Select from a pack the aces, kings, queens, and knaves, together with four common cards of each suit. Lay down the four queens in a row, and say, "Here are four queens going to dig for diamonds. (_Lay a common diamond over each queen._) They each took a spade with them (_place a common spade on each diamond_) and dug until they were nearly tired.

Their four kings, thinking that they might be attacked by robbers, sent four soldiers to keep guard. (_Lay an ace on each spade._) Evening came, and the queens had not returned, so the kings, fearing that they might have come to harm, became uneasy and set off themselves. (_Place a king on each ace._) They were only just in time, for as they came along, they met their queens being carried off by four villains (_lay a knave on each king_), who, although only armed with clubs (_place a common club on each knave_), had overpowered the guards and driven them off. But the four kings, being possessed of bold hearts (_lay a common heart over each king_), soon vanquished the villains, and bound them." Gather up the cards, place the heaps upon each other and direct some one to cut them. Have them cut four or five times, and continue to do so until a common heart appears at the bottom. Then continue the tale, and say, "The party then returned home in the following order. First the queen (_lay down the top card_) with the diamonds which she had found (_lay down the second card, which will be a diamond_) in one hand, and her spade (_the third card will be a spade_) in the other, &c. &c." You continue dealing out the cards in that manner, and it will be found that they will be in precisely the same order as when they were taken up.

18. THE TRIPLE DEAL.

Take any twenty-one cards, and ask some to choose one from them. Lay them out in three heaps, and ask the person who took the card in which heap it is. You may turn your back while he searches. Gather them up and put that heap between the other two. Do this twice more, and the chosen card will always be the eleventh from the top.

19. THE QUADRUPLE DEAL.

This is a variation of the preceding. Take twenty-four cards, and lay them in four heaps. Act as in No. 18, putting the heap in which is the chosen card second. The tenth card will be the one thought of.

TRICKS WITH CARDS, THAT REQUIRE APPARATUS.

One or two of these tricks must suffice, because, in general, the apparatus required for cards is exceedingly expensive. Those that are here given require but little apparatus, and any boy with the use of his hands can make it.

20. THE CARDS IN THE VASE.

Make a vase with five divisions, two of which hold an entire pack of cards, and the remaining three are only large enough just to admit one card each, as in the figure. A strong silk thread is fastened at A, pa.s.ses over the three little compartments, through the bottom of the vase, and running over two pulleys, terminates in the weight at B.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Take three cards, say the ace of spades, the ten of diamonds, and the king of hearts, out of a pack of cards, and put one into each of the little divisions, pressing the thread down into the bottom of each division. If the cards are left, the weight will descend, and the string being tightened, will push the cards upwards. So a kind of trigger shelf is made, on which the weight rests. The remainder of the pack you put into division 2.

When you show the trick, you take another pack of cards exactly like that which is already in the vase, and handing it to three persons successively, compel them to choose the ace of spades, the ten of diamonds, and the king of hearts.[15] Let some one shuffle the cards, and when this is done, put the pack into division 1. Tell the spectators that when you have struck three times on the table, the cards will come out of the vase. At the third stroke, loosen the catch on which the weight stands, by means of a string that communicates with your table, and the three cards will rise slowly up. In order to show that the cards have really vanished from the pack, take the pack out of division 2 and let any one examine it.

[15] This may be done by making the pa.s.s.

If you prefer, you can draw the thread yourself, by having a kind of pedal under your table, to which the other end of the string is attached, instead of being fastened to the weight B. If you prefer the weight, you must have a small shelf for the weight to rest upon, when it has descended sufficiently low, or the cards will be forced entirely out by the thread. C is a representation of one of the divisions, showing the semi-circular cut that is made in them for the convenience of taking out the cards.

21. THE METAMORPHOSIS.

In this most excellent trick you choose from the pack the four eights and the two of diamonds; you put the four eights in the left hand and the two on the table; you take in the two, placing an eight on the table, and they are all two's. You exchange the two for the eight, and they all become black cards; you again exchange the eight for the two, and they all turn red; and after again exchanging, you have, as before, the four eights and the two of diamonds.

The method of accomplishing this trick is as follows: Get three plain white cards, exactly like playing cards, and paint them as in the engraving. Mix them with an ordinary pack, and when you are searching for the four eights, with which you say you are going to perform a trick, take them from the pack, and with them an ordinary eight of clubs and a two of diamonds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 1_]

Show the cards as in Fig. 2, making the spectators observe that there are the four eights. Put the two of diamonds behind the eight of clubs, and lay the eight on the table. The two must be inserted before the eight is removed, or the mystery of the marking will be apparent. Close the cards, turn them over, and spread them out, when they will appear as in Fig. 3. Take in the eight and lay the two on the table; close the cards, and while shuffling them, turn card No. 2 the other way upwards.

The cards will then all appear black, as in Fig. 4. Take in the two and remove the eight, turn them over, and spread them out, when they will appear all red, as in Fig 5. Finally, take in the eight, replacing the two on the table, reverse No. 2, and you will have the four eights and the two of diamonds just as they were at first. You must invent plenty of talk during your changes. If the spectators say that the cards are double, spread them out, and hold them up to the light, (for the light cannot penetrate through the places where the cards are placed over each other,) and if they are still sceptical, hand them the two of diamonds to look at, and in a moment or two hand them the eight of clubs, asking them whether they would like to examine a black card also. This will effectually disarm suspicion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 2_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 3_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 4_]

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 5_]

22. TO CHANGE A CARD IN A PERSON'S HAND.

Cut very neatly the spots from a three of spades. Lay the pierced card on an ace of diamonds, and rub pomatum on the ace of diamonds through the places which the spades occupied. Remove the pierced card, and sprinkle the ace of diamonds with jet powder, which adhering to the pomatum, will transform the card into a three of spades.

Place the transformed card at the bottom of the pack, and show a person what card it is. Make him declare it that every one may hear, then place it on the table, face downwards, and push it over the cloth to the spectator, which action will rub off all the jet powder. Tell him to place his hand on the card. Let a three of spades be at the top of the pack, and an ace of diamonds the second from the bottom. Show another person the ace of diamonds, and ask him to tell the name of the card openly. Put the pack down, face downwards, And in so doing, make the pa.s.s, and bring the three of spades to the bottom.

Tap the hand of the person who is guarding the card, and then tell him to take up the card and show it to the spectators, when it will be seen to be the ace of diamonds. Simultaneously, you take up the pack, and show the three of spades at the bottom.

CRYPTOGRAPHY.

The meaning of the word "Cryptography" is, as is well known, "hidden or secret writings," and was used in ancient times, when conspiracies were common, and murders an every-day occurrence, as the means of communicating from one person to another in such a manner that it could not be read by any one save those who were admitted into the secret of its construction.

A widespread conspiracy, or, as it would be more properly termed, rebellion, could not be carried on between persons at a distance from each other unless they resorted to cryptography; in fact, the means of correspondence was in those times of so slow and dangerous a nature, that without the utmost care and secrecy in the arrangement of the cipher it would certainly have been discovered, and then death would be the consequence.

In order to mature their designs in safety, and to throw off all suspicion, men were obliged to put their wits to work and invent some way of informing each other of everything that did transpire, so that no one else should be the wiser for it: thus was cryptography discovered; and wonderful cunning and ingenuity were displayed in its construction, as will be seen by the examples that are given.

It was also used in former times in transacting affairs of state, in communicating messages from one general to another in time of war, and in many other ways of a more innocent nature, too numerous to mention.

Now, at the present time, when all is peace and prosperity, and news is brought to our very doors by post and telegraph, cryptography is only interesting as a curious study, or to amuse ourselves in an idle hour by finding out its hidden mysteries.

The first and most common form of cryptograph we read of was by the transposition of letters, and is, as we may see, capable of great improvement; indeed, it is the basis on which most of the letter ciphers are formed at the present day.

We give the following as an example:--

For--a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.

Use--d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a b c.

The sentence, "We meet to-night," in this cipher would become, "Zh phhw wr-qljkw."

The next is formed on the principle of the above, but is rather more intricate: for instance, if we wanted to inform some one that, "All going on well, send supplies as soon as possible," we should put it down in the following order:--

a g s p s o l o e l o s l n n i o s g w d e n i o e s s a b i l u a s l n l p s p e

You must read it down the first perpendicular column, then down the second, and so on. You must then form the letters in the horizontal columns into imaginary words, and place them down on paper as you would a common sentence, thus:--"Ag spso loelos lnn iosgwden ioes sab iluas lnlp spe."

You must arrange with your correspondent beforehand that the width of the horizontal column should consist of six letters (or more, if you like); so by placing the letters six in a line, one under the other, without regard to words, the puzzle is easy to solve.

Another good cipher is by using the figures 1 and 2 differently arranged for every letter in the alphabet, as will be seen by the following key:--

a b c d e f g h i 11111 11112 11121 11122 11211 11212 11221 11222 12111

j k l m n o p q r 12112 12122 12211 12212 12221 12222 21111 21112 21121

s t u v w x y z 21122 21211 21212 21221 22222 22212 22221 22122