FIG. 6.
In the one method, when the hands are brought together the forefinger of the left hand is on top; then follow the right forefinger, the left second finger, the right third finger, the left third finger, the right little finger, and last the left little finger, as shown in Fig. 6, the right second finger being inside the hands. When the cord is placed under the crossed thumbs, preparatory to tying them, this right second finger, which will not be missed from the clasped hands, grasps the cord and holds it down, thus gaining slack which is at the bottom of every tie exhibited from the time of the Davenport brothers to the present day. Of course with so much slack it is a very easy matter to release the thumbs, and the next moment to present them apparently tightly tied. At the conclusion of the trick the cord must be gathered up and put out of the way, lest some of the audience should get hold of it, and thus discover the secret.
In the second method the palms of the hands are placed together and the thumbs held up. Then a rope, about the size of an ordinary sash cord, is laid just above the fork of the thumbs. The ends are given to two committee-men chosen from the audience, who are asked to pull, so as to convince themselves that the rope is sound; then the thumbs are crossed and pressed down on the rope, which is tied in a double knot.
As in the first method, a handkerchief is thrown across the hands, and again as in the first method the hands are rapidly freed, and just as rapidly tied again.
In doing the trick this way the slack is gained just after the committee-men are asked to pull on the rope. At that moment the hands are held about two inches apart, and just then the thumbs squeeze hold of the rope, and bringing the hands closely together, the slack is caught between the palms, the crossed thumbs hiding all signs of it.
I once saw a man who claimed to do certain wonders "by the help of unseen powers," but as two of these can be produced by the most ordinary human power, I give them here, so that any of my readers who is so disposed can set up in the "seer" business for himself.
The performer hands out some half-sheets of note-paper, measuring, say, 4½ by 7 inches. These he requests the audience to fold, as nearly as possible, into four equal strips, each of which will then measure 1¾ by 4½ inches. These strips he distributes among the company, who are asked to write a name of man or woman on each strip, which is then to be folded once or twice, and thrown into a hat, when all the strips are to be thoroughly mixed. The performer then places his hand in the hat, and selecting one strip, announces that the name in it is that of a man or of a woman, as the case may be. So he continues until each slip has been taken out.
FIG. 7.