Part 4

“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.