Royal Road to Card Magic The

the chosen card snugly on top of the packet in your right hand.
    6. 'Your Finnegin card has vanished completely, as you can see.' Holding the packet upright, spread the top cards with your left thumb; or you may allow the spectator to take the packet and run through the cards.
    7. Square the packet on your left hand as before. Repeat exactly the same actions as in steps 3 and 4, counting and saying, 'On agin, Finnegin!' Have the card named and have the spectator turn it face upwards himself.
    Note that, when a spectator removes the added card, your hands should be close together, but, immediately the pass is made, move the right hand away a foot or more.
    Kangaroo Card
    Magicians refer to tricks that are quickly performed and have a strong element of novelty as 'quick tricks'. Here is such a feat which can be performed anywhere that a man's felt hat is available. These days you cannot be sure that such an item will be found amongst your audience, so it is as well to have one of your own to hand and to present it to the audience for inspection before you start the trick.
    1. Have a card selected and returned to the deck, forming a break above it as described under the spread and break.
    2. Ask, 'Who has a felt hat?' at the same time riffling the cards; then make the riffle pass, immediately afterwards executing an overhand shuffle and retaining the chosen card at the top.
    3. Take the hat proffered to you. If it does not have a lengthways crease in the crown, put one in it. Place the pack in the hat and, the moment your hand is out of sight of the spectators, push the top card into the pocket at one side of the crease and drop the pack into the pocket on the other side (figure 90).

    4. Ask a spectator to assist you and have him hold the hat by the brim above the level of his eyes.
    5. 'I call this the kangaroo card trick,' you explain, 'because some of the cards jump like kangaroos.' Snap the crown of the hat with your index finger at the side that contains the chosen card (figure 90), making it fly up out of the hat very much like a startled kangaroo.
    Righting a Wrong
    This is one of those feats - so dear to the hearts of all audiences and all magicians - in which the mystifier himself apparently becomes the mystified. He fails but in the end turns the tables in a striking fashion. Nothing pleases an audience more than to catch the infallible wizard in an apparent failure. They enjoy his discomfiture for the moment, then are amazed and intrigued when he emerges triumphant.
    1. Have the pack shuffled, take it back and have any card removed and noted.
    2. Have the card replaced and pass it to the top.
    3. Shuffle overhand, running seven cards above the chosen card, which becomes the eighth card from the top (figure 91).

    4. Invite the spectator to name his card, which let us say is the ace of hearts, and instantly say, 'Eight cards down!'
    5. Deal seven cards and prepare for a double lift, as you say, 'Will you name your card again?' Turn over the two cards and show an indifferent card, which let us call the nine of clubs.
    6. Appear disconcerted by your failure and turn the two cards face downwards as one. Remove the top card - the spectator's ace of hearts - and toss it face downwards on the table to one side. 'Let's get rid of that nine of clubs,' you say grimly. 'Don't worry. I'll find your card, if it takes all night.'
    7. Shuffle overhand, running seven cards above the top card as in step 3. The nine of clubs, which is supposed by the audience to be on the table, is now eighth from the top.
    8. Weigh the cards in your hand, as if making a calculation, and say in a puzzled tone, 'That's very curious. I still get a vibration of eight. Perhaps your card is at eight this time.'
    9. Deal seven cards and say, 'This card could be any card - except, of course, the nine of clubs, which is on the table - but my vibrations tell me that it is your card.'
    10. Turn the eighth card and show that it is the nine of clubs. 'Curiouser and curiouser,' you say. 'This can't be the nine of clubs. I put it on the table. Unless ...!' Turn over the table card and show that it is the spectator's ace of hearts.
    Blindfolded Pack
    Matter through matter has been a favourite subject for the stage illusionist. The same effect is had in this trick employing a pack of playing cards and a borrowed handkerchief. It was an especial favourite with the late Nate Leipzig.
    Before you begin, you will need a small quantity of magician's wax,