Let one of the company take in each hand several cards, an even number
in one hand, and an odd in the other.
You engage to tell in which hand he holds the even number.
To do so, bid him multiply the number held in his right hand by three,
and that in his left hand by two, and add the product together. He is
then to answer whether the sum is odd or even.
If even, the right hand contained an even number, and _vice versâ_.
MYSTERIOUS TRICK OF THIRTY-SIX CARDS. TELLING THE CARD YOU LOOK AT
WITHOUT SEEING THE PACK.
To perform this trick you must take a pack of cards containing fifty-two
in number. Then take out the two, three, four, and five spots of each
suit (meaning the spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs). Then commence as
follows with the remaining thirty-six: Commencing with six of diamonds,
face downwards, seven of clubs, eight of hearts, nine of spades, ten of
diamonds, jack of clubs, queen of hearts, king of spades, ace of
diamonds, six of clubs, seven of hearts, eight of spades, nine of
diamonds, ten of clubs, jack of hearts, queen of spades, king of
diamonds, ace of clubs, six of hearts, seven of spades, eight of
diamonds, nine of clubs, ten of hearts, jack of spades, queen of
diamonds, king of clubs, ace of hearts, six of spades, seven of
diamonds, eight of clubs, nine of hearts, ten of spades, jack of
diamonds, queen of clubs, king of hearts, ace of spades.
After having arranged the cards in the order above mentioned, they may
be cut by all in the house, or as many as please, and by placing the cut
under the pack each time the relative position will not be changed. Then
ask the person who has the cards in his hand what card he has at the
bottom of the pack (the faces being down); he answers, giving the name
of the bottom card; then you can answer positively, by calling the card
one less in value. For example, the nine of clubs is at the bottom, the
eight of diamonds will be upon the top, the second will be the seven of
spades, the third the six of hearts, the fourth the ace of clubs, the
fifth the king of diamonds, and thus you will find them completely
arranged throughout the pack. At the conclusion of this feat you may
shuffle them over and under by holding the main pack in the left hand,
and slipping the cards off one at a time in the right hand, one over and
the other under, until you change them entirely through the pack, then
return the pack to the right hand and repeat the over and under shuffle.
Then you can deal them out into four parcels, nine at a time, and you
will find the nine hearts in one pile, the nine diamonds in the second,
the nine spades in the third, and clubs in the fourth.