Request a member of the company to select a card and return it to the
pack, which you proceed to wrap up in a large pocket handkerchief, and
on the person calling the card by name you shake the handkerchief and
the selected card falls on the table.
EXPLANATION.--If you are not an adept at sleight-of-hand it is advisable
to use a "forcing pack" which is composed of only three or four cards,
of a kind (i.e. ten kings of hearts, ten five of spades, ten eight of
diamonds, etc.) with backs to match your ordinary pack. If you can make
the "pass" and can "palm" (_Hercat's Card Tricks_, pp. 7 and 18) the
following is the correct _modus operandi_. On the card being returned to
the pack, carry it to the top by the pass, palm it, and hand the pack
back to be shuffled. Place the palmed card face upward on the left hand
and cover it with a large white handkerchief, and cause the pack to be
placed face down on the handkerchief exactly over the concealed card.
With your right hand throw the back hem of the handkerchief over the
pack and with that hand grasp the four sides underneath. Then reverse
the position of your hands, moving the right hand toward the right on
top and taking the left hand away, which will leave the selected card
concealed in the fold of the handkerchief (Fig. 1). Ask the person who
took the card to name it and request it to leave the pack and pass
through the handkerchief. When he does so shake the handkerchief gently
and the card will slowly come into view. If you use a "forcing pack"
retain a duplicate of the card you intend to force; conceal it in your
left hand and proceed as above described.
[Illustration]
Fig. 1.