And Yet Again--The Rising Cards

No apology is needed for this attack on the Rising Cards. It remains the best effect possible with cards. The new twists here described add to the mystery.

A small fake is required. This is a long thin black hat pin, on the blunt end of which is soldered a little cup in which you put a dab of magician's wax. The pin you push into your right sleeve on the side nearest your body, so that the cup is near your wrist on the outside of your sleeve. Under. the lower edge of your vest near the middle you have a thick piece of cork.

THE EFFECT:--Freely selected cards rise from the pack and the last, not only rises, but remains suspended without support.

THE METHOD:--You have the pack shuffled and allow three cards to be chosen freely. These are returned to the pack and you bring them to the top by means, let us say, of the Hindu Shuffle. It will strengthen the effect if you palm off the three cards and have the pack shuffled by a spectator, but this is not absolutely necessary.

The top card, which will be that drawn by the third person and returned to the pack last, you cause to rise by the old method, you hold the pack in your right hand, squarely facing the audience, and you push the card up with the tip of your forefinger.

You make a false shuffle and take the pack in your left hand, upright, the bottom card facing the front; the back of your left hand covers the lower half of the deck. You secretly push about half the rear cards of the pack about one quarter of an inch downward, making a step, visible from the back, but not to the audience. (Fig. 5-A).

You rub the tip of your right forefinger on your sleeve, then lay it on top of the pack and slowly lift it. Nothing happens. You repeat the rubbing more vigorously and again apply your forefinger tip to the cards. This time the second chosen card rises from the pack apparently attached to the finger tip.

You do this by straightening the little finger of your right hand behind the pack and with its tip you push up the rear card. You raise the card slowly and, as soon as its lower end clears the top of the step between the two packets (the pack is divided) you push it forward against the top of the front packet, then, with your little finger you push the rear packet up flush with the other.

You now have the card clipped between the two packets and you can turn the pack sideways to show that the card has really risen from the middle. You go over to drawer of the card and request him to remove it himself. In returning to your position before the audience you seize the cup of the fake and draw it out behind the pack with ease, then clip it with the fingers of your left hand. With your right hand you adjust the front of your vest and, under cover of doing that, you guide the point of the pin to the cork. You push the pin home by drawing your left hand back toward the body and so attach the rear card to the wax. This card you now cause to rise, apparently in the same way as the last, by the attraction of your fingertip, but in reality you gently lower the pack, the card remains stationary, but the illusion is perfect.

You now remove your left hand with the pack and the card remains suspended from your finger tip. The climax is reached when you remove your finger from the card and it remains in the air like Mahomet's coffin.

To get rid of the fake, you replace the pack in front of the floating card, with your left thumb detach it from the waxed end of the fake. Bring your right hand over to the pack, take the card and toss it to a spectator. In doing this you bring your right forearm in front of the left hand and the cards. With the left fingers behind the pack pull out the pin and thrust it into your right coat sleeve in its original position.

While the card is suspended a hoop can be passed over it if so desired.