This trick was invented by the author, and has been frequently used by him during many years, without the method of it ever having been detected by the observers. At the present time, it is employed often by professional magicians. In spite of its effectiveness, it is exceedingly simple, and for that reason is included in this portion of the book. Indeed, in its very simplicity is found the reason for its power to mystify those beholding it.
In performing the trick, you give one half of the pack to one person, and the other half to a second person. You direct these two individuals each to draw out a card. While each retains the selected card, you take back the other cards.
You then direct each of the two persons to look secretly at the card he holds, and to remember it. When they have done so, you return to each of them a half portion of the deck, and bid them place their cards with the others, and shuffle them to any desired extent. When you finally receive back the cards, you are able after glancing through them rapidly to name both of the chosen cards, and you may end the trick by simply announcing what cards were drawn, or in anyone of the ways to be described later on for concluding a trick. One such method will be given under the next heading as an ending to this portion of the book.
The means by which this trick is accomplished is arrangement of the cards, and not sleight-of-hand, although it is necessary to deceive the observers in one particular as to what is actually done with the cards themselves.
You prepare for the trick privately by separating a pack of cards into its two colors. To one person, you must give that portion of the deck containing all black cards; to the other person, that portion of the deck containing all red cards.
You next bid each of them to draw out a card, and to retain it. You then take back the other cards from them, holding the packet of red cards in one hand and the packet of black cards in the other hand.
You now direct the two persons to look at their cards and to remember them. After they have done so, you give to each again a half of the deck, with instructions to place therein the chosen card, and to shuffle it as much as he will with the others.
It is at this point that the trick is essentially accomplished, for you must give to each of the two that portion of the pack which was originally given to the other. In doing this, it is not necessary that you change the cards you hold. All that is required is that, to the person from whom you took the cards into your left hand, you should now give the cards in your right ‘hand, while you should give the cards in your left hand to the other person from whom you took back the cards into your right hand.
Since all of the cards given to one individual were red, and to the other black, the card retained by the one person must be red, and the card retained by the other person must be black. By your changing of the two portions of the deck, one of the two persons places his red card among the black cards, while the other places his black card among the red.
No amount of shuffling can alter the fact that there is thus one red card in the black half of the deck, and one black card in the red half of the deck. On receiving back the two portions, you bring them together, but without shuffling. By swiftly running over the cards from the end, you will note the one red card among the black cards, and
the one black among the red.