THE INEXHAUSTIBLE HAT.
For this trick, seven half-dollars are required, and are concealed in the right hand by “palming,” as the five two-cent pieces were hid in the former trick.
First, borrow of one of your audience a tall silk hat, promising to return it “as good as new” at the end of the performance. Let the audience examine it to see that the owner is not in league with yourself, and then, walking to the back of the room, place it upon a table. While walking toward the table, with the back toward the audience, palm your coins, which should be held in some convenient pocket, readily accessible when the moment comes for using them.
Next, turn to your audience, having your coins well concealed in your right hand, and request some one to lend you six half-dollars; but immediately, under the pretense of disliking to trouble them, step forward, and, excusing yourself for the liberty, take a coin from the folds of a lady’s dress, by simply letting one of those concealed in your hand slip to the end of your fingers. If you have had sufficient practice in “coining” you will find no difficulty in doing this, and your audience will be inclined to believe you actually found the money secreted in the fabric, although they may believe you had some hand in placing it in its hiding-place.
If you have been thus far successful, go to the hat, and, calling attention to the fact, drop the half-dollar into it; then, as if you imagined some one was doubtful whether the coin was really in the hat, make some remark to the effect that if they do not believe you dropped it you will do so again, at the same moment thrusting your hand down to the crown to take it in sight again.
At the moment the hand is in this position, carefully place the six half-dollars on the bottom, and let one remain in the palm. Pick up one of these six, and holding it high, let it drop, being careful, however, that it does not hit the other five.
The coin in your hand you proceed to take from any unusual place which may occur to you—the window curtain, portière, a gentleman’s beard, or a lady’s coiffure, are those most naturally suggested. As soon as you take a half-dollar from its hiding-place, you pretend to place it in your left hand, and from there command it to pass to the hat, but in reality you palm it in your right where it is ready for the next position from which you desire to take it. Proceed in this way until you have gathered in six half-dollars.
As these have been lying quietly in the hat during all this time, you have no anxiety about sending them there, and must simply avoid going near it while apparently filling it with the money. When the last silver piece has been sent to its destination, request the audience to select some one of its members to count the money in the hat, and see that none has been lost in its flight hence. It will, of course, be found all right, and great will be the curiosity to know how you placed it there; but do not allow yourself to be influenced into trying it a second time, for with the close watching you will undergo your secret will be discovered.
ANOTHER HAT TRICK.
The hat may well be called “inexhaustible,” for all manner of things may be made to come from its prolific crown, and in such profusion, that a receptacle of double its size would hardly contain them.