Part 25

_First Method, with three cards out of the piquet pack of thirty-two cards._ Let any person select three cards, and place them separately, faces downwards, on the table. On each of these must be placed as many cards as will, with the number of pips on the card, make fifteen. The remaining cards are to be handed to the performer, who goes through any farce he chooses to make the audience believe that his calculations depend upon the pips of the cards handed to him. The actual result is obtained by adding sixteen to the number of the remaining cards. For instance, suppose the cards selected are a king, a ten, and an eight; on the king (which counts ten) will be placed five cards, on the ten will be placed five cards, and on the eight will be placed seven cards, making in all twenty cards used and twelve remaining. The total number of the pips will be twenty-eight, made up of the king, which equals ten, the ten, and the eight, _i.e._, 10 + 10 + 8 = 28. The twelve cards which remain, added to sixteen, also make twenty-eight.

_Second Method, with two cards out of the ordinary fifty-two card pack._ The two cards must be placed as the three described in the first method, and each have placed upon it sufficient cards, with the number of pips on the card, to make up twenty-five. The number of cards remaining will be the number of pips on the two bottom cards. For instance: take it that the nine card and the seven card are selected; on the nine card sixteen other cards will have to be placed, and on the seven card eighteen other cards, making thirty-six cards in all, leaving sixteen cards over; thus 52-36 = 16, or 9 + 7 = 16.

LIKE WITH LIKE.

Select from a full pack all the picture cards and aces and one ordinary card; place the ordinary card in the centre of a table, and proceed with the following descriptive and illustrated anecdote:--"One dark night four farmers came to a tavern, represented by the card on the table, and asked for a night's lodging. The landlord, having four unoccupied rooms, showed one farmer into each of the rooms." (At this point place round the card representing the tavern the four knaves). Proceed: "Not long after, four policemen knocked at the door, and also requested lodging for the night; but as the rooms were all occupied, each policeman had to share a room with one of the farmers." (Here place an ace over each of the four knaves.) "Presently four gentlemen came with a similar request, and for the same reason a gentleman was put into each of the already occupied apartments." (Here place a king upon each ace.) "To add to the crowding and inconvenience consequent upon these arrangements, four ladies next called and required accommodation, and the landlord, at his wits' end, placed a lady in each of the already over-tenanted rooms." (Place a queen above each king.) "The ladies were naturally indignant, and suggested that it might at least be arranged that they should be placed together in one room, similar requests being at the same time made by the kings, the policemen, and the farmers. The landlord consented, and all were soon lodged like with like." While finishing the story, place the four descriptions of cards in heaps, and one heap upon the top of the other, and let them be cut as often as is desired. If the cards are now told off in order from the bottom of the pack, and placed around the tavern, the knaves will be found in one circle, the aces in another, the kings in a third, and the queens in a fourth.

TO MAKE A CARD COME OF ITS OWN ACCORD OUT OF A PACK.

Let a card be drawn, ascertain its designation by means of one of the sleights already described, or when it is replaced in the pack keep its position in view. Being previously supplied with a tiny piece of wax attached to a long hair, press the wax on the card in question, retaining the hair attached to the thumb or wrist-link. Place the cards on the table, and by means of the hair pull away from the others the card that was drawn. The hair will be imperceptible to the audience if placed facing the performer. While pulling the card away, say that the card chosen will now walk out of the pack. When it is separated from the pack the performer should quickly take it, remove the wax, and expose it to view.

TO DRAW A PARTICULAR CARD FROM A COAT POCKET.

For this trick a _long_ card will be required. _Force_ that card upon some person, hand him the pack, and request him to be good enough to place the drawn card in any position in the pack he chooses, and to place the pack in his own coat pocket, promising that the card drawn shall be picked out of the pack while in his pocket. The sense of touch will render the trick perfectly simple, and easy to perform as promised. The same trick may be varied by placing the cards under a hat, in a basket, bag, or in any other convenient receptacle.

TO DEAL OUT THE ALTERNATE CARDS IN A PACK SO THAT THE CARDS DEALT OUT SHALL FALL IN ROTATION AND IN SUITS.

The very greatest care is necessary in arranging the cards for this trick, as in the event of one card being misplaced, the whole trick will be spoiled. To arrange the pack sort the suits of spades, clubs, and diamonds in numerical sequence, and the suit of hearts in the order of seven, ace, queen, two, eight, three, jack, four, nine, five, king, six, ten; place the hearts face uppermost so that the seven is at the bottom and the ten at the top. The other suits are also to be placed face uppermost, with the aces at the bottom. Sort in together the suits of clubs and hearts by placing the seven of hearts under the ace of clubs, the ace of hearts between the ace and two of clubs, and so on. Place the suit of spades on the top of the suit of diamonds, so that the ace of spades is immediately atop of the king of diamonds. Work in together the two half-packs so formed by placing the seven of hearts under the ace of diamonds, and then take one card alternately from the bottom of each pack, so that when completely arranged the top faced card will be the king of spades, and the second card the king of clubs. The cards are then ready to be brought forward for the trick to be performed. Turn the pack face downwards, remove the top card and place it at the bottom, turn up the next card, place the third at the bottom, turn up the fourth card, and so on, alternately removing a card to the bottom of the pack and turning up a card. The cards turned up, commencing with the ace of diamonds, will fall in rotation and in suits.

TO CATCH A SELECTED CARD FROM A PACK THROWN IN THE AIR.

Let a card be drawn by a spectator, replaced by him in the pack, and by means of the _pass_ or a _false shuffle_ brought to the top by the performer. _Palm_ the card, again hand the pack to one of the spectators and request him to throw the whole pack loosely towards you, and undertake, while the cards are in the air, to pick out the drawn card. When the cards are thrown thrust the hand smartly into the middle of the pack, deftly bringing forward the _palmed_ card at the same time. This is one of the best of the simple sleights-of-hand, and a little practice will enable any one to make the illusion very pleasing.

THE FOUR RECRUITS.

The following simple deception or puzzle is always received with great amusement:--Place the four knaves out of an ordinary pack of cards in a row, state that they represent four recruits, two of whom were passed, and two refused upon the medical examination owing to a physical disability; ask the company to designate which were passed and which refused, and why. Nine people out of ten will fail to detect any difference, but upon examination of most packs of ordinary cards it will be found that two of the jacks are printed with _two eyes_ in each head, whereas the others are printed with _one eye_ only. It may also be noticed that the kings are usually printed three with two eyes in each head, and one with one eye only, while the queens are all given two eyes each. These peculiarities are not so likely to be found in the modern fanciful cards which are now becoming generally used.

THE FOUR CONFEDERATES.

Let some one draw any four cards from the pack, and tell him to notice and remember the particulars of one of them. When the four cards are returned, dexterously place two of them at the bottom and two at the top of the pack. Under those at the bottom place any other four cards, and then, taking eight or ten cards from the bottom, spread them out on the table, and ask if the card fixed upon is among them. If it is not it will then be apparent that the remembered card is one of the two at the top of the pack. Make the _pass_ so as to get those two cards to the bottom of the pack, drawing off the lowest of them; again ask if that is not the card. If the answer is again "No," bid the right card to be drawn from the bottom of the pack. If, however, the card should be among those first shown, the four cards placed under the two of the four that were held out at the commencement of the trick must be dexterously removed by making the _pass_ to the top of the pack, leaving the other two to be dealt with as above described.

THE TRANSMUTABLE CARDS.

For this trick two cards of the same sort, say, for example, the king of spades, are required in the pack. One of these is to be placed next to the bottom card, which we will call, but which may be any card, the seven of hearts. The other is to be placed at the top of the pack; then shuffle the cards by a false shuffle without disturbing these three cards, and show some one of the audience that the bottom card is the seven of hearts. Then privately and secretly drawing this card aside, take the king of spades from the bottom, which will be supposed to be the seven of hearts, and place it, face downwards, on the table, requesting the person to whom the seven of hearts was shown to cover it with his hand. Again shuffle the cards without displacing the first and last cards, pass the other king of spades from the top to the bottom of the pack, and show it to some other person. Draw it privately and secretly away, bring the seven of hearts to the bottom of the pack, then place it upon the table and request the second person who believes it to be the king of spades to cover it with his hand. Take up the magic wand, wave it, and command the seven of hearts, supposed to be under the hand of the first person, to change into the king of spades; and command the king of spades, which is supposed to be under the hand of the second person, to change into the seven of hearts. Afterwards request both persons to remove their hands and to take up and show the cards they have been covering, when, to the astonishment of all, it will be seen that the performer's commands have been strictly obeyed.

THE TWO CONVERTIBLE ACES.

On the ace of spades fix, by the use of soap or some similar substance, a heart coloured red, and on the ace of hearts a spade coloured black, in such a manner that they will easily slip off. Show these two aces round; then, taking the apparent ace of spades, desire some person to put his foot or his hand upon it, and during the act of placing on the ground, or on the table, as the case may be, draw away the spade. In like manner place the seeming ace of hearts under the foot or hand of some other person. Then, as in the preceding trick, command the two aces to change places.

A variety of this trick is sometimes practised with one card only, say the ace of spades, over which a heart is slightly pasted. After showing the card to some person, let him hold one end of it, face downwards, and while he is being amused with the "patter" of the performer who holds the other end of the card, the heart is slipped off. Then, placing the card on the table, request that it may be covered with the hand; knock under the table and command the heart to turn into a spade.

TO TELL THE NUMBER OF CARDS BY THEIR WEIGHT.

Take up a parcel of cards, say forty, among which insert two long cards; let the first long card be, for example, the fifteenth, and the other the twenty-sixth from the top. Seem to shuffle the cards, and then, cutting them at the first long card, poise those cut off in the left hand, and say, "There should be fifteen cards here." Cut them again at the second long card, and say, "There are here only eleven cards." Then holding up the remainder, say, "Here are fourteen cards." Let the different heaps be then counted, to satisfy the audience as to the accuracy of the performer's judgment.

TO DISCOVER A CARD DRAWN BY THE THROW OF A DIE.

Prepare a pack of thirty-six cards, in which six different cards are contained six times. Dispose these cards in such a manner that each of the six different cards shall follow each other, and let the last of each suit be a long card. The cards being thus disposed, it follows that if they are divided into six parcels by cutting at each of the long cards, these parcels will all consist of similar cards. Let some person draw a card from the pack, and let him replace it in the parcel from whence it was drawn, by dexterously offering that pack. Should he succeed in placing it elsewhere, bring it, by _making the pass_, into its proper position. Cut the cards several times, so that a long card may be always at the bottom. Divide the cards in this manner into six heaps, and giving a die to the person who drew the card, tell him that the number he throws shall indicate the parcel in which is the card he drew, which necessarily follows. The performer should place the cards in his pocket immediately after completing the trick, and be prepared with another pack to show should any one request to be allowed to examine the cards.

Many other card tricks might be given that are of a more complicated nature than the above, but those selected are thoroughly simple and easy, and of sufficient variety to enable an amateur performer to pass from one to another without ever being reduced to the necessity of repetition.

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CONJURING WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIAL APPARATUS.

THE TRANSPOSABLE MONEY.

This is a trick fit only for lads with plenty of pocket-money, but it is both simple and neat. Take two halfpennies and two shillings, and grind part of each coin on one side only, so that they may be but of half the usual thickness, then rivet together a shilling and a halfpenny, and file round the edges of the halfpenny to make it the same size as the shilling. Place one of these double pieces, with the shilling upwards, on the palm of the hand, at the bottom of the three first fingers; place the other piece, with the halfpenny uppermost, in like manner, on the other hand. Let the spectators notice in which hand is the halfpenny, and in which the shilling. Then shut both hands, when the pieces will naturally turn over; open the hands again, and the coins will apparently have become transposed.

THE PENETRATIVE COIN.

Provide a small box that will shut with a spring, but that can only be opened with a key, and place this box open in a pocket or some equally convenient receptacle. Ask some person present to mark a coin, so that it may be known again, say a shilling, and lend it for the purpose of the trick. Take this piece in one hand, and being provided with another coin of the same appearance to place in the other hand, slip the marked coin dexterously into the small box and close it, change the remaining coin from one hand to the other, keeping it in view of the company, in order that it may be supposed to be the marked coin. Place the box containing the marked coin upon the table, convey away the coin left in the hand, and pretend to make it pass into the box. Present the box to the person who lent the coin, and inform him that the marked coin is therein. Let the key be then given him, and when the box is unlocked, bid him thoroughly examine the coin, and satisfy himself and the audience that it is the genuine marked coin handed up by him.

At the best shops at which conjuring apparatus is supplied, boxes fitting one into the other are provided for this trick, all of which may be quickly closed at one movement, but which require considerable manipulation to open one by one.

THE PHANTOM COIN.

Take a sixpence or other small coin, the impression of which is new and sharply cut, and fasten it unnoticed by means of a bit of common wax to the end of the thumb. Then, when speaking to some one of the company, show him the coin, ask him to hold out his hand, in order that the coin may be placed therein. Keep his eyes turned from his hand by engaging them in some other direction, press the coin firmly on the palm of his hand, and bid him close his fingers over the coin, holding it tightly. The imprint of the coin on the hand will produce a sensation as if the coin were actually there, but it being stuck to the thumb of the performer, will, of course, be taken away when the victim closes his hand. Let the performer then dexterously palm the coin or make away with it in some other manner, make some cabalistic flourish of the magic wand, utter some charm, and declare the coin to have vanished. The person to whom the coin was supposed to be given will, upon opening and looking at his hand, be astonished to find nothing there.

THE COIN MELTED AND RESTORED.

Borrow from some one of the audience a half-crown piece, for preference ask for a new coin, and let it be marked before it is handed in. (N.B.--In conjuring tricks with coins and other articles of common every-day use, it is always advisable to borrow from the spectators, as the impression is then conveyed that the articles used are not specially prepared.) See that there is a good clear space between the table behind which the conjurer stands and talks, and the audience, so that without inconveniencing the spectators, or coming too near to them, he can readily pass round, and stand in front of the table when the exigencies of the trick require such a position to be taken up. Provide a lighted candle, and let it be placed upon the table. Having received the half-crown, look intently at it, rub it smartly on both sides, place it on the table beside the candlestick, and rub the hands briskly together--all this by the way of by-play-keeping up in the meantime some suitable discourse on the nature of metals, the heat required to melt them, the necessity of developing mesmeric power, and so on. Take up the coin in the right hand, moving it towards the left, as though to place it therein, but instead, during its passage, palm it in the right hand, according to the instructions given for palming a card.[2] Having pretended to place the coin in the left hand, close that hand accordingly, as though it really held the coin. Work about the fingers of that hand, as if to further mesmerise the coin, and at the same time take the candlestick in the right hand; this action, while helping the performer the more easily to keep the coin palmed in a natural manner, will make it appear to the audience that it is impossible for the coin to have been kept in that hand. The next appropriate motion is to hold the left hand, still closed, over the flame of the candle, and to work the fingers as if allowing the slowly-melting coin to ooze out by degrees, at the same time flicking the wick of the candle, and if possible damping it slightly, so as to make it "sputter." In the continuation of the talk, or "patter," at this point, call attention to the coin as in the process of being passed into the candle, open the left hand, and show that the coin is now no longer therein. After a short lapse of time, and to allow of the molten silver becoming thoroughly absorbed in the wax or tallow of the candle, put down the candlestick on the table, and with the fingers of the right hand (in which, remember, the coin remains palmed) make believe to draw the now thoroughly melted and absorbed coin out of the candle through the wick, transferring it bit by bit into the palm of the left hand. This action should be rapidly performed, and it is well if, during its progress, the sputtering of the candle can be again arranged. During the execution of this movement, bring the palmed coin immediately above the hollow of the left hand, and secretly let it fall therein. Take the fingers of the right hand from the wick of the candle, pretend to drop from them the remainder of the recovered metal into the palm of the left hand, make believe to manipulate it into its original shape by rubbing it gently with the fingers, as if still hot and difficult to hold, toss it from hand to hand in order the more rapidly to cool it, and finally return it to the spectator from whom it was borrowed.

This is one of the easiest to perform of sleight-of-hand tricks with coins, but as an introduction to a series of such tricks in a performance of parlour magic it will be found to be very effective, and will, if shown in a lively manner, with an accompaniment of appropriate "patter," never fail to elicit for the encouragement of the performer considerable applause and admiration.

THE FLYING COINS.