This feat consists in tying a number of hard knots in a pocket
handkerchief borrowed from one of the company, then letting any person
hold the knots, and by the operator merely shaking the handkerchief,
all the knots become unloosed, and the handkerchief is restored to its
original state.
To perform this excellent trick, get as soft a handkerchief as
possible, and taking the opposite ends, one in each hand, throw the
right hand over the left, and draw it through, as if you were going to
tie a knot in the usual way. Again throw the right-hand end over the
left, and give the left-hand end to some person to pull, you at the
same time pulling the right-hand end with your right hand, while your
left hand holds the handkerchief just behind the knot. Press the thumb
of your left hand against the knot to prevent its slipping, always
taking care to let the person to whom you gave one end pull first, so
that, in fact, he is only pulling against your _left hand_.
You now tie another knot exactly in the same way as the first, taking
care always to throw the right-hand end over the left. As you go on
tying the knots, you will find the right-hand end of the handkerchief
decreasing considerably in length, while the left-hand one remains
nearly as long as at first; because, in fact, you are merely tying the
right-hand end _round the left_. To prevent this from being noticed,
you should stoop down a little after each knot, and pretend to pull
the knots tighter; while, at the same time, you press the thumb of the
right hand against the knot, and with the fingers and palm of the same
hand, draw the handkerchief, so as to make the left-hand end shorter,
keeping it at each knot as nearly the length of the right-hand end as
possible.
When you have tied as many knots as the handkerchief will admit of,
hand them round for the company to feel that they are firm knots;
then hold the handkerchief in your right hand, just below the knots,
and with the left hand turn the loose part of the centre of the
handkerchief over them, desiring some person to hold them. Before
they take the handkerchief in hand, you draw out the right-hand end
of the handkerchief, which you have in the right hand, and which you
may easily do, and the knots being still held together by the loose
part of the handkerchief, the person who holds the handkerchief will
declare he feels them: you then take hold of one of the ends of
the handkerchief which hangs down, and desire him to repeat after
you, one—two—three,—then tell him to let go, when, by giving the
handkerchief a smart shake, the whole of the knots will become unloosed.
Should you, by accident, whilst tying the knots, give the wrong end
to be pulled, a hard knot will be the consequence, and you will know
when this has happened the instant you try to draw the left-hand end
of the handkerchief shorter. You must, therefore, turn this mistake to
the best advantage, by asking any one of the company to see how long
it will take him to untie one knot, you counting the seconds. When he
has untied the knot, your other knots will remain right as they were
before. Having finished tying the knots, let the same person hold them,
and tell him that as he took two minutes to untie one knot, he ought
to allow you fourteen minutes to untie the seven; but as you do not
wish to take any advantage, you will be satisfied with fourteen seconds.
You may excite some laughter during the performance of this trick, by
going to the owner of the handkerchief, and desiring him to assist you
in pulling a knot, saying, that if the handkerchief is to be torn, it
is only right that he should have a share of it; you may likewise say
that he does not pull very hard, which will cause a laugh against him.