The performer shuffles the deck and lays the first ten cards face down in a row on the table. The performer now turns away while any number of the cards are transferred from one end to the other. Then, without having seen the action, or being aided in any manner, the performer immediately turns up one card whose value indicates the number of cards that were transferred; permitting this action to be repeated as often as desired, and determining the number moved each time.
Arrange ten cards in consecutive order from Ace to Ten, and place on top of deck, the Ten being uppermost. Blind shuffle and lay out the ten cards face down in a row on the table, beginning at the left, so that the Ten is the left end card of the row. Explain to company that any number may be transferred from the right to the left end. As the order must be maintained, it is well to insist that but one card must be moved at a time.
This will preserve the order, and not be likely to impress the company that there is any certain arrangement.
The rules for determining the number transferred from right to left are, first: The left end card will always indicate the number of the first transfer: i.e., when the first transfer of any number of cards is made, the value or number of spots of the card at the left end will be the number of the cards that were transferred; so that by turning up the left end card when the first move is made, the performer indicates the number that were transferred. On the second or any subsequent transfer, the card to turn is determined by adding the value, or number of spots, of the last card turned, to the number of the place it occupies in the row. For example, the cards, when first laid out, will stand:
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One.
Assume the company transfer four cards, the order will then be:
Four, Three, Two, One, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five,
so that when the rule for determining the first transfer is applied, and the left end card turned, it would indicate that four cards were transferred.
When the card is turned the calculation for determining the next transfer is at once made by the second rule, “adding the value of the card turned (four) to the number of its place in the row” (one), making five. When the next transfer is made the fifth card is turned and it indicates the number transferred. Let us prove this by assuming that two cards are now transferred. The new order will be:
Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven. Now, counting from the left, we turn the fifth card in the row, and find the Two, indicating the number transferred. Again add the number of turned card (two) to its place in the row (five), and we get seven, which will be the number in the row to turn, when the next transfer is made.
Of course, if this is continued, the number will in time be greater than ten; in which case ten is subtracted from the number, and the remainder indicates the position of the card to turn.
If the company should test the performer's ability by making no transfer, or by transferring the ten cards, the card turned will always be the Ten; and in such case the performer will at once state that transferring all or none was not a part of the conditions made, thus concealing the fact that he cannot tell whether all or none were moved.
The first move should always be made by the performer when explaining the experiment to the company, and thereby avoid turning up the end card. As the performer makes the first transfer, he simply adds one to the number moved, one being the position of the card that otherwise would be turned, and he has the position for the turn when the company makes the first transfer.
Much effect may be obtained with this trick if the proper address and by-play are indulged. The performer may affect to accomplish the feat by mind reading, and increase the interest by failing to fathom the subtlety of some lady’s intellectual faculty. and easily wresting the secret from the coarser calibre of some gentleman, even against his will; and by pretending to have determined the number transferred before turning the card, and making the finding of the particular card also dependent upon some extraordinary power. The trick is one of the very best of those not requiring sleight of hand.