Start with the double five, and, touching each stone in turn, say o, n, e, one; remove the stone with one pip, and go on, t, w, o, two; remove the two, and say t, h, r, e, e, three, and so on till you reach at last the twelve.
Playing cards can be used, counting knave, queen, as eleven, twelve. It makes quite a good trick if you place the cards face downwards in the proper order, and then, saying that you will call up each number in turn, move the cards one at a time to the other end, spelling out each number as before, either aloud or not, and turning up and throwing out each as you hit upon it. If you do not call the letters aloud it adds to the mystery if you are blindfolded.
No. LXXXII.—TRICKS WITH DOMINOES
This is the other combination of stones and their pips which fulfils the conditions, and forms the word AGES.
In both cases a complete set of stones is used, which are arranged in proper domino sequence, and everyone of the eight letters carries exactly forty-two pips.
No. XCI—THE STOLEN PEARLS
The dishonest jeweller reset the pearls in a cross so that its arms were a stage higher up. It will be seen that by this arrangement nine pearls can still be counted in each direction.