Page:Magic oracle, or, Conjuror's guide.pdf/16

 and so on to the right hand; then begin on the left hand again, and so go on until you have laid out the twenty-one cards in three heaps, at the same time requesting any one to think of a card. When you have laid them out, ask him which heap his card is in: then lay that heap in the middle between the other two. This done lay them out again in three heaps as before, and again request him to notice where his noted card goes, and put that heap in the middle, as before. Then taking up the cards with their backs toward you, take off the uppermost card, and reckon it one; take off another, which reckon two; and thus proceed till you come to the eleventh, which will invariably prove to be the card thought of. You must never lay out your cards less than three times, but as often above that number as you please. This trick may be done without your seeing the cards at all, if you handle and count them carefully. To diversify the trick, you may use a different number of cards, hut the number chosen must be divisible by three, and the middle card, after they have been thrice dealt as directed, will always be the one thought of; for instance, if done with fifteen cards, it must be the eighth, and so on; when the number is even, it must be the exact half; as, if it be twenty-four, the card thought of will be the twelfth, &e.

The following trick is one of the simplest when known, but creates more wonder in a private party during its operation than almost any in the whole catalogue.

Previous to your wishing to perform this trick, draw aside one of the party, and make him acquainted with the process of it. After mingling again with the company, and introducing a discourse about various tricks with cards, you may then profess to have the power of picking out all the court cards blindfold.

The process is thus:—After your eyes are tightly bound, and the company seem perfectly satisfied that they are so, take up the pack, and holding up one in view of the whole company, fell it about. Your confederate (whom you contrive to have seated next to you,) if a court card, must then tread on your toe, and you proclaim aloud, “Ah! this is a good one!” you then hold up another card, (feeling and smelling it all over,) and if it prove a common card, your confederate takes no notice of it; you then say, “No, this will not do—this is a bad one;" and so on, till you have convinced the company of your capability.