HOLMES CONJURING SERIAL No. 3.

Tricks with Prepared Cards,

By DONALD HOLMES,
Author of Some Modern Conjuring New Card
Tricks, Etc.

CONTENTS.

Rogers

Incomprehensibility;

the

Key

Card;

the

Reversed Card Principle; the Self-Shifting pack; the

Self-Forcing pack; Rogers Ever Ready forcing pack;
Rogers Rising Cards; Rogers Obedient Card; Holmes
Mystery Problem; Holmes Four Ace Trick; the Tri
angle Trick (two methods) ; Another' Marvelous Co
incidence; a New Chameleon Pack; a New X-Ray Trick.

Price, Prepaid, Fifty Cents

FOREWORD.
In presenting this, my third handbook, to the con
juring fraternity, I wish to thank the many good friends
who, by their advice and patronage, have made this series
possible. I am especially indebted to my friend, Ford B.
Rogers, of Kansas City, Missouri, for his generous per
mission to include herein the secrets of several of his latest
and best creations in card magic.
Tricks performed by the aid of prepared cards ap
peal to the amateur conjurer by reason of the minimum
of skill required in presentation. As a rule, professionals,
as well as many advanced amateurs, avoid the use of pre
pared or faked cards; but I am inclined to think they
are missing a lot of good things in the grand old art of
Magic when they refuse to use anything but an ordinary
pack of cards.
A careful study of the principles embodied in this
book will enable any aspiring amateur to perform the
most astounding tricks with cards with very little prac
tice, other than learning the necessary conversation, or
patter, for the accompaniment of each trick. At the
same time, several of the tricks described are of such a
character that the most advanced conjurer, professional
or amateur, need not hesitate to add them to his reper
toire, even though they involve the use of prepared cards.
DONALD HOLMES.
Kansas City, Mo., August, 1913.

Fig. 4

Fig. 3

Fig. 5

HOLMES CONJURING SERIAL No. 3.

Tricks With Prepared Cards.

ROGERS INCOMPREHENSIBILITY.

This new and clever principle is the discovery of my

friend, Ford B. Rogers, who has contributed many good
things to Magic. It is based upon the simple fact that
playing cards are manufactured from different kinds of
stock. For instance, the well-known Bicycle cards are
put up in both an Ivory and Air Cushion finish, the
difference between the two being readily found by the
sense of touch, though not so readily by the mere sense
of sight. This is the whole secret of Incomprehensibil
ity, and, like all good things in Magic, its very simplicity
makes it difficult to detect.
Obtain two packs of Bicycle cards: one with the
smooth, Ivory finish, and the other with the rough, Air
Cushion finish. Make up a pack the upper half of which
is composed of Ivories, and the lower half Air Cushions,
and all different. Bear in mind the bottom card of the
upper, Ivory sectionsay the Queen of Diamonds. Fan
the pack before your auditors, showing cards all different,
and secretly locate the Queen of Diamonds, dividing the
pack at this place. Hand the Air Cushion cards to a
spectator, and request him to shuffle same thoroughly, then
to select a card. Ask him to push the drawn card into
the remaining half of the pack which you hold (the Ivory
cards). Have these cards shuffled, so that all trace of the
drawn card is lost, and while this operation is being per
formed request some one to securely blindfold you. You
then take back the cards and address the person who made
the selection, as follows: I am going to pass the cards
one by one before your eyes. I shall ask you to concen
trate your mind upon the card you drew, and the instant
that card appears, to think the word Stop! Under no
circumstances are you to utter a wordmerely think the
word stop when I reach your card. This is merely a
little test in mental telepathy, and I shall depend upon your
influence to guide me to your card.

You extend the arms and proceed to pass the cards

one by one from the left hand to the right. The left
thumb pushes each card off the top of the pack, where
the opposite hand receives it and shows the face of the
card to the spectator, the following card being drawn onto
the face of the card just shown. This procedure enables
the fingers of right hand to move across the face of each
card as it is carried away from the pack. With one ex
ception, the cards in your hand are all Ivory finished
cards, and that one exception is the drawn card from the
Air Cushion packet. It will be found in actual practice
that the rough surface of the drawn card is instantly de
tected by the fingers when that card is reached, and you
therefore stop with that card staring its drawer in the
face. The effect is very surprising, for the spectator is
bound to admit that he mentally called Stop! when his
card appeared. You then hand the cards for inspection,
and if you see to it that the two packets fall into separate
hands, the secret of the experiment can never be dis
covered. Several drawn cards may be revealed in like
manner.
The above principle may be put to many other good
uses for the secret discovery of drawn cards.
THE KEY CARDWARRING.

An ingenious little fake, invaluable to the amateur,

whose work is invariably performed at close range. It
provides an easy and indetectible method for executing
such difficult sleights as the pass, the force, etc. To
prepare the card, split it at one end and insert a little
oblong piece of thin celluloid. Glue the card together.
The easiest way to split a card is to insert it in tepid
water. As soon as it is dry, the split may be glued to
gether. The piece of celluloid should be not more than a
quarter of an inch wide by three-eighths long; and only
one-third of its length should project from the end of the
card (see Fig. 1). The projecting corners are rounded.
This card is commonly called a key card. Instead
of celluloid inserted permanently in the card, a tiny brass
clip, which may be slipped on any card (making it, for
the time being, the key card), is often employed. This
clip is easily made in a few moments from a piece of the
brass spring found in any ten-cent tape-measure. Cut off

a piece three-quarters of an inch long, and bend it double.

Then, with a pair of pliers, slightly bend down the closed
end. as shown at A, Fig. 2. This tiny clip may be slipped
on any card, and is easily jerked off with the finger. Both
types of key card have their advantages, but their opera
tion is the same.

The key card is placed beforehand on the bottom of

the pack. The pack is held face down on palm of left
hand, with the second finger of right hand resting lightly
at the upper, and the thumb at lower, end; the thumb
thereby effectually concealing the tiny projection; other
wise the projection is always held towards the
body. The cards are spread before a spectator, who
draws a card and notes it. The performer squares
up the cards, and as they rest on his left palm
he carelessly cuts the pack about in half. This operation
brings the key card to the middle. Replace your card,
please, says the performer, at the same time opening
the pack, book-fashion, at the prepared card, and the
drawn card is replaced directly beneath it. The pack is
now carefully squared up on the outstretched palm of the
left hand, or dropped on the table. Obviously, to the
spectators, the performer has lost all trace of the drawn
card, but as a matter of fact he has only to cut the cards
at the key card in order to secretly bring the drawn card
to the top of the pack, to be disposed of according to
fancy. A good way, after the drawn card has been re
turned to the pack (under the key card), is to drop the
pack on a little oblong tray, or the table, upon which the
performer cuts the cards several times, as if to thoroughly
mix them; but the key card will always enable him to
instantly locate the drawn card. Or, after cutting to

bring the drawn card to the top, the bulk of the pack may
be thoroughly shuffled, care being taken to retain the
drawn card at top. In the case of the removable clip,
after the drawn card is cut to the top of the pack, the
key card naturally has passed to the bottom, where the
fingers of the left hand easily push the tiny clip off the
end of the card into the palm, thereby leaving every card
in the pack unprepared.
The above procedure illustrates the use of the key
card for secretly bringing a drawn card to the top of the
pack, without resorting to sleight-of-hand.
TO FORCE the selection of one or more cards, prac
tically the same routine is followed. Say it is desired
to force the Ace of Spades and the Ten of Hearts. Be
forehand, these two cards are placed together in the pack,
with the key card next above them. The performer ad
vances with the pack, carelessly cutting the cards, which
gives the impression of mixing them. He may or may not
cut at the key card; that is immaterial. He requests a
spectator to take a card, opening the pack, apparently, in
a haphazard fashion, but really at the key card. Spec
tator No. 1 therefore takes the top card of the lower por
tion, the Ace of Spades. Performer drops the upper por
tion on the lower; again cuts the pack several times, and
asks Spectator No. 2 to select a card. Needless to say the
magician again opens at the key card, and the Ten of
Hearts is removed, after which performer again opens
pack at key card for its return; closes pack upon it, and
cuts around the key card several times to give the impres
sion of the drawn card being lost sight of. He then opens
at key card and the first drawn card (the Ace of Spades)
is returned to the pack (really on top of the Ten of
Hearts).
EFFECT No. 1.

Performer arranges matters beforehand by placing

(say) the King of Clubs, Six of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds
and Ace of Hearts, in the order named, under the key
card in the pack. He memorizes the names and order of
these four cards. He also prepares four envelopes in the
following manner: No. 1 is pricked with the point of a
needle in one corner. The needle should be held inside the
envelope and pushed through the flap side only, resulting in
a tiny abrasion readily felt by the thumb. Envelope No.

2 receives two such marks; No. 3, three; while No. 4 is

left unprepared.
Performer begins operations by placing the envelopes
in the hands of four spectators, mentally noting the
order in which they are distributed. He then advances
with the cards, and by the aid of the key card successively
forces on the holders of the envelopes the King of Clubs,
Six of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds and Ace of Hearts. Lay
ing the pack aside, he requests that the cards be noted,
and then sealed in their respective envelopes. During this
operation, a fifth spectator is requested to borrow a stiff
hat, and the sealed envelopes are subsequently collected
in it. Several of the spectators are then permitted to in
sert their hands into the hat and thoroughly mix the en
velopes; after which the gentleman is requested to hold the
hat in an elevated position. The performer now requests
his volunteer assistant to hand him any one of the enve
lopes from the hat. He receives it between the finger tips
of both hands, and holds it to his forehead, and after more
or less mental effort, calls out, for instance, the Jack
of Diamonds. He is enabled to do this because he has
felt three tiny abrasions in one corner of the envelope.
The person who drew the Jack of Diamonds is requested
to open the envelope and verify the statement of the conjurer, which is found correct. In like manner the cards
in the three envelopes remaining in the hat are revealed
by the performer. Worked with the proper address and
patter, the above will be found a very puzzling parlor
experiment.
THE REVERSED CARD PRINCIPLE.

Although the secret of this clever principle has al

ready appeared in several books, it is surprisingly little
known among amateurs, to whose needs it is specially
adapted. Some of the most incomprehensible card tricks
may be worked by this system at any card table, with
spectators drawn all about the operator, without the
slightest risk of detection.
Each card in the pack is secretly marked with a
similar mark at one end of each card. This mark can be
made with ink on the backs of any cards, and may con
sist of any slight variation in the printed design so long
as it may be readily detected by the performer.
Thanks to the makers of the well-known Angel back

cards, however, it is unnecessary for one to mark his own

cards. By reference to Fig. 3, it will be noted at A and
B that the Angel back has a peculiarity in design at op
posite ends of the card, consisting of a large and a small
leaf, respectively.
To prepare the system beforehand run through your
pack and arrange the cards with the secret marks all at
same end of the pack. If you use the Angel backs (which
are recommended as the best for this purpose), see that
the large leaf shown at A, Fig. 3, on each card, is at the
upper left hand corner.
If, now, a card be drawn from this pack, and re
turned with the ends (or the pack) reversed in position,
and the pack shuffled, the drawn card may be instantly
detected by reason of the small leaf, B, appearing in the
upper left hand corner; and may be readily located by
ruffling this corner of the pack with the left thumb, or
dealing the cards upon the table.
The reader is advised to study carefully the design on
the backs of well-known brands of playing cards. It will
be found that many of these, in an emergency, can be
used for the reversed card principle. The author has
even made use of picture back cards without detection, as
no notice is ever taken of one or two cards being turned in
an opposite direction to the bulk of the pack; but their use
is not to be recommended.
I have already described several practical uses of this
principle in my Serial No. 2, NEW CARD TRICKS,
to which the reader is referred.

EFFECT No. 1. THE PREDICTION.

Performer hands a spectator a sealed envelope, to be

opened later. A second spectator is requested to shuffle a
pack of cards. Performer then divides the pack into a
number of small packets, which are eliminated by the re
peated selections of the audience, until but one card re
mains, face downwards, on the table. The person hold
ing the envelope is requested to open same, and finds
therein a slip of paper bearing the name of a card, say
the Eight of Clubs. The card on the table is turned over
and found to be that card.
Few card tricks can be found that produce such an
astonishing effect by such simple means. Needless to say
the cards are Angel backs, arranged according to the sys-

tem before the trick, with the Eight of Clubs reversed.

The pack so prepared may even be handed to the spectator
in its original wrapper, with government stamp affixed;
but there is always a big chance that some of the cards
will be dropped or disarranged in the handling, and I
have found the trick quite as effective without this fea
ture.
The cards being shuffled, performer proceeds to deal
them out into four packets on the table, one card at a time
on each packet. This process enables him to watch for
the signal at the upper left hand corner of the cards; and
when the small leaf appears, indicating the reversed card,
he remembers the particular packet that card has fallen
in. The audience is then requested to select two of the
four packets. In their choice includes the packet contain
ing the reversed card, he states, Very good; I will leave
these on the table, and forthwith removes the other two
packets. But if the packet containing the reversed card
is not one of the chosen packets, he removes the two
chosen packets; thus always leaving the reversed card
packet on the table. This ruse is of constant use in card
magic, and many clever tricks depend upon it. The de
ception is never noticed by the audience. This process of
elimination is resorted to again and again, the remaining
packets on the table being divided into four until but one
card (and that the reversed card) remains. The envelope
is opened and the name of the card revealed by the con
jurers prediction.
THE SELF-SHIFTING PACK.

By the aid of this ingeniously prepared pack, which

involves a new use of the old long and short cards, the
amateur magician is enabled to secretly bring a drawn
card to the top of the pack without the slightest skill.
This operation is technically called, in sleight of hand, the
pass or shift, and many an amateur (possibly the
average) is unable to perform a wide range of clever card
tricks owing to his inability to master this sleight. The
self-shifting pack, therefore, should fill a long felt want
in amateur circles.
FIRST METHOD. The pack is composed of 26 pairs
of cards, each pair different; for instance, Ace of Hearts,
Ace of Hearts, Ten of Clubs, Ten of Clubs, Six of Dia
monds, Six of Diamonds, etc. (see Fig. 4). Also, one card

of each pair is a short card, and the other a long card.

Thus, beginning with the top card of pack (pack face
down), every alternate card is a short card, the arrange
ment ending with a long card on the bottom.
The pack is easily prepared by purchasing two packs
with backs of like color and design, and shaving off the
end of each card of one pack with a sharp knife, to the
extent of one-sixteenth of an inch, or even less. Or, what
is better, purchase at any photographic supply house a
small photo print trimmer, which will be found to do the
work effectively and quickly. The corners at the trimmed
ends of the cards can be rounded with a small strip of
fine sandpaper.
With a pack so prepared, square up the cards by
knocking one end on the table to settle the short cards.
Hold the pack squared up and face down in left hand,
with the face side of pack slightly raised towards spec
tator. Slowly ruffle the cards, calling attention to the fact
that the cards are all different. As every other card is a
short card, the process of ruffling permits the cards to pass
in pairs, so that no two alike appear before the spectators
vision. Lowering the pack, again ruffle, requesting spec
tator to insert his finger (or a knife blade) into the pack
at any point he desires. No matter where his finger is
inserted, it will be at the short card of a pair. As spec
tator removes the card under his finger, performer lifts
in one packet all cards above that point, and places them
on the bottom of pack. This naturally leaves the dupli
cate of the drawn card on the top of pack, to be dealt with
as desired. The drawn card may be pushed back in pack
anywhere spectator desires; but this destroys the proper
order of the pack, and this card must be secretly gotten
rid of before a second card can be safely drawn.
SECOND METHOD. This is an improved self-shift
ing pack, in that no short cards are used. The pack is ar
ranged in pairs of duplicate cards, precisely as above, but
they are the well-known Angel back cards, and, beginning
with the second card from top of pack (pack face down),
every other card is reversed, as in the Reversed Card
principle already explained.
This simple arrangement permits of the pack being
spread in the approved manner, from left to right, before
a spectator for the selection of a card. As he removes his
card, the performer secretly notes the leaf in upper left
hand corner of the card next below it in the pack. If the
small leaf appears, he knows that the duplicate of the

drawn card will pass to the top of pack; but if the large
leaf appears, the duplicate will pass to the bottom. Of
course, as soon as spectator removes his card, all those
cards above the break are carelessly transferred to the
bottom, as in the First Method. It does not take much
skill on the pai't of the performer to induce a spectator to
select a card with the large leaf exposed in upper corner,
thereby causing the duplicate to pass to the top.
This pack may be ruffled to show cards all different,
precisely the same as the long and short pack, it being
a curious fact that the duplicate pairs, passing in rapid
rotation before the eye, blend as one card.
SUGGESTIONS. The uses to which the self-shifting
pack may be put are practically limitless. If performer is
careful not to show the faces of the cards too freely, it
can be used for almost any trick where the regulation
pass is employed for secretly bringing the drawn card
to the top, it being unnecessary to retain the original
order of the pack after card is drawn.
It is quite as easy to have two or three cards drawn
from this pack, as one, duplicates of same being brought
successively to the top of pack, for subsequent use, as fol
lows: First spectator draws a card, duplicate passing to
top. Second spectator draws card, and again all cards
above it are passed to bottom, but just as upper packet
passes the lower, the left thumb is extended onto the
cards in right hand, drawing over on top of left hand
packet the duplicate of first drawn card. A third specta
tor draws card, but this time the duplicate is pushed from
the bottom packet on top of upper packet, and the latter
merely replaced on the lower packet. Thus, the duplicate
of the third drawn card is now on top of pack; duplicate
of first drawn card is second from top; while duplicate of
second drawn card is third from top. It is essential, in
some cases, to know this order of the duplicate cards. If
there is risk of detection in slipping the cards, the performer may, after the removal of each drawn card, request
the spectator to show his card to those present, while he
(performer) obligingly turns his back. This momentary
turn enables him to slip the cards as above explained. The
selection of two or more different cards goes far in con
vincing spectators, indirectly, that the pack is an ordinary
one.
The self-shifting pack is particularly adapted to my
Perfection Rising Cards, (Serial No. 2, NEW CARD
TRICKS), as duplicates of the three drawn cards may be

secretly brought to the top of the pack in manner just

explained, all ready for the windlass to raise them from
the pack in goblet.
EFFECT No. 1. A clever little trick with the self
shifting pack is the following:
A card is drawn by spec
tator, in manner now familiar to the reader, duplicate
card passing to top of pack. To enable spectator to show
his card to those around him, performer turns his back to
the company, and secretly takes this opportunity to peep
at duplicate card on top of pack; then slips this card un
observed into his outside coat pocket. He then requests
spectator to push his card anywhere in pack; performer
squares up the cards, ruffles them, and instantly names
the drawn card. He then requests spectator to remove the
card (the duplicate) from pocket. Spectator finds only the
one card in performers pocket, which he is bound to ad
mit is his own.
EFFECT No. 2. In this trick three cards are drawn
by different spectators, the duplicate cards being assembled
on top of pack in manner above described. The performer
requests each spectator to push his card into the pack,
which is then squared up and dropped into a borrowed
stiff hat. The cards are apparently mixed by shaking the
hat with a lateral motion, which, as a matter of fact, does
not disturb the cards at all. In any event, the conjurer
sees to it that the three duplicate cards do not leave the
top of the pack. Requesting a boy to hold the hat as high
as possible, so that neither the performer or himself can
see into it, the conjurer turns to spectator who last drew
a card, and requests its name. Say the card was the
Seven of Spades. Performer reaches into the hat and
quickly brings out the duplicate Seven of Spades on top
of pack. In like manner the first spectators card is found,
followed by second spectators card. The trick may be
further worked up by placing the wand in the boys free
hand, the performer touching the tip of the wand with
his fingers before reaching into the hat. When the name
of the next card is announced, he may direct his youthful
assistant to change ends with the wand, as a necessary
expedient for the production of that particular card, etc.
The quickness with which the drawn cards are pro
duced from the hat is very mysterious to the uninitiated.
There should be an instants fumbling in the hat before
the removal of each card.

THE SELF-FORCING PACK.

By the aid of this application of the long and short

principle, the most skeptical spectator is thoroughly con
vinced that his choice of a card is not influenced by the
magician in any way. The pack is first slowly ruffled
before his eyes, showing cards all different; still, no matter
where he inserts his finger, or a knife blade, the performer
has actually forced a card upon him.
The value of this card force can not be under-esti
mated. The most expert sleight of hand artist fails, at
times, to force his card; but, granting his ability to over
come this dilemma, the usual method of forcing a card does
not always leave the spectator thoroughly convinced that
he has had free choice in the matter of selection. In the
case of the self-forcing pack, the spectator has no ground
for suspicion. He is at liberty to draw a card by inserting
his finger in the pack at any point he may deliberately
elect.
TO FORCE ONE CARD. As in the self-shifting pack,
first method, every alternate card, beginning with the top
card, is a short card. And these short cards are all of
the same suit and value, say Jacks of Hearts. For in
stance, the top card is a short Jack of Hearts, the second
an indifferent long card, the third a short Jack of Hearts,
the fourth an indifferent long card, and so on (see Fig. 5).
Thus the pack is composed of 26 ordinary, long cards, all
different, and 26 short Jacks of Hearts.
The manipulation of this pack is precisely the same as
the long and short self-shifting pack, described above. It
is ruffled by the end in the usual way, from the bottom
card upwards, for the purpose of giving the impression
that it is of the most ordinary description, containing no
two cards alike. If, however, it is desired to have the
drawn card returned to the pack, performer sees to it
that the card is replaced in its original position, to pre
serve the proper order of the cards.
If the pack be carefully squared up, and the short
cards settled at one end of the pack, the latter may be laid
on the table and a spectator permitted to cut at any point
he desires, noting the top card of the bottom cut; provid
ing, performer takes the precaution to see that such per
son seizes the pack at the ends and not the sides. Seized
at the ends, the fingers come in contact with long cards
only, and a short (force) card is thereby always exposed

at the top of the bottom cut. This is a very bold, but ef

fective, means of forcing a card, inasmuch as the cards are
apparently beyond the conjurers control.
TO FORCE TWO CARDS. There are several ar
rangements by which the above pack may be utilized for
the forcing of two different cards. The simplest, perhaps,
is to have the short cards in the upper half of the pack
all one kind, say Jacks of Spades, while the short cards in
the lower half are of another value, say Tens of Diamonds.
In ruffling the cards before the first spectator, performer
passes slowly over the bottom section of pack, forcing a
choice in that portion; and when he approaches a second
spectator he ruffles quickly over the bottom section, and
releases the cards slowly in the upper section, forcing a
card from that portion.
Another ingenious arrangement is obtained by using
three groups of prepared cards, as follows:
Group 1 consists of 17 short cards, all alike, say Aces
of Hearts, as in Fig. 6.
Group 2 consists of 17 cards, all alike, say Queens of
Clubs, with a portion cut obliquely from the right hand
upper corner, as in Fig. 7, making these short cards at
one corner, only.
Group 3 consists of 17 cards, all different (any cards),
with a portion cut obliquely from the left hand upper cor
ner, as in Fig. 8.

To assemble the pack, lay any card from Group 3 face

downwards on table; on this place an Ace of Hearts from
Group 1; then a Queen of Clubs from Group 2; seeing that
the cut corners are all one way, and repeating this order of
the cards until the pack is complete.
If, now, this pack be ruffled with the finger placed at
the right hand upper corner, the cards will appear to be
all different. And if, during this same ruffle at right hand
corner, a spectator inserts a finger, or knife blade, into the
pack, the card under his finger will be a Queen of Clubs.

If it is desired to force an Ace of Hearts, the performer

ruffles the pack at the left hand upper corner.
TO FORCE THREE CARDS. This pack can not be
ruffled for the purpose of showing cards all different. It is
arranged precisely like the last mentioned pack, consisting
of three groups of cards, except that the indifferent cards
in Group 3 are replaced with cards all alike, say Sixes of
Diamonds. Thus, by ruffling the pack at the right hand
upper corner, a spectator would find a Queen of Clubs un
der his finger. Again ruffling at the same corner, per
former would request spectator to note card next above
his finger, a Six of Diamonds. Ruffling the pack at the
left hand upper corner would force the Ace of Hearts, as
before.

ROGERS EVER READY FORCING PACK.

This is by far the master forcing pack of the modern

magiciana forcing pack that can be given a bona fide
shuffle. The effects obtained by its use are beyond the
divination of any human mind. The performer shows the
cards positively all different by running over the pack,
face up. The backs are likewise freely shown. He then
thoroughly mixes the cards by executing the ordinary
over-hand shuffle, faces of cards towards spectators. These
preliminaries over with, the magician squares up the pack,
holding it face downward in left hand, and requests a
spectator to insert the blade of a penknife into the pack,
at any place spectator desires, while he (the performer)
ruffles the cards. The knife being inserted in the pack,
spectator is requested to peep at the card next above the
blade, after which the pack is again subjected to a thor
ough shuffle, and the noted card duly produced according
to performers fancy.
As the reader has undoubtedly surmised, the preced
ing long and short principle of the self-forcing pack en
ters into the present deception; but the most ingenious
part of the invention is the arrangement of the cards
whereby the shutting feature is obtained.
Every other card is a force card, and likewise a
short card. Say these force cards are Aces of Clubs.
Every short Ace of Clubs is glued to the back of an in
different, long card, across one end only, like a flap (Fig.

9). Thus, while every card is shown different in the pack,

there is a force card concealed on the back; but the backs
of the cards may be shown with equal impunity, as all
cards face same way.

After the cards have been shuffled, and squared up,

they may again be shown all different by ruffling from
the bottom upwards (vide the self-forcing pack) ; but when
the cards are presented to the spectator, the performer
takes pains to hold the pack rather low, and ruffles from
the top downwards. Thus, no matter where the knife is
inserted, the card above will be the force card, providing
the performer has taken the necessary precaution to see
that the glued ends of the cards are all one way, and this
prepared end kept nearest the body. For obvious reasons,
spectator is only permitted to peep at his card.
This wonderful forcing pack is of the greatest value
in such tricks as the Spirit Slates, Spirit Hand, Skull, etc.;
but the cards must be prepared with the greatest care,
and for that reason I can not too strongly recommend the
reader to purchase one of these packs direct from the in
ventor, and thus be assured of the highest quality of work
manship.
ROGERS RISING CARDS.

This very clever version of the Rising Cards is an

other invention of Dr. Ford B. Rogers, of Kansas City.
It is particularly adapted to the needs of the performer
who makes a specialty of parlor, club, and platform work,
in that no assistant is required. The cards may be freely
shown, front and back, at all times; the drawn cards rise
from pack while the latter is held in performers own
hands; and the cards are at all times under perfect con
trol.
The first 12 or 15 cards on the top of the pack are un
prepared. The remainder of the pack has a thread run
ning through a hole punched near one end (see Fig. 10),

one end of thread being secured to the bottom card (which

had best be two cards glued together, end of thread glued
between). The top card of these punched cards has an
additional hole near the bottom (A, Fig. 11), through
which the free end of thread is passed, in order to keep
the thread at lower end of pack, out of sight. The 12 or
15 ordinary cards are placed on top of the threaded
packet, or, what is better, place about ten on top, and five
on the bottom for the person who grabs for a bottom
card. Make a loop on the free end of the thread, and
pass over one of the three lower vest buttons, the proper
length between vest and pack being determined by experi
ment.
Jn presenting the trick, performer spreads cards from
left to right, face up, to show pack unprepared. This
does not reveal the holes in cards, and serves to obtain
slack thread between each card in the prepared section, so
that a drawn card can be replaced therein without resist
ance. Always, in spreading the cards out to show them
unprepared, and again to allow a person to select one,
performer gets his left little finger on top of thread at
bottom of pack, and thus keeps thread out of sight.
Having shown the cards, performer squares up pack,
turns it over, and, slightly fanning the top eight or ten
cards, requests a spectator to draw a card. The proceeding is fair, and no difficulty is experienced in inducing
spectator to take one of the ordinary cards. He may mark
his card if he chooses, and then replaces it in the squared
up pack, the conjurer seeing to it that the card goes into
the threaded section. It is best for the performer to finish
pushing the card into the pack, as there may be slight

resistance if the cards were not spread sufficiently to ob

tain plenty of slack in the beginning. Performer now
holds the pack in right hand, face of cards towards audi
ence. The thumb is on the left side, near top; first, second

and third fingers on right side; and little finger at bottom.

The pack is held just far enough from the body to take
up the slack of the thread. The slightest movement of the
pack beyond this point causes the drawn card to rise. If
there happens to be a white background or light behind
the performer, the thread may be easily concealed by plac
ing the left arm in front of it; a very natural position,
especially if the left hand be held a few inches below the
cards, and adopts a slight fanning motion as the card
rises.
As the drawn card rises, the performer may turn his
body so that the audience see front, sides and back of
pack. This is very convincing, as it proves conclusively
that the card really rises from its original position in the
center of the pack.
The trick may be repeated immediately with a second
and third drawn card, but it is best not to reveal more than
the latter number in this manner.

ROGERS OBEDIENT CARD.

This pretty card effect is a combination of the prin

ciples involved in the Ever Ready Forcing Pack and
Rogers Rising Cards. For this reason I have reserved it
until the reader was acquainted with both tricks.
EFFECT:
The conjurer shuffles a pack of cards,
showing every card different. A spectator inserts his
finger in the pack, anywhere he desires, and peeps at a
card at this break. Performer again subjects the pack to
a thorough shuffle, squares it up, and, by so-called mind
reading, names the card noted by spectator, after which
he causes that card to rise from the pack. The whole
trick is of only a few minutes duration, but the result
is most startling and convincing.
The reader has probably already surmised most of the
explanation. The pack is an Ever Ready Forcing Pack,
the forcing cards consisting of, say, Jacks of Spades. In
addition, the performer has prepared a feke consisting
of two cards, made into a sort of envelope open at the
upper end, the space in this envelope card being sufficient
to hold just one card, a Jack of Spades. A piece of black
silk thread is attached to the inner, front side of the en
velope card, at the open end, and passes out through a

hole in the rear side, also at the open end; thence passes
down the back of the envelope card to a second hole, and
the thread passes out at the bottom, between the two
sides of the envelope. The arrangement, it will be noted,
is similar to that obtained in Rogers Rising Cards. There
fore. when the Jack of Spades is pushed into the pocket
card, it carries the thread down with it. The free end of
the thread ends in a loop, which is slipped over one of
the lower three vest buttons; and the envelope card, con
taining the Jack of Spades, is carried in the left hand
lower vest pocket until required.
When the conjurer comes forward with the Ever
Ready Forcing Pack, he may, if he desires, have the en
velope card already added to the pack. With very little
care in the shuffling of the cards, the feke will not inter
fere with any of his operations, and the thread is absolutely
invisible against the clothing. After shuffling the pack in
such a manner that the spectators note that all the cards
are different, performer squares up the pack and forces the
Jack of Spades in the manner now familiar to the reader.
The pack is again shuffled, and, after due dramatic effect,
performer names the chosen card, apparently by mind
reading. Or he may have the name of the card appear on
the Spirit Slates, or the trick may be further enhanced by
having a Spirit Hand rap the desired information. The
Jack of Spades is then caused to rise from the pack.

HOLMES MYSTERY PROBLEM.

The only originality claimed for this effect is the ar

rangement and manipulation, as none of the three prin
ciples made use of are my own. It is offered here to the
amateur as an example of the extent to which prepared
cards, and similar accessories in card magic, may be com
bined and utilized to the best advantage. The effect is
this: Performer hands a spectator a sealed envelope, to
be opened later on as he directs. A pack of cards is shown
all different, and a second spectator invited to draw one.
Performer then divides the pack in half, stating that he
requires only that portion for the trick, and the drawn
card is returned to this packet, and shuffled by anyone.
Performer then deals the cards in several packets upon
the table, to complete the shuffle, and leaves pack squared
up on table. The spectator is requested to open the en

velope and read aloud the message it contains. He reads,

say. The Four of Hearts; the 17th card, whereupon per
former counts down to the 17th card in pack and turns up
the Four of Hearts, spectators card, thus predicting the
card drawn for the experiment as well as its ultimate posi
tion in the shuffled pack.
EXPLANATION:
A self-forcing pack, consisting of
26 long cards, all different, and 26 short cards, say all
Fours of Hearts. The 26 long cards are Ivory finished
cards (Bicycle or Angel backs), while the 26 Fours of
Hearts are the Air Cushion or Cambric finish. The
usual arrangement of the self-forcing pack is followed,
every other card being a short card, etc.
In addition to this, performer snaps a rubber band
round the remaining 26 cards of the Ivory pack from
which he has prepared the self-forcing pack, and places
this unprepared packet in his right hand outside coat
pocket.
When he has prepared a message reading, The Four
of Hearts; the 17th card, and sealed it in an opaque en
velope, he is ready to perform the trick.
He places the sealed prediction in the keeping of a
spectator, and, going to a second spectator, ruffles the pack,
showing cards all different; then forces a Four of Hearts.
Leaving the drawn card in spectators possession for the
time being, performer returns to the table, stating that he
needs only one-half the pack for his experiment. He ac
cordingly deals the cards rapidly into two heaps, one card
at a time on each heap. Now when the spectator removed
one of the Four of Hearts from the pack, the performer
unconcernedly passed all cards above the drawn card to
the bottom of the pack; therefore, when he separates the
cards into two heaps on the table in manner just explained,
all the ordinary Ivory cards naturally fall into one heap,
while all the Fours of Hearts (the Air Cushions) fall in
the other. When he has dealt all the cards, he snaps a
rubber band round the packet containing the Fours of
Hearts, and, without showing the face of this packet, drops
it unconcernedly into his outside coat pocket on the right
hand side, that is, in the same pocket wherein rests the
packet of 26 ordinary Ivory cards. Picking up the packet
of 26 ordinary cards from the table, he requests the spec
tator to return his card to this packet, after which several
spectators are permitted to shuffle the cards all they like.
This indirectly proves that cards are all different. Taking

back the pack, performer returns to the table and rapidly

deals the cards into three heaps, face down. To convince
everyone that no deception enters into the proceeding, he
twice repeats the operation, dealing three times in all.
Now, in dealing the first time, performer mentally notes
into which of the three heaps the chosen card falls
he instantly recognizes the chosen card by the sense of
touch, as it is the only Air Cushion card in the packet,
all others being smooth Ivories (Rogers Incomprehensi
bility) . After the first deal, he picks up the three packets
in such manner that the packet containing the chosen card
is second. After the second deal, the chosen card packet is
placed first (on the top) ; and at the completion of the
third and last deal the chosen card packet is again placed
second. He may then square up the cards with the secret
knowledge that the chosen card now stands at No. 17 from
the top of the pack. This is best understood by reference
to my Serial No. 2, NEW CARD TRICKS, where the
27 Card Trick is fully explained at page 24. It will be
noted in the present trick that only 27 cards are used.
It now only remains for the conjurer to request the
spectator to open the envelope and read the prediction it
contains, after which performer counts down to the 17th
card and turns up the Four of Hearts (or whatever his
force card is). Tossing out this card, he carelessly in
serts his hand into his coat pocket and brings out the other
half of the pack, supposedly the half discarded a few
minutes before, but really the other half of the ordinary
Ivory pack, which is added to the 26 ordinary cards on the
table. The pack can then be inspected to the complete sat
isfaction of the spectators without offering a clue to the
secret, so long as the chosen Air Cushion card is not added
for comparison, and then only a keen observer is apt to
notice the difference in quality.
The above method of secretly getting rid of the force
cards in the self-forcing pack is both useful and novel, and
I have never had the separation of the pack in this manner
questioned, for, after the separation of the force cards,
nothing but ordinary cards, all different, remain for the
spectators inspection. The deception will be found of
great use wherever either the self-shifting or self-forcing
packs are used; for when the prepared portion is gotten
rid of, the conjurer has in his hands an ordinary pack
with which to proceed.

HOLMES FOUR ACE TRICK.

The usual effect, in which the four aces, dealt faces

down on table, with three indifferent cards on top of each
ace, mysteriously assemble in one heap.
The methods by which this superb card effect are
obtained are almost as numerous as those constantly in
vented for the Rising Cards. The present version of the
Four Ace Trick is my own, originality being claimed only
for the method of secretly bringing the four aces together
in the desired packet. The beauty of this method rests in
the fact that, after the spectators have chosen the packet,
performer is enabled to show such packet to consist of
three indifferent cards, with an ace on the bottom. These
four cards are laid to one side on the table, and are not
again touched by the performer until he turns them up
and exhibits them as the four aces, showing them sepa
rately, front and back, as ordinary cards.
The following cards are used:
Four aces, all being short cards.
Prepare three additional aces (the Aces of Hearts,
Clubs and Diamonds) by gluing across one end only, on
the back of each ace, an indifferent card. (See Fig. 9.)
These indifferent cards are short cards, and face same
way as the aces to which they are attached.
An ordinary pack, from which the aces have been dis
carded.
To prepare for the trick, distribute the four short
aces in the lower part of the pack. Turn pack over, and
on top, face down, place the prepared Ace of Diamonds.
On this any three indifferent cards; then the prepared
Ace of Clubs; three more indifferent cards; then the pre
pared Ace of Hearts, ending with two indifferent cards
on top of pack. Thus the prepared aces will be found at
the third, seventh and eleventh cards, counting down from
top of pack.
Performer announces the Four Ace Trick and, run
ning through the pack, removes the four (short) aces
near bottom. Showing them freely, front and back, he places
them, face down, in a row on table, Ace. of Hearts first,
then Clubs, Spades and Diamonds. Regardless of the
order of the other aces, the Ace of Spades is always the
third ace, from the left, in the row. Performer now takes
an indifferent card off the top of the pack, and places it,
face down, on the Ace of Hearts; another on the Ace of
Clubs, and likewise on the Aces of Spades and Diamonds.

Owing to the prearranged order of the pack, the supposed

indifferent card that falls on the Ace of Spades is, of
course, one of the prepared duplicate aces, and as this card
is an ace on its face, the performer artfully neglects to
show this card as he places it on the table. One indiffer
ent card having, apparently, been dealt on top of each ace,
the process is repeated a second, and then a third time,
resulting in three cards being placed on each ace. This
also results in the three prepared aces secretly assem
bling on the Ace of Spades; but this deception is never sus
pected if the conjurer indirectly shows the faces of the
true indifferent cards now and then as he draws them off
the pack.
Calling attention to the fact that the four aces are
now upon the table, with three indifferent cards on top
of each ace, performer forces, by the system of elimina
tion, described elsewhere in this book, or otherwise, the
Ace of Spades packet. Picking up the three discarded
packets, he removes the three (short) Aces of Hearts,
Clubs and Diamonds from these cards, and pushes one
after the other of these aces into the pack in the ordinary
mannerthat is, facing same way. The discarded indiff
erent cards are then added to the pack to get them out of
the way, and the pack squared up by knocking one end on
the table. This knocking of the cards on the table serves
to settle the three short aces into the lower end of the
pack, which is very important. The pack is then laid on
the table. Taking the chosen (Ace of Spades) packet, per
former advances to one of the spectators and slowly ruffles
the four cards, showing them to consist of three indiffer
ent cards with the Ace of Spades on the face. Now he
ruffles these cards after the manner of ruffling Rogerss
Ever Ready forcing pack. The lower ends of the cards
are held on their edges between the left hand middle
finger and thumb, with the Ace of Spades, at bottom of
packet, squarely facing audience. The right hand now
approaches, and the thumb is rested at the upper end of
cards, the fingers below. The thumb of right hand then
executes the ruffle from the rear card, forward to the Ace
of Spades on the front; the cards being bent downwards
sufficiently for the spectators to note each card as the
thumb releases it. This operation brings the long and
short principle of the cards into play, and thus only the
three indifferent cards, and the ace on the front, are re
vealed, the three duplicate aces passing in concealment
behind each indifferent card and the visible ace.

Replacing the packet face down on table, performer

picks up the pack and pronounces the mystic word. Pass
ing before the spectators, he slowly ruffles the pack, prov
ing, according to conjurers logic, that the three aces have
really left the pack. This he is enabled to do because the
three short aces are invisible when the long cards of the
pack are ruffled. Returning to the table, he shows the
four aces assembled in the chosen packet. Three of these
aces are double cards, but may be shown, front and back,
with impunity if properly prepared.

THE TRIANGLE TRICK.

Having invited a gentleman to occupy a chair facing

the audience, the performer commences the experiment
by calling this gentlemans attention to a complete pack
of cards displayed on a blackboard on an easel at one side
of the room or stage. His attention is likewise directed
to a quantity of wide ribbon gathered on the chair back.
The performer removes the two top rows of cards (half
the pack) from the board and drops them face downwards
on a tray, and asks his volunteer assistant to take these
cards, cut them, and turn the two packets thus formed
face to face; then to twist the center part of the ribbon,
which the conjurer takes from the back of the chair, sev
eral times around the cards. The performer then offers
the two ends of the ribbon to two ladies seated at extreme
right and left of the audience. This arrangement of the
ribbon forms, so the conjurer explains, The Triangle, the
gentleman being called The Apex. The other half of the
pack the performer removes from the blackboard and
spreads, face up, on the tray. He advances to the ladies
holding the ribbons and requests each of them, in turn, to
look at the 26 cards on the tray and mentally note any one
of them. The ladies each having indicated that they have
made a choice, the conjurer places the tray temporarily in
the keeping of a spectator and gathers together the cards
in a packet. He does not manipulate the cards in any
way, but asks the ladies, each in turn, to hold the packet
for a moment at the end of their ribbon, and to wish the
cards they thought of to leave the rest of the packet.
Now, says the performer, if the experiment has
succeeded, the two cards that the ladies merely thought of
will have left the pack I am holding. Will you, sir, ad-

dressing the spectator in whose keeping the tray was left,

kindly scrutinize the cards as I pass them before you, and
tell me if the ladies cards are in this pack? The ladies
are asked of what cards they thought, and these cards are
found to have mysteriously left the pack. The performer
then returns to the gentleman seated at the apex of the
ribbon triangle, requests him to unwind the ribbon from
the cards in his possession, and deal these cards on the
tray, for the purpose of finding the ladies thought cards.
Naturally the two cards in question are found in the
gentlemans packet.
FIRST METHOD. Devant.
A prepared pack of 52 cards, several yards of wide
ribbon, an easel, with a blackboard arranged with four
thin strips tacked horizontally across its surface to hold
the cards, a small oblong Japanese tray, and a chair com
prise the requisites for the presentation of this startling
card problem.
One-half the pack consists of double-faced cards, the
cards on the back being duplicates of the unprepared half
of the pack. The pack is arranged beforehand on the
easel, all cards different, the two top rows being the ordi
nary cards; the two bottom rows the double-faced cards.
The ribbon is gathered on the chair back; the tray on
seat of same chair.
A gentleman being induced to take the chair, per
former invites his attention to the complete pack on black
board ; then the ribbon. The cards overlap one another a
trifle in the rows on the board, for convenience of re
moval, and when the performer sweeps off the two top
rows and hands these cards to the assistant, the latter re
ceives the unprepared half of the pack. Following the
conjurers instructions, he cuts the packet and turns the
halves face to face and winds the center part of the rib
bon around them. The ends of the ribbon are then passed
to the two ladies, as already explained, and the performer
removes the two remaining rows of cards (the double
faced cards) from the blackboard. As he turns to place
them on the tray it is an easy matter to turn the packet
over without detection, thus bringing the duplicates of
those cards in the gentlemans packet uppermost. Per
former spreads the cards all over the tray and has each
lady in turn mentally note one card. After they have
made mental selections, he gathers up the cards, always
holding the cards low to prevent the revelation of their
double-faced character, and during the course of his patter,

and while moving from one lady to the other, secretly

turns the packet over once again; therefore, needless to
state, when a spectator scrutinizes the cards as performer
deals them, face up, on the tray, the two cards thought
of by the ladies are found missing, and as duplicates of
these cards have been from the beginning in the gentle
man s packet, the trick comes to a successful termination
without further effort on the part of the conjurer. While
the gentleman is scrutinizing his cards, the performer has
ample opportunity to secretly exchange his own packet of
double-faced cards for 26 ordinary cards, which are care
lessly handed to the assistant for his inspection, the two
packets, when joined, comprising an unprepared pack.
SECOND METHOD. Holmes.
The general effect of this, my own version, does not
differ materially from Mr. Devants; but different means
are employed, and there is less risk of detection, which is
always a prime requisite in close work.
To begin with, my own pack may be shown, front
and back, at any time, as no double-faced cards are used.
Twenty-six cards are unprepared, and all different. The
other 26 cards of the pack are really double (not double
faced) cards, being prepared on the principle of Rogers
Ever Ready Forcing Pack. That is to say, each of these
26 cards, which are all different (comprising those cards
not found in the unprepared half) has glued across one
end on the back, and facing same way, an indifferent.
short card. And these short cards are duplicates of the 26
cards contained in the unprepared half of the pack.
Therefore, by reason of these 26 double cards, the entire
pack really consists of 78 cards; but inasmuch as the two
halves of the pack are never joined together during the
experiment, there is no opportunity for comment on the
extra thickness of the pack, and no notice is ever taken
of the thickness of performers packet, even though it con
tains 52 cards.
The trick proceeds along the lines laid down in the
First Method. The two top rows of cards on the black
board are the 26 ordinary cards; while the two bottom
rows are the 26 double cards. The cards in the two upper
rows are swept off the board, and placed in the keeping
of the volunteer assistant, who wraps the center portion
of the ribbon around the cards. When I advance with my
packet of cards to one of the ladies holding the ends of
the ribbon, I slowly ruffle the cards before her eyes, so

that she can see every card is different. Squaring up the

cards, I repeat the ruffle, inviting the lady to mentally
note any one card, but not to let me get a clue to its
identity. When I ruffle the packet the first time, showing
cards all different, the sleight is executed from the bottom
upwards; when I again ruffle the cards for the lady to
make a mental selection, I ruffle the cards from the top
downwards; and this latter ruffle reveals to the ladys
sight only the short cards, all of which are duplicated in
the gentlemans packet.
The ladies are then required to go through the for
mality of thinking their cards along the ribbons to the
Apex of the Triangle, after which a spectator holds the
tray while I pass the cards, one by one, face up before
him.
While attention is centered on the man at the Apex,
in his search for the chosen cards, the prepared packet is
secretly exchanged for 26 ordinary cards.
ANOTHER MARVELOUS COINCIDENCE.

This trick was contributed by the author to the

American conjuring magazine, Magic," now discontinued,
under the title of A Card Mystery. I have made one
or two minor improvements in its working since that time,
and will therefore include the trick here.
Two packs of cards are shuffled, and one placed in the
hands of a spectator, performer retaining the other. The
spectator is requested to mentally select any number; then
to privately count down the cards in his pack to such num
ber, and turn up the card next in order. The performer
follows his example by counting down the cards in his
own pack until stopped by spectator, when it is found that
the two cards turned up are exactly alike in suit and value.
Obtain two packs of cards, and from one remove any
card you may elect, say the Three of Spades. Cut a corner
off this card of such size that the missing portion may
easily be covered with the ball of the thumb. Place this
prepared Three of Spades on top of the pack, the missing
corner of card at upper right hand corner of pack. This
pack, which I shall designate as No. 1, is the one you re
tain in your possession during the trick.
Pack No. 2 is unprepared, except that just previous
to the beginning of the trick, you take pains to have the
Three of Spades of this pack on the top.

You come forward with Pack No. 2, carelessly shuf

fling the cards, but taking care that the Three of Spades
remains undisturbed at top. Hand the pack to a spectator
and request him to mentally select any number desired
and to count a like number of cards, one after the other,
off the top of his pack. You caution him to count his
cards noiselessly, so that it will be impossible for you to
determine the precise number chosen. Meanwhile, you
may turn your back as an extra precaution in his favor.
When your assistant announces his task accomplished,
you request him to replace the counted packet on top of
the pack. (Note: The mere process of counting the cards
off the pack shifts the top cardthe Three of Spades
to the bottom of the packet. Therefore, when assistant
has counted packet and replaced it on the pack proper,
the Three of Spades rests in the pack at the number
mentally chosen.)
You then take the pack in your own hands, plainly
showing, without verbally calling attention to the fact,
that your hands conceal nothing. You place the pack, face
up, in view on a plain water goblet on table. Now, before
hand, you have secretly placed on the top of this goblet
one card (any card) from Pack No. 2, this card being
absolutely invisible to the spectators, as already explained
in my Serial No. 2, New Card Tricks, page 7. This
card rests face up on the glass, therefore when the pack
is dropped, face up, thereon, the concealed card is secretly
added to the number counted by spectator.
Introducing Pack No. 1, you shuffle it, but retain the
cut corner card on the top. Holding the pack in left hand,
in position for dealing, with the missing corner of pre
pared card at upper right hand corner, you state that
you are about to deal a few cards off this pack, and you
will ask the gentleman to call Stop when you have dealt
off a number of cards corresponding to the number origi
nally chosen by him. You proceed to draw one card at a
time off the top of pack, dropping them in a heap on the
table; but in every case you draw the card directly under
the prepared Three of Spades, the missing corner of this
card permitting the tip of the right thumb to withdraw
the card next below it with ease. This is a makeshift
second deal, which answers the purpose perfectly if the
performer is unable to execute the genuine sleight of sec
ond dealing. When the spectator calls Stop, you draw
the top card (the prepared Three of Spades) off the pack,
the thumb and fingers concealing the missing corner. Per-

mit all to see that this card is actually taken off the top
of the pack.
Laying aside your own pack, but retaining the Three
of Spades in your hand, request your assistant to take
his cards off the glass and count down from top of pack
the same number of cards he directed you to count. When
he has complied, request him to turn up the card next
following on top of his pack, and he will be amazed to
find the Three of Spades occupying the identical position
in his pack as the card of the same suit and value occu
pied in your own pack.
It is to be understood, in both cases, when the number
of cards corresponding with the number mentally chosen
by spectator have been counted off the packs, it is the next
card exceeding this number that is turned up.

A NEW CHAMELEON PACK.

Consists of about 32 cards. The top half contains ten

red spot cards, all different, and six prepared cards whose
upper ends represent black face cards, all different, while
their lower ends represent red face cards, all different.
The Ten of Hearts is on the bottom of this section.
The bottom half of pack contains ten black spot cards,
all different, and six prepared cards whose upper ends
represent red face cards, all different, and their opposite
ends black face cards, all different. The Ace of Clubs is
placed at bottom of pack.
These face cards are prepared by gluing on the face
side of any card a half section of two different face cards,

divided diagonally as in Fig. 12. The cards should not

be split before gluing together, as the added thickness of
pack is desirable. It is understood that these prepared

cards are to represent the 12 face cards of an ordinary

pack at either end, but where one end of a card is a black
face card, the opposite end represents a red face card,
and this arrangement is followed throughout. Every other
card, or two, should be a spot card, followed by a face
card. The fact that all the red spot cards are in one end
of the pack, while all the black spot cards are in the other
is never noticed, owing to the opposite color of the face
cards.
Now if the entire pack be fanned from left to right,
the cards appear well mixed. (Fig. 13.) Performer di
vides the pack in half, removing all cards below the Ten of
Hearts and placing them, squared up, in view against a
goblet with the Ace of Clubs on bottom, facing audience.
As he places this packet on the table he secretly changes
ends. In like manner he places the remaining packet
against a second goblet, also changing ends, the Ten of
Hearts at bottom and outermost.
The black cards now mysteriously assemble in the
Ace of Clubs packet, while the red cards assemble in the
Ten of Hearts packet. Each packet is fanned, showing
such to be the case, after which the two packets are again
placed together, the red cards on top of the black. Re
questing a lady to breathe on the cards, performer secretly
changes ends with the pack and fans the cards once more,
when they are found thoroughly mixed, red and black to
gether, as in the beginning. (Fig. 13.)
This is a very satisfactory Chameleon pack. It may
be introduced as an interlude in almost any series of card
effects.
A NEW X-RAY TRICK.

In my Serial No. 2, New Card Tricks, I described

two methods of my own for working DeLands well-known
X-ray pack. The present method (likewise my own),
while not requiring the aid of prepared cards, calls for a
certain preparation of the pack, hence is included here.
Arrange your pack beforehand according to the old
Eight kings threatened to save formula. Exchange for
a pack that has previously been in the hands of the spec
tators. Advance with the prearranged pack, and spread
the cards for a spectator to select one. Pass all cards
above the drawn one to the bottom and get a glimpse of
the bottom card, which gives you the name of the card

just removed. Request a second spectator to draw a card,

but stop him, saying, Or perhaps you would rather make
the selection with the cards in your own hands. Take a
good share of the pack, please, and shuffle the cards.
See that he takes about half the pack, you retaining
the other half. His shuffling destroys the prearrangement
and prevents any embarrassing results, while the pre
arrangement in your own half remains intact. Go to
first spectator and have him replace his card in the pack as
you ruffle it. Have other spectators replace drawn cards
in like manner. The trick then proceeds along the lines
of the orthodox X-ray Trick, but the following will be
found a pleasing variation:
When all drawn cards have been returned to your
portion of the pack, drop the latter in a glass goblet on
table and cover with a borrowed handkerchief. Proceed
with your discourse on mind reading, and, after due dra
matic effect, name the first drawn card. This, of course,
you already know, thanks to the prearranged pack. Say
it is the King of Hearts. You remove the handkerchief
from the glass, and run over the cards, faces up to locate
the King of Hearts. But combining business with pleasure,
you do not at once take out the named card. Instead,
you note the special order of the cards, mentally saying
to yourself, Eight, King, Three, Ten, etc. Any break in
this order reveals the presence of one of the other drawn
cards. Say it is the Six of Diamonds. You pass on to
the King of Hearts, which you have just named; remove it
from the pack and toss on the table. Returning the cards
to the goblet and covering with the handkerchief, as before, you finally call the Six of Diamonds. Again re
move the handkerchief and cards from the glass, run
through the cards, passing over the Six of Diamonds in
your search until you secretly locate another foreign card
in the prearrangement; and so the trick continues until
all the drawn cards have been read, after which you
carelessly shuffle the cards and pass out for inspection.
I believe this method is just as effective as the punc
tured X-ray pack, and surely more convincing when the
cards, in conclusion, are offered for inspection.

New, Original and Exclusive Magic

You have probably bought card tricks that were absolute
ly useless because of poorly printed cards on thin stock, or be
cause they were imperfectly made. All of my card decks are
made of BICYCLE CARDS (enough said), are all the same
size, color, properly printed, and mechanically perfect. Every
one is NEW and PRACTICALtricks that you will use when
you get them.

ROGERS RISING CARDS.

$1.00

PRICE, complete,
EVER READY FORCING DECK.
PRICE, complete deck

$1.25

I have many new and original effects never listed.

Correspondence solicited.
Address,
FORD B. ROGERS,
No. 3041 Park Avenue,

Kansas City, Mo.

H O L M E S C O N JU R IN G S E R IA L N o. 1

Some Modern Conjuring"

A SERIES OF ORIGINAL EXPERIMENTS IN THE
MYSTIC ART

By Donald Holmes.
Containing new versions of old-time favorites, involv
ing the use of handkerchiefs, flags, dice, etc. Not de
voted to any special branch of the art, but a series of
practical tricks, lucidly explained. About 77 pages, with
many half-tone cuts, printed on fine book paper, in art
covers.
A FEW SPECIAL FEATURES:

WATCH, HANDKERCHIEF AND BRAN. A clever

transposition, involving the use of borrowed articles. A
new idea in tumbler manipulation, followed by several
pleasing combinations. A valuable principle, applied to
any branch of the art.
THE WEDDING RING TRICK. A ring trick that
is just a little bit different than anything ever before at
tempted. It will mystify every time.
THE LAMP CHIMNEY COLOR CHANGE. Some
thing new in this popular handkerchief effect. Changes
color right before their eyes, and it will bear close in
spection, too.
HOLMES INVISIBLE SERVANTE. You can re
volve your table top all you please without giving any
thing away. And its simple, toosimple to construct
and simple to operate.
Some 1800 copies of Some Modern Conjuring al
ready sold. Only a limited number of copies now on hand.
Do not miss the opportunity to add this valuable work on
conjuring to your collection before it is out of print.
PRICE, POSTPAID, ONE DOLLAR.
DONALD HOLMES,
No. 3709 Olive Street,

Kansas City, Missouri.

HOLMES CONJURING SERIAL No. 2.

NEW CARD TRICKS

By DONALD HOLMES,
Author of Some Modern Conjuring.
Forty pages devoted to new and original card prob
lems, exclusively. Printed uniform with this volume.
Read table of contents below, and order a copy today,
either from your dealer or the author.
CONTENTS.

Holmes Marvelous Prediction:" Holmes Marvelous

Coincidence; a Simple Card Force; the Flying Cards;
Holmes New Card Discovery; the Card and Candle;
Holmes Mental Test; Holmes X-Ray Test; Another XRay Trick; a Mathematical Trick; the 27 Card Trick,
improved; Holmes Simplex Rising Cards; Holmes
Perfection Rising Cards; the Cards Rising at Chosen
Number; the Spirit Fortune Teller; Holmes Nimble
Knave.

Price, Prepaid, Fifty Cents

DONALD HOLMES,
No. 3709 Olive St.,

KANSAS CITY, MO.