Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

The ball is filled beforehand with bonbons, small toys, or any other articles suitable for production. Thus “loaded,” it is placed upon the servante, and introduced into the hat as above described. The performer goes through the ceremony of pretending to discover something in the hat, but does not, as in the last case, at once produce the ball. Slipping back the sliding door, he brings out, one by one, the articles contained in the ball, not hurriedly, but with deliberation, as he thereby produces the effect of greater quantity. Having emptied the ball, he again closes the circular slide, remarking that the hat is now quite empty. As a proof that it is so, he turns the hat mouth downwards as above directed, preventing the ball from falling with the tips of his fingers. Again he moves towards the owner, as if to return the hat, and again pretends to find something in it. This time, however, he does not allow the ball to fall on the ground, as, being hollow, it will not bear rough usage, but lifts it out with his left hand, taking care that the “door” side shall be downwards, next his palm. Observing that he will have the ball packed up for the owner of the hat to take home with him, he returns to his table, and places it thereon. As the ball was in his left hand, the right is still holding the hat, and this gives him the opportunity to introduce the second (i.e., the solid) cannon-ball, which should be placed in readiness at the opposite corner of the servante. This also is produced in due course, and, being manifestly solid, naturally leads the audience to infer that the other was so also.