“In order to see how this trick is done, ladies and gentlemen, you must keep one eye upon me, one eye upon that dish of oranges, and the other upon the gentleman who is assisting me. What’s that? You haven’t three eyes? I think you are mistaken. First there’s your right eye; then there’s your left eye; and your nect(eye)ie makes the third.”
The performer then plunges a knife into the prepared orange and hands it to his assistant.
“Would you mind cutting that in half?” (Upon doing so the young gentleman will, of course, find the coin embedded in the fruit.) “You have found the missing coin in its center? I consider it rather clever of me to purchase for a few cents oranges that grow quarters. Would you mind returning the coin to its owner; and I must thank you for the very able assistance you have afforded me.”
The next trick may be called
The Watch and Target
Presentation.—The conjurer borrows a watch from a member of the audience and wraps it in a piece of paper. He next places it in the muzzle of a pistol, and then stands a target upon the table. Handing the pistol to a gentleman in the audience, the performer requests him to fire at the target. There is a loud report, and—hey, presto!—the watch is found swinging in the center of the target! And upon the paper parcel which contained the watch being removed from the pistol’s muzzle it is found to be perfectly empty.
Fig. 7.—Conjuring pistol, showing flanged cap.
Fig. 8.—Cup or pan to fit into muzzle of pistol.