TO GUESS CARDS SELECTED BY SEVERAL PERSONS.
Show as many cards to each person as there are persons to choose; that is to say, 3 to each, if there are three persons. When the first has thought of one, lay aside the three cards in which he has made his choice. Present the same number to the second person, to think of one, and lay aside the three cards in the like manner. Having done the same in regard to the third person, arrange all these cards in three rows, with their faces turned downwards, and then put them together in order. If you take the 3 first, and present them successively to the different persons, and do the same thing with the others, you may easily guess the cards, by observing, that the card thought of by each person will have the same place among the cards as the person has in regard to the other two; that is to say, the card thought of by the first person will be first of that packet in which he discovered it; that thought of by the second will be the second in the packet where he recognized it; and that of the third will be the last and in the last packet.
The operation is exactly the same when the number of persons is greater. If, instead of 3, there are 4 or 5 persons, four or five cards must be presented to each.