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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
104
TO
NAME
ANY
NUMBER
OF
CARDS
IN
SUCCESSION
WITHOUT
SEEING
THEM.--First
Method.--This
trick,
in
its
original
form,
is
so
well
known
that
it
is
really
not
worth
performing;
but
we
describe
it
for
the
sake
of
completeness,
and
for
the
better
comprehension
of
the
improved
method.
The
performer
takes
the
pack,
and
secretly
notices
the
bottom
card.
He
then
announces
that
he
will
name
all
the
cards
of
the
pack
in
succession
without
seeing
them.
Holding
the
pack
behind
him
for
an
instant,
he
turns
the
top
card
face
outwards
on
the
top
of
the
pack;
then
holding
the
pack
with
the
bottom
card
towards
the
audience,
he
names
that
card.
From
the
position
in
which
he
holds
the
pack,
the
top
card,
which
he
has
turned,
is
towards
him,
and
in
full
view.
Again
placing
his
hands
behind
him,
he
transfers
the
last
named
to
the
bottom,
and
turns
the
next,
and
so
on
in
like
manner.
Even
in
an
audience
of
half-a-dozen
only,
it
is
very
likely
that
there
will
be
some
one
acquainted
with
this
form
of
the
trick,
who
will
proclaim
aloud
his
knowledge
of
“how
it
is
done.”
We
will
suppose
that
you
have
performed
the
trick
with
this
result.
Passing
your
hands
again
behind
you,
but
this
time
merely
passing
the
top
card
to
the
bottom,
without
turning
any
other
card,
you
reply
that
you
doubt
his
pretended
knowledge,
and
name
the
card
as
before.
He
will
naturally
justify
his
assertion
by
explaining
the
mode
of
performing
the
trick.
You
reply,
“According
to
your
theory,
there
should
be
an
exposed
card
at
each
end
of
the
pack.
Pray
observe
that
there
is
nothing
of
the
kind
in
this
case”
(here
you
show
the
opposite
side
of
the
pack),
“but,
to
give
a
still
more
conclusive
proof,
I
will
for
the
future
keep
the
whole
of
the
pack
behind
me,
and
name
each
card
before
I
bring
it
forward.
Perhaps,
to
preclude
any
idea
of
arrangement
of
the
cards,
some
one
will
kindly
shuffle
them.”
When
the
cards
are
returned,
you
give
them
a
slight
additional
shuffle
yourself,
and
remarking,
“They
are
pretty
well
shuffled
now,
I
think,”
continue
the
trick
by
the
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