Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

A CARD HAVING BEEN DRAWN AND RETURNED, AND THE PACK SHUFFLED, TO MAKE IT APPEAR AT SUCH NUMBER AS THE COMPANY CHOOSE.[D]--Invite a person to draw a card. Spread out the pack that he may replace it, and slip your little finger above it. Make the pass in order to bring the chosen card to the top; palm it, and offer the pack to be shuffled. When the pack is returned to you, replace the chosen card on the top, and make the first of the false shuffles above described, but commence by sliding off into the right hand the two top cards (instead of the top card only), so that the chosen card may, after the shuffle, be last but one from the bottom. Take the pack face downwards in the left hand, and carelessly move about the pack so that the bottom card may be full in view of the audience. Inquire at what number the company would like the card to appear; and when they have made their decision, hold the pack face downwards, and with the first and second fingers of the right hand draw away the cards from the bottom one by one, throwing each on the table face upwards, and counting aloud “one,” “two,” “three,” and so on. The first card which you draw is naturally the bottom one, and the chosen card, which is second, would in the ordinary course come next; but you “draw back” this card with the third finger of the left hand (see page 36) and take the next instead, continuing in like manner until you have reached one short of the number at which the card is to appear. You now pause, and say, “The next card should be the card you drew. To avoid any mistake, will you kindly say beforehand what it was?” at the same time placing the card face downwards on the table. When the card is named, you request the drawer or some other person to turn it up, when it is found to be the right one.