Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

You may with truth assure the audience that you could go on all the evening predicting their choice with equal certainty, but it is best not to repeat the trick too often. You will do wisely to pass on at once to the next trick, which will enable you to display your powers of divination in a yet more surprising form. A ROW OF CARDS BEING PLACED FACE DOWNWARDS ON THE TABLE, TO INDICATE, BY TURNING UP ONE OF THEM, HOW MANY OF SUCH CARDS HAVE DURING YOUR ABSENCE BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM ONE END OF THE ROW TO THE OTHER.--This trick is somewhat out of place in this chapter, inasmuch as it involves no sleight-of-hand, but we insert it here as forming an appropriate sequel to that last described. It is thus performed:--You deal from the top of the pack, face downwards on the table, a row of fifteen cards. To all appearance, you are quite indifferent what cards you take, but, in reality, you have pre-arranged the first ten cards in the following manner:--First a ten, then a nine, then an eight, and so on down to the ace inclusive. The suits are of no consequence. The eleventh card should be a blank card, if you have one of the same pattern as the pack; if not, a knave will do. This card, in the process which follows, will stand for 0. When the fifteen cards are dealt, their arrangement will therefore be as follows:-- 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, *, *, *, *,--