THE PHANTOM CARD.
Effect.—A pack of cards is spread face downwards upon the table, and one of the audience is requested to choose five cards and hand the same to the performer, who arranges the cards fan-shape in his hand. The spectator is now asked to name any one of the five cards, after which the performer drops the cards face upwards upon the table, and, to the astonishment of the audience, the named card has entirely vanished, four cards only being visible. These cards are now turned face downwards and mixed with the remainder of the pack, which it will be remembered is still lying scattered upon the table. The performer, showing his hands quite empty, now proceeds to select another five cards, which he places face down upon the floor at the feet of his temporary assistant and asks him to touch with a stick any one of the five cards. The assistant does so, and, to his astonishment, the touched card is turned over and seen to be the missing card.
Modus Operandi.—When the pack has been spread face down upon the table and the five cards handed to the performer, he asks for one of the five cards to be named. This having been done, he gives the cards a shuffle, and contrives to get the named card to the top, and secretly reverses it. It will thus be seen that when the cards are dropped faces up upon the other cards scattered about the table, the selected card has apparently vanished. The four remaining cards are now turned over and mixed with the others, the performer being careful not to lose sight of the named card. Five cards are now taken seemingly at random off the table, one of them of course being the selected card. The faces of these five cards are not shown, but are immediately placed upon the floor, care being taken to get THE card in the centre of the row. It will be found that in nine cases out of ten the spectator invariably touches the middle card, which, on being turned over, is found to be the one he originally selected. Should the spectator, however, touch any other card you simply revert to the well-known (to conjurers) dodge of "Very well, we don't require this card," etc., etc.
THE "DE CASTON" METHOD OF
"RISING CARDS" FROM HAND.
Effect.—Several cards having been selected and marked by the audience are returned to the pack, which is thoroughly shuffled. The cards rise from the pack whilst held in the performer's hand, and when two-thirds of the card is visible. The performer requests the spectator to remove his card himself, which he does, the card being drawn out from about the centre of the pack. The remaining cards are produced in a like manner, the effect being quite weird.
Modus Operandi.—For the purpose of this most mystifying card effect it is necessary to prepare a few cards by cutting an oblong slit in each card wide enough to admit the first finger. These cards are then placed in a side pocket, or pochette, and the remainder of the pack handed to several spectators for the purpose of having cards selected and marked. This having been done the performer proceeds to collect the cards, each card when placed in the pack being brought to the top by means of the pass, and after the last card has been returned, the conjurer palms off all the selected cards and hands the pack out to be shuffled. On again receiving the pack in his hands he immediately replaces the palmed cards on top of the pack, and whilst calling attention to what has been done as regards freedom of choice, marking, shuffling, etc., he secretly secures the prepared cards and places them upon the chosen ones. By keeping a couple of fingers across the back of the pack it is an easy matter to casually show the front and back of the cards, and a great deal should be made of the fact that no threads, etc., are employed. When the first card (i.e., the last one returned by the audience) is well out of the pack, the finger again covers the slit and the pack is presented to the chooser for him to remove his card and verify the mark. The other cards are similarly dealt with, and the prepared ones are finally palmed off, disposed of, and the pack again passed for inspection.