magic and real detectives-第34节

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his　left　hand。　　This　envelope　lay　slit　side　down　before　he　picked

it　up；　so　that　I　did　not　see　the　face　of　the　envelope　at　all；　and

he　kept　that　side　of　the　envelope　from　me　during　the　entire　trick。

The　paper　within　the　envelope　had　been　placed　far　enough　down　so

that　its　top　part　was　not　exposed　to　my　view。　　The　envelope　thus

appeared　perfectly　natural；　as　an　ordinary　one　with　nothing　in　it。



He　thus　held　the　envelope　in　his　left　hand；　flap　open　wide；　with

the　back　side　of　the　envelope　later　to　be　sealed；　facing　me。　　Now

he　really　inserted　my　paper　in　this　envelope　with　his　right　hand　as

he　took　it　from　me；　but　in　fact；　he　pushed　it　down　just　behind　the

hidden　slip　of　paper　within　the　envelope。　　I　mean　that　he　inserted

it　between　the　concealed　slip　and　the　face　or　slit　side　of　the

envelope；　and　as　he　did　this　he　caused　the　lower　end　of　my　slip　of

paper　to　pass　through　the　slit　in　the　center　of　the　front　of　the

envelope。　　The　lower　portion　of　my　slip　was　thus　out　of　the

envelope　on　its　rear　side；　between　the　front　of　the　envelope　and

the　fingers　of　his　left　hand；　although　I　could　see　nothing　of　this。

He　pushed　it　down　so　that　the　top　still　remained　in　view　with　the

bent　corner　exposed；　and　then　sealed　the　flap　over　it。



Holding　the　envelope　toward　the　window；　he　called　to　my　notice　the

fact　that　my　paper　was　within；　and　that　I　could　see　it　plainly。　　I

could　see　the　shadow　of　the　two　papers；　which　appeared　as　one；　and

thus　his　statement　seemed　correct。　　Of　course　he　did　not　show　me

the　rear　side　OR　FACE　of　the　envelope；　with　my　paper　protruding；

which　was　immediately　behind　the　duplicate；　so　that　the　shadow　of

it　was　also　the　shadow　of　the　duplicate。



This　shadow　also　hid　from　my　view　the　shadow　of　the　slit。　　The

envelope　was　sealed　fairly。



Now　with　his　right　hand　he　moved　a　small　vessel　on　the　table　toward

himself。　　Then　taking　the　envelope　in　his　right　hand；　slit　side

downward；　he　held　it　close　to　this　vessel；　at　the　same　time　with

his　left　hand　he　took　a　match　from　his　pocket　and　proceeded　to　burn

the　envelope。　　This　move　concealed　the　trick；　and　it　was　very

deceiving　and　cleverly　done。　　As　he　took　the　envelope　from　his　left

hand　with　his　right　hand；　he；　with　his　left　fingers　touching　the

protruding　portion　of　my　slip；　caused　it　to　remain　in　his　left　hand

and　to　be　drawn　entirely　out　of　the　slit。　　His　eyes　followed　the

envelope　as　his　right　hand　took　it；　which　naturally　caused　my　eyes

to　follow　it；　as　his　attention　seemed　centered　on　the　envelope　and

it　appeared　to　occupy　the　stage　of　action。　　This　move　was　executed

in　a　moment；　not　requiring　any　time　worth　mentioning；　although　it

takes　so　long　to　describe　it　on　paper　intelligibly。　　Now　while　his

eyes　（and　of　course　mine）　followed　the　envelope；　without　pause　his

left　hand　went　into　his　left　pocket　in　a　natural　manner　to　get　the

match。　　He；　of　course；　left　my　slip　in　his　pocket　with　his　surplus

matches；　and　when　he　retired　for　the　drink　of　water；　he　read　my

question。



As　to　the　slate　trick；　all　was　fair　until　he　picked　up　the　top

slate；　wrote　an　automatic　message；　apparently　read　it　aloud　to　me；

and　then　upon　my　informing　him　that　the　message　did　not　answer　my

question；　he　seemed　dissatisfied；　apparently　erased　the　message；

and　replaced　the　large　slate　on　top　of　the　stack　of　slates。　　What

he　really　did　was　to　pick　up　the　large　top　slate；　bottom　side

toward　himself；　and　at　the　same　time　to　carry　with　it　a　small　slate

pressed　tightly　against　its　under　side。　　He　held　the　large　slate

with　its　under　side　tilted　from　me；　so　I　could　not　see　this　small

slate。　　There　being　so　many　small　slates　in　the　stack；　the

temporary　absence　of　one　from　the　stack　attracted　no　notice。



He　kept　this　small　slate　next　to　him　out　of　my　view；　and　really

wrote　the　message　on　the　small　slate　which　was　next　to　him；　and

which　was　concealed　from　my　view　by　the　larger　slate。　　He　did　not

read　aloud　what　he　had　actually　written；　but　merely　pretended　to　do

so；　repeating　something　entirely　foreign　to　the　subject　instead。

What　he　had　written　really　answered　my　question　fully。　　When　he

appeared　to　erase　the　message；　his　movements　were　but　a　pretense；

and　he　did　not　erase　it　at　all。　　When　he　replaced　the　large　slate

on　the　stack　of　slates；　he；　of　course；　replaced　the　small　one　which

was　concealed　under　it；　message　side　down。



It　must　be　remembered　that　the　operator；　at　the　beginning　of　the

slate　trick；　first　took　up　and　examined　the　large　slate　a　time　or

so　for　a　message；　and　finding　none；　seemed　disappointed；　and

finally　wrote　the　automatic　message；　then　on　being　informed　that　it

did　not　apply　to　the　case；　he　seemed　dissatisfied　and　appeared　to

erase　it。



After　the　message　was　written　and　the　slates　replaced；　he　examined

the　top　slate　a　time　or　so；　and　even　lifted　off　a　few　small　slates

looking　for　writing；　but　did　not　turn　them　over；　then　seeing

nothing；　he　scattered　the　slates　around　on　the　table；　leaving　their

same　sides　downward；　and　handing　me　the　cover；　he　requested　me　to

cover　them　and　place　my　hands　on　them。



The　trick　was　now　practically　done。　　As　the　slates　had　been

examined　so　many　times　and　nothing　found　on　them；　even　after　the

automatic　writing；　the　majority　of　persons　would　testify　that　there

was　positively　nothing　on　the　slates　when　the　medium　left　the

table。　　The　majority　of　persons　would　never　remember　that　he　at　one

time　wrote　on　the　large　slate　and　erased　it。　　The　message　being　on

a　small　slate；　and　these　being　spread　around；　few　would　have　known

that　this　message　really　appeared　on　the　particular　small　slate

that　was　originally　next　the　top　of　the　stack。



Most　people　would　have　certified　that　they　cleaned　all　of　the

slates　themselves；　that　the　medium　never　touched　any　of　the　small

ones；　and　that　he　only　laid　his　hands　on　top　of　the　stack　a　few

times。　　Some　would　even　forget　that　the　medium　handled　their

writing　at　all　before　burning　it。



I　am　sure　that　the　nickeled　tube　that　carried　the　dripping　water

into　the　space　over　the　glass　bowl；　had　a　second　tube　within　it；

through　which　his　assistant　from　the　adjoining　room　either　blew；　or

sent　by　some　mechanism；　the　chemicals　（probably　potassium）　that

would　take　fire　and　burn　on　striking　the　water。



　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　　　。



When　I　perform　the　slate　trick　described　above；　after　writing　the

〃automatic〃　message；　apparently　erasing　it；　and　replacing　the

slates；　I　do　not　scatter　the　slates　around　on　the　table　as　this

medium　did。　　Instead；　I　proceed　as　I　will　now　describe。



We　place　our　palms　on　the　stack；　and　after　a　time　examine　the　large

slate　for　a　message；　but　find　none。　　I　may　incidentally　remark　that

this　last　examination　unconsciously　verifies　in　the　sitter's　mind

the　fact　that　I　actually　erased　what　I　wrote　〃automatically。〃



I　now　look　on　some　of　the　smaller　slates　for　a　message；　but　find

none。　　When　I　do　this　I　do　not　turn　these　slates　over　and　look　on

their　under　sides；　but　merely　take　off　the　top　slate　to　see　if

there　be　a　message　on　the　upper　surface　of　the　one　under　it。　　I

merely　remark；　〃Well；　there　is　nothing　on　that　slate；〃　indicating

the　second　one　from　the　top；　and　at　the　same　time　I　drop　the　top

slate　（now　in　my　hand）　on　the　table　beside　the　stack。　　I

immediately　take　off　the　second　slate　and　repeat　this　same

performance；　dropping　it　on　top　of　the　first　one。　　I　keep　on　with

this　performance　until　I　have　removed　four　or　five　of　the　slates；

and　have　them　stacked　in　a　second　stack　beside　the　first　one。　　Then

seeming　to　grow　discouraged；　I　remark；　〃I　guess　there　is　no

message〃；　and　I　replace　the　second　stack　on　the　first　stack。　　This

places　the　message　slate　four　or　five　slates　down　in　the　stack；　as

the　bottom　slate　of　the　second　stack；　being　the　top　slate　of　the

original　stack；　is　now　the　message　slate。



I　next　up…edge　the　small　slates　and　place　a　rubber　band　around　them

placing　them　in　the　sitter's　lap。　　I；　of　course；　place　what　was　the

top　of　the　stack　downward　when　I　do　so。　　As　the　stack　is　on　the

side　edges　of　the　slates　when　I　first　up…edge　them；　I　next　bring

them　upon　the　end　edges；　while　I　put　the　band　in　place。　　It　is　now

easy　to　place　the　stack　of　slates　upon　the　sitter's　lap　with　the

top　slate　down　and　to　attract　no　notice　to　this　fact。　　This　is

because　the　position　has　been　changed　a　time　or　so　in　placing　the

band　on；　and　I　then　take　the　stack　in　my　hands　by　the　edges　of　the

slates；　and　simply　place　what　was　the　top　side　of　the　stack　in　the

beginning；　at　the　bottom。



In　due　time　I　tell　the　subject　to　make　an　examination　for　a

message；　and　of　course　four　or　five　slates　down　he　finds　a　message

on　the　upper　surface　of　one　of　the　slates。



This　seems　very　miraculous；　as　the　slates　have　been　so　repeatedly

examined　and　nothing　found。　　Finding　the　message　on　the　upper

surface　of　a　middle　slate；　where　but　a　moment　before　there　was

nothing；　seems　to