_Twenty pint tumblers, ruby and green._--These are made in celluloid and fit one in the other. They are all of the same size, but being very thin occupy very little more s.p.a.ce than a single one.

_Six champagne bottles._--These are not quite so substantial as they look, being merely half-bottles in thin metal, j.a.panned black, and decorated with labels taken from the genuine article. A bottle with a horizontal division in the centre, the upper part containing wine, and the lower part a tumbler, is generally introduced with the sh.e.l.ls.

_A small rabbit._

_A Chinese doll._--Obtain a doll's head, five inches in diameter, from any Oriental store, and drape it with a silk skirt. If a hole be cut in the top of the head it can be utilized in the same manner as the cannon ball.

_A skull which rises spontaneously from the hat._--This is a model in papier-mache, and being hollow, is very serviceable. It is caused to rise from the hat by means of a black thread, which is carried through a staple in the flies immediately over the performer's table, thence through another staple behind the wings, and down to the a.s.sistant.

It is not my intention to give directions for making these goods, as they can be bought at a very small cost from any of the dealers in magical apparatus. I have found by experience that this is the best course to pursue. Amateur work is, as a rule, very commendable, but scarcely so as regards conjuring, clumsy and ill-made apparatus being absolutely useless, and consequently dear at any price. Apart from this I have another, and what I believe to be a more important object in view, viz., that of giving instruction in the actual working of the trick.

It will be at once obvious to the reader that the chief element in the magical production of articles from a borrowed hat, is the manner in which they are secretly introduced, as, should this be detected, the trick would fail ignominiously. The main secret lies in the combination of the looks and gestures of the performer to misdirect the audience.

The articles for the most part are introduced under cover of natural movements, quickness being of little or no avail.

I will now describe one or two methods employed to effect this desideratum.

LOADING.--Under this heading I shall endeavor to give the working of a hat trick as actually presented to an audience, using for the purpose articles selected from the preceding list. The following preparations must be made:--

A small rabbit is placed in the right hand profonde, and a billiard ball and a small dinner plate are laid on the table.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 28.--Double Wire Loop]

A packet of one hundred spring flowers, secured by a band of tissue paper, must be in the hands of the a.s.sistant at the right wing; and another similar packet must be placed in the profonde on the left side.

The sash ribbon, folded as instructed, is tied round the fancy boxes together with the string of sausages, with black tape. The parcel is suspended behind the back of a chair by means of a pin and a double loop of florist's wire (Fig. 28), the tape being pa.s.sed through the small loop, which is then hung on the pin. This leaves the large loop, the use of which will be noted in due course, sticking up over the back of the chair, where, however, it is quite invisible at a few paces.

The twenty pint tumblers are wrapped up in a piece of colored sash-ribbon and tied round with tape to which is attached a loop of wire. Thus prepared they are placed in the capacious breast pocket on the left side, the loop projecting so that the thumb of the right hand can be pa.s.sed through it and the package withdrawn.

The bundle of wood, containing the coil of ribbon, baby linen, and feeding bottle, must be in readiness on the servante at the back of a second chair.

The skull, cannon ball, or globe of gold fish, whichever the performer intends to use, is located on the servante at the back of the table.

The next thing to do is to obtain the loan of a hat, and having done so, it is well to perform a preliminary experiment with the same. A very good one is that known as

THE MAGNETIZED HAT.--The performer places his hand, perfectly empty, on the crown of the hat, which forthwith adheres to the palm, and in this position it can be moved about and turned over in any direction. The finger tips are then used in place of the palm with the same result.

Finally, a silk handkerchief is thrown over the hat, and the palm of the hand placed thereon, but the effect is still the same.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 29.--Apparatus for Magnetized Hat]

This seeming impossibility is accomplished with the aid of the little piece of apparatus ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 29. It consists of a bra.s.s plate fitted with two bent pins as shown, the whole being painted black. The pins should be situated so that by placing the two middle fingers between them the hat can be raised. The working of the trick will now be readily understood. The clip must be pressed into the crown of the hat while returning with it to the stage, the pin on the left of the figure being inserted first. The clip is removed, with the handkerchief, in the final stage of the trick.

The ball and plate are now given for examination, and while all attention is riveted on these two articles, ample opportunity will be found to introduce the rabbit un.o.bserved, which should be done while amongst the audience. The hat is then covered with the plate, in which condition it is carried back to the stage, and placed on the table.

The performer now takes the ball, and vanishes it by palming; appearing to pa.s.s it through the plate into the hat. The plate is then removed, and the ball taken from the hat with the right hand, followed immediately by the rabbit.

The hat is now taken in the left hand, and the rabbit handed to the a.s.sistant at the wings with the right. The a.s.sistant takes the rabbit, and at the same time, under cover of the wing, gives the performer the packet of flowers; the hat being immediately placed in the right hand to conceal their presence.

While drawing attention to the outside of the hat, the tissue paper is broken with the fingers, and the flowers are released. They are then shaken out slowly on to a large sheet of black alpaca, which should be spread over the stage to receive them. While this is being done, the package is obtained from the profonde, the hat being changed over into the left hand, and the second load thus introduced.

When the flowers have all been shaken from the hat, take it in the right hand, fingers inside and thumb out, and approach the chair (this should be on your right) on which is the bundle of ribbons, etc. Take the top of the chair in the hand holding the hat, and in doing so, push the forefinger through the loop of wire. Now move the chair away a few paces, and when removing the hand from the back bring away the load, which will fall into the hat un.o.bserved. Leave the hat on the chair, and take up the alpaca containing the flowers, putting it on one side.

Up to this point, no one will suspect that the hat contains anything, as what you have done has been but natural in the preparation of the stage for the next trick.

The boxes are now taken from the hat and placed on the table, followed by the sausages. When removing the latter, some amus.e.m.e.nt may be caused by referring to them as "an indefinable, condimental amalgamation of membranaceous disintegrations."

The ribbon is next pulled from the hat in long lengths with the right hand, and when the hand contains a large quant.i.ty, the thumb is slipped through the wire loop attached to the tumblers in the breast pocket.

These are introduced when inserting the hand to take out the next length of ribbon. The introduction of the tumblers cannot be detected, owing to the presence of the ribbon in which they are wrapped. When the whole of the ribbon has been extracted, it is thrown over the back of the chair, behind which is the bundle of wood.

The tumblers are now taken from the hat, and placed on the table.

The performer then takes up the ribbon from the chair, and makes an effort to return it to the hat, thereby drawing attention to its great bulk, and remarking, "Now, how do you suppose I am going to get home with this? Why, I shall require at least two cabs."

It is needless to say that under cover of the ribbon the bundle of wood is introduced into the hat. The baby linen, feeding bottle, and coil, are now produced, and finally the wood itself. It is usual when taking the ribbon from the hat to spin it out on the wand.

Holding the hat by the brim, fingers inside and thumb out, the performer lowers it for an instant to the rear edge of the table, and by inserting the middle finger of the hand into the hole in the cannon ball scoops it up into the hat, which is forthwith raised and placed crown downward on the table.

This movement should be executed with the left hand while the right lays the bundle of wood down on the table, and, if necessary, makes room for the next production.

The fish bowl, or skull, would of course be worked in a similar manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with a little expenditure of ingenuity and trouble a hat trick can be carried on to an almost indefinite period. It should not, however, in any case exceed fifteen minutes. I have taken the preceding list simply as an ill.u.s.tration of the way in which the various movements are combined to appear natural and thus avoid detection, also as a basis on which the student may arrange a hat trick of his own. Any articles can, of course, be subst.i.tuted for those given, or the list may be supplemented by others, or cut down as occasion may require. An amount of sang froid and boldness, only acquired from years of actual practice, is necessary to execute a good hat trick faultlessly; but this should not disconcert the reader, as it is only in accordance with what must be expected in the acquisition of an art.

TO PRODUCE A NUMBER OF EGGS FROM A HAT HELD CROWN UPWARD.--For this purpose you must be provided with a black linen bag, oval in shape, and large enough to contain the required number of eggs. To one end of this bag is sewn an ordinary tie clip, the other end being cut off and provided with a piece of elastic so that eggs placed therein cannot come out unless pressure be applied with the hand. The bag is loaded into the hat by one or other of the methods described, and attached to the lining of the same by means of the clip. Under these circ.u.mstances the production of the eggs from the inverted hat will be an easy matter. The eggs used should be blown ones.

The bag should be allowed to remain in the hat after the last egg has been taken from it, and removed later under cover of some other article.

CHAPTER VII

ANTI-SPIRITUALISTIC TRICKS

THE CLIMBING RING.--The performer having obtained the loan of a lady's ring, pa.s.ses it over the end of his wand, which he then holds in a perpendicular position. The ring now commences to climb up the wand very slowly, stopping or descending at command; finally it jumps right off the wand and is caught by the performer, who immediately hands it back to the lady.

This pretty experiment depends entirely upon a black silk thread, about twice the length of the wand, to which it is fixed at the uppermost end. The means by which the thread is attached may vary, but a good plan is to make a very small knot in the end of the thread, which is then pa.s.sed through a fine slit cut in the end of the wand, the knot making all secure. The thread is then pa.s.sed down the side of the wand, in which position it will not be noticed. The ring is now dropped over the wand, and consequently over the thread, by the manipulation of which it may be caused to rise or fall, or, in response to a sharp tug, to jump right off the wand. The wand is usually held in the left hand, while the right, in which is the end of the thread, holds the lapel of the coat, when all that is necessary to obtain the desired result is to move the left hand to or from the body as required.

THE MYSTERIOUS NAME.--This is a capital trick, and one that can be introduced at any time. The performer borrows a visiting card from any stranger in the company, and, holding it between the thumb and the second finger of the hand, he waves it about very slowly, at the same time asking some one to call out the name of any celebrity. This having been done the card is almost immediately handed back to the owner, who finds the selected name written thereon.

This ingenious trick is accomplished with the aid of a small accessory in the shape of a thimble, to the end of which is attached a small piece of pencil about a quarter of an inch in length. This thimble having been placed on the forefinger of the hand, it will be found, by experiment, that the name may very easily be written on the back of a card held as instructed.