Magic Trick: A Missing Card Found

Two cards, let us say, the three of hearts and the three of spades, are freely drawn by one of the audience, and afterward are returned to the middle of the pack. Placing his little finger between them, the performer makes "the pass," which brings one to the top, the other to the bottom of the pack. He then announces that though placed in the middle of the pack the cards have of their own volition, traveled to the bottom. "Here," he says, "is the three of hearts and following it, the three of spades." To make good his assertion he shows the three of hearts and removes it to show the next card. But to his dismay, an altogether different card is seen. He replaces the three of hearts, with the remark that he will send it in search of the missing card. While saying this, he places his right hand over the pack for a moment, stretches his left arm, ruffles the pack, and then shows the face of the cards once more. The three of hearts has gone, as the performer foretold. He rubs his hand over the face of the cards, and lo! there is the three of hearts and following it directly, is the three of spades.

When he first covers the pack for a moment, the fingers of his right hand are over the face of the pack and the thumb is at the back. With a gentle pressure and moving the hand downward toward the body the front and the back cards of the pack are removed and retained -between the fingers and thumb. The fingers close over the thumb, which presses the cards out of sight against the palm. The hand is held against the stomach, a natural position and yet one that completely conceals the cards. The forefinger points to the pack and the attention of the audience is thereby directed to it. The cards are ruffled and when the face of the pack is shown again, the three of hearts is gone. Then with an upward sweep of the hands, the performer places the two cards on the front of the pack, removes the right hand slowly, and the three of hearts is seen in its position at the bottom of the pack, while immediately following it is the missing three of spades.