Fig. 11.—The elastic at A will be found invaluable to the young conjurer.
(4) Lastly, a small piece of black elastic should be sewn across the V-shaped opening at the bottom of the conjurer’s waistcoat, as shown in [Fig. 11]. This keeps the bottom of the waistcoat perfectly tight, thus making a handy receptacle for any article the performer may poke up it out of sight.
Patter.—“Ladies and gentlemen—I was so successful in borrowing for my last trick, that I am encouraged to be a little less timid in my requests. Will some gentleman kindly lend me his watch? Thank you, sir! I may muddle up the wheels a bit during my experiment; but I suppose you don’t mind that, provided the watch looks all right when I return it? Now, sir, would you mind wrapping your watch up in this piece of paper?”
Whilst the lender of the watch is engaged in wrapping up his property, the conjurer walks to the table and returns with the pistol in his hand. He then takes the parcel from the gentleman, and apparently places it in the muzzle. In reality, however, it is put only into the small pan.
The performer turns round, and walks towards his table. Holding the pistol well into the body so that it is completely screened from the audience, he quickly places his right hand over the muzzle, and grips the flange with his thumb and little finger. It is then only the work of a moment to lift the pan and its contents from the pistol, and poke it under his waistcoat. As the performer’s back is to the audience, these rapid movements escape observation.
Upon reaching the table the conjurer lays down the pistol, faces the audience, and says:
“Well, now that I’ve got my ammunition, I suppose I’d better get a target.”
He retires behind the screen sheltering the target. Hastily taking the pan from his waistcoat, he tears the watch from the paper, and hangs it upon the hook on the reverse side of the “bull’s-eye.” Then, returning to the platform, he places the target upon the table, and taking up the pistol, says:
“Will the gentleman who lent me the watch kindly take this pistol and fire at the target when I count three?” (Upon taking the pistol the gentleman will see the second piece of paper in the muzzle, and imagine that it contains the watch.) “Are you ready? One!—I hope you are a good shot. Two!—Mind you don’t hit me instead of the target. THREE!”