Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

The apparatus is prepared beforehand by placing a given card (say the knave of spades) above the moveable slab, and another (say the eight of diamonds) in the outer drawer. The performer invites two persons to each draw a card, and “forces” upon them the knave of spades and eight of diamonds. The cards being replaced in the pack, he, if he has used an ordinary pack, brings them to the top by the “pass,” and palms them, or if he has used a forcing pack, exchanges that pack for an ordinary one from which those two cards have been removed. Leaving the pack on the table, he exhibits the card-drawer, taking out both drawers together, and showing, apparently, that case and drawer are absolutely empty. Closing the drawer, he announces that he will make the drawn cards leave the pack, and pass into the drawer. One of the cards (the eight of diamonds) is named, and pulling out this time the outer drawer only, he shows that it contains that card, which is taken out, and handed to the person who drew it. Again the drawer is closed, being this time pushed sharply home. The second card, the knave, being now named, the drawer is again opened, and this card shown; the drawer being again taken wholly out, and the drawer and case turned in all directions for inspection, as before, the operator only taking care to hold the drawer with one finger inside, that the moveable slab may not, by falling out, betray its presence.