Page:Hocus pocus, or, The whole art of legerdemain in perfection (2).pdf/23

 out, bid him take notice where his noted card goes; when you have laid them all out, ask him in what heap it is now, put that heap in the middle as before, and lay out the cards a third time; bidding him take notice where his noted card goes, and put that heap in the middle as before; then taking the cards with their back toward you, take off the uppermost card, smelling to him, reckon him 1, then take off another, and smelling to him, reckon him 2, this do till you come to the eleventh card, for that will always be the noted card, after the third time of laying them out, though you should lay them in this manner ever so often; you must never lay out the cards less than three times, but as often above as you please. This trick may be done by any odd number of cards that may be divided by three.

To do this wonderful feat, you must have two sticks made, both of one bigness, and both of a likeness; so that none can know the one from the other; one of the sticks must be made so artificially as to conceal a card in the middle, as thus; you must have one of your sticks turned hollow quite through, and then an artificial spring to throw the card in the egg at your pleasure. The operation is thus: Take and peel any card in the pack, which you please, and so roll it up, and then put it into your false stick, and there let it be till you have occasion to make use of it; then take a pack of cards, and let any body draw a card, but be sure let it be the same sort of card that you have in the stick already; then let them put it in the pack again, and when you are