The ladder was quickly taken away, the stage-hand reached up and lowered the seat of the chair back in place. Also, when this had been done he closed the trap-door in the stage, and the newspaper with its trap was in place above it, seemingly unbroken.
Then the professor fired the shot and whisked off the black cloth, as he did so touching the secret springs, so that the projections snapped back out of sight, and when the cloth was lifted off the chair looked as it did at first, only Joe was not on it.
Then he came running down the aisle, and persons who suspected that he had gone down through the stage did not know what to make of the piece of newspaper. It did not fit their theory.
That paper, appeared to be an ordinary sheet, and no one, or at least very few, would have thought of a trap being cut in that.
And thus was the “disappearing” trick worked.
“Very good! You did splendidly!” said the professor in a low voice as Joe came up on the stage. “It went off to perfection!”
After Joe made his bow in acknowledgment of the applause he received for his part in the trick, he prepared for the next “experiment,” as the professor often called his acts.
That first night of Joe’s assistance went off well, a number of acts being done after the “disappearance,” all being well received.
“A very satisfactory evening,” remarked Professor Rosello, as he and Joe went to their boarding house, after having put away their apparatus. “I hope we shall do as well the two remaining nights.”
“So do I,” agreed Joe.