“Now you fellows just sit in a row a little way apart, and I’ll pretend this is the stage,” went on Joe, as he stood beside a flat stump near the willow tree. “Here, Charlie, you put down a number on this slip of paper. Any number of four figures, say 1,876, or anything you like.”
“All right,” said Charlie, and he wrote a number.
“Now, Harry, you set down a number under Charlie’s,” directed Joe, “and then it will be Henry’s turn. This is the way the professor did it, isn’t it?”
“Yes, only he talked more,” replied Tom.
“Well, I could sling the ‘patter,’ as they call it, if I wanted to,” said Joe. “Only as I’m going to show you how the trick is worked I don’t need a lot of talk.”
“Are you really going to show us?” asked Harry.
“Sure I am! Now, Harry, if you’ve got your number written pass the paper to Henry. You set down a number of four figures, Henry, and draw a line under the sum. Tom, you’re pretty good at addition, aren’t you?”
“Pretty fair, yes.”
“Well, I don’t want any mistake made,” Joe, with a smile, warned them. “Here you go now. Add up those figures Tom, and get ’em right,” and he passed a slip of paper to the boy who had not set down any of the numbers. “Add ’em up, and set the result down in pencil under the line Henry drew. When you’ve done that I’ll make the answer appear on this flat piece of stone. Here, you hold it, Charlie,” and picking up a flat stone from the ground, Joe threw his handkerchief over it and passed it to Charlie to hold. “Don’t take off the handkerchief until I tell you to,” he warned the lad.
“Is the sum added, Tom?” asked Joe, a moment later.