. I will take these -two cards and drop them into one of these pretty flower-pots. Let me show -you first that it is quite empty.” - -He lays the cards on the little mat while showing inside of flower-pot -(the one with secret pocket), then picks up mat, and transfers it from -hand to hand, showing, without remark, that the hands are otherwise -empty, and lets the two cards slide off it into the flower-pot, the -concealed cards naturally going with them. - -“Now, ladies and gentlemen, what shall the cards do for you, the -addition, or the subtraction sum? It is all the same to me. The addition? -Very good. They can’t talk, so they will call another card from the pack -to give you the answer. Yes, here we have it. Five--and two--are--seven.” - -As he names each card, he produces it from the flower-pot, the third -being the double-faced card, shown as the seven. - -“Now I can hear what some of you are thinking. Oh, yes! I often hear what -people think. You are thinking that if you had said subtraction instead -of addition, I should have been in what is popularly called a hole. But -you are mistaken. Now we will ask the cards to do the subtraction sum. -The seven will go back to the pack, and send another card in its place.” -He drops all three cards back into the flower-pot, and brings them up as -before, save that this time the trick card is made to face the other way. -“_Five_--less _two_--are _three! Quod erat demonstrandum_, as our old -friend Euclid used to say when he had just floored a new poser. As the -cards seem to be in a good humour, we will try them once more, and see if -we can get them to do a little multiplication.” (He drops the three cards -into the flower-pot, as before, but this time lets the fake card fall -into the pocket.) “Five times--two--are ‘ten.’” (Showing the two cards -and the ten, in that order.) - -“Now I will ask some gentleman to see that these three cards really -belong to the pack. The three and seven went back to it as soon as they -were done with. The flower-pot, as you see, is again empty.” (He shows by -lifting it that apparently it is so.) - -If the first choice of the audience is for subtraction the order of -production will naturally be varied accordingly. - -[6] To endeavor to take all five tricks in the game of Napoleon. - - -THOSE NAUGHTY KNAVES - -This item may be described, if preferred, as “Knavish Tricks.” - -_Requirements._ Card mat loaded with knaves of spades, hearts and -diamonds, taken from the pack in use. Knave of clubs on top of pack. - -_Presentation._ Advance, palming off the knave of clubs, and offer pack -to be shuffled. When it is returned, force the knave on one of the -company. Borrow a hat, and after showing that it is empty, place it, -crown downwards, on the table. Receive back the drawn card upon the mat, -remarking that you will place it in the hat, which you do accordingly, -the other three knaves going in with it. Then, assuming a worried -expression, deliver patter to something like the following effect. - -“I am afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that I shall not be able to show -you the experiment I had intended. I have a telepathic nerve in my left -thumb, a sort of private fire alarm, only more so, which always gives me -warning when things are going wrong, and I feel it now. If you have read -‘Macbeth,’ you will remember that one of the witches says: - - ‘By the pricking of my thumbs, - Something wicked this way comes.’ - -“I have often wondered whether that old lady could have been a sort -of great-great-great grandmother of mine. Magic certainly runs in the -family, and we may have inherited it from her. Anyhow, I have just the -same sort of sensation myself. Unfortunately, in my case the warning is -incomplete. I dare say you will remember that story (I rather think it’s -in Macaulay’s ‘Lays of Ancient Rome’), about Little Queen Cole. Her -Majesty had the misfortune to develop a mole upon her nose, and King Cole -was worried about it. He consulted Old Moore and Zadkiel, and all the -leading astrologers of the day, but all they could tell him was - - ‘A mole upon the face - Shows that something will take place, - But not what that something will be.’ - -That’s just my case. My prophetic thumb merely tells me that something is -wrong, but doesn’t say what. It may be drains, or the house on fire, or -something in the county court. You never can tell! - -“Of course it’s nothing of that sort now. In the present case it has no -doubt something to do with the experiment I want to show you. You chose -your card quite freely, did you not, Madam? It never matters to me in the -least what card is chosen, with the exception of one particular card, -which is a holy terror. May I ask if you happened to draw the knave of -clubs? Yes? I feared as much. The knave of clubs is the bane of my life. -He is always endeavouring to get himself chosen, and then he does his -best to upset my arrangements. And the worst of it is, he leads away the -other three knaves. The four of them form a secret society, which they -call ‘The cheerful blackguards.’ The knave of clubs is the president, and -the rest have to do just as he tells them. He communicates with them by -means of a sort of wireless telegraphy, and when he calls they go to him -at once.” (You here make the “click.”) “Did you hear that sound? That’s -his call now, despatched by wireless from the hat to the very middle of -the pack. I have no doubt that we shall find that the other three knaves -have already left it, and joined him in the hat.” (Make believe to look -over the pack, and hand it to a spectator.) “Yes! just as I thought: they -are all gone.” (To a spectator.) “See for yourself, sir. Not a single -knave left. And here they all are, in the hat.” (Whence they are produced -accordingly.) - -As the “click” in some cases adds much to the effect of a trick, and as -it may to some readers be an unfamiliar sleight, I may pause to explain -that it is executed as follows: Take the pack in either hand, held -upright between forefinger and thumb, a little more than halfway down, -with the middle finger curled up behind it as in Fig. 13. With the tip -of the third finger bend back the extreme bottom corners of the last -half dozen or so of the cards, allowing them to escape again smartly. -The sound made by the corners in springing back again constitutes -the “click.” It needs a little practice, but if the cards are held -properly, and the sleight worked smartly, the sound will be audible at a -considerable distance, whilst the movement of the finger producing it is -quite invisible to the spectators. - -[Illustration: FIG. 13] - -But we have not yet done with our trick. You may resume as follows: - -“I will give you a further illustration of what I have to put up with -from the knaves. I should like you to be satisfied that I have nothing -to do with their bad behaviour.” (You palm off the three top cards, and -with the same hand offer the four knaves to a spectator.) “Will you, sir, -make sure that these really are the four knaves, and then place them here -on the top of the pack,”--offered with the left hand. When the knaves -have been laid upon it, you transfer it to the opposite hand, and palm on -to them the three concealed cards, but immediately slide them off again, -with the uppermost of the four knaves beneath them. You hold them up in a -careless way, so that the audience, catching sight of this card, may be -confirmed in the belief that the cards exhibited in the right hand are -really the four knaves. - -“Here we have the four knaves, at present all together. I will now -distribute them in different parts of the pack, as far apart as possible. -One here, nearly at the bottom, one a little higher up, another about -the middle, and this last” (you show it carelessly), “close to the top.” -(This, being a genuine knave, must be placed among the other knaves.) -“They could hardly be placed farther apart than that: but to make things -a little more difficult for them, I will ask some lady to cut the cards.” - -This done, and the cards handed back to you, you repeat the click. -“There it is again: the wireless signal. You can all bear witness that -I have nothing to do with the matter. Now, Sir, will you kindly examine -the pack, and unless I am much mistaken, you will find that the other -three knaves have answered Black Jack’s call, and that the four cheerful -blackguards have got together again, in which case, with your permission, -I will leave them severely alone, and try some other experiment.” - -The expert will recognise this last effect as a “chestnut” among card -tricks, but it is none the worse on that account, and it forms a -particularly appropriate sequel to the principal trick. - -If the performer possesses the “flower-pot,” one of these will naturally -be used in place of the hat. - - -MAGNETIC MAGIC - -_Requirements._ Card mat, loaded with a single known card (precise -nature optional). Pack of cards with corresponding card at top. A -horseshoe magnet, the larger the better for the sake of effect. The two -flower-pots, placed at some distance apart, preferably on separate tables. - -We will suppose that the card selected for the purpose of the trick is -the ten of spades. Performer advances, and delivers patter to something -like the following effect. - -“By way of a change, I should like now to show you a little experiment in -magnetism, but magnetism of a new kind. The old sort was a comparatively -poor affair. It was only useful with iron or steel. Anything else it -wouldn’t attract for nuts. My sort of magnetism is a very superior -article. It will attract all sorts of things, so long as they are not -too heavy, like a sack of coals, or a lawyer’s bill. So far, I have been -chiefly experimenting with cards, and I will show you how it works. - -“I want three ladies each to choose a card from this pack.” (He forces -the ten of spades, allowing the other two cards to be chosen freely, and -takes all three back, face down, on the mat, keeping in mind which of -them is the forced card.) “I will take one of these cards.” (He picks -up the forced card, and holds it aloft.) “Please all notice what it is: -I don’t want to see it myself. I drop it into this pretty flower-pot” -(actually dropping it into the secret pocket). “And now as to these other -two.” (He picks them up and shows them, then replacing them on the mat.) -“These I will place in the other flower-pot. First, however, I will show -you that at present it is empty.” He does so, and then lets the two cards -slide off the mat into the pot, the concealed card going with them. - -“Now I take this magnet. It is a very powerful magnet, and I make it -still more vigorous by rubbing it on my left coat sleeve. Do you know why -on the left? You all give it up? Because in this case the left happens -to be right. Simple, when you know it, isn’t it? Again, you will observe -that one-half of this magnet is painted red. Can you guess why that is? -It’s so that when it is wanted it is sure to be ‘reddy.’ I hear a lady -smile! Thank you _so_ much! This is the eleven hundred and third time I -have let off that little impromptu joke, and no one has ever laughed at -it till now. - -“Well, as I was saying, or as I was going to say when the lady -interrupted me--I mean complimented me, by smiling--Upon my word, I’ve -forgotten for the moment what I _was_ going to say, but I daresay it was -of no consequence, so we’ll skip it, and proceed at once to ‘business as -usual.’ - -“Observe, I just draw the magnet slowly across from the one flower-pot -to the other, when the single card, being naturally the weaker, will be -drawn out of its own flower-pot, and join the other two.” (Looks into -flower-pot holding the pair.) - -“Yes, it has found its way, as you see.” (Lifts the pot, and shows that -the third card is on the table with the other two.) “And as it’s a -well-known fact that nobody but a bird can be in two places at the same -time, it naturally follows that it is no longer in this other pot, which -is once more empty.” (Lifts it up and shows that it is so.) - -_Variation._ If the flower-pots are not available, the single card may be -placed in a card box, or other suitable appliance adapted for causing its -disappearance, the other two, with the concealed card, being dropped from -the mat into a borrowed hat. - - -THE TELEPATHIC TAPE - -_Requirements._ Two or three yards of half-inch tape or ribbon, wound -on a reel, to which its inner end is secured, and having a loop on its -outer end. Coin mat made adhesive, and two packs of cards, which we will -call A and B respectively. From pack A take a court card (say the queen -of diamonds), and press it face down against the waxed side of the mat: -then turn this over, and place the rest of the pack upon its unprepared -side. On the top of pack B lay the corresponding card, in readiness for -forcing. This pack also to be placed on table. - -_Presentation._ Advance with pack A on the mat. Invite a gentleman to -take it in his own hands and after shuffling, to pick out a card, and -without looking at it, lay it face down on the mat. Remark: “I have asked -you not to look at the card, because I find people fancy I find out by -what is called thought-reading, and if you don’t know the card yourself, -I can’t find it out that way, can I? You are sure you don’t know what -card you have taken? I can honestly say that I don’t. Now please notice -that I don’t look at it, or even touch it--I will place it here, where -you can all keep an eye on it. You had better keep the other eye on me.” - -You accordingly place the mat on the table, in transit keeping the card -just laid upon it in place by the pressure of the thumb, and just as you -reach the table, under cover of your own body, turn over the mat, so as -to bring the adhering card uppermost. - -You then say, picking up the reel, “I must now introduce to your notice -my telepathic tape. Like myself, it isn’t anything particular to look -at, but it has an extraordinary talent for finding out things; even -secrets that people don’t know themselves. Now you will admit that the -name of that card on the table is at present an A1, copperbottomed -secret. Even the gentleman who chose the card doesn’t know what it is; -you don’t know; in fact nobody knows. Nothing could well be more secret -than that. But this tape will find it out. Will you, Sir,”--(addressing -the gentleman who chose the card) “be kind enough to pass this loop over -your left little finger. Thank you, and now I want some lady to assist -me. Perhaps you will oblige, Madam?” A sufficient length of the tape is -unrolled, and the reel placed in the lady’s hands. “And now I will ask -you to do me the further favor of taking a card from this other pack.” -(The second queen is forced on the lady.) - -“Now, Madam, what was the card the gentleman chose? You don’t know? Oh, -yes, you do. The tape has told you. Unless it has betrayed me for the -first time in my experience, it will have compelled you by an effect of -sympathy to draw the very same kind of card as the one freely chosen, as -you will remember from the other pack. What card did you draw? The queen -of diamonds?” (Goes to table, and turns up card on tray.) “The tape was -right, you see. The card the gentleman drew is also a queen of diamonds.” - -In default of the card mat, the trick can be equally well performed by -the aid of the card-box, or any other appliance for “changing” a card. - - -A CARD COMEDY - -This may be otherwise described for programme purposes as “A Royal Row,” -or “A Row in a Royal Family.” - -_Preparation._ Card mat loaded with two kings of hearts: one of them -taken from the pack to be used: the other a spare card. The king of clubs -and queen of hearts to be laid on top of pack. The two flower-pots on -table. - -_Presentation._ Advancing to the company, palm off the two top cards, -and hand the pack to be shuffled. This done, force the palmed cards -on two different persons. Then say, “I want you to take notice that I -do not handle or tamper in any way with either of the cards you have -chosen. Please lay them yourselves face down on this mat. Thank you. Now -still without touching them I will put them temporarily in this elegant -flower-pot, which you observe is quite empty. You see that it has neither -top nor bottom, and nothing between. You couldn’t have anything much -emptier than that, could you?” - -Having duly exhibited the flower-pot (this by the way must be the one -_without_ pocket) you let the two drawn cards slide off the mat into it, -the two concealed kings going with them. Then, assuming a perplexed air, -you say, “I don’t know why it is, but I have that peculiar sensation in -my left thumb that always means that something has gone wrong. What it is -in this case I can’t imagine, but I must find out before we go further. -As the two chosen cards have passed out of my hands, I may now ask the -ladies who drew them to name them. - -“The queen of hearts and the king of clubs, you say? Ah! that accounts -for it. When those two cards come together there is sure to be trouble. -The queen of hearts is a bit of a flirt, and the king of hearts is very -jealous, particularly of the king of clubs, who is rather a gay dog, -though he is old enough to know better. I fancy I hear some sort of -commotion going on in the flower-pot.” (You look into it.) “Yes, it is -just as I feared. The king of hearts has found out that his queen has -gone off with the king of clubs, and has followed the queen post-haste. -Here he is, you see.” (You plunge hand into flower-pot, and take out -and exhibit the two drawn cards, and with them one of the two kings of -hearts.) “It’s too bad, for as a matter of fact the queen of hearts -doesn’t really care two-pence about the king of clubs. In fact she has -even been known to call him a giddy old kipper. - -“But I can’t have my arrangements upset by these little family jars. To -teach the king of hearts better manners I shall put him in solitary -confinement. We will drop him into the other flower-pot, which, as you -see, is also empty.” (The card is in this case not dropped through the -pot, but into the pocket.) - -“Now we shall be able to get on. No! my left thumb tells me that there -is still something not quite right.” (Glance into second flower-pot.) -“Upon my word, this is too bad. The king of hearts has already got away -and followed the queen again.” (Lift flower-pot, and show that the king -has disappeared.) “I thought I had him safe, but his prison, as you see, -is empty, and here he is again in the first flower-pot.” (Show the three -cards accordingly.) “He is too many for me; I can’t show you what I had -intended. I must give it up and try something else.” - -_Variation._ Load mat with a single king of hearts and the queen of -clubs, the latter taken from the pack. Proceed as before up to the -putting of the king in prison, and then exhibit the queen of clubs, -as having come in pursuit of her spouse, the patter being modified -accordingly. The imprisoned king of hearts will still be found to have -escaped, but in this case to have returned to the pack. - -For lack of the two flower-pots, the drawn cards may be dropped with the -concealed pair into a borrowed hat, and the jealous king made to escape -from a card-box, or some similar appliance. - -_Apropos_ of the card-box, by the way, I have always had a sort of -affection for this in its oldest and simplest form, viz., the reversible -flat box with loose flap falling from the one into the other half at -pleasure. I should not recommend the use of it at a school treat, as -there would be much risk of some demon small boy proclaiming to all whom -it might concern that he “knows how that’s done,” but before an average -mixed audience its use is safe enough. Should one of the spectators -happen to be acquainted with the box he will probably smile in a superior -way, pluming himself on having a little inside information, though he -may be no nearer the complete solution of the trick than the rest of the -company. - -The expert will easily guard himself against even this small risk. For -example, he may use a duplicate box, innocent of guile, ostensibly merely -to contain the cards he is about to use, and after turning the pack out -of it upon the table, switch this (obviously empty) box for the faked box -to be used later, or after using the latter he may extract the fake and -the superseded card during the journey back to his table, where the box -will of course be inspection-proof. - -Better still, he may make matters absolutely safe by using an improved -box, which has been christened the “Fast and Loose” card-box. This is -a recent invention of an Italian wizard named Veroni, of Glasgow (an -old soldier of Garibaldi). It is an idealised version of the old flat -box, being of the same shape, but a trifle larger. The loose slab is -retained, but it is only loose when the performer desires it to be so. -The box may be handled beforehand with the utmost freedom, and after a -card has been placed in it it may be closed and re-opened any number of -times, nothing happening till, “Presto,” a mere touch in the right place, -and the flap is free. When the box is now closed, this falls into the -opposite portion, concealing the card, or producing another; and again -locking itself, automatically, in its new position. The box in this -condition will again stand the closest scrutiny. - -Whether this box is yet placed upon the market I cannot say (having -myself been favoured with a sight of an “advance” model), but it will -certainly commend itself to all who appreciate a good thing in the way of -ingenuity of contrivance and mechanical finish. - - -A ROYAL TUG OF WAR - -_Preparation._ Card mat to be loaded with king of hearts and king of -diamonds, _not_ taken from the pack in use. Flower-pots on table. - -Performer advances with ordinary pack, delivering patter to something -like the following effect. “It is not generally known, ladies and -gentlemen, what a lot of human nature there is about a pack of cards. -They have their likes and dislikes, and their little tempers, just as -we have. Some of them are bosom friends; others again hate each other -like rival suitors to the same best girl. The four kings are generally -pretty friendly, but there is a good deal of emulation between them, -particularly between the two red kings on the one hand, and the two black -ones on the other. Each pair claims to be the stronger, and they are -always pleased to have a chance of putting the matter to the test. - -“I will give you an illustration of this, by allowing them to hold a -little tug of war. They have already had six trials, and each side has -won three of them. This evening we will let them play a final game, -which is to settle the matter. Will you, sir, kindly pick out the four -kings for me, and lay them on this little tray. Thank you!” (This done, -performer lays mat with cards on table.) - -“I will drop the two red kings into this flower-pot.” He takes them from -the mat and after showing them drops them into the flower-pot (in reality -into the pocket), “and the black ones into this other.” (The black kings -are allowed to slide directly off the mat, into the flower-pot, the -concealed pair going with them.) “Are your Majesties ready? Silence gives -consent! Then Go!” - -He waits a moment or two, and then looks over into the flower-pot with -the pocket. “Nothing has happened yet. Yes, there goes the king of -diamonds, pulled over to the other side. There’s not much chance now for -the poor king of hearts, left single-handed. He won’t hold out long. Yes! -Now he is gone too.” - -Performer lifts flower-pot, with fingers inside pressing against pocket, -and shows it apparently empty. “And here, in the other flower-pot” (lifts -it and shows the four cards lying together on table) “are all four Kings. -One more score to black. You didn’t see the cards go? Of course you -didn’t; because they fly horizontally, like the aeroplanes, and they go -so fast that they get there almost before they have started.” - - -SYMPATHETIC CARDS - -_Preparation._ Card mat loaded with two cards of different denomination, -say the queen of clubs and the knave of diamonds, _taken from the pack_. -Flower-pots on table. - -_Presentation._ Force the corresponding cards of same colour (in this -case the queen of spades and the knave of hearts), lay the pack aside, -and take the drawn cards back face down on the mat, leaving them thus on -table till needed. The patter may run as follows: - -“As I think I have mentioned before, the cards of a pack, from long -association, become a sort of family. They have their likes and dislikes, -just as human beings have. In particular, there is a curious bond of -sympathy between each pair of the same colour, say the king of hearts -and the king of diamonds, or the ten of clubs and ten of spades. If they -are parted, and they possibly can, they will get together again. - -“I will try to give you an example with the cards that have been drawn. -We will put them for the moment in this pretty flower-pot, which, as -you see, is quite empty.” (Show by lifting it up, that it is so, and -then drop the two cards from the mat into it, the concealed pair going -with them.) “They will only require to be assisted by a gentle electric -current, which I shall create by waving my wand, so. - -“Before we go any further, will the ladies who drew the cards say what -they were,--I don’t mind asking you now, because they have passed out -of my control. The queen of spades and the knave of hearts, you say? A -fortunate choice, for the queen of spades and the knave of hearts happen -to be particular friends, so I think we may now be sure of success. Now -to establish the wireless wave, and I doubt not the queen of clubs and -the knave of diamonds will speedily find them. (Make any appropriate -gesture with wand.) - -“Did you notice a little flash, like the striking of a very inferior -lucifer match in a gale of wind? That’s when they went. Quick work, isn’t -it? The cards were timed by two gentlemen one evening, each with his -own watch. By the one gentleman’s watch they started at one minute past -nine, and by the other gentleman’s watch, they arrived at one minute -_to_ nine, so it is clear that they must have made the journey in two -minutes less than no time. But let us make sure that they have arrived.” -Lift the flower-pot, and show the four cards lying on the table together. -“And now, to convince you that there is no deception, will some lady or -gentleman kindly look through the pack, and make sure that the queen of -clubs and knave of diamonds have really left it.” Which is found to be -the case. - -The trick may of course be worked with any two pairs of cards, the mat -being loaded and the corresponding cards forced accordingly. - - -TELL-TALE FINGERS - -The discovery, in some more or less mysterious way, of an unknown card -is one of the stock feats of the conjurer, and indeed in one shape -or another is one of the most hackneyed of card tricks. But the wise -magician never discards a good trick simply because it is an old one. He -repolishes it, adds a bit here, takes away a bit there, presents it in a -new shape and with new patter, and behold! the “chestnut” of yesterday -becomes a latest novelty of today. - -To obtain the maximum effect from a trick of the above kind, it is -necessary in the first place to convince the spectator that the drawn -card cannot possibly be known beforehand to the performer; and in the -second place to persuade him that it is discovered in some actually -impossible (and therefore magical) way; taking advantage, where possible, -of some known scientific truth which may lend colour to your suggestion. -It is surprising, in conjuring matters, how much even the smallest -percentage of fact increases the power of the average spectator for -swallowing fiction. The patter for the trick which follows has been -arranged upon these lines. - -The requisites for the trick are a pack of cards from which three known -cards have been withdrawn and palmed (or so placed to be in instant -readiness for palming), a hand-mirror, and a silk handkerchief. - -The introductory oration may run somewhat as follows: - -“You all know, ladies and gentlemen, what an important part finger-prints -now play in the detection of crime. Happily there is no connection -between conjuring and crime, beyond the fact that they both begin -with a _C_. No conjurer that I know of has ever murdered anybody or -been murdered himself, and when a conjurer borrows a half-crown, he -always--well, almost always returns it. But each one of us, whether -criminal or curate, burglar or bishop, possesses a definite set of -finger-prints, quite unlike those of anybody else. And, what is more, we -cannot touch anything, ever so lightly, without leaving upon it our sign -manual in the shape of a more or less perfect impression of our fingers, -imperceptible to ourselves, but quite visible to the expert in such -matters. - -“Practice in distinguishing such points forms a highly interesting -study. Of course it must be pursued with a proper amount of tact, or it -may get you into trouble, as in the case of a gentleman I once heard of -who took up the study with more zeal than discretion. He said to his -wife, not leading up to the subject gently, as he should have done, -but in a peremptory sort of way, ‘Maria, I want your finger-prints.’ -Unfortunately, Maria was rather a quick-tempered lady, and she had -just been having a few words, of a hostile nature, with the cook. She -slapped his face, and said, ‘Well, now you’ve got ’em.’ He had! They were -very distinct, but not quite in the shape he wanted. I am going to ask -permission to read some of your finger-prints, but, I trust without fear -of such painful results. - -“In the first place, I should like this pack of cards to be thoroughly -well shuffled.” - -While this is done, performer palms the three known cards, and when the -pack is returned, proceeds to force them on different members of the -company. Each of the drawers is requested to allow his or her card to lie -for a few moments face down on the palm of the outspread hand. The cards -drawn are then returned to the pack, which is again shuffled, and spread -face upward on the table. - -“Each of the three cards which have been drawn now has a complete set of -finger-prints upon its surface, but there are no doubt others on many -other cards, the result of previous handling. To enable me to distinguish -the right ones, I must ask each person who chose a card to give me, for -the purpose of comparison, a fresh impression, on the glass of this -mirror. First, however, we must remove any prints that may already be -upon it.” - -He accordingly breathes upon the glass, and wipes it carefully with the -handkerchief. - -“Now, Sir” (to the person who first drew), “will you kindly press your -hand flat against the glass. Thank you. Not a very clear impression, but -I dare say it will be good enough. I have now only to discover the card -bearing the same imprint, and I shall know that it was the one you drew.” -(He picks it out from the exposed cards on the table.) “Here it is, I -think, the ---- of ----” (as the case may be). - -The other two cards are then discovered after the same fashion. As the -performer knows beforehand what they are, this will give him little -trouble, but he will be wise, for the sake of effect, not to discover -them too readily. For the same reason, great importance should ostensibly -be attached to the thorough cleaning of the hand mirror before each new -attempt, so as to get a clear impression. - -The trick as above described can be worked with any pack of cards, but -where those used are the performer’s own property, he can make it even -more effective by marking the three cards to be freed in such a way as -to be distinguishable (by himself only) by their backs. The drawers in -this case are requested to press their hand against the _back_ of the -card, and the cards are spread face down upon the table, the performer -apparently not knowing the nature of the card indicated to him until he -has turned it up. - - -DIVINATION DOUBLY DIFFICULT - -This trick, though it merely rests upon a combination of methods already -familiar to the expert, may as a whole fairly claim to be a complete -novelty. The _mise en scène_ is so simple, and the room for deception -apparently so small, that to the uninitiated it seems like a genuine -miracle. Unlike most card tricks, it is even better adapted to the stage -than to the drawing-room. - -The effect of the trick, baldly stated, is that the performer divines -the nature of nine cards, selected apparently quite haphazard, and then -picks out the corresponding cards from another pack, freely shuffled and -covered by a handkerchief. - -The requirements for the trick consist of two packs of cards, and an -envelope with adhesive flap, of such a size as to accommodate one of -them. One of the two packs is a “forcing” pack, consisting of three cards -only, each seventeen times repeated. The cards of each kind are however -not grouped all together, as is usually the case, but are arranged -after the manner explained in _More Magic_ (p. 13), viz.: assuming the -three cards to be the knave of clubs, the seven of spades, and the nine -of diamonds, the pack will consist of groups of those three cards, in -the same order, repeated throughout. The effect of this arrangement is -that, wherever the pack be cut, the three cards above or below the cut -will always be a set of those three cards: and the same result follows, -however many times the pack may be cut, or however many such groups may -have been taken from it. - -The second pack has no preparation, but the three cards corresponding to -those of which the forcing pack is composed are so placed as to be ready -to hand for palming. - -The performer advances with the forcing pack, meanwhile executing a -false shuffle of the kind which leaves the pack as if cut, but otherwise -undisturbed as to order. Holding the pack on the outstretched palm of -his left hand, he invites someone to cut it. This done, he takes back -with the other hand the upper portion of the cut, and says, “You have -cut where you pleased, have you not? If you think I made cut at that -particular point, you can cut again. You are satisfied? Then I will ask -you to be good enough to take three cards from the top of this lower -heap. Keep them carefully. Don’t let me see them: in fact don’t show -them just yet to anyone, but please remember exactly what they are.” He -replaces the top half of the cut, and passing to another spectator, at -some little distance from the first, has the pack cut again, and a second -three cards taken in like manner. This is repeated with a third person, -just far enough away from the second as to preclude any possibility of -the three drawers comparing their cards. - -“Now, ladies and gentlemen, you must all agree that I have not sought -to influence the choice of these gentlemen” (or ladies, as the case may -be) “in the slightest degree, and it must be equally clear to you that -I cannot possibly know even one of the cards that have been chosen. To -make sure that I do not get sight of them in any way, we will have them -placed, with the remainder of the pack, in this envelope.” He collects -the cards accordingly, allowing each person who drew to replace his cards -himself in the envelope, and requesting the last person to moisten the -flap, and make all secure. - -Returning to his table, he places the closed envelope in full view. “I -shall now want the assistance of some gentleman. Thank you, sir. Will -you kindly shuffle this other pack for me.” (He runs the cards over -fanwise, showing their faces, so as to prove that they are an ordinary -mixed pack: then hands them to be shuffled, and while this is being -done, palms the three secreted cards.) “Shuffle them thoroughly, please, -and then spread them a little, faces down, upon the table, and lay your -handkerchief over them. - -“Now I am going, in the first place, to attempt a little thought-reading. -I shall endeavour by that means to discover the three cards each person -chose, and then, by means of the sense of touch, which I have cultivated -to a rather unusual degree, to pick them out, without seeing them, from -among the cards under the handkerchief. I shall only ask one indulgence. -To leave a little margin for possible mistakes. I shall ask your -permission to pick out four cards instead of three for each person, so -as to give me one extra chance. Will the gentleman who drew first kindly -look my way, and say to himself slowly, the names of the cards he drew. -Thank you, Sir! I think I read them right.” He inserts his hand under -the handkerchief, and after a little pretended fumbling, brings out the -three palmed cards, with one indifferent card in front of them. He does -not show or look at them, but asks the second chooser to think hard of -his three cards, afterwards taking four more from under the handkerchief. -Having done the same in the case of the third drawer, he spreads the -twelve cards he has taken from under the handkerchief, and shows them -fanwise. Addressing the first drawer, he says, “Your three cards are -among these, I think, sir?” and the same question is then addressed to -the other two choosers, the answer being of course in the affirmative. - -“Now, gentlemen, in order to prove that there is no deception, I will -take away three cards at a time, one from each set of three. Pray observe -that from beginning to end, I have not looked at the face of any card.” -He accordingly removes one of the forced, and two of the indifferent -cards, making however some pretence of selection and throws them aside. -“There are now only two cards belonging to each gentleman left. That is -so, is it not?” - -The question is addressed to each of the three drawers in turn, and -answered accordingly, after which the same process is again twice -repeated. - -“And now, gentlemen, we have three cards left, belonging to neither -of you, which is just as it should be. It is a peculiarity of this -experiment that if it comes out right it always brings good luck to those -taking part in it, so you may all fairly expect to live happily ever -afterwards, and I trust you will.” - -If the performance is given before the family circle, or very -intimate friends (who sometimes consider themselves privileged to be -disagreeable), it is just possible that some ill-mannered person, in the -hope of embarrassing the conjurer, may ask at the close to be allowed to -examine the envelope containing the drawn cards. Such an examination, if -permitted, would of course largely give away the trick. If the performer -has any reason to fear such a contingency, he may guard against it by -“switching” the envelope, during his return to the table with it, for a -duplicate containing an ordinary mixed pack. In some part of this the -three cards corresponding to those drawn should be placed _together_, -as the obnoxious person, if himself one of the drawers, will naturally -expect so to find them. - -At a public performance such a precaution would be supererogatory. - - -A NEW LONG CARD PACK AND A TRICK DEPENDENT ON ITS USE - -Some few months ago I was shown by a clever amateur, Mr. Victor Farrelly, -a pack of cards prepared, after a method of his own, to replace in a more -subtle form, the familiar _biseauté_ pack. Mr. Farrelly’s plan is to -round off, in a very minute degree, three of the corners of an ordinary -pack. If a given card be turned round in a pack so treated, it is obvious -that its unfiled corner will project, to a microscopic extent, beyond -those above and below it, rendering the card instantly discoverable by -touch. - -Mr. Farrelly’s idea is decidedly ingenious, but the uses of the -_biseauté_ pack are rather limited, and the fact that the pack must be -reversed before the card is replaced in it is a drawback. It struck me, -on reflection, that the idea might be developed, in a slightly different -direction, to greater advantage. - -My own plan is as follows: Two packs, exactly alike are used. As to one -of these, I treat all four corners after the manner indicated by Mr. -Farrelly, when any card of the second pack, inserted into the one so -treated, naturally becomes in effect, a long card. There is in this case -no need to reverse the pack, and as the minute projection is duplicated -at each end of the diagonal, a less degree of rounding off is necessary. - -As a practical illustration of the possible uses of such a pack, I -offer the trick which I am about to describe. The expert will recognise -that, save for the use of the new pack, it is merely a combination -of well-known methods, but as regards the mode of presentation it is -original, and I think will be found worthy of a place in the _répertoire_ -of the card-conjurer. - -For the purpose of description we will call the pack with rounded corners -the “short,” and the other the “long” pack. Three known cards are -borrowed from the long pack, which may then be put aside, as it plays no -further part in the trick. These three cards are palmed, and after the -short pack has been shuffled by one of the company, are added to it, and -forced upon three different spectators. We will suppose that the three -selected cards are the queen of hearts, forced on a gentleman; the king -of clubs and the ten of diamonds; the two last mentioned forced on ladies. - -This done, each of the drawers is invited to replace his or her card in -the pack, which is passed from the one to the other for that purpose, and -before it is returned to you is once more shuffled. You then deliver a -“yarn” to something like the following effect: - -“Please bear in mind, ladies and gentlemen, exactly what has been done. -To begin with, you have seen that the pack was thoroughly well shuffled. -Three cards were then freely chosen from it. They have been put back, -not by me, but by the persons who drew them, and the pack has since been -shuffled again. It is therefore obviously impossible that I should know -either what cards have been chosen, or whereabouts they may now be in -the pack. But I enjoy impossibilities. The more impossible a thing is, -the more I want to do it. I will find out these cards or _die_! Don’t be -alarmed, I don’t mean to die just yet; so I must do the other thing. It’s -easy enough, if you know how to do it. - -“In the first place I cut the pack into three portions.” (You cut three -times, nipping the “long” corners between second finger and thumb, at -each of the drawn cards in succession, and placing the cards left at -bottom on one or other of the three heaps; then solemnly rub your wand, -without remark, with a silk handkerchief, and lay it across the tops of -the three packets.) - -“Now, if the electric influence is strong enough, the three chosen cards -will gradually sink down to the bottom of these three heaps. A nice easy -way of finding them out, is it not? It will take a minute or two for the -charm to operate, so in the meantime I will try to find out the names of -the cards for myself by thought-reading. You drew a card, I think, Sir? -Will you kindly think of that card, as hard as you can, and meanwhile -look straight at me? Thank you. Judging by physiognomy, I should say -that you were rather a ladies’ man. Don’t blush, Sir. It’s nothing to -be ashamed of, is it, ladies? But he did blush, didn’t he? Now, being -a ladies’ man, you will naturally have chosen one of the ladies of the -pack, that is to say one of the queens, and your blush suggests that it -was a red queen. Now there are only two red queens to choose from. The -queen of hearts represents Love, and the queen of diamonds Money. If I -read your thoughts aright I feel safe in declaring that you chose the -queen of hearts. That is right, I think? Quite simple, when you know how -it’s done. - -“And now, Madam, for your card. I can see at a glance that you have a -liking for aristocratic society, and you will therefore naturally have -chosen a king. But which king? Think hard of your card, please. A picture -of a dark-complexioned gentleman comes up before my mind’s eye, and I -feel that I can say with confidence that the card you chose was the king -of clubs. Am I right? - -“And you, Madam. I have an idea that you have a taste for pretty things, -particularly jewellery. Such being the case, you would naturally choose -diamonds. Think of your card, please. Thank you. I see I was right in my -guess. The card you chose was the ten of diamonds. - -“And now to verify my discoveries. If my wand has done its work, those -same three cards will now have percolated through the rest, and settled -down at the bottom of these three heaps. Let us see whether they have -done so.” (The three heaps are turned over.) “Yes, here we have them: -the king of clubs, the queen of hearts, and the ten of diamonds. It -is a curious thing for the cards to do, and I daresay you would like -to know how it is done. As a matter of fact, it is done by synthetic -re-adjustment of dissociated atoms. You don’t know what that means, -perhaps? Well, to say the truth, I don’t quite know myself, but that is -the scientific explanation, so no doubt it is correct.” - -The trick may very well end at this point, but if the reader possesses a -card-box, or other apparatus adapted for “vanishing” cards, he may bring -it to a still more striking conclusion. In this case he may continue as -follows: - -“Now, I should like to show you a curious effect of sympathy. I take away -these three cards and hand the rest of the pack to the gentleman who drew -the queen of hearts. Kindly hold it up above your head where all can see -it. The three drawn cards” (show them one by one) “I place in this box. -Again I electrify my wand a little, and lay it across the box. Now I want -each gentleman or lady to think of his or her card. Think of it kindly, -and feel as if you would like to see it again. Think hard, please, -because it is you, not I, that perform this experiment, and if you don’t -think hard it will be a failure. I am pleased to see by the expression of -your countenances that you are all thinking hard. Thank you very much. -You may leave off now. The deed is done. The three cards have left the -box, and gone back to the pack. Please look it through, sir, and tell the -company whether it is not so.” - -The reader, being familiar with the wiles of conjurers, will doubtless -have guessed that the three cards supposed to have returned to the -pack have in fact never left it, being those naturally belonging to -it, corresponding with the three long cards. But to the outsider their -supposed return will be, in the words of the lamented Lord Dundreary, -“one of those things that no fellow can understand.” - -As regards the disappearance of the three cards, the performer is of -course by no means restricted to the use of the card-box. If he is an -expert in sleight-of-hand, he may with even better effect, “vanish” them -one by one by means of the back palm, dropping them a moment later into -the profonde. - - -THE MASCOT COIN BOX - -This is a little device on the same principle as the well-known flat -card-box, but adapted for use with coins, and with an addition which -largely increases its utility inasmuch as it will not only enable -the performer to “change” or “vanish,” but to get instant and secret -possession of a coin placed in it. - -The box (see Fig. 14) is of ebonized wood, unpolished, and in size about -three inches square. It consists of two parts (_a_ and _b_), which are -alike in size and appearance, so that either half may be regarded as -“box” and either as “lid,” at pleasure, according as the one or the other -is made uppermost, no difference being perceptible between them. In the -centre of each half is a circular well, not quite two inches in diameter. - -Used with the box is a thin disc of wood corresponding to that of which -the box is made. This is of such diameter as to fall easily from the one -well into the other, according to the way in which the box is turned, but -on the other hand fits so closely within that its presence or absence -is not perceptible to sight. If a coin be laid in the box upon the disc -and the box is then closed and turned over, the disc settles down over -the coin in the opposite half, either leaving the box apparently empty -or exhibiting in place of the original coin a substitute with which the -opposite side of the box has been previously loaded. - -[Illustration: FIG. 14] - -Thus far, as the reader will doubtless have perceived, the effect -produced (save that a coin instead of a card is dealt with) is precisely -the same as in the case of the card-box. But the “mascot” has a -speciality of its own, in the fact that in that half of the box marked -_a_ (see Fig. 14) a horizontal slot is cut on the side opposite to -the hinge, just long enough and wide enough to allow the passage of a -half-crown. The wood being dead black, this small opening is invisible -save to close inspection, which the box is never called upon to undergo. - -When it is desired to gain secret possession of a coin lent by one of the -company, the lender is invited to place it himself in the box, held open -bookwise as in Fig. 14, the side _b_ of the box having been previously -loaded with a duplicate coin. - -The lender of the coin may place it in whichever side of the box he -pleases, but the manner of closing the box will vary accordingly. If he -places it in the side _a_, the opposite (or loaded) side is treated as -the lid and turned down over _a_. In this case, the coin being already -in the slotted half, no turn-over of the box is necessary, the performer -having merely to allow the coin to slip out into his hand. In the -opposite case, viz., that of the coin being placed in _b_, _a_ is treated -as the lid, and the coin being in this case _above_ the disc the box must -be turned over before it can be extracted. If preferred the performer can -hold the box so that the coin will naturally be placed in _b_, but in -this case the turn-over is unavoidable. - -When the box is again opened, the duplicate coin is revealed in place of -the original, which is meanwhile dealt with as may be necessary for the -purpose of the trick. After the borrowed coin has been extracted, the -further fall of the disc closes the slot, and bars any possibility of the -substitute coin escaping in the same way. - -The following will be found an easy way of working the exchange. - -“For the purpose of my next experiment,” says the performer, “I shall -have to ask the loan of a half-crown; marked in such a way that you can -be sure of knowing it again. I should like one, if possible, that has -seen some service, for a coin in the course of circulation imbibes a -certain amount of magnetic fluid from each person who handles it; and -this renders a well-worn coin more susceptible to magical influences than -a new one.” - -The reason alleged for asking the loan of an old coin is of course -“spoof,” but there _is_ a reason; and it is two-fold. In the first place -it ensures your getting a coin tolerably like your own; which you have -chosen in accordance with that description, and which you have marked -after some commonplace fashion, say with a cross scratched upon one of -its faces. Secondly, a well-worn coin, having lost the sharp edge which -is caused by the milling in a new one, passes the more easily through the -slot, which for obvious reasons is kept as narrow as possible. - -Performer, advancing toward the person offering the coin, continues: - -“I don’t want even to touch the coin myself till the very last moment, -so I will ask you meanwhile to put it in this little box. I believe it -was built for a watch-case, but as I don’t happen to need one, I use it -to hold my money, when I have any, or when I can get somebody to lend me -some.” - -The box is held open bookwise, as above mentioned, and closed according -to circumstances, in one or the other of the two ways described. - -“I will now ask some gentleman to take charge of the coin in the box. Who -will do so? You will, Sir? Thank you. But stay! I think I heard somebody -say (it was only said in a whisper but I heard it) ‘I don’t believe the -half crown is in the box.’ It is very sad to find people so suspicious, -especially when I take such pains to prove that there is ‘no deception.’ -But the gentleman was wrong, you see.” (He opens box, and shows the -substitute coin.) “Here it is. Take it out, sir, and keep it in your own -hands till I ask you for it again.” - -During the delivery of the patter the borrowed coin has been extracted, -and the coin exhibited in the box and handed for safe-keeping is, of -course, the substitute. The box, as being no longer needed, is laid -without remark upon the table, and the trick proceeds, after whatever may -have been its intended fashion. - - - - -MISCELLANEOUS TRICKS - - -MONEY-MAKING MADE EASY - -_Requirements._ Coin mat loaded with two double pennies, shell side -undermost. Lighted candle and velvet mat (with pocket) on table. - -_Presentation._ Performer comes forward with coin mat hanging down in -his right hand (mouth of loaded space upwards), and asks for the loan -of a penny, marked in some conspicuous way. Receiving it on the mat, he -shows it, so placed, to the persons, seated on each side of the owner, in -so doing making it obvious to them, without remark, that his hands are -otherwise empty. Then returning to his table, with the mat and the coin -on it still in his hand, he delivers patter to the following effect: - -“Now I am going to show you a nice easy way of making money. I was told -when I was a small boy, ‘Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take -care of themselves.’ I believe they do. The pounds take such good care of -themselves that very few of them seem to come my way. But you can make a -bit even with pennies, if you know how to set about it. All you need is a -really good penny to start with. It doesn’t matter how you get the penny. -You may beg, borrow, or steal it. Personally, I prefer to borrow it. If -you try the other two ways you get yourself disliked, but you can always -get people to lend you things, if you ask prettily; and I’ve always -been celebrated for my nice borrowing manner. You must all have noticed -that the gentleman lent me a penny without the slightest hesitation. I -daresay if I had asked him, he would have made it two-pence, or even -six-pence, if he had as much about him. In this case, however, one penny -is enough for my purpose; and here it is with the owner’s own mark upon -it. Observe that it is just a plain ordinary penny, and you can see for -yourselves that it is the only one I have--in my hands, I mean. I am -always truthful. As a matter of fact, I believe I have another in my left -trouser-pocket, but I promise you that I won’t use it.” - -Pass mat, with coin on it, from one hand to the other, showing the hands -otherwise empty, and leaving the mat finally in the right hand: then -let the marked coin slide off it into left hand, the concealed coins -passing with it. Put down the mat, and show all three coins together -(the marked coin in front) held between forefinger and thumb, broadside -toward the spectators. Thus held, they are, even at a few feet distant, -undistinguishable from a single coin. - -“Now I am going to make money. Not much, perhaps, in fact only a penny at -a time. I shall start by making this one penny into two. Cent per cent -is not bad, is it? Observe, I use no violence. It’s all done by kindness. -I just warm the coin a little over this candle-flame. That softens the -metal and I am able to squeeze another penny out of this one, _so_!” - -Show as two accordingly, by sliding off the hindermost coin in its shell, -exhibiting it on both sides, and laying it on the table. - -“You have all heard of turning an honest penny. Well, this is one way of -doing it. It is said, too, that one good turn deserves another, so we’ll -try again. I warm the first penny a little more, and again I pull another -out of it.” (Draw second double coin from behind the original penny.) -“Now we have three, two in my hands” (showing one in each hand) “and one -on the table. - -“I think I heard somebody say that I couldn’t make any more? I don’t -like to do it, because the process takes a good deal out of the original -penny, and I might spoil it. On the other hand, I don’t like to decline a -challenge, so here goes! I warm these two again, and then, with a little -extra pressure, because it naturally becomes more difficult each time, I -get yet another penny, as you see. So now, in all, we have four.” (Show -those in hand as three, by drawing solid coin out of shell, then, picking -up double coin from mat, show as four accordingly.) “Did I hear a lady -say ‘Just one more’? Well, then, one more.” (Develop the double coin just -picked up, and show as five.) “But here I must really draw the line. If -I kept on like this, there would be none of the original penny left. It -is already getting weaker and weaker. Besides, there wouldn’t be time for -anything else, and I have several still more wonderful things to show you. - -“And now to put these extra pennies back again into the original coin. -At present it is only one-fifth its proper weight and if the owner tried -to pass it in this condition there would be trouble. I should explain, -by the way, that these others are not really solid coins: though they -look like it. They are what the spiritualists call astral coins, if you -know what that means: I don’t quite know myself; so I won’t attempt to -explain, but I believe in the Police Courts they are known as ‘duffers.’” - -Lay all five coins on the velvet mat, each of the shells slightly -overlapping the solid coin to which it belongs. - -“Here we have one, two, three, four, five. I pick up two of them.” (Draw -shell over solid in act of picking up.) “I give them a gentle squeeze and -they become one only.” (Show as one, and replace on mat behind the mouth -of pocket.) “Now I treat two more in the same way.” (Repeat accordingly, -replacing these also, as one, on mat.) “We have now only three left. Let -me see, which is the original? Ah! here it is, with the owner’s mark upon -it.” (Pick it up and show in left hand.) “Now I rub one of these others -into it.” (Make the movement of picking up one of the double coins, and -of rubbing it into the coin in left hand, but in reality “vanish” it, in -the supposed act of picking up, into the pocket of mat.) “And now I pass -this other one into it in the same way, and we have only the original -penny left. It is like the ten little niggers, isn’t it, only that they -never came back. Here is your penny, Sir. Please observe that it still -has your own mark upon it, which is proof positive that there has been -‘no deception.’” - -N. B. If the performer is a novice, he may simplify the trick by loading -the coin mat with one double and one ordinary coin only, or two ordinary -coins, limiting the successive productions accordingly. - - -THE MISSING LINK - -At an early period of my magical career, I devised a trick to which I -gave the name of _Concatenation Extraordinary_, and which will be found -described in _Later Magic_, page 94. In effect it consisted of the -magical welding of a number of loose iron links into a continuous chain. -It was performed by the aid of a Black Art table, a bottomless tumbler, -and a silk thread. “Though I say it that shouldn’t,” it was an ingenious -trick, and I was very proud of it. Unfortunately, some good natured -friend (I rather think it was Mr. David Devant) pointed out to me that -about ninety-five per cent of my ingenuity was wasted, inasmuch as the -same effect, so far as the spectator was concerned, could be produced -by infinitely simpler means, viz.:--by using a glass with double mirror -partition, when all the other paraphernalia became unnecessary. You had -only to load the hinder compartment with the complete chain, and after a -due amount of “talkee-talkee,” drop the loose links into the forward one, -turn the glass round, and the deed was done. - -The trick, as a trick, was just as good in its new shape as before, -but being at that time (comparatively) young and foolish, its extreme -simplicity spoilt it for me, and I lost all interest in it. Not long -since, however, I was reminded of it by coming across the chain and links -which had figured in my performance of the trick, and it struck me that, -in a slightly modified form, it may still be worth the attention of the -drawing-room conjurer. - -The requirements for the trick in this, its latest form, are as follows: - -First, the mirror glass; and as to this I may note in passing that the -“mirror” is best made of tin-plate, not too highly polished, in place of -the looking-glass plate which was, until a quite recent period, generally -employed for the purpose. - -Secondly, a length of small iron chain, made up of twenty-six links, -connected in the centre by a twenty-seventh link of brass. - -Thirdly, two shorter lengths of similar chain, consisting of thirteen -links each, and a loose brass link, corresponding to the one in the -centre of the longer chain. The complete chain is to be placed at the -outset in the hinder compartment of the mirror glass, which should be of -such a size that the chain nearly fills it. - -Lastly will be needed a bottle containing Eau de Cologne, of which a few -drops have been poured on the chain in the glass. - -The patter may run to something like the following effect. - -“You are doubtless aware, ladies and gentlemen, that electricity is now -largely employed in the welding of metals. Of course to produce such -a result on a large scale, such as welding guns, enormous strength of -current is required; amounting in fact to millions of ampères, or volts, -or ohms, or watts. I blush to confess I don’t know which is which, but -it’s of no consequence. If I had ever so many ampères, or the rest of it, -I shouldn’t know what to do with them. I am only able to manufacture my -electricity on a very small scale, but with the aid of a little magic, I -get very good results. - -“You are also no doubt aware that when certain metals, particularly -copper and zinc, are brought into close connection, an electrical current -is set up between them. The same thing applies, in a less degree, to -iron and brass, as I hope to be able to show you. - -“I have here two short lengths of iron chain. Will somebody be kind -enough to count the links? You will find, I think, that there are exactly -thirteen in each. Please notice this, because, in some mysterious way, it -has something to do with the success of my experiment. You know thirteen -is an unlucky number, and the chains themselves don’t like to consist of -that number of links, and if they can alter it, they try to do so. I am -going to give them the opportunity, with a little electrical assistance. -Thirteen, as I have said, is an unlucky number, and twice thirteen makes -twenty-six, which is not much better, but if you add one more, you get -twenty-seven, which is a very lucky number indeed. Everybody knows that -three is a lucky number. Three times three are nine, which of course -must be luckier still, and three times nine are twenty-seven, which is -naturally best of all. - -“Now I am going to give these two chains an opportunity to convert -themselves into that lucky number, by taking in this extra link, which -as you perceive is brass, an opposition metal. Observe, I drop one of -the chains into this glass. See that I do so fairly. Then I drop in the -single link, and lastly, the other piece of chain. And now, in order to -set up an electrical reaction, I add just a few drops from this bottle of -Eau de Cologne. As a matter of fact, a little salt and water would have -the same effect, but I use Eau de Cologne because it smells nicer. And -now I must ask the loan of some lady’s handkerchief, to cover the glass, -and concentrate the electric current.” - -Holding the handkerchief in right hand, pick up the glass with left hand, -and raise it a few inches from the table. In lowering it, cover it with -the handkerchief, and at the same time give it the necessary half-turn. -Take out your watch, and make believe to time the operation, remarking, -“I find it needs a full half-minute, to allow the charm to work. Time! -Let us see how we have succeeded.” - -Take off the handkerchief, and draw the chain slowly out of the glass. -“Yes. All is well. I should say welded, and I trust you will say, ‘Well -done.’ The chain is complete, and now consists of twenty-seven links, the -lucky number. Perhaps some gentleman will verify the fact. - -“I must tell you frankly that I don’t guarantee the correctness of my -explanation. I can’t say exactly how much the electricity has to do with -it. I only know that if you go to work the right way, which means, do -as I do, you get the result, and there you are. This experiment always -provokes a lot of discussion. The other evening one gentleman said it -was done this way. A lady said it was that way, and a sharp boy (the -younger they are the more they know) was quite sure it was done another -way altogether. But they were all wrong. It is done just the way I have -shown you, and if you do as I do, and say as I say, you will no doubt -produce the same result.[7] If you don’t, well, you will be no use as a -conjurer, and you had better go into some other business.” - -Some less instructed reader may possibly enquire, “But why the Eau de -Cologne? What does that do?” Precisely nothing, and therein lies its -virtue. As indicated in the section on “patter” (_post_) it often happens -that some little bit of spoof, supererogatory in reality so far as the -spectator is concerned, is accepted as covering the real key to the -puzzle. This is a case in point. Taking it for granted that the Eau de -Cologne would not be used without _some_ reason, the spectator sets to -work to discover that reason, and so gets farther from the real solution. - -[7] This last bit of patter is a plagiarism from somebody or other, I -rather think the late Dr. Lynn. - - -CULTURE EXTRAORDINARY - -The root-idea of this item must be credited to Signor Antonio Molini, -the inventor of the very effective stage trick known as _Le Souper du -Diable_. The principle on which that trick is worked is so subtle, and -withal so simple, that it is surprising that it has not long since been -applied to the production of less bulky objects than the tablecloth, -eatables and drinkables which figure in the Satanic supper. The -following is an application of the Signor Molini’s idea on a scale better -adapted to the drawing room. - -_Requisites._ - -(1) Three zinc or zinc-lined tubes, as _a_, _b_, _c_, in Fig. 15, ranging -in height from about three inches upwards, and graduated in size so as to -fit easily one within the other. - -[Illustration: FIG. 15] - -(2) Three balls, one red and two white, of such diameter as to pass -easily through the narrowest tube. Two smaller balls, one red and one -white, about half an inch in diameter. - -(3) A box of matches. - -Each of the two smaller tubes (_c_ and _d_ in diagram) to be loaded with -one of the larger white balls, suspended from the upper edge of the tube -by a wire hook, shaped as _a_ in Fig. 16, connected with the ball by a -loop of fine silk or cotton thread. The red ball is vested, and the two -little balls may rest in a shallow tray or other appropriate receptacle -on the table, deep enough as to conceal them from the view of the -spectators. - -[Illustration: FIG. 16] - -_Introductory Patter._ “You have no idea, ladies and gentlemen, what -a lot of hints I get from different people for the improvement of my -entertainment. If I were to adopt them all, I have no doubt it would be -very fine indeed. The worst of it is that it would take a year or two to -try them, so for the present I am obliged to leave things as they are. - -“You will observe that I have here three tubes” (showing No. 1 and -passing wand through it to prove it is empty), “quite ordinary tubes, -with a hole at each end, and nothing at all between. I don’t suppose you -would notice anything to object to about them, but some people are so -very particular. A gentleman who said he had an artistic eye (I don’t -know which eye it was) said to me, ‘Look here, Professor, that trick of -yours would be ever so much better if you had all those tubes the same -size. That lot looks as if you had picked them up at a jumble sale.’[8] -I explained to him, kindly but firmly, that there was a special reason -for having the three tubes of different sizes; namely, that by so doing -it was made possible” (suiting the action to the word) “to pass this one -(No. 1) over this other (No. 2); and this again over the smallest one, -thereby saving much space in packing. He said, ‘Never mind, you take -my tip and make ’em all the same size.’ I dare say he was right, but I -haven’t had time to do it yet.” - -During this little harangue, which appears to be mere “spoof,” you have -practically worked the trick. Suiting the action to the word, you have -passed the largest tube No. 1 over No. 2 and lifted it off again. In -its downward movement the tube passes over the little hook on No. 2; but -in lifting it off again its upper edge comes within the outer arm of the -hook, and carries this off with the ball attached to it, leaving tube No. -2 empty. The latter, shown empty accordingly, is passed over No. 3 and -carries off its load in the same way. - -You have thus proved (!) in the most convincing way that all three tubes -are empty, though as a matter of fact No. 3 is the only one in that -condition, Nos. 1 and 2 each containing a suspended ball. - -The patter from this point may vary according to the fancy of the -performer. If he has the knack of producing the appropriate combination -of fact and fiction, it is preferable that he should do so for himself. -As I have elsewhere remarked, borrowed patter rarely comes so “trippingly -on the tongue” as that of which the performer can say with, let us hope, -undue depreciation of his merits, “a poor thing, but mine own.” - -The fable with which I should myself introduce the trick would run -somewhat as follows: - -“You have all heard, ladies and gentlemen, of intensive culture, -gooseberries grown while you wait, and that sort of thing. It is done by -enclosing the seed, or the young plant, in a confined space and keeping -it warm and comfy. It has always seemed to me that there is a good deal -of magic about the process, and I thought I would like to try it myself, -but it would be no good my trying to grow vegetables. I shouldn’t have -room to grow more than one radish, or one spring onion at a time, which -would hardly be worth while. I finally decided to grow a few billiard -balls, for use in my entertainment, and I’ll show you how it’s done. - -“You must please imagine that these three tubes are three hothouses on -the new system.” (Picks up and exhibits one of the little white balls.) -“Of course everything has to be raised from seed in the first instance, -but it would take too long to show you the whole process from the -beginning, so we will start with this little ball, grown from seed last -night. In its present condition it is too small to be of any use, but by -means of my intensive culture we can soon make it grow larger. I will -drop it into No. 1 forcing house.” - -Performer shows little ball in right hand and makes believe to transfer -it to the left, in reality rolling it, as in the well-known “Cups and -Balls” trick, between the roots of the second and third fingers. The left -hand, held above tube No. 1, makes the movement of crumbling an imaginary -ball into it. “Now we will plant another in the same way.” - -You pick up apparently another little white ball, but in reality the -same; which has remained in the right hand. Now, however, it will be well -to vary the sleight used, so you show the ball between the second finger -and thumb of the left hand, and apparently take it back by means of the -pincette or tourniquet; then professedly dropping it into the second tube. - -“And now, to complete the set, we shall have to grow a red ball. Here is -a seedling of that colour.” You pick up the little red ball, and make -believe to pass it after the same fashion into the third tube. - -“And now to supply the heat. We do not need much, the space being so -confined. I find that even the flame of a match is sufficient.” - -You strike a match and move the flame round and round within the top -of the larger tube till the thread catches fire and releases the ball. -Should this be heard to drop, you account for it by remarking “I dare -say you noticed a little explosion. That is caused by the sudden -radio-activity of the component atoms re-arranging themselves in the -expanded form.” You raise the tube and show the ball: then go through -the same process with the second tube. Under cover of raising this tube -to show the ball, you get the large red ball from the vest into the left -hand and palm it. - -“Perhaps you would like to watch the progress a little more closely.” You -pick up the third tube and place it upright on the palm of the left hand, -in so doing introducing the palmed ball from below, and advance with it -to the company. - -“The red balls are especially sensitive to heat. Even the warmth of the -breath is generally enough for these. Anyhow, we will try.” You breathe -into the tube, and lifting it show the ball, then offering both tube and -ball for inspection. - -It will hardly be necessary to point out to the acute reader that -the alteration of procedure in the case of the last tube is rendered -necessary; first, by the fact that the tube up to that point contains no -ball, and secondly in order to avoid the difficulty of striking a match -with the right hand only, the left being otherwise occupied. - -The trick may appropriately be followed by the exhibition of a few of the -usual ball sleights. If it is worked on a “black art” table it may be -brought to an effective close by the “dematerialisation,” in succession, -of the three balls. - -[8] Rummage. - - -THE BOUNDING BEANS - -This is another application of the principle introduced by Signor Molini -and utilised in the trick last described. - -The requisites for the trick are as follows: - -(1) Mirror glass; at the outset, empty. - -(2) Two tubes of cardboard, sheet brass, or zinc, as A and B in Fig. 17. -The height and width of A are about 3½ and 2½ inches respectively. B is a -little taller, but a trifle less in diameter. - -(3) A third tube, C, with its lower edge turned inward an eighth of an -inch all around. This tube is a little shorter than A, and in diameter a -trifle smaller than B, which must pass easily over it. Attached to either -side of its upper edge, outside, are soldered two little wire hooks, the -points on the outside directed downwards. - -(4) A coil of paper ribbon, of such size as to fit closely into the lower -end of C, and forming, when so placed, a temporary bottom to it. The -inner end of the coil must be drawn up an inch or so, so as to form a -little cone in the centre. - -[Illustration: FIG. 17] - -(5) A similar coil unwound into a loose mass of paper ribbon. - -(6) About three-quarters of a pint of haricot beans. Of these a -sufficient number must be poured into C (around the little cone), to fill -it. The remainder are to be brought forward on some sort of tray.[9] - -C loaded as last described, is to be placed within B. - -The trick may be introduced as follows: - -“Most of you, I dare say, have seen the little natural curiosity known -as the Jumping Bean. To all appearance these are just like other beans; -but if you spread a dozen or so of them on the table and watch them -carefully, you presently see one or more of them turn over, or even make -a little jump. A young and lively bean will sometimes hop as far as half -an inch. - -“Scientific gentlemen tell us that their agility is caused by a little -insect inside the bean. When he wags his tail, or scratches himself with -his hind leg, it causes the bean to turn over, or to make a hop. That -seems to me rather a lame explanation because there is no hole in the -bean that the insect could possibly have got in at. I believe myself, -that they are in truth magic beans, and I have been trying to train some -beans of my own to do the same thing on a larger scale, and in such a way -that you can all see them do it. - -“Here are my beans.” (Show those on tray.) “Examine them as much as -you like. The more you examine them, the more you won’t find anything -particular about them. You won’t notice any difference between them -and any other beans, but as a matter of fact they are a good deal more -energetic than beans of the ordinary kind, and when they get to know and -love you, they will do all sorts of remarkable things. - -“I will pour a few of them into this glass.” (The front compartment -of the mirror glass is filled to about two-thirds of its height.) “To -prevent their getting out again without your knowing it I will press them -down with a handful of these pretty paper shavings.” - -This is also done, the quantity of paper being so regulated, in -accordance with previous experiment, that when pressed down it shall come -half an inch or so below the brim of the glass. - -“To make matters still more secure I will ask the loan of a lady’s -handkerchief to cover the glass with.” - -The handkerchief is taken in the right hand, the left meanwhile raising -the glass a little way to meet it. In covering and lowering it again to -the table the needful half-turn is made. - -“I will not touch the glass again until the experiment is finished. -Meanwhile I want to call your attention to these two tubes. You will -observe that one of them is slightly larger than the other. A gentleman -told me the other evening that I was wrong in saying so. He maintained -that the one was smaller than the other. I didn’t argue with him. I -never do with that sort of man. It is just a question of the point of -view. Anyhow, I had the one made larger, or the other one smaller, -whichever way it is, so that the one can go comfortably over the other, -like this.” - -A, first carelessly moved about so as to show clearly that it is empty, -is brought down over B and lifted off again, carrying off within it C and -its load; after which B is in turn shown to be empty. - -“Now I am going to order the beans to jump out of the glass and into one -or other of these empty tubes, at your own choice. Right? or left? Which -shall it be?” - -Performer asks the question standing behind his table, and by means of -the familiar equivoque (“my” or “your” left or right) interprets the -answer to mean A. - -“And now I have only to pronounce the proper magic spell. The trouble -is to remember the right one. They are rather confusing, and if you -happen to pronounce the wrong one, or even pronounce the right one the -wrong way, the consequences may be serious. But I think I know this one -pretty well. ‘Peripatetico-paticocorum.’ I fancy I have got it right. -I don’t know quite what it means myself, and nobody seems to be able -to tell me. A Japanese gentleman told me he thought it was Spanish, -but a Spaniard said he felt sure it was Welsh. Somebody else suggested -that I should ‘ask a pleeceman.’ I did ask a policeman, and he said, -‘Go to--’ somewhere I won’t mention, but I don’t think he meant it as -a translation. My own idea is that it is a bit of Esperanto. Anyhow, -it has the desired effect; for you see the beans have left the glass” -(uncovering it and showing it empty), “and they have jumped into this -tube, which is what I wanted them to do.” - -The beans are poured from the tube into the vacant portion, now to the -front, of the mirror glass, with due care that the coil at bottom shall -not be seen. - -“But there’s something wrong here. I must have made some little mistake -in the pronunciation of the magic spell, for the paper seems to have -disappeared as well as the beans. There is certainly no room for it in -the tube. Here it is, though, or some of it.” - -The paper is unwound, and when it comes to an end the wand is passed -through A and C (now bottomless) together, again proving (?) that the -former which is always shown to the spectators could not possibly have -contained the beans in any natural way. A moment or two later the inner -tube can easily be got rid of behind the mass of paper ribbon. - -[9] The little dishes of paper pulp sold for picnic purposes will be -found to answer this and similar purposes excellently and have the -further advantage of being exceptionally portable. - - -LOST AND FOUND - -This trick may be worked either upon a black art table or black art mat. -We will assume that the latter is used. - -The requisites for this trick will in such case be as follows: - -1. The mat. This may be a small circular one, a few inches in -circumference without pocket. - -2. A handkerchief, fourteen or fifteen inches square, of some gaudy -pattern, carefully folded and placed in a square Japanese handkerchief -box.[10] - -3. A circular velvet patch as described _ante_, in the chapter dealing -with novel applications of the Black Art principle. - -4. A half-crown placed in a pochette, or otherwise so as to be readily -get-at-able. - -_Presentation._ Performer opens the box and takes out the handkerchief, -which he carefully unfolds, handling it as if it were something of -extraordinary value. - -“I have here, ladies, a curio of an exceptionally curious kind. This is -said to be the identical handkerchief which Othello gave to Desdemona, -and which afterwards caused so much unpleasantness. No doubt you all -know your Shakespeare, and will remember that Othello tells his wife, -‘There’s magic in the web of it.’ And there is magic in it still. Not -so much as there was, I dare say, but still it retains a good many -magical qualities. Among them is a curious talent for recovering lost -property. For instance, I once had a dog. His name was Socrates, but he -was generally called ‘Socks.’ In fact, he preferred it. He was a valuable -dog, because he combined so many different breeds. He was partly pug, -and partly greyhound, and partly dachshund, and partly chow, and partly -bull-dog and partly terrier, and partly of two or three other breeds that -I can’t for the moment remember. One day Socks went out to see a friend, -and didn’t come back again. I sat up all night for him with a stick, but -he didn’t come home till morning. In fact, he didn’t come home even then. -I thought I had lost him for good, and I was quite distressed about it. - -“Just when I was beginning to get over the loss I had a further shock. -My precious Desdemona handkerchief was missing. But the very next day -I heard a barking outside, and there was my dog with the handkerchief -tied round his neck and three other dogs with him. The handkerchief had -recovered them all. - -“You don’t believe that little story. I thought you wouldn’t. People -never will believe anything a little bit out of the way. It is just the -same with fish stories. I know a man who, when he was a boy, fishing -in a pond with a maggot on a bent pin, caught a four-pound salmon. He -didn’t claim any credit for doing it. He says himself it was just an -accident, and might have happened to anybody. But he never can get anyone -to believe him, and it has spoilt his character. He was naturally a -truthful man, but being always disbelieved has made him reckless, and -now, whenever he tells the story he sticks another half-pound on to the -salmon. I believe it is a fifteen pounder now.[11] - -“With regard to the handkerchief, however, I can easily prove to you that -what I have stated is correct. I can’t prove it quite in the same way, -because even if any lady or gentleman present had lost a dog, it would -take the handkerchief a day or two to find it, and you would get tired of -waiting. So I must show you the virtues of the handkerchief in a simpler -way. - -“Will some gentleman oblige me with the loan of a half-crown, marked so -that he can be sure of knowing it again?” - -On receiving the coin the performer returns to his table, holding it on -high so that it can be seen that there is no substitution, and lays it on -the black art mat. - -“Presently I propose to lose this coin, and get the handkerchief to -find it, but first you would like, no doubt, to have a look at the -handkerchief itself. Notice the richness of the pattern. It is said to be -after a design in the Alhambra. I don’t mean the Alhambra you gentlemen -go to, but the real Moorish one in Spain.” - -Leaving the handkerchief for the time being in the possession of a -spectator he returns to the table, meanwhile palming the velvet patch, -and the substituted half-crown, and ostensibly picks up the original, in -reality rendering it invisible by laying the patch over it, and showing -the substitute in its place, after the manner described at p. 19. He then -advances to the company with the substitute coin and offers it to one or -other of the spectators, remarking, “Take it, please, and pass it to one -or other of your neighbours so that I shan’t know where it is.” - -Under pretence of offering the coin, he passes it from the one hand to -the other, and vanishes it by, say, the tourniquet, so that the person -holding out a hand to receive it gets nothing, and says so. - -“What do you say, Sir? You have not got it? But surely, I have just -handed it to you. You are not joking? Then it must have fallen on the -floor. Please look around you a bit.” (Pretends to do so himself.) “Not -there? Well, this is extraordinary.” (To the lender of the coin.) “I -am very sorry, Sir. Your money is lost in a way I did not anticipate. -But after all, when I come to think of it, it’s of no consequence. The -handkerchief will find it wherever it is, even if it has to follow it -into somebody’s pocket. By the way, where is the handkerchief?” He takes -it from the person with whom it was left, and holding it by two of its -corners, and showing both hands otherwise empty, lowers it down carefully -over the black patch on table. - -“And now to work the spell. ‘Bismillah! Bechesm! Salaam Aleikoum!’ -You must excuse my speaking Arabic, but that is the only language -the handkerchief understands. I see that the gentleman who lent me -the half-crown is looking a little bit anxious. Cheer up, Sir, the -handkerchief has never failed me yet. But we must give it time. Say, -half a minute.” (Looks at watch.) “This is curious. Half a minute gone. -One minute, and nothing has happened. The handkerchief has made no move. -Something must have gone wrong. But stay! If the handkerchief has not -gone to the coin, perhaps the coin has gone to the handkerchief. Let us -see!” - -He lifts the handkerchief by the centre, picking up the black patch with -it, and thereby disclosing the coin, which is handed back on the mat to -the owner. Then carefully folding up the handkerchief, performer replaces -it in its box, and in so doing regains possession of the velvet patch, to -be got rid of at a convenient opportunity. - -[10] The handkerchief should be readily recognizable as a cheap and -commonplace one. - -[11] This story, as also a few other “yarns” with which I have -endeavoured to brighten my otherwise serious pages, may be suppressed -if it is thought desirable to shorten the patter. I ought perhaps to -apologise for introducing such irrelevant fiction, but I am encouraged in -misdoing by the example of the lamented Artemus Ward, who said that the -best things in his lecture were generally the things that had nothing to -do with it. - - -THE RIDDLE OF THE PYRAMIDS - -This, in good hands, will be found a very effective trick. I have the -less hesitation in saying so, because the assertion is only to a very -limited extent self-praise. The idea of the effect to be produced was my -own, as also to a certain extent the method of producing it. I had even -got so far as to devise, in anticipation, suitable patter. When, however, -I proceeded to put my ideas into practice I found myself pulled up by -unexpected obstacles. - -The object to be attained, as will be seen by the sequel, was the -instantaneous re-adjustment of the sundered parts of a small pyramid, -and this I proposed to do by means of the pull of a thread, fine enough -to be practically invisible. Now, to make segments of a pyramid not only -draw together, but sit squarely one upon another, it is necessary to have -forces operating simultaneously in two different directions, and the -need for this caused difficulties which I found myself unable to cope -with. Indeed, I had practically decided to content myself by producing -a somewhat similar effect in a simpler way, as exemplified in the trick -which I have called the _Miracle of Mumbo Jumbo_, which next follows. - -As luck would have it, however, I mentioned my difficulties to my good -friend, Mr. Holt Schooling, a gentleman whom I have more than once -had occasion to refer to in my writings in connection with some neat -device. Mr. Schooling declared that the original idea was too good to be -abandoned, and offered to try his hand at bringing it to a successful -issue. I must frankly confess that I had no great hope of his success; -but Mr. Schooling is a man of many talents. Apart from eminence in his -own profession (that of actuary and statistician) he is not only an -expert amateur conjurer, but an exceptionally skilful mechanic, and he -possesses withal an unlimited capacity for taking pains. He used these -qualities to such good purpose that I am enabled to include this striking -effect among the contents of the present volume. - -[Illustration: FIG. 18] - -The principal item of apparatus is naturally the pyramid itself, which is -of blackened wood as illustrated in Fig. 18. For the sake of lightness -it is of necessity a small affair, being four inches in height, about -six across the base, and two across the top. It is divided into five -horizontal slabs or segments, as indicated by the dotted lines. Midway -on each side of each slab, at about half an inch distance from the upper -edge, a minute hole is bored, parallel to the outer slope of the segment; -exactness in this particular being an essential condition of success. Of -the four holes in each slab, two only are actually used in the trick, the -other two being added partly for the sake of uniformity, and partly to -disguise the significance of the other pair. Each slab, save those at the -top and bottom, is also perforated perpendicularly by three or four holes -of considerable diameter, the object of these being merely to lessen the -weight of the slab. - -In preparing the pyramid for use in the trick, a piece of plaited silk -fishing-line, stained black, and in length five to six feet, is passed -by the aid of a needle upwards through the small hole in one side of the -largest slab; then in the same way through the corresponding hole in the -next, and so on till it comes out through the uppermost. Thence it is -again passed downward through the next adjoining hole in each slab till -it comes out at the bottom, when the ends are drawn level and tied in a -knot. - -The use of plaited silk fishing line for such purposes is one of Mr. -Schooling’s specialties, and is a “tip” to make a note of. Line of this -kind is in proportion to its thickness much stronger than ordinary silk -thread, and, not being liable to untwist, its surface remains permanently -hard and smooth, a great desideratum where it is important to minimise -friction. Further, it does not “kink” as a twisted thread is liable to do. - -Two other items of apparatus are used, viz.: - -(1) An electric torch in the shape of a wand, the light appearing at the -end. - -[Illustration: FIG. 19] - -(2) A little knife or cutter specially designed by Mr. Schooling for use -in this trick. This consists of a half-inch length of a safety-razor -blade, set in a handle consisting of a piece of tin one inch square, -folded in half, and then bent back to a right angle on each side, the -blade projecting along the line of juncture as shown in Fig. 19. In use -the cutter is held by what may be called its backbone between the first -joints of the first and second fingers of the extended hand, as shown in -Fig. 20. This cutter must be placed ready to hand upon the table. It is -so minute that there is no fear of its attracting attention.[12] - -[Illustration: FIG. 20] - -In presenting the trick the pyramid, with its sections duly threaded and -placed one upon another, is brought in on a wooden board similar to an -ordinary drawing-board, measuring twenty-four inches by sixteen, and like -the pyramid itself, stained black. It is essential to the satisfactory -working of the trick that the “base” section of the pyramid shall not -shift when the thread is pulled. This is ensured by having two L shaped -“stops” of thin wood glued or screwed to the board near the left hand -corner nearest to the performer when in use. - -The trick may be introduced as follows: - -“I don’t know whether any of you ladies and gentlemen are well up in -Egyptology. I can’t say I am, myself. I know a camel when I see one, but -that is about as far as I have got. There is, however, one point about it -which has always interested me very much. It is a point which has puzzled -not only the Egyptologists, but all the other ologists; namely, how the -pyramids were built. They consist, as no doubt you know, of enormous -masses of stone; so large that the cleverest engineers of our day cannot -tell us how they were placed one upon another. If you can imagine the -lifting of the Royal Exchange in one lump and dumping it down on the top -of the Bank of England, you will have some idea of the sort of job the -Egyptian builders had to tackle.[13] Anyhow, the work was done, and as it -is clear that it could not have been done by any known mechanical means, -we are compelled to seek some other solution of the problem. - -“I don’t know whether any of you read novels. If you do, you must often -have noticed the curious way in which fiction constantly anticipates -fact. The novelist describes some utterly impossible thing, and a few -years later some other fellow goes and does it. Jules Verne described -a voyage under the sea long before the submarine was invented, and Mr. -Wells wrote ‘The War in the Air’ while the aeroplane and the Zeppelin -were still in their infancy. But there is one conception of the novelist -which has not till now been made an accomplished fact. That is the force -called ‘Vril,’ described by Lord Lytton in his novel, ‘The Coming Race.’ -He describes Vril as a sort of hyper-electricity capable in the hands -of those who know how to gather and use it, of producing all sorts of -wonders, even to removing mountains. Imprisoned in a wand and directed by -a strong will, it will shrivel up an enemy or a wild beast as by a flash -of lighting. - -“I have always had an idea that this must have been the force used by -the Egyptians to build the pyramids. I have managed to collect a small -quantity of an unknown force which answers very closely to Lord Lytton’s -description of Vril, and I have charged this wand with it. As regards -killing things, I have only tested it so far on a black beetle. The -experiment was a success. He was blown to atoms, all but one hind leg. -I should like to try it on a tiger; if I could get one cheap. Does any -gentleman present know of a secondhand tiger in a good strong cage going -cheap? No? I was afraid you wouldn’t. I am hoping however for a chance -of trying it some night on a burglar. If a gentleman of the Bill Sykes -persuasion should steal into my chamber at dead of night with felonious -designs upon my Waterbury and my collarstud, he will be as a dead man. I -shall just point this wand at him and say ‘Die,’ and he will be merely a -little heap of ashes to be swept up by the housemaid in the morning. - -“I can however give you an example of the power of my Vril as a motive -force. I shall do so by using it to build or rather rebuild this little -pyramid in your presence. - -“This is a correct copy of the real thing. It takes to pieces, as you -see. One, two, three, four, five!” - -As he pronounces the last few words, the performer, standing behind his -table, picks up the pyramid, and holding it aloft in his right hand draws -away the base from the other sections, sliding it along the thread, and -“bedding” it between the “stops” at the left hand bottom corner of the -board. He then slides the other portions, one by one, along the thread in -the same way, laying them in a row diagonally across the board. This will -have taken up a considerable portion of the thread, but there will still -be a loop some inches in length hanging down near the left hand corner of -the table. - -“Now please watch carefully. This wand, you will remember, has been -carefully charged with my imitation Vril.” - -While speaking these last words the performer gets one finger of his left -hand within the loop. He now turns on the light at the end of the wand, -and with it makes a quick sweep from right to left over the severed parts -of the pyramid, making at the same time a half-turn away from the table, -and quickly drawing away the thread. If this is done neatly the severed -parts of the pyramid run together one upon the other in a single instant. - -It is probable that the parts may not sit exactly one upon another. -Whether this is so or not, the performer makes believe to notice that it -is so, as it gives him a needful opportunity. He remarks: - -“The power was hardly strong enough, I see. There is a block here that -needs a little straightening up.” Having meanwhile picked up the little -cutter between the fingers he bends over the table and squares up the -pyramid as may (or may not) be necessary, and under cover of so doing -draws the blade across the thread where it crosses the top, thereby -severing it, and then moving back a little to note the effect of his -correction draws it away altogether. Shifting the restored pyramid to -the centre of the board he brings all forward for examination. The -severed thread is allowed to drop on the floor, to be picked up after the -performance is over. - -[12] As a further precaution it should be painted flesh-color. - -[13] Before an American audience the names of any two well-known -buildings in New York may be substituted. - - -THE MIRACLE OF MUMBO JUMBO - -The items needed for the presentation of this trick are as follows: - -(1) A miniature pagoda of quaint design. It consists of five circular -sections, resting one upon another as illustrated in Fig. 21. The trick -in effect consists of the automatic re-adjustment of these sections after -being taken apart and shown lying apparently haphazard on a Japanese -tray. For drawing-room use the pagoda is about six inches high and the -same diameter across the base. For stage purposes it may be made a trifle -larger. - -[Illustration: FIG. 21] - -(2) The tray. This, for use with a pagoda of the size above mentioned, -should be not less than twenty inches long by ten or twelve wide, -and fairly heavy, as being less liable to shift in use. It must have -an upright rim; through one corner of which a minute hole is bored, -countersunk and polished on each side of the opening in order to -diminish friction on a thread passing through it. - -(3) An electric torch in the shape of a bottle; the light showing itself -at the mouth. - -(4) A black dress-hook, sewn point upwards to the lower edge of the -performer’s vest on the right or left side, as may best suit his own -position in working the trick, just where back and front meet. - -[Illustration: FIG. 22] - -It will be found on examination of the pagoda that each of the parts of -which it consists has a hole bored vertically through its centre. The -topmost portion has in addition a pinhole passing horizontally across -it, about halfway down. Through this a black pin, bent at the head, -passes as shown in Fig. 22. In preparation for the trick a piece about -three feet long of black _plaited_ silk line, with a small wire ring at -one end, is passed by the aid of a needle through the hole in the tray -from the outer side; thence upward through the various sections of the -pagoda, beginning with the undermost, till it finally comes up through -the head. After the needle has been drawn off, the end of the thread is -formed into a loop, which is passed over the cross-pin before mentioned. -The thread is then drawn taut from below, the several segments of the -pagoda resting fairly one upon another in the centre of the tray. The -intermediate portion of the thread is drawn up till the little ring at -the outer end comes close to the tray, and is laid upon it in zigzag -fashion so as prevent the possibility of its fouling at a critical moment. - -The introductory patter may run as follows: - -“In the course of my travels in Central Africa--you didn’t know that I -had been in Central Africa? Strange, how little the world knows of its -greatest men! But no matter! When I was in Africa I chanced to come upon -the place where the Golliwoggs live. - -“It’s a nice place--for those who like that sort of place, but most -people would find it a little too warm. It is so warm there that the -hens lay their eggs hard-boiled, and you dig up potatoes ready baked. -It is too warm for anything but simple life,--the very simple life, -particularly as regards clothing. The ordinary walking dress for a -gentleman Golliwogg is a pair of braces. The king wears two pairs; except -on state occasions, when he wears one of those short shirts instead. You -know the kind I mean--all front. I think they call them ‘dickeys.’ - -“The ladies are more dressy. They get the fashions from back numbers of -the _Daily Mail_; kimonos and camisoles and corsets all in the latest -style. They are made with green paint and put on with a shaving brush. -There is only one thing that bothers the court dressmakers. They can’t -make a crinoline.” - -[If desired to shorten the patter the fashion details may be omitted.] - -“I mention these little matters in order to give you an idea of the -place, in case any of you might like to take a week-end trip there. If -you are old and tough, you might risk it. If you are young and tender, -you had better not. - -“The special point of interest is a curious pagoda in the centre of -the village. It is seventy-five feet high and is supposed to be the -habitation of Mumbo Jumbo; a sort of deputy devil, much respected in -those parts. This little model is an exact copy of it. You can’t call it -pretty, but there is a very remarkable thing about it. When the king dies -(which happens by accident about once a fortnight), the pagoda is pulled -down, and if the new king is acceptable to Mumbo Jumbo (which depends -upon the amount of his tip to the chief witch doctor) old Mum rebuilds -it himself by magic. You don’t see him do it. The pagoda just sits up -and paws the air, so to speak. If Mumbo does not approve, the proposed -king gets a knock on the head with a cocoa-nut, and some more liberal -Golliwogg is crowned instead. - -“I naturally wanted to know how the miracle was worked; and I managed to -buy the secret from one of the witch doctors. He sold it to me for a pair -of sixpenny-half penny sock suspenders. He didn’t wear socks, but that -didn’t matter. He put the suspenders on at once and strutted about, as -proud as a dog with three tails. - -“Now, I am going to tell you the secret. Scientists tell us that the sun -throws out three sorts of rays; light-rays, heat-rays, and force-rays. -The artful witch doctors have found out a way of bottling off the force -rays. They are mild at first, but when they get old in the bottle, so to -speak, they become so strong that if you know how to do it you can lift -the heaviest weights with them. - -“I managed to get hold of a small bottle of the rays” (show bottle) “and -I will show you, on a very small scale, how the thing is done. - -“First, we will take the pagoda to pieces.” - -Standing behind the table, the performer moves the pagoda to the corner -of the tray nearest his own left hand; so as to leave space for the -different portions when separated. He then picks up all the parts save -the base, holding them carefully together, and drawing away with them a -length of the thread about equal to the diagonal of the tray. Passing the -undermost section downwards along the thread, he lays it down beside the -base, afterwards treating the other portions in the same way, the several -portions finally resting on the tray somewhat as shown in Fig. 23. - -[Illustration: FIG. 23] - -If the length of the thread has been properly gauged (this is a matter to -be determined by experiment beforehand), there should be some twelve or -fourteen inches of “slack.” Slipping the ring at the end over the little -hook before mentioned, the performer moves a little away from the table, -so as to draw this portion of the thread all but taut, between his own -body and the tray. - -“And now to utilise our force rays.” Holding up the bottle-shaped torch -in his right hand, he turns its light onto the tray, at the same time -edging away farther from the table and moving about behind it so as to -cause a gradual pull upon the thread; the effect being that the severed -parts of the pagoda mount gradually one upon another in due order. It is -probable that they will not rest exactly one upon the other. In any case -the performer affects to notice that they do not. Making a remark to that -effect he steps close to the table to straighten them up, and under cover -of so doing draws with the finger nail the pin in the uppermost portion, -thereby releasing the thread. Stepping back again, as though the better -to judge whether the pagoda is now “plumb,” he thereby draws away the -line, and detaching the ring from the hook, lets it fall to the ground. -This done, he returns to the table, and shifting the restored pagoda to -the centre of the tray, brings all forward, inviting anyone who cares to -do so, to satisfy himself that there has been “no deception.” - - -THE STORY OF THE ALKAHEST - -The requirements for this trick are as follows: - -(1) Two wands, exactly alike in appearance. One of them to be that just -used in some previous trick or tricks (which we will call No. 2), and the -other, prepared as to be presently explained, to be secretly substituted -for it immediately before the presentation of the present trick. This can -be easily done by the aid of a couple of pairs of cup-hooks fixed behind -the table or a chair after the manner described in “Later Magic,” p. 126; -or the wands may be exchanged during journey to the table at an early -stage of the trick; by means of a pocket of suitable shape within the -left breast of the coat. This is a matter as to which the performer will -please himself, but the exhibition in the first instance of an obviously -unprepared wand is essential to the artistic finish of the trick.[14] - -(2) Two pieces of ribbon, three-quarters to one inch wide, alike in -colour. Of these, one piece is to be wound round the end of wand No. 2 -at about three inches from the end, and secured by a rubber ring, of the -solid kind used for holding together the ribs of an umbrella. This wand, -after being “switched” for the unprepared one, must be so placed upon the -table that the end on which the ribbon is wound shall be masked from view -by the second piece of ribbon, lying in a loose heap in front of it. - -(3) A stoppered bottle of clear glass, preferably of some ornamental -or quaint design. This bears a label, of discoloured and time-worn -appearance, with the letter _H R_ written on it in crabbed but distinct -characters, and is about half-filled with _Eau de Cologne_ or lavender -water, to which a few grains of cochineal have been added, giving it a -rich ruby colour. So far as the working of the trick is concerned plain -water might be used, but a coloured and scented liquid is preferable for -the sake of effect. - -(4) A spare rubber ring, of the kind above described, placed in left-hand -vest-pocket. - -The trick may be introduced as follows: - -“For the next surprise I have to show you we are indebted to the ancient -alchemists. People regard them as back numbers nowadays, because they -didn’t know anything about aeroplanes, or appendicitis, or income tax and -such-like up-to-date luxuries; but they had a good many useful little -secrets of their own. One of them was the recipe for what was called the -Alkahest, a liquid which immediately dissolved anything it touched; from -a gold watch to a set of fire-irons. The secret of making it has long -been lost, and all that still exists of the liquid itself I have here in -this bottle.” - -The bottle is here brought forward and offered for inspection. - -“Pretty colour, isn’t it? And it has a very delightful perfume.” (Takes -out stopper.) “You are welcome to smell it but I don’t advise you to -taste it. If you did you would probably never taste anything again. I -want you to notice, by the way, those two letters _H R_ on the label. -There is a dead secret attached to those letters. They mean something, of -course; but nobody knows what it is.” - -The bottle is replaced on the table. - -“This bottle came into my hands by inheritance. An ancestor of mine, in -the reign of James the First, was an alchemist in a small way. He is -reputed to have made a handsome income by selling ladies something to -put in their husbands’ tea. History doesn’t say what. Let us hope it was -only sugar. Well, this old gentleman managed to get hold of the recipe -for making the Alkahest. Whether he found it out himself, or whether he -cribbed it from the cookery-book of some other alchemist, I can’t say. -Anyhow, he got it; and he made up some of the stuff and put it in that -bottle. - -“When he was just going to be burnt as a wizard, which was the regular -thing with scientific men in those days, he handed the bottle to his -eldest son, my great-great-grandfather seventeen times removed, saying, -‘Take it, my son, and may it do you more good than it has done me.’ - -“My great-great-grandfather took the bottle; but he had no idea what it -contained. He was just going to ask his father what the letters on it -meant, but just at that moment the old gentleman flared up, and it was -too late. For the rest of his life my great-great-grandfather puzzled his -head as to what those two letters _H R_ stood for, but all he could think -of was ‘horse-radish,’ and he knew it couldn’t be that. - -“Since that the bottle has been handed down in our family for sixteen -generations, till at last it came to the hands of my Uncle James, and -he puzzled over those letters like the rest. Uncle James was a bit of a -‘nut,’ and prided himself on his fine head of hair, but in course of time -he found he was getting a bit thin on the top, and it worried him. One -day, thinking over the mysterious letters, an idea struck him. ‘H R!’ he -exclaimed, ‘H R! why “Hair Restorer” of course, not a doubt of it! I’ll -try it this very night.’ He did. He rubbed it in, and went to sleep quite -happy, but when he tried to brush his hair in the morning there wasn’t -any left to brush. The Alkahest had taken it all off, and left him as -bald as a baby. - -“He went to bed again, and ordered a wig, but before it could -be sent home he caught such a cold in his head that he died. -Just-sneezed-himself-away.” - -(The last words to be spoken slowly and sadly.) - -“I notice that some of you ladies are weeping. It _is_ an affecting -story, no doubt, and I used to shed a tear over it myself. But after all, -you didn’t know my Uncle James. Neither did I, for the matter of that, -and if we had known him we might not have liked him. So we won’t stop to -grieve about him.[15] - -“One of the most striking experiments with the Alkahest is the dissolving -of a paving stone, particularly if you lay a bunch of violets on it and -dissolve them both together, when you get a scuttleful of best Violet -Powder. Unfortunately I haven’t a paving stone handy, and I don’t suppose -any gentleman present is likely to have one about him. No? I feared not! -Another pretty experiment is the dissolving of a diamond ring, but I have -no diamond rings myself, and I find that if I borrow other people’s and -don’t return them I get myself disliked. So I must try to show the power -of the Alkahest in a less expensive way.” - -Returning to his table, the performer with his right hand picks up the -prepared wand (holding it so as to conceal the ribbon coiled upon it), -and with the left hand the mass of loose ribbon. - -“I have here a piece of ribbon: just ordinary ribbon. Will some lady -oblige me by tying a knot in it, about three inches from the end. Thank -you! Now will some other lady tie another knot about three inches from -the first one.” - -This is repeated till five or six knots have been tied, taking up about -half the ribbon. - -“I am not sure how many knots have been tied. Please count them for me as -I roll the ribbon round my wand.” - -So saying, he winds the ribbon, beginning with the knotted end, on to -the free portion of the wand, counting the knots as he does so, and -continuing the winding till the whole has been taken up. In so doing -he takes care to cover up the knots, and to make the appearance of the -rolled ribbon correspond as nearly as possible with the hidden coil upon -the other end, finally securing it with the rubber ring from his pocket. - -We will suppose that five knots are found to have been tied. The -performer returns to the table to fetch the bottle; and during the -transit passes the wand to the opposite hand, in so doing drawing off -the knotted ribbon (to be dropped a moment later into the profonde), and -exposes the opposite end. He removes stopper from bottle, leaving it on -the table. - -“Now comes the most critical part of the operation. I am going by means -of the Alkahest to dissolve these knots. How many did we say there were? -Five? Then I must use five drops and no more. If I were to overdo it in -the smallest degree the consequences would be serious. I should destroy -the ribbon altogether, and in these hard times ribbon is ribbon, even if -it is only six-three a yard.” - -He brings forward the bottle, and with great pretence of accuracy lets -fall on the ribbon the suggested number of drops. Then slipping off the -rubber ring he offers the end of the ribbon to some member of the company -to unwind, when the knots are naturally found to have disappeared. - -“The Alkahest retains its virtue, you see, even after so many years. -Every knot is completely dissolved. I will conclude by asking you an -impromptu riddle. Just one of those bright thoughts that strike me -sometimes when I least expect it-- - -“When is a knot not a knot?” - -“When it’s _not_ there.” - -[14] I am indebted to a clever amateur, Mr. Gordon Powell, for the -knowledge of a very simple but effective method of “changing” a wand. The -prepared article lies just within the forward rim of an oblong Japanese -tray, and at a convenient moment the unprepared wand just used is laid -behind and parallel with it. A little later this is professedly picked -up again, but as a matter of fact is pushed forward by the tips of the -fingers, and takes the place of the prepared wand, which is picked up in -its stead. - -A pack of cards may be “changed” for another after a similar fashion, the -first finger and thumb picking up the faked pack, while the unprepared -pack is pushed forward by the second and third fingers into the place it -occupied. - -[15] If it is desired to shorten the patter the “Uncle James” episode may -be omitted without serious detriment to the trick. - - -THE ORACLE OF MEMPHIS - -This is of the nature of a magical toy rather than a conjuring trick -proper, but its exhibition may form a pleasant interlude in the course -of a social entertainment. I invented it at an early stage of my magical -career, and exhibited it on various occasions for the amusement of -friends, but made no further use of it. The apparatus has been put aside, -and has been out of sight, out of mind, for many years past. Coming -across it accidentally some short time ago, I was agreeably surprised to -find that it would still answer questions as promptly, and doubtless as -truthfully, as of yore. - -[Illustration: FIG. 24] - -The general appearance of the apparatus, which is eight inches high by -seven in outside diameter, is as depicted in Fig. 24. It consists of -a circular mahogany stand or base, resting on three small feet, and -surmounted by a glass dome _b_. This last is in fact a bell-glass, as -used by gardeners, and has at top the usual knob, whereby to lift it. To -this is attached a short loop of narrow ribbon. The glass dome does not -rest directly on the stand, its lower edge being encased in a mahogany -mount. From the centre of the stand rises a vertical pin, a quarter of an -inch in height, serving as pivot for a metal pointer (Fig. 25), which, -by means of a little cup, or socket, at its centre, can be lifted on -and off, and revolves freely upon it, after the manner of a compass. A -further item of the apparatus is a reversible cardboard dial, whose two -sides, front and back, are depicted in Figs. 26 and 27. It will be seen -that the circumference of this dial is divided on the one side (Fig. 26) -into four equal sections, each bearing a pip of one of the four suits. -The other side (Fig. 27) is divided into eight sections, marked with the -numerals, from seven to ten inclusive, and the letters A, K, Q, and J, -answering to Ace, King, Queen and Jack. - -[Illustration: FIG. 26 FIG. 25 FIG. 27] - -With the Oracle is used a set of eight questions, and a piquet pack of -cards, on the backs of which are written or printed thirty-two answers -appropriate to such questions, one of each suit to each question. The -person consulting the Oracle having selected the question he or she -desires to have answered, the dial is laid on the stand with the “suit” -or Fig. 26 side uppermost, and the pointer is placed in position on its -pivot. The querist is invited to breathe into the glass, which is then -lowered on to the stand. The pointer begins to move, and after a moment -or two of indecision, comes to rest opposite one or other of the four -suit-pips; we will suppose, for the sake of illustration, the diamond. -The glass is then lifted off, the dial reversed, the pointer replaced, -and the glass once more lowered on to the stand. Again the pointer moves, -and stops this time, we will say, at the number “seven.” The seven of -diamonds is sought for in the pack, and is found to bear a more or less -appropriate answer to the question asked. - -The movements of the pointer are governed by the fact that, imbedded in -the mahogany mount surrounding the base of the bell glass, is a piece -of thick steel wire, strongly magnetised, and extending half way round -the circle. The pointer, though so coloured as to have the appearance of -brass, is in reality a magnetic steel needle, and therefore when resting -on the pivot and covered by the glass, will automatically move round till -it comes to rest between the two magnetic poles formed to the opposite -ends of the hidden wire. The operator can therefore, by placing the glass -cover accordingly, cause the indicator to stop at any part of the dial -that he pleases. - -It remains to be explained what guides him in the manipulation of the -glass, so as to cause the needle to stop at the point he desires. It will -be remembered that, attached to the knob at the top of the glass, is a -loop of ribbon, serving to suspend the glass in use from the forefinger, -as shown in Fig. 28. But the loop has in truth a much more important -function than this. Before the loop is formed, the ribbon is tied tightly -round the neck of the knob, previously waxed to prevent its slipping -round, and the knot is so placed that it shall exactly correspond with -that pole of the magnet to which the point of the needle is intended to -be in use attracted. This done, a loop is formed with the two ends of -the ribbon, and so arranged in point of length that when the glass is -suspended from the forefinger, as in the diagram, the thumb and second -finger of the operator shall be just right for moving it round in either -direction, the little knot guiding him by feel to bring it to the desired -point. - -[Illustration: FIG. 28] - -The exhibitor is not limited to any particular set of questions and -answers. At the cost of a fresh pack of cards and a little ingenuity, -he can please himself in this particular. The selection of suitable -questions and answers is however a somewhat delicate matter. The answers -must on the one hand be smart enough to afford amusement to the company -generally; and on the other hand must not be so pungent as to be likely -to cause offence to a person putting the question. - -The questions and answers I devised for my own use ran somewhat as -follows: - - 1. What does my husband (or wife, as the case may be) most think - about? - - ANSWERS - _Seven_ of _Diamonds_. Yourself. - ” _Hearts_. Money. - ” _Spades_. Dinnertime. - ” _Clubs_. Golf. - - 2. Shall I live to grow old? - - _Eight_ of _Diamonds_. Yes, if you don’t worry about it. - ” _Hearts_. A well-spent youth will be followed by - a happy old age. - ” _Spades_. As old as you care to be. - ” _Clubs_. Yes, old, and fat. - - 3. What is my chief fault? - - _Nine_ of _Diamonds_. You haven’t any. - ” _Hearts_. Excessive modesty. - ” _Spades_. Flirting. - ” _Clubs_. Swank. - - 4. Shall I have what I am wishing for? - - _Ten_ of _Diamonds_. Yes, if you deserve it. - ” _Hearts_. If you go the right way to get it. - ” _Spades_. Not likely. - ” _Clubs_. It is like your cheek to wish for it. - - 5. What am I thinking about at this moment? - - _Jack_ of _Diamonds_. A new hat. - ” _Hearts_. Servants. - ” _Spades_. You wouldn’t like me to tell. - ” _Clubs_. That it is a long time between drinks. - - 6. What shall I do to get health? - - _Queen_ of _Diamonds_. Don’t think about it. - ” _Hearts_. Keep smiling. - ” _Spades_. Take Podger’s Purple Pills. - ” _Clubs_. Eat less. - - 7. How old am I? - - _King_ of _Diamonds_. Just right, don’t get any older. - ” _Hearts_. Whatever you are, you don’t look it. - ” _Spades_. You never tell, so I won’t. - ” _Clubs_. Old enough to know better. - - 8. What shall I be this time next year? - - _Ace_ of _Diamonds_. A year older. - ” _Hearts_. A trifle stouter. - ” _Spades_. A year wiser. - ” _Clubs_. Bald as a baby. - -It will be found on comparing them that the answers are arranged on -a regular system, those on the red cards being of a more or less -complimentary nature, or otherwise favourable; the black suits less so, -particularly the clubs, which are rather the reverse, and are intended -to be used as replies to gentlemen only. Bearing this arrangement in -mind, it is a comparatively easy matter to suit the answer to the querist. - -The questions must be memorised in proper order, and it is desirable to -do the same with the answers also, though there should be no difficulty, -remembering the principle of arrangement, in giving a fairly appropriate -answer, even though the memory be for the moment at fault as to its exact -terms. To avoid the necessity of giving the same answer more than once, -it is well to make a rule that the same question shall not be asked more -than three times. - -The Oracle may be introduced as follows: - -“Allow me to introduce to your notice a curio of an exceptionally -interesting kind. This elegant little affair is said to have been the -private Oracle of Rameses the Second, a gentleman who flourished in -Egypt about four thousand years ago. I can’t be sure to a year or two, -because it was before my time, but I believe that is about right. People -sometimes express surprise that, being so ancient, the Oracle should be -in such good condition, but that is accounted for by its having been -preserved in the same case as Rammy’s mummy. I don’t mean his mamma, -but the gentleman himself, in the cold storage of the period. The story -may or may not be true. I can’t take any responsibility for it. Others -declare that the Oracle was the favourite plaything of Helen of Troy. -Historians do tell such tarradiddles that one doesn’t know what to -believe. - -“The powers of the Oracle are limited, for it will only answer -eight questions, and in its own way, but its answers are quite -trustworthy--well, perhaps not _quite_. Let us say as trustworthy as -those of Bond Street fortune-tellers at a guinea a guess. Who will be the -first to test its veracity? - -“I should mention, by the way, that, as each answer exhausts a certain -amount of power, the same question must not be asked more than three -times. You would like to consult the Oracle, Madam? Then please select -one of the questions on this card, and read it out for the information of -the Company. - -“You wish to know” (repeating question). “Good. The answer to your -question will be found on one or other of the cards in this pack, and the -Oracle will tell us which one to look for. First, however, I must ask you -to breathe into this glass. That supplies the missing link, so to speak, -and makes it a sort of personal affair between you and the Oracle.” (This -is done.) - -“Thank you. Now I shall place the glass on its stand, and this little -pointer” (holding it up and placing it on its pivot) “will reveal the -correct answer, first indicating the suit among which the answer is to be -found. You may notice that it wobbles a bit at first. That is because it -is thinking over the question. Now it has come to rest, and it says the -answer will be found in the”--(name suit.) “And now to find out which is -the right card of that suit. I take off the glass and turn the dial over. -Please concentrate your mind on your question. I put the glass and the -pointer on again. Again the pointer thinks it over, and finally decides -as you see, for the--” (naming number of card.) “Now all we have to do -is to look out that card” (does so) “and here we have the answer to your -question.” - -Before inviting a fresh querist to breathe into the glass, it is well to -wipe it out carefully with a silk pocket handkerchief, professedly to -dispel the personal magnetism of the last enquirer, any remains of which, -left within the glass, might imperil the correctness of the anticipated -answer. - - -THE MYSTERY OF MAHOMET[16] - -The reader is probably familiar with the trick known as “The Silver -Tube and Ball.” If not, it may be stated that the “tube” is of metal, -nickelled, and about eight inches long by one and a half in diameter. -With it is used an ebony ball, which is made to pass into and out of the -tube in a very surprising way. - -The secret lies partly in the fact that half way down, the internal -diameter of the tube is very slightly narrowed, forming a sort of -“choke,” so that a ball dropped into it at the upper end does not fall -right through, as one would naturally expect, but stops at that point, -wedging itself lightly, so that the tube can be reversed without any -fear of the ball falling out, though it can be instantly driven out by -bringing down the tube smartly on the table, or by very slight pressure -behind it. - -The other part of the secret lies in the fact that _two_ balls are in -reality used, the existence of the second being of course unknown to the -spectator. The tube being loaded as above mentioned, _i.e._ having the -one ball wedged in it just below the choke, if the duplicate is dropped -in from above it will apparently fall through, though as a matter of fact -this ball comes to a standstill in the tube above the choke, while the -other is driven out at the bottom. The secret use of this second ball -enables the performer to produce sundry surprising results in the way of -appearances and disappearances. - -The possibilities of the trick in this form are however speedily -exhausted, and it has a serious drawback in the fact that it is necessary -to invert the tube afresh before each production, as it is obvious that -a ball contained in it must be brought below the choke before it can be -produced. I had at one time rather a fancy for the trick, but it seemed -to me that it was capable of a good deal of improvement, and after some -cogitation I succeeded in producing a new trick on somewhat similar -lines; but free from the defect mentioned above and capable withal of -producing a far wider variety of effects. - -[Illustration: FIG. 29] - -I use two tubes of stiff cardboard, each about four inches long by -one and a half in diameter. One of these is just a plain tube with no -speciality about it. The other has a piece of fine wire crossing it -midway from side to side, and taking the form of a half hoop, as shown -in Fig. 29, the ends serving as pivots on which it moves freely. On the -outside, one of its ends is turned down vertically, forming a tiny switch -or handle. The normal tendency of the halfhoop is to hang downward across -the tube (thereby closing it to the passage of a ball) but a touch of the -finger, moving the little switch to right or left, raises the loop to a -horizontal position against one or other of the sides of the tube, when -it no longer offers any obstacle to the passing of the ball. The wire -used is so thin that with the halfhoop lying against its side a spectator -may safely be allowed to look through the tube even at a very short -distance, without fear of his perceiving the presence of the wire. - -The requirements for the trick, all told, are as follows: - - (1) The wand. - (2) The plain tube. - (3) The trick tube. - (4) Two white balls. - (5) A red ball. - (6) A lighted candle. - (7) A small red silk handkerchief. - -One of the white balls must be vested or otherwise so placed as to be -ready for production from the wand. The second white ball and the red -ball are stowed in the pochettes, one on each side. The faked tube may -be vested and exchanged for the plain one during the journey back to -the table after the dummy has been tendered for inspection; the latter -being dropped into the profonde. These however are matters which the -expert will arrange after his own fashion. If the performer, not being -an expert, doubts his ability to “change” the tubes neatly during the -transit, he may suppress the plain tube altogether and commence at once -with the exhibition of the faked tube from the platform, but the omission -makes the trick less convincing. - -We will suppose that the performer goes for the maximum effect and -advances offering the dummy tube for inspection. The patter I suggest for -the trick in this form runs as follows: - -“I have here, ladies and gentlemen, a hollow tube. It is not uncommon -for tubes to be hollow, but this one is, if anything, even hollower than -usual. I should like some lady or gentleman to examine it carefully -and testify that it is just a plain ordinary tube with absolutely no -deception of any sort about it. If it was not so, you may be sure I -should hardly venture to let you examine it. You can see through it, hear -through it, or blow through it. You are satisfied? Then I will show you a -curious little experiment with it.” - -During the return to the table the dummy is exchanged for the trick tube. - -“I call the experiment I am about to show you ‘The Mystery of Mahomet.’ -I gave it that name because it was Mahomet who suggested the idea to me. -I don’t mean personally. I didn’t know him. In point of fact he did not -give me the idea till after he had been dead for some years. This sounds -peculiar, but I will explain. - -“When Mahomet died he wasn’t buried like other people. His coffin was -placed in a mosque, where it hangs in the air like a captive balloon, -about twenty feet up, resting on nothing at all. I am not certain as to -the exact height from the ground, but that is what the Moslems say, and -they would hardly tell a story about a little thing like that. It has -always been a mystery what keeps the prophet up aloft. Some say it is -done by mesmerism, some say by magnetism, and one old gentleman declared -it was done by mormonism. No doubt, when you come to think of it Mahomet -was a bit of a Mormon. But they are all wide of the mark. As a matter of -fact the coffin rests on a slab of compressed air. It’s quite simple, -when you know it. I haven’t a coffin handy, but by means of this little -tube I can show you the effect of the same principle on a smaller scale. - -[Illustration: FIG. 30] - -“As some of you have not had the opportunity of personally examining the -tube I should like to prove to you in the first place that it is really -what it appears to be, a simple cardboard cylinder, open from end to end, -and as free from deception as I am myself. - -“Proof 1.” (Wand dropped through tube on to table.) - -“Proof 2.” (Tube held in front of candle showing flame through it.“) - -“Proof 3.” (Tube dropped over candle as in Fig. 30, or spun on wand, held -horizontally as in Fig. 31; the halfhoop in each case being made to lie -against the side of the tube.) - -[Illustration: FIG. 31] - -“I have here a little ball, of such a size that it passes easily through -the tube.”[17] The ball is allowed to fall through, from the one hand to -the other. - -“Now I will place the tube upright on the table and drop the ball in -once more. Where is it now? On the table, you say. Quite right: here it -is.” (Lift tube, closing it, and placing it on end beside ball.) “But -now I take a few handfuls of air and press them well down into the tube” -(makes believe to do so), “and I drop the ball in again. This time you -see it does not fall through. As a matter of fact it has stopped halfway, -resting on the compressed air in the tube.” (Lift tube, showing that the -ball has not passed through. After replacing the tube switch the wire -loop to the horizontal position, allowing the ball to drop inside the -tube.) “I think there can be no doubt that this is the way Mr. Home, the -medium, managed to float about with his head in the air and his feet on -the mantelpiece. All that was needed was a few pints of compressed air in -his tail-pockets. It’s quite simple, when you know how it’s done. - -“Of course, as the tube is open at the top, the effect doesn’t last very -long. The compressed air gradually expands again and becomes too thin to -support the ball any longer. I dare say by this time it has done so.” -(Lift tube, exposing ball, and re-closing tube). “Yes, here it is.” - -“I can keep the air from escaping to a certain extent, because I happen -to have a very strong won’t. A strong will is a good thing to have, but -sometimes a strong won’t is even more useful. Once again I will fill -the tube with compressed air.” (Make believe to do so, then pick up the -closed tube.) “I drop the ball in again, and this time it will remain -suspended till I permit the compressed air to escape.” (Pick up tube, -holding it vertically a few inches above the table.) “Say when you would -like the ball to fall. Now? Good! I withdraw my strong won’t and the -ball falls at once.” (Switch loop, allowing it to do so, then pass tube, -closing it, to opposite hand and load into it duplicate ball at top; then -replacing tube on table.) - -“Now, by way of variety, we will try compressing the ball instead of the -air.” (Pick up ball left on table and make believe to transfer it to the -opposite hand. Then, with the left hand empty, make pretence of crushing -it into the hand.) “The ball is now resolved into its component atoms. -You didn’t see them go? No, of course you didn’t. For the time being they -are dematerialised: but the compressed air in the tube will soon solidify -them again.” (Lift tube, keeping ball suspended.) “It has not got solid -yet, but we shall not have long to wait.” (After a few moments again lift -tube, opening it and allowing ball to pass through.) “Here is the ball, -now as solid as before.” - -Transfer tube closed to opposite hand and in so doing load in red ball at -top. In replacing tube on table open and close it again, so that the ball -shall fall, but shall rest within the tube on the table. - -“Now I will show you another curious effect. A ball which has been -dematerialised in that way becomes very sensitive to colour. I will just -give the ball a rub with this red silk handkerchief and drop it into the -tube again.” Drop in white ball after rubbing, keeping tube closed; then -raise it and show red ball at bottom. - -“Here it is again, you see, but it has taken the colour of the -handkerchief and is now a rosy red, a sort of maiden’s blush; the blush -of a very shy maiden. Unfortunately maiden’s blush is not a fast colour, -unless it’s the wrong kind; the kind that’s rubbed in with a powder puff. -This kind soon gets pale again. I rub the ball again, this time with a -white handkerchief, and again drop it into the tube.” - -Drop in red ball, tube closed, lift and show white ball, under cover of -its appearance transferring tube to opposite hand and allowing red ball -to run back into palm to be got rid of a moment later. - -“I think I heard a lady say, ‘Where is the red ball?’ This is the red -ball, at least it was the red ball a moment ago. There is no other, for, -as you see, the tube is empty.” - -Again drop tube over candle as in Fig. 30. Pass ball from hand to hand -and finally make believe to swallow it, meanwhile dropping it into the -profonde. - -“After being treated like this the ball becomes so volatile that I used -to be always losing it. But I never lose it now. I just swallow it and -then I know just where it is when I want it. It saves a lot of trouble.” - -[16] A description of this trick will be found in _The Magician_ for -March, 1914. - -[17] If preferred the ball instead of being taken openly from the table, -may be produced from the wand after the fashion familiar in the Cup and -Ball trick, but on the whole I think this is best omitted. - - -THE BEWILDERING BLOCKS - -The blocks which give its title to this trick are inch-square wooden -cubes, three in number, as illustrated in Fig. 32. Each is coloured black -on two of its opposite sides; these in use being made top and bottom. -The four remaining sides are in the case of one block red, of another -white, and of a third blue. The only other item of apparatus known to the -spectators is a square cardboard tube, as depicted in Fig. 33. This is -about five inches long, and of such dimensions laterally as to let either -block slide by its own weight easily through it, but no more. All four -items may be freely submitted to inspection, for in this case appearances -are not deceitful. Both the blocks and the tube are no more and no less -than they seem to be. - -In exhibiting the trick, the tube is placed upright on the table, and the -three blocks are dropped into it one after another, the company being -requested to note particularly the order in which they are inserted, -which we will suppose to be in the first instance blue, then white, and -lastly red, as shown without the tube in Fig. 32. It is clear that, -once inserted, they cannot by any natural means alter their relative -positions, but, strange to say, when they are again uncovered, the red -block just inserted at the top is found to have passed to the bottom, -the other two moving up accordingly. - -This surprising effect is produced by the secret introduction into the -tube of a fourth block of which the spectators know nothing. This, which -we will call the “trick” block, is, like the rest, coloured black at the -top and bottom; but of the remaining four sides two, contiguous to each -other, are red, and the other two blue. - -[Illustration: FIG. 32 FIG. 33 FIG. 34] - -When the tube is handed back to the performer after inspection, before -placing it on the table he secretly introduces the trick block into its -lower end, privately noting against which sides of the tube the two _red_ -faces will lie, and taking care in placing the tube upon the table that -the angle formed by these two sides shall be to the front. The other -three blocks are then, in accordance with the patter, dropped in from -above, in the order shown in Fig. 32, resting, unknown to the spectators, -on top of the trick block. When the performer lifts off the tube, which -he does grasping it diagonally between thumb and finger at about an inch -from the top, he does so with gentle pressure, thereby holding back the -uppermost block within the tube, and exposing the two others with the -trick block at the bottom, as indicated by Fig. 34. - -I gave a description of this trick in the _Magician_ of February, 1914. -The patter for its exhibition was based on a popular nursery legend, and -as this mode of presentation won general approval from the juveniles I -cannot do better than repeat it practically as there given. The needful -working instructions will be found interspersed with the patter. - -“What I am going to show you now is not a trick, or, if you can call it a -trick, it is one that works itself, for you will see for yourselves that -I have really nothing to do with it. It is just an illustration of the -force of bad example. - -“No doubt you have all heard of a young gentleman called Fidgety Phil. -There is a little poem about him. It says: - - ‘Fidgety Phil - Couldn’t keep still, - Made his mother and father ill.’ - -“There are a lot more verses but I am sorry to say I don’t know them. -However, these few lines are enough to show you what sort of a boy -Fidgety Phil was. He was the kind of boy that wherever he is, he wants -to be somewhere else. When he was standing up he wanted to sit down, -and when he was sitting down he wriggled about on his chair till he was -allowed to stand up again. - -“These little blocks are all that are left of a box of bricks which are -said to have belonged to Fidgety Phil and they show what even a box of -bricks may come to if a bad example is constantly set before them. These -three little bricks have got to be just as fidgety as Phil was himself. -Anyhow, that is the only way in which I can account for their queer -behaviour. - -“Please have a good look at them, and see if you can discover anything -peculiar about them. I can’t, myself.” (The blocks are handed for -examination.) “They seem to me to be just ordinary bits of coloured wood, -and this square tube is believed to have been a chimney pot belonging to -the same set. I want you to notice particularly that the bricks are just -the right size to fit closely in the chimney. They go in quite easily; -but when they are once inside they can’t turn round, or turn over, or -change places. But the curious thing is that though they can’t they _do_, -as you will see presently. - -“I place the chimney-pot here on the table, where you can see all round -it, and I drop the three bricks into it one by one. Notice particularly -the order in which I put them in. First, the blue. You heard it go down. -Next, the white, and now, the red. Don’t forget. Blue at the bottom, -white in the middle, and red at the top. - -“Now, without my saying or doing anything, they will at once begin -to shift about. They can’t keep still for more than a few seconds. -When I lift off the chimney pot, you will find that they have changed -places.” (It is lifted accordingly, performer holding back the uppermost -block within it by gentle pressure on opposite angles of the tube, and -exhibiting only the three lower blocks now as in Fig. 34.) - -“There, as I told you, like Fidgety Phil, they couldn’t keep still. The -white brick has climbed to the top, the red one has gone down to the -bottom, and the blue one is now in the middle. - -“We will try again. I will put the bricks in in just the same order, to -make it easier for you to remember them.” - -Performer has meanwhile allowed the red block, left in the upper part -of the tube, to sink to the bottom, checked by the third finger, and -replaces tube upright on table. - -“As before, I drop in first the blue, then the white, then the red.” -(This last being the trick block, care must be taken to keep its _red_ -sides well to the front.) - -“Again I lift off the chimney pot, and again you see, the bricks have -changed places. White has come to the top, and red has gone to the bottom -again.” - -The trick block, which this time remained at the top, is now allowed to -slide down to the bottom. The tube is again placed on the table, but so -turned that the _blue_ sides of the block within it are brought to the -front. - -“I can’t tell you why the bricks behave in this way, but you can see for -yourselves that _I_ have nothing to do with it. We will try it once more, -and for a change I will put the red block in first, then the white and -then the blue. That order will be easy to remember. Red, white and blue -reckoning from the bottom upwards. Again I remove the cover. The same -thing has happened again, but with a little difference. White has come to -the top again, but blue has this time gone to the bottom.” - -While attention is drawn to the new order of the blocks, the performer -allows the ordinary blue one, now left in the tube, to slide out into his -hand, and in picking up the others secretly substitutes this for the -trick block, which is now at the bottom of the tube. - -“Once more, ladies and gentlemen, here is the chimney pot, and here -are the three bricks, for inspection by any one who cares to look at -them. Perhaps some of you may be able to account for their remarkable -behaviour. It’s a puzzle to me; but I never was good at guessing. My own -idea is that they are haunted by the ghost of Fidgety Phil. If not, I -give it up.” - - -AN “OD” FORCE - -To avoid misconception, it may be well to state at once that the -peculiar spelling of the word “od” in the above title is not a printer’s -error. The explanation will be found in the patter, which is founded -on a discovery claimed to have been made by a scientist at one time of -world-wide renown, and the responsibility for so spelling the word rests -with him. For programme purposes the reader is at liberty to re-name -the trick according to his own fancy. “Mysterious Motion,” or “Moved -by Magic” would fairly represent the effect produced, which consists -in causing a borrowed coin to move automatically at the will of the -operator, in various directions. - -The requirements for the trick are as follows: - -(1) The “tramway” whereon the coin is to be made to travel. This consists -of a slab of wood thirteen inches long by four wide, and three-eighths -of an inch thick and covered as to its upper side with fine black cloth. -To the cloth-covered side of this is attached, by means of a screw at -each corner, a parallelogram of brass or copper wire enclosing a space -two inches wide. The four screws, which are likewise of brass, and which -are of the round-headed kind, are within the parallelogram and serve to -keep the wire extended. Midway at each end is another screw, driven in -_outside_ the wire, in such manner as to make all taut. These last two -screws, for a reason connected with the working of the trick, stand up a -shade higher than the other four, but the difference is not great enough -to be noticeable. See Fig. 35. - -[Illustration: FIG. 35] - -(2) A special “pull” carried on the person of the performer. This -consists of a fine black thread, to one end of which is attached a weight -travelling up and down the trouser leg, after the manner described (in -connection with a self-suspending wand) at page 111 of “Later Magic.” -In the present case, however, the weight is much smaller, being in fact -just large enough to rather more than counterbalance the coin used in the -trick, _plus_ the friction to be overcome by the thread in the working -of the trick. The degree of such friction is an uncertain quantity, as -it will largely depend on the nature of the operator’s underwear and its -closeness to his own body. The precise weight most effective must be -ascertained by previous experiment, and regulated accordingly. - -It will be found convenient to use by way of weight a glass tube, closed -at the bottom like a test-tube and loaded with buckshot, more or less -in quantity according to the weight required. The mouth of the tube -is closed by a cork, through which one end of the thread is passed, -and secured on the under side by a knot and a spot of gum. When the -minimum weight that will effectually serve the desired purpose has been -ascertained, any vacant space above the leaden pellets should be filled -with cotton wool (to prevent rattling) and the cork should then be -cemented into the tube. If preferred, the wool may be interspersed among -the buckshot. - -The opposite end of the thread, which will be somewhere about thirty -inches in length (this again being a point to be determined by -experiment), is passed through the curled end of a good-sized safety pin. -This, for use in the trick, is attached to the inside of the performer’s -vest, just within the lowest part of the opening. To the free-end of the -thread, after passing through the loop of the pin, is attached a disc of -copper or zinc, three-quarters of an inch in diameter, against which, -on one side, is pressed and flattened out a pellet of conjurer’s wax, -in good adhesive condition. If the length of the thread has been duly -regulated, the little disc will rest normally just within the vest, but -can be drawn out the extent of a couple of feet or so, returning swiftly -to its hiding place the moment it is released. - -(3) A glass ball--professedly crystal. - -(4) An ordinary match-box, empty. - -Instructions for the working of the trick will be most conveniently given -step by step with the patter, which may run as follows: - -“In the early days of Queen Victoria’s reign, when the oldest of us here -present were good little boys or girls, and the rest were not born or -thought of, there lived a celebrated scientific gentleman, called the -Baron von Reichenbach. I am sorry to say he was a German, but he couldn’t -help it. As his father and mother were Germans, he had to be one too. It -shows how careful children ought to be in the choice of their parents. -He invented a lot of useful things, among them creosote and paraffin. -Neither of them smells very nice, but they don’t trouble about that in -Germany. - -“Besides being a great chemist, Von Thingany dabbled in what are called -the occult sciences, and he claimed to have discovered a new force (a -sort of magnetism, only different) and which, he declared, pervaded every -thing in nature, especially crystal. Directed by a strong will, like his -own, or mine, it would do all sorts of wonderful things. It seemed to -me that such a force would come in very handy for magical purposes, and -I set to work to invent it over again, and I have at any rate produced -something very like it. The Baron called his force ‘odd,’ but he spelt it -‘od,’ which is odd too. You must judge for yourselves whether my force is -the same as his, and you can spell it which way you like. - -“I have only been able so far to work up a very small amount of the -force, say about six mouse-power, so it won’t turn tables, or lift -pianos. I can only get it, so far, to move a small weight like a florin -or a half-dollar, and that only for a very short distance. For greater -conveniences I have made this little tramway for the coin to perform -upon. These wires which you see are not for it to travel on, but merely -to get more equal distribution of the force. There is nothing out of the -way about it, nor with this ball, except that it is crystal. Examine -both as much as you please.” - -The two articles are accordingly offered for inspection. The performer -takes back the tramway in the left hand, holding it by one end in such -manner that it is gripped in the fork of the thumb, leaving the thumb -itself comparatively free. Taking back the ball with the right hand and -remarking “Now to develop the force,” he rubs it on his left coat-sleeve, -and strokes the surface of the tramway two or three times with it. - -“Having now established a proper degree of ‘oddity’ between the tram and -the crystal, I will ask for the loan of a half-dollar (or florin as the -case may be) marked in any way the owner pleases.” - -He replaces the ball on the table, and in the act of again turning to the -audience gets hold of the waxed disc and draws it away from the body, -holding it clipped between the ends of the first and second fingers, the -left thumb pressing the thread against the cloth top of the tramway, and -acting for the time being (and indeed throughout the trick) as a brake -neutralising at pleasure the pull of the weight. - -He receives the coin on the tramway; then picking it up with the right -hand, makes some observation as to the mark, meanwhile pressing the waxed -side of the disc against it, then replacing it, disc down, in the middle -of the tramway. - -“I shall now, by means of the ‘od’ force, compel the coin to move towards -me.” This he does accordingly, by relaxing the pressure of the thumb upon -the thread and merely bringing the pull of the weight into operation. -When the coin has all but reached the nearer end of the tramway, he says, -“We will now see if we can make it travel a little longer distance.” So -saying he draws the thread out again and lays the coin on the farther end -of the tram, and again makes it travel slowly back. A good effect may be -here produced by making it stop halfway, and (after remarking in a casual -way that the power is hardly strong enough) picking up the ball, again -rubbing it upon the sleeve and moving it, a few inches distance, in the -direction in which the coin is to travel, when it resumes its journey -accordingly. - -Once more picking up the coin, he replaces it at the farther end of the -tramway, but in so doing passes the thread outside and around the screw -at that end. He then remarks, as if bethinking himself: “By the way, a -lady suggested the other night that the coin was attracted towards me by -my personal magnetism. I know I am an attractive man: I have been told so -frequently but that is not the explanation in this case, as I will prove -to you by making the coin travel _away_ from me.” So saying, he draws the -coin towards him, easing off the pressure on the thread to enable him to -do so, and leaves it at the inner end. The ball is now moved away from -himself, and the pressure of the brake being relaxed, the coin is now -drawn in the same direction. - -“‘_Quod erat demonstrandum_,’ as our old friend Shakespeare (or was it -Euclid) used to say.” (To the lender of the coin.) “You must take care -of this coin, Sir; it is now charged with a minute quantity of the ‘od’ -force, and so long as you keep it you can never be ‘stony-broke.’ I will -show you just one more effect with it before I return it to you.” - -While speaking, he has carelessly picked up the coin, and replaced it on -the _inner_ side of the screw so that this shall be no longer encircled -by the thread. Picking up the match box from the table, he pushes out the -“tray” portion with the forefinger; then throwing aside the outer case, -he picks up the tray, and inverts it over the coin. - -“I will now show you that the ‘od’ force still operates even though -it is cut off from any direct connection with the subject of the -experiment: but in this case a little more power is required.” So -saying he rubs the glass ball again on his coat-sleeve, and, moving the -ball accordingly, causes the coin to travel towards him, the match-box -naturally moving with it. In again picking up the coin, to return it to -the owner, he detaches it from the disc, which flies back to its original -resting-place. - - -THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE SEALS - -This is a trick involving some little trouble in the way of preparation, -and perhaps a little more than average address on the part of the -performer, but on the other hand it costs little; for all the needful -appliances may be homemade, and in the hands of an expert the trick will -amply repay the time and trouble expended upon it. Baldly stated, its -effect consists in the magical introduction of a marked coin into the -innermost of a nest of three envelopes, each securely sealed. - -[Illustration: FIG. 36] - -The requirements for the trick are as under: - -1. Two nests of envelopes. The innermost of each is one of the little -square kind used in shops to contain copper “change,” or to hold the -weekly wage of an employee. It should be of cartridge or stout manila -paper, and about two inches square. The next larger is of the ordinary -square or so-called square-note size, and the third a little larger -still. Envelopes of the two last mentioned sizes are not always to be -obtained made of cartridge or manila, but this condition is not in their -case absolutely essential. The flap of each envelope must be stuck down -and sealed with red wax.[18] - -2. A special envelope, which we will call the “trick” envelope. This -is of the same size and kind as the innermost of the nested envelopes -but has undergone special preparation as follows: Taking two ordinary -envelopes, cut round the edges of one of them with a penknife, completely -dividing back from front. Take the plain or non-flap side of the one -so treated, lay it squarely under the flap of the other, and stick the -flap down upon it in the ordinary way: then add a seal of red wax, as -closely as possible corresponding in appearance with the two seals of the -innermost of the nested envelopes. Lastly, cut away the superfluous paper -round the seal and the edges of the flap. The envelope will now be shown -as in Fig. 36, and when closed will have the appearance of an envelope -sealed in the ordinary way, though it as yet lacks the connecting medium -for actually securing it. - -3. The “coin mat” (page 4) freshly treated with the usual adhesive. The -side so treated is to be turned downwards on the table with a shilling -pressed against the adhesive portion. - -4. A penknife, to be used as envelope opener. - -As shortly as possible before the presentation of the trick, the trick -envelope must be further prepared by spreading a thin layer of seccotine -on that portion of the underside of the flap immediately under the seal. - -N. B. This must not be done too long beforehand, as it is essential to -the success of the trick that the envelope be used while the seccotine is -still in a “tacky” condition. - -The envelope prepared as above, to be laid on the table, behind some -small object, or preferably just inside the foremost rim of a Japanese -tray; at one corner, mouth uppermost, and flap to the rear. Under these -conditions, the butting of the opposite edge of the envelope against -the forward wall of the tray will be found greatly to facilitate the -subsequent introduction of the borrowed coin. Before so placing the -envelope, its edges on each side should be pressed slightly inwards, so -as to make it expand a little at the opening. - -These arrangements duly made, the performer may introduce the trick as -follows: - -“I don’t know whether anybody here remembers George the Third, I can’t -say I do myself. He was before my time, but there is a funny little story -told about him. One day when out for a walk, he went into a farmhouse -where he found the family having their dinner. One dish consisted of -apple-dumplings, and the question crossed the King’s mind, ‘How on earth -did the apples get into the dumplings?’ He didn’t like to ask, but he -couldn’t get the puzzle out of his head. He thought about it so much and -it worried him so that at last he went clean out of his mind. He became -_non compos mentis_, which is the doctors’ polite way of saying dotty. - -“I mention this story by way of a caution. What I am going to show you is -ever so much more incomprehensible than any number of apple-dumplings; -in fact, so extra-extraordinary that if anybody here was the least bit -excitable and I sprung it upon him unawares he might go dotty like -old Georgie. So if any of you feel at all nervous, don’t hesitate to -go home, or you can go and sit on the stairs till this particular -experiment is over. Nobody moves! I am pleased to find that you are all -so strong-minded, but if anything happens don’t blame me. - -“I have known strong men; men of massive intellect, like myself, come -here with a smile on their faces, but when they left the smile was -replaced by an air of grim determination. You could see at a glance that -they had made up their minds to find out how it was done, or _die_. They -haven’t come again: so I suppose they died.[19] - -“As you are prepared to run the risk I will ask some gentleman to oblige -me with the loan of a shilling, marked, in some unmistakable way. Thank -you, Sir. You have marked the coin? Then please place it here, on this -little tray. I won’t touch it myself at present. All please keep one eye -upon it, the other eye you had better keep on me.” - -Receive the coin on the mat, held in right hand. After showing the left -hand empty, transfer the mat to that hand and show the right empty. -Return the mat to right hand, but before doing so turn that hand over so -as to receive the mat with thumb undermost. Just as you reach the table -to place the mat upon it bring the second and third fingers over the -borrowed coin, and under cover of your own body turn the mat over. In -putting it down on the table draw away the borrowed coin into the hand -and palm it. To the eye of the spectator the state of things will be -unaltered, your own coin, now uppermost on the mat, being taken for the -borrowed one. - -You continue, standing behind your table, and resting the right hand, -with the palmed coin, close to the trick envelope, and holding up the -two nests in the other hand: “I have here two envelopes, or, to be -exact, six envelopes, for each of those you see contains two more, one -within the other: all carefully sealed. I am going to pass the coin this -gentleman has lent me into the innermost of one or other of them, I don’t -care which, for they are exactly alike, so I shall leave the choice to -yourselves.” - -While you are speaking as above the disengaged hand slips the genuine -coin into the trick envelope, closes it, pressing the flap well down, and -palms it, dropping it a moment or two later into a pochette till needed. - -“You decide for this envelope? Just as you please. As the other will not -be needed I will ask somebody to open it, and bear witness that things -are exactly as I have stated.” - -Leaving the chosen envelope on the table in full view and bringing -forward the other, have the latter opened by some member of the company -with the penknife. Hand the envelope produced from it, with the knife, to -a second spectator, to be dealt with in like manner. When the innermost -is reached, have this opened by the lender of the marked coin: this -apparent proof of good faith tending to make him less critical when, at a -later stage, he is invited to do the same with the trick envelope. - -“Nothing could be fairer, could it? You will all agree that it would -have been impossible to introduce anything into the innermost of those -three envelopes without breaking all three seals. When I say impossible, -of course I mean impossible to a mere man. To a magician there is no -such word as impossible, except in the dictionary. In fact, the more -impossible a thing is, the more any respectable magician makes up his -mind to do it. Watch me carefully, please. I want you to be quite sure -all through that there is no deception. - -“Now then, to pass the coin into this other envelope.” As you say this, -you pick up the coin mat, depress it enough for all present to see the -coin upon it, and make the motion of sliding it off into the left hand. -This should be done while standing a little in front of your table. In -turning to replace the mat, reverse it and lay it with the side to which -the coin adheres downwards. If deftly executed, this reversal of the mat -will be imperceptible, as it is covered by the turn to the table. Even -if it were noticed it would have practically no significance for the -spectators, who naturally take it for granted that the coin has passed -from the mat into your hand. The moment you have laid down the mat, the -now disengaged hand picks up the nest of envelopes, and you make believe -to rub the coin (supposedly in left hand) into it. This done, you hold -the envelope aloft in each hand alternately, allowing it to be seen that -the hands are otherwise empty. - -“So far, so good! The coin has passed from my hands into the innermost -envelope. But I don’t expect you to take my word for it. Will you, sir” -(any given spectator) “open the outermost envelope, first, however, -satisfying yourself that it is still securely sealed?” - -It is just possible, though not very likely, that the person to whom the -envelope and penknife have been handed may notice, and remark audibly, -that he cannot feel any coin in the envelope. If such a remark is made, -you reply that the coin naturally had to be dematerialised before it -could pass into the envelope, and it will take a few minutes for it to -re-materialise, but it will become gradually more solid, and will then be -distinctly perceptible. - -The outer envelope having been opened you take back its contents, and -under pretext of getting as many witnesses as possible to fair play, -have the next envelope opened by a second person, seated at some little -distance from the lender of the shilling. The last named gentleman is -invited himself to open the last envelope, or rather, the trick envelope, -which you in transit substitute for it. Having already opened a precisely -similar envelope, and found it securely fastened, he is not likely to -anticipate anything different about this one. If he uses the penknife -and cuts it open along the edge of the flap in the usual way he will -naturally hold it with the thumb upon the seal and all will be well. As a -rule, he will be more concerned to identify the coin as the one he lent -than to seek for any suspicious feature about the envelope. Even in the -unlikely case of his tearing open the envelope, instead of cutting it, -it is doubtful whether he would detect the use of the seccotine, which -should by this time be practically dry; and by the rest of the spectators -it would still be taken for granted that this envelope, like the rest, -was sealed in the ordinary way. - -It will be obvious to the expert reader that the central idea, viz., -the transformation by the use of seccotine of an open envelope into -one apparently sealed in the regular way, is one that admits of a wide -variety of detail as to the mode of presentation. For instance: The -procedure suggested for getting rid of the duplicate coin, and apparently -rubbing it into the envelope, is but one of many alternatives. The coin -might be “passed” by the agency of fire, _i.e._, wrapped in a piece of -flash paper with open fold at bottom and flared off at the psychological -moment over a candle flame, or it might be got rid of by vanishing it -into the pocket of a black art mat, or by the use of a black art patch, -as described at page 20. - -The critical part of the trick is the “switching” of the two envelopes at -the final stage, but in view of their small size this is a matter of very -little difficulty. The expert will probably do this after some fashion of -his own. The less instructed reader may use the following plan, which he -will find by no means difficult of execution, though it will need some -little practice to work it neatly. - -While the second envelope is being opened, get the trick envelope from -the pochette into the right hand, clipping it against the second and -third joints of the second and third fingers, with the “seal” side turned -away from them. When the genuine envelope is handed to you receive it -with the left hand, and immediately transfer it to the right, pushing it -between the fingers and the palmed one, with the seal facing in the same -direction. The moment it is masked by the fingers push the trick envelope -outward with the thumb, bringing this into view in its place. Smartly -executed the change is instantaneous and cannot possibly be detected. -The apparent object of passing it from hand to hand is to have the left -hand empty and so free to take back the penknife from the last holder. -From this point all will be easy, as it is the trick envelope which is -now alone in view, and all you have to guard against is any accidental -exposure of the one now hidden in the hand. - -This description may justly appear somewhat long-winded, but its length -is occasioned by the number of small details demanding notice. In -performance, the trick should not take, at most, more than ten minutes. -The introductory patter may of course be shortened at pleasure. - -[18] If the performer does not object to the slight additional trouble, -he will find an easy method of obtaining envelopes exactly square and of -any desired description of paper, indicated in the chapter entitled “A -Few Wrinkles,” _post._ - -[19] This rigmarole may equally well be used by way of introduction to -any other trick of sufficient importance. King George’s puzzlement about -the dumplings is said to be a matter of history, but, I do not guarantee -it as a fact. - - -THE WIZARD’S POCKETBOOK - -This is an extremely small volume, consisting in fact of six pages only, -and no letterpress, the instructions for its use being embodied in a -separate leaflet. On each of its pages are miniature reproductions of -thirty-six playing cards, six in a row; every card of the pack being -represented once at least among the whole number. The object of the book -is to enable the owner to discover the name of a card drawn (or merely -thought of) by some member of the company. The chooser is only asked to -look at the book, and state on which one or more of its pages the card -in question appears, when the performer, without seeing or handling the -book himself, can instantly name the card. The six pages of the book are -reproduced in the diagrams which follow. Figs. 37-42. - -[Illustration: FIG. 37] - -[Illustration: FIG. 38] - -[Illustration: FIG. 39] - -[Illustration: FIG. 40] - -[Illustration: FIG. 41] - -[Illustration: FIG. 42] - -To be in a position to work the trick, it is necessary in the first -place to memorise each of the fifty-two cards of the pack in connection -with a particular number. This may at first sight appear a formidable -undertaking, but it is not so in reality. - -All that really needs to be memorised is the order of the suits; which is -as under: - - 1. Clubs. - 2. Hearts. - 3. Spades. - 4. Diamonds. - -This order may be instantly recalled by using as a memory-peg the -word _CH_a_S_e_D_, which contains the initials of the four suits in -the proper order, or the reader may if he prefers it recall them by -reflecting that _Cool Heads Soon Decide_. - -The arrangement of each suit follows the natural order, the ace of clubs -being No. 1; the deuce 2; and the trey 3; knave 11; queen 12 and king 13. -The card next following, viz., the ace of hearts, will be 14; the deuce -of hearts 15, and so on, the complete arrangement being as shown below: - - 1. Ace of clubs. - 2. Deuce of clubs. - 3. Trey of clubs. - 4. Four of clubs. - 5. Five of clubs. - 6. Six of clubs. - 7. Seven of clubs. - 8. Eight of clubs. - 9. Nine of clubs. - 10. Ten of clubs. - 11. Knave of clubs. - 12. Queen of clubs. - 13. King of clubs. - 14. Ace of hearts. - 15. Deuce of hearts. - 16. Trey of hearts. - 17. Four of hearts. - 18. Five of hearts. - 19. Six of hearts. - 20. Seven of hearts. - 21. Eight of hearts. - 22. Nine of hearts. - 23. Ten of hearts. - 24. Knave of hearts. - 25. Queen of hearts. - 26. King of hearts. - 27. Ace of spades. - 28. Deuce of spades. - 29. Trey of spades. - 30. Four of spades. - 31. Five of spades. - 32. Six of spades. - 33. Seven of spades. - 34. Eight of spades. - 35. Nine of spades. - 36. Ten of spades. - 37. Knave of spades. - 38. Queen of spades. - 39. King of spades. - 40. Ace of diamonds. - 41. Deuce of diamonds. - 42. Trey of diamonds. - 43. Four of diamonds. - 44. Five of diamonds. - 45. Six of diamonds. - 46. Seven of diamonds. - 47. Eight of diamonds. - 48. Nine of diamonds. - 49. Ten of diamonds. - 50. Knave of diamonds, - 51. Queen of diamonds. - 52. King of diamonds. - -The arrangement of the table being once understood, the number associated -with any given card in the club suit suggests itself automatically, -_e.g._, the seven of clubs is likewise No. 7 in the list. To ascertain -the name of the card corresponding to any of the higher numbers, all that -is needed is to subtract from that number 13, or such higher multiple of -thirteen as the case will admit, and the difference will represent its -position in its own suit. - -Suppose, for instance, that the performer desires to know what card -answers to the number 20. Deducting thirteen from 20, the remainder, 7, -tells him that the card is the seventh (_i.e._ the seven) of the second -suit, viz., hearts. If he wants to know the name of No. 29, he deducts -26, when the remainder, 3, tells him that the card is the three of the -third suit, spades. If the card be No. 40, the number to be deducted -will be 39, and the remainder, 1, tells him that the card is the first -of the fourth suit, viz., the ace of diamonds. After a very few trials, -this little exercise in mental arithmetic becomes so familiar that the -calculation becomes practically instantaneous. - -Going a step further; with each of the six pages of the pocket-book is -associated a special number, known as its “key” number. These are as -under: - - Page 1 Key Number 1 - ” 2 ” ” 2 - ” 3 ” ” 4 - ” 4 ” ” 8 - ” 5 ” ” 16 - ” 6 ” ” 32 - -The memorising of these is also a very simple matter, for it will be -noted that the key numbers are the first six factors of the familiar -geometrical progression, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. Printed as below: - - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - --------------------- - 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 - -the upper figures, in ordinary type, expressing the numbers of the pages, -and the lower, in black type, the corresponding key numbers, a very small -amount of study will associate them so closely in the mind as to fix them -firmly in the memory. - -Having mastered these two simple lessons, the learner is in a position -to use the pocket-book. To ascertain the card chosen, he has only to add -together the key numbers of the pages in which he is told that such card -appears. The total will be the number at which that card stands in the -list given on page 185, and, this being known, it becomes an easy matter -to name the card itself. - -We will suppose, for instance, that performer is told that the chosen -card appears on the second page, and no other. The key number of this -page being 2, the card must be the second in the list, viz., the deuce -of clubs. If he is told that the chosen card is to be found on pages 1, -3 and 6: the key number of these three pages being 1, 4 and 32: together -making 37, and thirty-seven less twenty-six being eleven, he knows that -the card must be the eleventh of the third suit, otherwise the knave of -spades. If he is told that the card is on the third, fifth and sixth -pages, the key numbers of which are 4, 16 and 32, total 52, it is clear -that the card must be the last in the list, viz., the king of diamonds. - - * * * * * - -So much for the working of the trick. But the reader, if of an enquiring -mind, will naturally ask, “How is this result obtained?” The answer -rests upon a special property of the geometrical progression which forms -the six key numbers. It is a curious fact that by the use of these six -numbers, either singly or in combination with others of the series, any -number, from unity up to 63, can be expressed. Thus, the numbers, 1, 2, -4, 8, 16 and 32 we already have, these being numbers of the series. As to -other numbers: - - 1 + 2 = 3 - 4 + 1 = 5 - 4 + 2 = 6 - 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 - 8 + 1 = 9 - 8 + 2 = 10 - 8 + 2 + 1 = 11 - 8 + 4 = 12 - 8 + 4 + 1 = 13 - -and so on throughout up to 52, which being the limit of the pack, is the -highest number with which we need concern ourselves. - -In making up the pages of the pocket-book, advantage has been taken of -this principle. A given card is inserted on that page or pages (and those -only) whose key numbers, alone or added together, correspond with the -position which the card holds in the list. Thus the ace of clubs will -appear on the first page (not because it is the first card, but because -the key number of that page is 1) and on no other. The deuce of clubs, -in like manner, on page 2, the key number of that card being two. The -next card, the three of clubs, must appear on page 1 and page 2, their -key numbers together amounting to 3. The process as to cards standing -at higher numbers is the same. Thus, the ace of spades, being the -twenty-seventh card, and twenty-seven being the aggregate of 16, 8, 2 and -1, will appear on the first, second, fourth and fifth pages. Conversely, -if the performer is told that the card appears on the four pages last -named, he knows that it is the twenty-seventh card, _i.e._, the ace of -spades. Any spaces remaining vacant on the page after the whole pack has -been dealt with, are filled up by duplicates of cards already figuring -_on the same page_, their appearing under these conditions making no -difference to the calculation. - -I am indebted to an ingenious amateur, Mr. Victor Farrelly, for the -idea of a novel method of using the pocket-book. Mr. Farrelly does not -offer of his own accord to show what can be done with it, but keeps it -in reserve, for use in a special emergency. Every conjurer meets now and -then with the pig-headed person who absolutely declines to have a given -card forced upon him, and persists in endeavouring to extract one from -some other part of the pack. Armed with the pocket-book, the performer -can set such a person at defiance, and indeed get additional _kudos_ from -his objectionable behaviour. - -He cheerfully gives up the struggle, saying “You seem to think, sir, -that I wish to influence your choice in some way. To prove the contrary, -I give the pack into your own hands. Shuffle it well. Thank you. Now -take from it any card you please. Look at it, and put it in your pocket. -You are satisfied, I presume, that I do not know that card? You are -quite right. I have not the smallest idea of it, but I shall discover -it without the smallest difficulty by a process of mathematical magic. -I have here” (producing pocket-book) “a little book of six pages, on -each of which thirty-six cards are illustrated. Will you kindly see -whether the card you chose is represented among those on the first page? -Meanwhile I will divide the pack, which please remember I have not -touched since you shuffled it yourself, into six portions, one for each -page of the book.” This is done, the six packets being turned face down -on the table. - -We will suppose that the chosen card is not found on the first page. -“Then,” says the performer, “this first packet will tell me nothing, and -may be disregarded. Now, for the second page, is your card upon that? It -is? Then I draw two cards from the second heap, and turn up one of them. -And now for the third page. Do you find your card there? You do? Then I -take up three cards from the third packet, and again turn up the last -one.” - -We will suppose that the chosen card is not found in either the fourth -or the fifth page, but re-appears on the sixth, whereupon six cards are -counted off from the corresponding packet, and the last of them turned -up. The performer has by this time mentally added up the key numbers of -the second, third and sixth pages: viz., 2, 4 and 32, together making 38, -and knows therefrom that the card is the thirty-eighth in the list, viz., -the queen of spades. He does not however at once display his knowledge, -but pretends to make a mental calculation from the cards exposed upon the -table, giving, if he so pleases, and the cards lend themselves to it, -some fanciful explanation of his method. It seems to me, however, that -this last is a needless elaboration. Personally, I should prefer merely -to call attention by name to the cards exposed, and say, “When these -three cards appear in conjunction, it is clear that the card drawn was -the queen of spades” (or whatever it may happen to be). Any one deluded, -as the majority will probably be, into believing that you really infer -the name of the drawn card from those on the table, will be farther from -the real solution than ever. - - - - -CONCERNING PATTER - - -It will doubtless have been observed that I have in the foregoing pages -been somewhat lavish in respect of patter. I have done so for two or -three reasons. - -First, in order to enable the reader to form a better estimate of the -effect of the trick presented, duly clothed and coloured, to the mind -of the spectator. A trick described, however minutely, from the mere -mechanical or technical point of view, gives scarcely more idea of its -actual effect than the rough charcoal sketch of the artist does of the -finished painting. Secondly, because ready-made patter, if the reader -cares to use it, will save him a considerable amount of trouble. My third -reason is more personal, namely, that it has been a labour of love to do -so. To my mind the devising of some little bit of appropriate fiction -to serve as introduction to a trick is the pleasantest part of the -inventor’s work. - -It may perhaps be thought that I have, in some of the more ambitious -tricks, been overliberal in this particular. I remember thinking, -after witnessing a “show” by Dr. Lynn, a popular performer of the last -generation, that he had talked a great deal, and done very little, and -that I had had very little real magic for my money. On the other hand, -the loquacious doctor was always amusing, and it must not be forgotten -that to amuse, even more than to puzzle, is the _raison d’être_ of the -modern magician. It seems to me therefore quite legitimate to use, to a -reasonable extent, the art of the _raconteur_ to supplement that of the -magician. - -If my own patter is in some cases found superabundant, I have at any rate -done my best to make it amusing, and if the reader opines that I have -not paid sufficient regard to the late Mr. Ducrow’s celebrated maxim, -“Cut the cackle, and come to the ’osses,” he is quite at liberty to cut -my cackle to what he may consider more reasonable proportions. No doubt, -time would be saved thereby. If, for instance, he were to cut out the -little romantic fictions with which I have introduced “The Miracle of -Mumbo Jumbo” and “The Story of the Alkahest,” and start “right away” with -the bare performance of the trick, both could be exhibited in little more -time than I have allotted to either alone. Which treatment is likely to -give the greater satisfaction to his audience, he must decide for himself. - -Where the performer has the gift (for a “gift” it undoubtedly is) of -devising effective patter for himself I am strongly in favour of his -doing so. Borrowed patter may be likened to a borrowed dress-coat. It is -never likely to be an exact fit, and a “giant’s robe upon a dwarfish -thief,” or the reverse, cannot be expected to be a becoming garment. -Every man has, or should have, a style of his own, and it is rarely -good policy to imitate that of somebody else. If a low comedy man were -to essay to play Hamlet, or a tragedian, however eminent, were to try -to give an imitation of Harry Lauder, the result would be likely to be -disappointing. - -The reader, undertaking to write his own patter, and desirous of making -it just what patter should be, will find counsels of perfection in “Our -Magic,” and the more nearly he can approach them the better. As, however, -all have not the good fortune to possess that admirable work, I venture -to indicate what to my own mind seem to be the chief points to be aimed -at. - -It is almost a commonplace to say that the main object of patter is -misdirection. As the term is more usually applied, this means something -said or done midway in the course of a trick to draw away the attention -of the audience at some critical moment, and to create what the French -conjurers call a “_temps_” _i.e._, an “opportunity” for doing, unnoticed, -some necessary act. But misdirection may very well start at an earlier -stage than this: in fact, well in advance of the actual execution of the -trick. Each trick should have some sort of introduction, and the patter -serving this purpose should be such as to lead the mind of the hearer -away from the true explanation of the marvel, and to suggest, in a more -or less plausible way, some other, remote from the real one. - -The suggested explanation may be either pseudo-scientific, where possible -based on some generally accepted truth (and it is surprising what a -long way even a few grains of truth go in such cases); or it may be -downright “spoof,” delivered however with due appearance of seriousness. -The explanations will naturally fall a good deal short of the George -Washington standard of truthfulness, but the most tender conscience need -not in such a case have any scruples on the score of veracity. No sane -person expects truth in a fairy tale, and a magical entertainment, from -beginning to end, is but a fairy tale in action. To put the matter in an -epigrammatic nutshell: - - Truth is “a gem of purest ray serene,” - A virtue always to be cultivated, - But such depends,--you’ll gather what I mean,-- - On how you happen to be situated. - At home, abroad, wherever I may be, - I tell the honest truth, and shame the d----. - But when you ask to be deceived. Good gracious! - You can’t expect me then to be veracious. - In that case only do I make exception, - And most deceive when vowing “no deception.” - -This function of patter, the leading away the minds of the audience -from the true explanation of the puzzle offered them, may be materially -assisted by the introduction, among the “properties” used, of some -object professedly essential to the trick, but as a matter of fact having -no real concern with the effect produced. The audience take for granted -that it must have something to do with the effect, or it would not be -used, and are thereby led away the more effectually from the actual -explanation. Numerous illustrations of the use of this device will be -found in the foregoing pages. - -If, in the case of a given trick, the performer is absolutely at a -loss to produce a satisfactory fable to introduce it, he may evade the -difficulty by stating that he is about to produce an effect for which he -cannot himself account, and inviting the assistance of his audience in -doing so. - -The second function of patter is the calling of the attention of the -audience to matters which you desire them to take note of, and to give -opportunity to do so. There is small credit to be gained by changing -the ace of clubs into the ace of hearts, or making a given article pass -invisibly from one spot to another, unless the spectators have been first -made to realise the original state of things, and they must be allowed -_sufficient time_ to do so. I have more than once seen an otherwise -brilliant show spoilt by being rushed through at railroad speed. The mind -of the spectator had not been allowed time to receive clear impressions. -The company in such a case disperses with a consciousness of having had a -rapid succession of surprises, but with only a cloudy recollection as to -what they were. - -In devising, as is sometimes desirable, new patter for an old trick, -an endeavour should be made to look at the effect from an entirely -fresh point of view, so as to make the trick practically a new one. A -remarkable instance of such a transformation is furnished by an incident -in the life of Robert-Houdin. At one period of his career he was -entrusted by the French Government with a very important mission. He was -sent to Algeria, specially charged to “astonish the natives,” and by his -greater wonders to destroy their belief in the pretended miracles of the -Aissoua. - -Among other surprises, he decided to make use of his “Light and Heavy -Chest,” a chest which, as the reader is doubtless aware, became at -command, by means of an electro-magnet in the pedestal on which it -rested, so “heavy” that the strongest man could not lift it from its -base. This trick, produced at a time when the phenomena of electricity -were but little understood, has produced an immense sensation at his -Paris performances. But the Master instinctively felt that the trick in -that shape would produce little or no effect on the more primitive mind -of the Arab. He would simply have taken for granted some mechanical means -of holding down the chest, beyond his own comprehension, no doubt, but by -no means to be regarded as miraculous. Robert-Houdin decided to change -the mode of presentation altogether, and to make the illusion no longer -objective, but subjective. He announced that by means of his magic power -he could take away the strength of the strongest man, and render him weak -as a little child. The “chest” was in this case merely brought forward -in a casual way, as a convenient object wherewith the assertion of the -magician could be tested. The strongest man in the company was invited to -come forward, and try whether he could lift that little box. Of course he -could, and did; a child could have done the same. “You lifted it because -I permitted you to do so,” said the magician. “But I take away your -strength. Try to lift it now!” - -Again the athlete tries his strength, but now he fails. With teeth set, -and every muscle tense, he strains, and strains, but in vain, and he has -to confess that the infidel wonder-worker has, for the time, taken away -all his strength. Here was a wizard indeed! - -In arranging your patter, be humorous if you can, but if, like the -gentleman we have all heard of, you “joke with difficulty,” don’t force -yourself to be funny. That it is possible for a man lacking humour still -to be a great conjurer is proved by the case of Hartz, who was notably -deficient in this particular, but by his excellence in other directions -won a place in the very first rank of his profession. But if you cannot -be humorous, at any rate be cheerful. Geniality of manner is one of the -most valuable assets of the conjurer. Above all, don’t be nervous. You -may say “I can’t help it,” but to a great extent you can. It is largely a -matter of _will_. Start with the idea that all will go well, and it will -probably do so. On the other hand, a low-spirited conjurer always makes a -low-spirited audience. - -In any case, be sparing of puns, which have been deservedly described as -the lowest form of wit. A single pun, if good enough (or bad enough) may -win a laugh, and score to your credit, but to pepper an audience with -verbal shrapnel in the shape of puns is an outrage on good taste. - -Passing to the third function of patter, the misdirection of attention in -the course of a trick, we will assume that you have made a start in the -right direction at the outset, by suggesting some fanciful explanation -of the effect you intend to produce, so that your audience, starting -from wrong premises, do not know the points at which their too close -observation would be inconvenient. The best way of diverting their -attention at one of these critical points is obviously to attract it -to some other direction. A mere sentence, particularly if accompanied -by appropriate action, will suffice. Supposing, to take an elementary -instance, that the performer desires to drop unseen into the profonde -from his left hand some small article for which he has just deftly -substituted a duplicate, now exhibited in the right hand, he has only to -say, “Now I want you particularly to keep an eye on this”--whatever the -article in the right hand may happen to be. All eyes are for the moment, -instinctively drawn to the object in question, and in that moment the -deed is done. The artifice is ridiculously simple, but it is effective, -and it is on being fully prepared with the right thing to say and do at -the critical moment that the success of a magical entertainment largely -depends. Careful rehearsal, preferably before an expert friend, will -furnish the best hints as to the danger-spots in the working of a trick, -and how best to devise patter to meet them. - -A final word of advice--advice that has been often given, but cannot be -too often repeated if you really aim to carry your audience with you. -Never lose sight of the fact that you are, in the words of Robert-Houdin, -“an actor playing the part of a magician,” and take your office -seriously. In particular, never before an audience use the word “trick,” -which at once gives away all your pretension to magical power. An actor -never tells his audience that he is an actor or that he is playing a -part. He does not call their attention to his make-up, however excellent, -or tell them that his wig comes from Clarkson. On the contrary, he does -his best to make his audience for the time forget that he is Hubert -de Barnstormer, or whatever his stage name may be, and to keep up the -illusion that he is actually the person whom he represents. The modern -magician should do the same. If he has enough of the true artistic -spirit to imagine, when he steps forward on the platform, that he _is_ -a magician, and that his miracles are genuine, he will go a long way -towards producing a like impression in the minds of his audience. Bearing -this in mind, describe what you propose to do as an “effect,” a “marvel,” -an “experiment,” or a “phenomenon”; never by any chance as a “trick.” - -It may be objected that I have myself repeatedly used the obnoxious -word in the course of the foregoing pages, but that is another matter. -This book is written by a conjurer for conjurers: and as between -ourselves we are forced to admit, painful though it be to do so, that -our greatest miracles are only tricks. But we need not tell the public -so. Logically-minded, persons know it well enough, if they are allowed -to think about the matter. Our business is to make them, for the time, -forget it. A wise old Roman said: _Populus vult decipi: decipiatur_. Your -audience wish to be deceived; in fact they have come together for that -purpose. By all means let them be deceived to the top of their bent; and -the first step towards effectually deceiving them, is to persuade them, -if possible, that there is “no deception.” - -The patter for a given trick, once composed, and tested by a few -performances in public, may thenceforth, so far as the professional is -concerned, be left to take care of itself. It should automatically -improve with each of its earlier repetitions as good wine improves -in bottle. Faults will correct themselves, and being made perfect by -practice, the performer will thenceforth be able to “speak his piece” -without effort, and devote his whole energies to the actual working of -the trick. - -To the amateur, only performing on special occasions, with perhaps -considerable intervals between them, I commend a plan from which I myself -derived great benefit, viz.: Write out from memory the patter for each -trick on the programme a day or two before a coming performance. After -you have given your show, go through your manuscript again carefully, -noting and correcting it in any point in which the patter failed to be -exactly right. The interpolation of a single sentence, the transposition -in point of sequence of two movements, or the alteration of some trifling -detail, such as standing at a different angle to your table at a given -moment, may make all the difference between partial failure and complete -success. - - - - -THE USE OF THE WAND - - -Closely connected with the subject of patter is the use of the wand, -which in my own opinion cannot be too sedulously cultivated. To the cases -in which the wand itself forms the prominent item of the trick, I devoted -a special chapter in “Later Magic.” To these therefore I need not further -refer. More important, however, is the part played by the wand from the -point of view of general utility. - -In the first place, it is the only remnant of the traditional outfit -of the magician. Time was, when the regulation costume of the wizard -was a sugarloaf hat, and a robe embroidered with highly coloured mystic -symbols. Such a robe is still worn as part of their make-up, by Chung -Ling Soo and a few other Orientals, but the orthodox costume of the -latter-day wizard is ordinary evening dress. The wand alone remains; the -symbol and the professed instrument of his mystic powers, and from its -traditional connection with magic, there is a special prestige attached -to it. - -For these reasons alone it would be desirable to retain the use of the -wand, but apart from them, its practical uses are many and various. -One of the first difficulties of the novice, as he comes forward to -introduce himself to his audience, is to know what to do with his hands. -He can hardly advance with hand on heart, within his vest, _à la_ -Pecksniff. Held open, with arms hanging down by the sides, the hands look -too stiff, and to advance with them in his pockets would hardly be good -form. By coming forward wand in hand, he avoids these difficulties. The -hand holding it automatically assumes an easy and natural position, and -he ceases to think about the other. With the wand held in the right hand -across the body, its free end resting on the palm of the opposite hand, -he is in an ideal attitude for delivering his introductory patter. Later -on, by holding the wand in the hand, he effectually disguises the fact -that he has some object, a card, a coin, or a watch concealed therein. -If he has occasion to call attention directly to any object, the wand -forms the most natural pointer. If he finds it necessary, for some reason -connected with the trick in hand, to make a turn or half-turn away from -the spectators, the fact that he has left his wand upon the table affords -him the needful opportunity. - -Lastly, if the wand is habitually used as the professed instrument of -a desired transposition or transformation, a certain portion of an -average audience gradually becomes impressed with the idea that there -really must be some occult connection between the touch of the wand -and the effect produced. There is much virtue in what may be called a -magical atmosphere, and after the wizard has proved his magical power -by performing two or three apparent impossibilities, the mind of the -spectator (though in his calmer moments, he knows, or should know, -better), is led to adopt in a greater or less degree the solution -“forced” upon him by the conjurer. Habitual use of the wand, with -apparent seriousness, goes far to create the desired atmosphere. - -A good effect may be produced by “electrifying” the wand now and then, -by rubbing it with a handkerchief. The main uses of electricity are so -widely known, and so little understood by the million, that they are -quite ready to give it credit for still more marvellous possibilities. - -My friend Mr. Holt Schooling, mentioned in connection with _The Secret -of the Pyramids_, finds an additional use for the wand. He uses, not one -only, but half a dozen, of different appearance, each credited with some -special magical virtue. At the outset of his show these are arranged -horizontally, one above another on pins projecting from a small sloping -blackboard. For each fresh trick the wand professedly appropriate to it -is brought into action, the one last used being at the same time replaced -on the stand. The spectators do not suspect that behind each top corner -of the board is a small servante, enabling the performer, under cover of -the change of wands, to change a pack of cards, or to effect some other -substitution necessary for the purpose of his next item. - -_Verbum sap_, by all means cultivate the use of the wand, and for the -sake of effect, let it be of an elegant and distinctive character. An -office-ruler or a piece of cane would serve many of its mechanical -purposes, but would lack the prestige attached to what is, professedly, -the genuine article. - -One of the most striking proofs of the extensive use and appreciation of -the wand by modern magicians is furnished by the remarkable collection of -such implements got together by Dr. Saram R. Ellison, of New York. - -Dr. Ellison[20] is an eminent and popular physician, whose ruling passion -is wanting to know things, particularly things that other people don’t -know. Such being his temperament, it goes almost without saying that at -an early period of his career he became a Freemason. Having been duly -initiated into the mysteries of the ordinary lodge, and learnt all it -had to teach him, he still yearned for “more light,” and accordingly -worked his way up step by step through intervening degrees in masonry -till he reached what is known as the thirty-third degree, an order even -more exclusive than that of the Garter, and claiming to possess secrets -as to which the ordinary “blue” mason, even though he be a Past Grand -Everything, knows no more than the veriest outsider. - -When in this direction there were no more mysteries left for him to -conquer, Dr. Ellison naturally turned his attention to Magic: and in -accordance with his habitual determination to know all that there is -to be known with regard to his hobby for the time being he began to -collect books upon the subject. At first there were but few to collect, -but the literature of magic has grown, and grown, and side by side with -its advance Dr. Ellison’s collection has grown larger and larger till -it numbers some hundreds of volumes. Harry Kellar, the dean of American -magicians, and himself an enthusiastic collector, yearned to possess it, -and offered the doctor for it the handsome sum of two thousand dollars, -equivalent in English money to about four hundred pounds. But Dr. Ellison -was not to be tempted. In order that the collection should be preserved -intact, he donated it, some years ago, to the New York Public Library, -also providing a fund for its upkeep and further development. - -But Dr. Ellison’s interest in, and services to Magic did not end here. -He has made a collection of models, entirely the work of his own hands, -of the appliances for over sixty stage illusions. Some are of full size, -others quite miniature affairs, but one and all exact to scale. Further, -the doctor has a special affection for souvenirs of famous magicians, -past and present, especially in the shape of wands, as being the most -characteristic possession of the wizard. Accordingly, some years ago, -he began to collect wands, and he now possesses more than eighty such, -each a wand which has been habitually yielded by some more or less -famous magician. By the courtesy of Dr. Ellison I am enabled to furnish -particulars of some of them; as given in a very interesting pamphlet by -Epes W. Sargent, a well-known American writer. - -The catalogue commences with a wand formerly belonging to Professor -Anderson, the once famous “Wizard of the North.” Here are found also the -wands used by the two Herrmanns (Carl and Alexander), Buatier de Kolta, -Lafayette, Martin Chapender, Carl Willmann and others who tread the stage -no more. As regards the living, there is here a memento of nearly every -English-speaking conjurer of note: besides many others of cosmopolitan -celebrity. - -The wand here exhibited is not always the conventional ebony and -ivory affair, some of the specimens being indeed of a highly original -character. For instance, the wand contributed by a Hindu magician -consists of the leg bone of a sacred monkey from the temple of Hanuman, -the monkey god, at Benares. The wands of Madame Adelaide Herrmann and -Chung Ling Soo take the shape of fans. Horace Goldin’s is a cut-down -whip-handle, and those of Clement de Lion and Imro Fox are portions of -one-while walking-sticks, promoted to a nobler use. Mr. J. N. Maskelyne’s -“wand” is an ordinary file, which, from the inventor point of view, he -regards as the greatest of wonder-working appliances. - -My own contribution may claim to be of exceptional interest, not merely -as being in itself a curio, but as a memento of a very remarkable -man, so remarkable, indeed, that a brief notice of his career may be -interesting. It was presented to me by Professor Palmer, a gentleman who -was not, like myself, a bogus professor, but the real thing, and withal -an exceptionally eminent man. Skill in sleight-of-hand was the least of -his accomplishments. He had a marvellous gift of tongue, there being -scarcely a European or Oriental language with which he was not thoroughly -familiar. He was born at Cambridge in 1840, and from his earliest years -showed indications of his peculiar gift for acquiring languages. As -a school-boy he made friends among the gipsies, and learned to speak -their queer language so perfectly as to deceive even those to whom it -was their native tongue. In later life it was a favourite joke of his -to saunter, in company with his equally accomplished friend, Leland, -into some gipsy encampment where they were not known, and after paying -their footing by having their fortunes told, to ask some of the nomads -gathered round the fire, to talk a little Rommany for their benefit. -Gipsies are chary of speaking Rommany except among their own people, and -the inquisitive strangers were frequently told that there was no such -language; whereupon, one of them would turn to the other, and in purest -Rommany quietly express an opinion that their temporary hosts were not -thorough-bred gipsies, but of some inferior stock. This produced Rommany -in plenty, and the visitors were energetically taken to task for that, -being themselves gipsies, they should ape the dress and manners of the -Gorgio. A friendly explanation made all end happily. - -Palmer made his first start in life as a clerk in the City of London, -where in his spare time he made himself master of French and Italian. -A little later he took up the study of Persian, Arabic and Hindustani, -and speedily conquered them. In 1867, after taking his degree at the -University of Cambridge, he was elected a Fellow by his College, an -honour conferred on him in recognition of his mastery of the Oriental -languages. During the years 1868-1870 he was employed on behalf of the -Palestine Exploration Fund, to make a survey of Mount Sinai, in the -course of which he became upon friendly and indeed almost brotherly -terms with many of the wild Arab tribes, among whom he was known as -the Sheikh Abdullah. As in England he had been made free of the gipsy -tent, so in Palestine he could drop in upon many a Bedouin encampment, -and be sure of a hearty welcome. His skill in sleight-of-hand, which -he had in the first instance taken up merely as a pastime, proved to be -of immense service to him in his desert wanderings; adding not only to -his popularity but frequently gaining for him the prestige of a genuine -magician, and thereby increasing his influence. - -In 1871 he was appointed to the professorship of Oriental languages -at Cambridge, his official title being the Lord High Almoner’s Reader -of Arabic. In 1882, in anticipation of the Arabi trouble in Egypt, he -was entrusted by the then Government with the difficult and dangerous -task of winning over the Sinaitic tribes, and preventing the threatened -destruction of the Suez Canal. - -His first trip, extending from Gaza to Suez, was carried out -successfully, but on penetrating farther into the desert, he and his -two companions, Captain Gill, R.E., and Lieutenant Charrington, R.N., -fell into the hands of a tribe to whom Palmer was unknown, and were -barbarously put to death. Happily, their bodies were recovered, and -received from the nation the posthumous honour of burial in St. Paul’s -Cathedral. - -The wand presented to me by Professor Palmer is a curiosity in many ways. -It is made of acacia wood (the “shittim” wood of the Old Testament) -brought by Palmer himself from Mount Lebanon. Around it, in spiral -form, is inscribed an invocation from the Koran, in Arabic characters. -The writing of the inscription is a genuine work of art, having -been executed as a special favour to Palmer, by Hassoun, an eminent -professional “scribe.” - -I am reluctantly bound to admit that the Palmer wand, in my hands, did -not exhibit any special magical virtues, and when I ceased myself to use -it, it seemed to me that it could not find a worthier home than in Dr. -Ellison’s fine collection. - - * * * * * - -Reverting for a moment to the subject of patter, I will conclude by -quoting, for the amusement rather than the instruction of the reader, -an oration which (with variations) now and then formed my introductory -_boniment_, and might on occasion still serve, in default of better. - -“Ladies and Gentlemen, and members of the Royal Family, if any happen to -be present, I am about to exhibit for your amusement, a few experiments -in Unnatural Philosophy, otherwise Magic. - -“Magic in the olden times was a very different thing, as I daresay you -know, from what it is at present. In those days every respectable wizard -kept a familiar spirit: a sort of magical man of all work. He cleaned the -boots and knives, and when his master gave a show, it was the familiar -who worked all his miracles for him. The magician only did the talking, -and pocketed the takings. But the familiar did much bigger things than -that. If his master’s next-door neighbour made himself disagreeable, the -familiar would hoist him up and drop him in the water-butt, or into -the Red Sea, according to order. If the magician wanted a week at the -seaside, he had no need to pay railway fare. The familiar would just pick -him up, house and all, and land him gently in the middle of the mixed -bathing. The only drawback was that, sooner or later, a time came when -there was no performance, because the magician had been carried off by -his familiar on a pitchfork. - -“As the French say, _nous avons changé tout cela_. Familiars are as -extinct as the dodo. Perhaps it’s as well, but it makes it very much -harder to be a magician. In the first place you must know all about -astrology, anthropology, Egyptology and all the other ologies. You must -be well posted in mathematics, hydrostatics, pneumatics and numismatics. -You must know all about clairvoyance, palmistry and thought reading, -sympathy and antipathy, magnetism, mesmerism, wireless telegraphy, X rays -and all the other kinds of rays. Of course you must be well up in Greek -and Latin, and a little Hebrew, not to mention a few other things which -I forget for the moment, but I won’t stop to think of them now. When you -have studied these little matters fourteen hours a day for nine or ten -years, you will be as ‘chock-full of science’ as old Sol Gills himself, -and you will be able to do all sorts of wonderful things, some of which I -hope to show you this evening. - -“Before I begin, there is just one little matter I should like to -mention. You hear people talk about the quickness of the hand deceiving -the eye. I don’t know whether the quickness of the hand ever does deceive -the eye, but I want you to understand that you must not expect anything -of that sort from _me_. I am naturally slow. I was born twenty minutes -after I was expected, and I have been getting slower and slower ever -since. - -“To-night, I intend to do everything even more slowly than usual: so that -you will only have to watch me closely to see exactly how it is all done. -Then, when you go home, if you do as I do, and say as I say, without -making any mistakes, no doubt you will be able to produce the same -results. If not, there must be ‘something wrong with the works.’” - -[20] Since this was written Dr. Ellison has passed into the mysterious -beyond. - - - - -A FEW WRINKLES[21] - - -Every conjurer who has in him, as all conjurers should have, the creative -instinct of the artist, and aims therefore at putting something of -himself into his work, must of necessity be to some small extent an -amateur mechanic. The hints which follow are addressed to the reader in -that capacity. I have no pretension to teach him how to do things in the -way of construction, but merely to make the doing of them easier. Though -relating to matters in themselves small, the “tips” which follow may -safely be said to come within the scope of Captain Cuttle’s celebrated -counsel, “when found make a note of.” It often happens that the amateur -mechanic has to take considerable trouble and pains in procuring some -special requirement, while there is already on sale, at small cost, just -the thing he wants, if he only knew what to ask for, and where to get -it. The paragraphs which follow will, in some at any rate of such cases, -supply the needful information. - -1. For woodwork on a small scale, an old cigar box will often be found -suitable material. Where such a box is not available or not suitable for -the particular work in hand, what is called “three-ply” may supply the -need. This consists of three layers of thin wood glued together under -pressure, with the grain of the intermediate layer running crossway -to that of the other two, the tendency to warp being thereby greatly -reduced. Drawing-boards are, for this reason, now usually made of wood -so combined, and a drawing-board makes for many purposes a good enough -_extempore_ work-bench. For a finer class of work, the amateur mechanic, -if he is willing to take the trouble, may make his own three-ply. For -this purpose he should procure a supply of what is called “knife-cut” -veneer, _i.e._, thin sheets of walnut, mahogany, satin,--or other -hard wood, and glue them together with the white glue to be presently -described. Veneer merchants form a distinct trade, and are comparatively -few in number, but the resident in London can obtain veneer and thin -woods of all descriptions from Messrs. McEwan & Son, 282 Old Street, -E. C. In country districts the shops which hold agencies for “Hobbies” -materials also sell planed-up woods of various kinds, ranging like veneer -from one-sixteenth to half an inch in thickness. - -2. As a handy substitute for glue, most people are acquainted with the -virtues of Seccotine, in its way a most useful preparation. But there -are many purposes for which Seccotine is too aggressively viscous, while -ordinary paste is not adhesive enough. In such cases I can strongly -recommend _Pastoid_, a composition midway between glue and paste. For all -purposes for which paste (in small quantity) is ordinarily used, Pastoid -may be substituted with advantage. I myself came across it accidentally -two or three years ago, “since when,” like the gentleman in the soap -advertisement, “I have used no other.” The maker is Henry Roberts, -Middlesborough, but it should be obtainable of any up-to-date stationer -or fancy dealer. It is supplied in glass jars, at sixpence and a shilling. - -3. Where an actual glue, of fine quality, is needed, procure sheet -gelatine, to be had of any grocer. Cut into small pieces and melt in -an ordinary gluepot using water enough to make the resulting solution -about as thick as ordinary gum water. It should be used as near boiling -point as possible, and the joined surfaces left to dry under the -heaviest pressure available. A joint made with this glue is practically -invisible.[22] - -4. For dividing up thin stuff (wood or cardboard), into rectangular -slabs, the handiest tool is the “cutting gauge.” This is practically -identical with the better known “marking gauge,” save that the “marker” -is replaced by a little spade-pointed cutter. This tool is only available -for cutting wood up to say eight inches in width, but to the amateur -attempting small work only, it will be found invaluable. - -5. For staining wood or cardboard a deep dead black I have found nothing -better than the “Record Jet Stain,” manufactured by the Record Polish -Company, Eccles, Manchester. It is normally designed for staining leather -only, the makers not having apparently realised its usefulness in other -directions. It is to be had of any dealer in leather goods, in twopenny -and sixpenny bottles. In many cases I have found it best to rub it in -with a pad, rather than to apply it with a brush, but this will of course -depend largely on the nature of the article to be treated. - -6. An excellent polish for use after staining, or for other purposes, -is made by dissolving _white_ wax in turpentine, to the consistency -of cream. Applied sparingly, with plenty of friction to follow, this -produces a clean hard gloss, free from the stickiness which is sometimes -left after the use of other polishes. - -7. For enamelling small articles use Maurice’s Porceleine (the makers of -which are Walter Carson & Sons, Grove Works, Battersea, S. W.) procurable -at “oil and colour” men in tins from three-halfpence upwards. - -8. For any article to be made of flat card or mill-board, without -folding or bending, preference should be given to “Bristol” board, sold -by artists’ colour-men. This is somewhat more expensive but is stiffer -and harder and has a better surface than the commoner articles. - -9. For joining wood to wood without glue where there is no great -thickness to be penetrated, “needle-points,” procurable of any -ironmonger, will be found useful. These are stout eyeless needles, of -very brittle steel, about two inches in length. To use them, bore with -a fine bradawl a hole partially through the wood, then drive in the -needle-point by gentle tapping with a hammer, and when it has penetrated -the desired depth snap off all that remains above the surface. - -10. Also useful for many purposes are what are called by drapers -“blanket” pins. These are of brass, and a card of such pins in -three sizes, ranging from two to three inches in length and varying -proportionately in thickness, may be bought for a penny. Pins a trifle -shorter and thinner than the above are known as “laundry” pins. Apart -from their normal uses, pins of these kinds are very useful for bending -into hooks, or to cut up into short lengths of stiff straight wire for -pivots or otherwise. - -11. For all effects dependent upon a thread pull use, in place of -ordinary thread, _plaited_ silk fishing line. This is procurable of -any sports’ outfitter or fishing tackle dealer, in twenty and forty -yard lengths, and in half a dozen grades of thickness, the finest being -not much thicker than a hair line. The breaking strain of this is much -greater than that of ordinary thread, and it has the further advantage -that being plaited instead of twisted it does not unroll or “kink” in -use. Allcock, of Redditch, a name familiar to all anglers, is a noted -maker of such line, but he has no monopoly of its manufacture. It is -usually sold white, but may be easily dyed any desired colour. - -For this last valuable “tip” I am again indebted to my often-quoted -friend, Mr. Holt Schooling, who, as an enthusiastic angler, is an expert -as to lines of all descriptions. The reader will find numerous instances -of the practical use of such line in the earlier part of this book. - -A good way of dyeing line is to thread a needle on to one end, and pass -it by the aid of the needle through one corner, moistened with the -appropriate dye, of a soft sponge, and then back again through the dry -part of the sponge to clean off any excess of moisture. When dry, if -necessary, repeat the process. - -12. Square envelopes, for the purpose of forming “nests” or otherwise, -are now and then needed by the conjurer, but envelopes precisely square -(save the small variety known as “pence” envelopes) are not kept in -“stock” by stationers in the ordinary way. When such are needed the -readiest plan is to take an envelope of the long “bag” shape and shorten -it to an exact square, closing the lower end as before. Envelopes of -the above kind are procurable in many varieties of paper, and in widths -ranging by various fractions of an inch from four inches upwards. - -13. To make a line, thick or thin, run freely over a pulley-wheel or -through an eyelet, use as a lubricant powdered talcum, otherwise known -as French chalk. This is equally useful for minimising friction between -wooden surfaces, or between wood and metal, say between a pulley-wheel -and the pivot on which it turns. Where the slight extra cost is not an -obstacle the use of ivory as the material of a pulley-wheel secures the -perfection of easy running. - - * * * * * - -It is, I trust, hardly necessary to say that wherever I have mentioned -an article to be had by purchase, my recommendation is based solely -upon practical experience of its merits. I have no interest, direct or -indirect, in any of the articles mentioned, and my knowledge of their -manufacturers is derived solely from their respective labels. - -[21] This book having been written primarily with a view to British -readers, some of my recommendations will naturally be of no value to my -American friends, but I have not thought it necessary to delete them. L. -H. - -[22] For the information contained in this paragraph, as also that -relating to the use of Veneers I am indebted to Mr. Holt Schooling, who -is an expert in such matters. My own essays in the direction of fancy -cabinet-making have for the most part been limited to rough models to be -reproduced in finished shape by more practised hands. - - - - -L’ENVOI - - -With these last lines I lay down my pen, as I have long since laid down -the wand. I do so with regret, for writing about magic has always been to -me a labour of love, but failing energy and failing eyesight warn me that -my day is over, and that “the night cometh, wherein no man can work.” - -When I first began to discourse of magic, I had the whole field, in a -literary sense, to myself. That state of things has long since ceased to -be. Fertile brains and ready writers have taken up my task, and magic has -now a worthy literature, growing day by day. “So mote it be!” - -Furthermore, if I may be allowed a word of advice, let me say that every -lover of magic, be he professional or amateur, should join a magical -society. No great work can be carried forward without organization, and -the success of such bodies as The Magician’s Club and the Magic Circle -here, and the Society of American Magicians over seas, has proved that -magic is no exception to the rule. - -I must not close without a word of hearty thanks to Harry Houdini, Oscar -S. Teale and John W. Sargent, of the Society of American Magicians, for -their generous offices in connection with the publication of my book. -With this last legacy to the friends, at home and abroad, who have -derived pleasure or profit from my writings, I bid them a cheery farewell. - - LOUIS HOFFMANN. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Latest Magic, by -Professor Louis Hoffmann and Angelo Lewis - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LATEST MAGIC *** - -***** This file should be named 55279-0.txt or 55279-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/2/7/55279/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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