CHAPTER IX.Tricks with Watches.
To indicate on the Dial of a Watch the Hour secretly thought of by any of the Company.—The performer, taking a watch in the one hand, and a pencil in the other, proposes to give a specimen of his powers of divination. For this purpose he requests any one present to write down, or, if preferred, merely to think of, any hour he pleases. This having been done, the performer, without asking any questions, proceeds to tap with the pencil different hours on the dial of the watch, requesting the person who has thought of the hour to mentally count the taps,beginning from the number of the hour he thought of. (Thus, if the hour he thought of were “nine,” he must count the first tap as “ten,” the second as “eleven,” and so on.) When, according to this mode of counting, he reaches the number “twenty,” he is to say “Stop,” when the pencil of the performer will be found resting precisely upon that hour of the dial which he thought of.
This capital little trick depends upon a simple arithmetical principle; but the secret is so well disguised that it is very rarely discovered. All that the performer has to do is to count in his own mind the taps he gives, calling the first “one,” the second “two,” and so on. The first seven taps may be given upon any figures of the dial indifferently; indeed, they might equally well be given on the back of the watch, or anywhere else, without prejudice to the ultimate result. But the eighth tap must be given invariably on the figure “twelve” of the dial, and thenceforward the pencil must travel through the figuresseriatim, but in reverse order, “eleven,” “ten,” “nine,” and so on. By following this process it will befound that at the tap which, counting from the number the spectator thought of, will make twenty, the pencil will have travelled back to that very number. A few illustrations will make this clear. Let us suppose, for instance, that the hour the spectator thought of was twelve. In this case he will count the first tap of the pencil as thirteen, the second as fourteen, and so on. The eighth tap in this case will complete the twenty, and the reader will remember that, according to the directions we have given, he is at the eighth tap always to let his pencil fall on the number twelve; so that when the spectator, having mentally reached the number twenty, cries, “Stop,” the pencil will be pointing to that number. Suppose, again, the number thought of was “eleven.” Here the first tap will be counted as “twelve,” and the ninth (at which, according to the rule, the pencil will be resting on eleven) will make the twenty. Taking again the smallest number that can be thought of, “one,” here the first tap will be counted by the spectator as “two,” and the eighth, at which the pencil reaches twelve, will count as “nine.” Henceforth the pencil will travel regularly backward round the dial, and at the nineteenth tap (completing the twenty, as counted by the spectator) will have just reached the figure “one.”
The arithmetical reason for this curious result, though simple enough in itself, is somewhat difficult to explain on paper, and we shall therefore leave it as an exercise for the ingenuity of our readers.
Fig. 101.
Fig. 101.
To Bend a Borrowed Watch Backwards and Forwards.—This little deception is hardly to be called a conjuring trick, but it may be introduced with good effect in the course of any trick for which a watch has been borrowed. Looking intently at the watch, as though you noticed something peculiar about it, you remark to the owner, “This is a very curious watch, sir; it is quite soft.” Then taking it (as shown inFig. 101), with the dial inwards towards your own body, and holding it between two fingers of each hand on the back, and the thumb of each hand on the face, you bend the hands outwards, at the same time bringing the points of the fingers nearer together, immediately bringing them back to their former position. The motion may be repeated any number of times. By a curiousoptical illusion, which we are not able to explain, but which we assume to be produced in some way by the varying shadow of the fingers on the polished surface of the metal, the watch appears, to a spectator at a little distance, to be bent nearly double by each outward movement of the hands. The illusion is so perfect, that great amusement is occasionally produced by the consternation of the owner, who fancies that irreparable injury is being done to his favourite “Waltham.” If, however, his faith in your supernatural powers is so great as to resist this ordeal, you may test it even more severely by means of
The Watch-mortar and the Magic Pistol.—The watch-mortar is an apparatus in the form of an ordinary mortar, with a pestle to match. Suggesting to the owner of the borrowed timekeeper that it wants regulating, you offer to undertake that duty for him. He probably declines, but you take no notice of his remonstrances, and, placing his watch in the mortar, bring down the pestle with a heavy thump upon it. A smash, as of broken glass, is heard, and, after sufficient pounding, you empty the fragments of the watch into your hand, to the horror of the owner. You offer to return the fragments, but he naturally objects to receive them, and insists that you restore the watch in the same condition as when it was handed to you. After a little discussion, you agree to do so, premising that you can only effect the object through the agency of fire. Fetching a loaf of bread, you place it on the table in view of the company. Then wrapping the fragments of the watch in paper, you place them in a pistol, and, aiming at the loaf, request the owner of the watch to give the signal to fire. The word is given, “One, two, three—Bang!” Stepping up to the loaf, you bring it forward to the spectators, andtearing it asunder, exhibit in its very centre the borrowed watch, completely restored, and bright as when it first left the maker’s hands.
The seeming mystery is easily explained. The mortar has a moveable bottom, which allows the watch at the performer’s pleasure to fall through into his hand. There is a hollow space in the thick end of the pestle, closed by a round piece of wood lightly screwed in, which, fitting tightly in the bottom part of the mortar, is easily unscrewed by the performer, or rather unscrews itself, as he apparently grinds away at the ill-fated chronometer. In the cavity are placed beforehand the fragments of a watch, which, thus released, fall into the mortar, and are poured out by the performer into his hand, in order to show that there has been “no deception.” When the performer goes to fetch the loaf, he has already obtained possession of the watch, which, after giving it a rub upon his coat-sleeve or a bit of leather to increase its brightness, he pushes into a slit already made in the side of the loaf. When the loaf is torn asunder (which the performer takes care to do from the side opposite to that in which the opening has been made), the watch is naturally found imbedded therein.
If a regular conjuring-table is used, the loaf may be placed in readiness on theservante. The performer in this case, having got possession of the watch, and holding it secretly palmed, borrows a hat. Walking carelessly behind his table, he asks, as if in doubt, “Who lent me this hat?” holding it up with one hand, that the spectators may see that it is empty. While all eyes are thus drawn to the hat, he with the other hand forces the watch into the loaf, and then, in bringing the hat down on the table, introduces the loaf into it, after the manner of the well-known “cannon-ball” trick, to be described hereafter. The hat is then placed on the table as if empty, and the pistol fired at the hat. This little addition heightens the effect of the trick, but demands somewhat greater address on the part of the performer.
The pistol employed, being of constant use in magical performances, will demand a special explanation. It consists of two parts, viz., an ordinary pocket-pistol, and a conical tin funnel, measuring about five inches across its widest diameter, and tapering down to atube of such a size as to fit easily over the barrel of the pistol. This tube is continued inside the cone, and affords a free passage for the charge, which consists of powder only. Any object which is apparently to be fired from the pistol is pressed down between the outside of this tube and the inside of the tin cone, where it remains wholly unaffected by the explosion. The outside of the cone is japanned according to taste, the tube and the rest of the interior being always black.
There are numerous other ways of finishing the trick, with or without the use of the pistol. The watch-mortar has discharged its duty when it has apparently reduced the borrowed watch to fragments, and has placed it in reality in the hands of the performer. The sequel of the trick, with which the mortar has nothing to do, will depend on the ingenuity of the performer and his command of other apparatus.
There is another form of watch-mortar, which is frequently used, though to our own taste it is very inferior to that above described. It consists of a cylindrical tin box or case, about four inches high and three in diameter, open at the top, standing on a broad flat foot. Within this fits loosely another similar cylinder, of about an inch less in depth. The upper edge of this latter is turned over all round, giving the two the appearance of being both of a piece. The whole is closed by an ornamental cardboard cover, also cylindrical. If this cover be lifted lightly—i.e., without pressure—it will come off alone; but if its sides are pressed, they will clip the turned-over edge of the upper or moveable compartment, and lift this with it. In this form of the trick the borrowed watch is placed in a little bag, and the two together deposited in the upper compartment. In the mortar proper—i.e., the space between the two compartments—is placed beforehand a similar little bag, containing the broken fragments of a watch. The cover being under some pretext put on, the upper compartment is lifted off with it, and the pounding consequently falls on the prepared fragments.
Fig. 102.
Fig. 102.
The Snuff-box Vase.—This is an apparatus of frequent use in Watch Tricks, and it may be also made available with many other articles. It is made of various sizes, from five to eight inchesin height, and of the shape shown inFig. 102. It consists of three parts, the covera, the vase properc, and a moveable portionb, the latter being made with double sides, so that it fits at once in and uponc. Ifais raised without pressing its sides, it comes off alone; but if its sides are pressed in removing it, it lifts offbwith it. In this compartmentbis placed a small round box of tin or cardboard (from which the vase derives its name), and another box, exactly similar in appearance, is placed underneathb, inside the vase properc. Whether, therefore, the cover is removed with or withoutb, the audience see apparently the same box within. The only circumstance that could possibly excite suspicion would be the greater depth ofcas compared withb; and this is obviated by making the bottom ofcmoveable, resting on a spiral spring passing through the foot of the apparatus. Whenbis in the vase, the bottom ofcsinks down to make way for it, but again rises by the pressure of the spring as soon asbis removed. To the eye of the spectator, therefore, the interior of the vase appears always of the same depth.
Some vases are made with a “clip” action in the lid, so that by slightly turning round the knob on the top three projecting teeth of metal are made to tighten uponb, and thus attach it toa, a reverse movement of the knob again releasing it. In this form of the apparatus the cover may be lifted by the knob only, without the necessity of pressing on the sides—a very decided improvement.
The snuff-box vase may be used to cause the appearance, disappearance, or transformation of any article small enough to be contained in one of the boxes within. Thus, in the case of the last trick, the performer, having secretly obtained possession of the borrowed watch, may, instead of using the loaf, conclude the trick with good effect as follows:—Retiring for an instant in order to fetch the vase, he places the watch in the small box contained inc. Returning, he removes the coveronly, thus exposing the interior ofb, and requests one of the audience to examine and replace the small box therein contained. The box is seen by all to be empty, and, being replaced, the vase is again covered. The operator now fires at the vase. Having done so, he again brings it forward, but this time removesbalong with the cover. The other box, which the audience take to be the same, is now exposed, and, on being examined, is found to contain the restored watch.
If you do not happen to possess the watch-mortar or the magic pistol, you may make the trick equally effective without them, by using in their place the “Demon Handkerchief,” described at page195. Having borrowed the watch, you place a substitute (which you must have ready palmed) under the handkerchief, and give it to some one to hold. Then fetching the snuff-box vase (and concealing the watch inc), you exhibit and replace the empty box inb, as above, and place the vase on the table. Taking a corner of the handkerchief, you request the person holding it to drop it when you count “three.” Then saying, “One, two, three. Pass!” you wave the handkerchief, which appears to be empty, and advancing to the table and uncovering the vase, show that the watch is now in the box.
It is obvious that the snuff-box vase may equally well be used to produce the opposite effect—i.e., after having openly placed a watch or other article in either of the boxes, you may, by exposing in turn the other box, cause it to apparently disappear, or in like manner make it apparently change to any article previously placed in the second box.
The Watch Box.—This is an oblong mahogany box—size, four inches by three, and two and a half deep. To the eye of the uninitiated, it is a simple wooden box, with lock and key, and padded within at top and bottom. In reality, however, one of its sides is moveable, working on a pivot. (SeeFigs. 103, 104.) In its normal position, the side in question is held fast by a catch projecting from the corresponding edge of the bottom of the box. To release it, pressure in two places is required—a pressure on the bottom of the box so as to lift the catch, and a simultaneous pressure on the upper part of the moveable side of the box, thus forcing the lower part outwards, and allowing the watch or other article placed in the box, to fall into thehand of the performer. For this purpose the box is held as shown inFig. 103.
Fig. 103.Fig. 104.
Fig. 103.
Fig. 104.
The manner of using the box is as follows: A borrowed watch is placed in it, the owner being requested, in order to ensure its safe keeping, himself to lock it up and keep the key. The performer places the box on his table, in full view, but avails himself of the moment during which his back is turned to the audience to extract the watch, as shown inFig. 103, and to again close the secret opening. Having thus gained possession of the watch, he can conclude the trick by causing it to re-appear in the snuff-box vase, or in any other way that he thinks proper.
There is an improved watch box, the invention of the late M. Robert-Houdin, which contains, concealed in the lid, a mechanical arrangement producing a ticking sound, which may be set in motion and again stopped at the pleasure of the performer. By using this box, the watch may be heard apparently ticking inside until the very moment when it is commanded by the operator to pass to some other apparatus.
The Watch Target.—This is in appearance an ordinary-looking round target, of about twelve inches in diameter, and supported on an upright pillar. It is painted in concentric circles, and on the bull’s-eye is fixed a little hook. Its use is as follows: A watch having been borrowed, and smashed to pieces or made to disappear altogether,as before explained, the performer brings forward the target, which is either held by the assistant or placed upon the magician’s table. Producing the magic pistol, the performer proceeds to load it (visibly or invisibly, according to the circumstances of the trick) with the borrowed watch or the fragments thereof. Then, taking careful aim, he fires at the target, when the borrowed watch is seen to alight on the little hook already mentioned, whence it is removed and handed to the owner.
A closer inspection of the target, which is sometimes of wood, but more often of tin, japanned, would disclose the fact that the bull’s-eye is moveable, revolving perpendicularly on its own axis. It is coloured alike on both sides, and each side is provided with such a hook as already mentioned, so that whichever side of the bull’s-eye is for the time being level with the face of the target, no difference is perceptible to the spectator. There is a little projecting pin, or stop, at one point of the diameter of the bull’s-eye, which prevents its making more than a half revolution, and a little spiral spring, attached to one of the two pivots on which it moves, compels it to turn, when at liberty, always in one particular direction until stopped by the pin, so that its normal condition is to have one particular side, which we will call, for greater clearness, sidea, always turned towards the face of the target. The bull’s-eye may, however, be turned round, so that the opposite side,b, is towards the face of the target, and there is a little catch which retains it as so turned; but the instant the catch is withdrawn, the action of the spring makes it fly round again to its old position. The catch is released by means of a stiff wire passing through the pillar on which the target rests, and terminating in a round disc of metal in the foot. The mode of connection between the wire and the catch varies according to the fancy of the maker; but, whatever this may be, the catch is invariably released by anupwardpressure of the disc from below. If the target is held in the hand of the assistant, this is effected by the direct pressure of the fingers; but in stage performances, where the target is placed on a table, this, as indeed almost every other mechanical piece, is set in motion by the upward movement of a wire rod (known as a piston), made, by the pulling of a string, to rise through the upper surface of the table.
When the target is required for use, the bull’s-eye is twisted round, so that the sideais turned towards the back, and in this position it is fixed by the catch. The borrowed watch is then hooked on the same side of the bull’s eye. The assistant, in bringing forward the target, takes care to keep the face turned towards the spectators, so that the watch, being behind, is unseen. At the moment of firing the pistol the disc is pressed upwards, and the catch being thus withdrawn, the bull’s-eye instantly spins round, and the sidea, on which is the watch, takes the place of sidebon the face of the target. The movement is so instantaneous that the quickest eye cannot follow it, and the explosion of the pistol at the same moment aids still further to baffle the vigilance of the spectators, to whom it appears as if the borrowed watch had really passed from the pistol to the face of the target.
This forms an effective conclusion to the Watch-Mortar Trick, the fragments (supposed to be those of the borrowed watch) being placed in the pistol, and remaining there. Where the watch-box, above described, is used, you merely go through the motion of taking the watch out, invisibly, through the top of the box, and in like manner placing it in the pistol.
The Mesmerised Watch. To Make any Watch a Repeater.—This is a trick which may be incidentally introduced with advantage in the course of any illusion in which a borrowed watch is employed. The performer, addressing the owner, asks carelessly, “Is this watch a repeater?” The answer is in the negative, and the performer resumes, “Would you like it to become a repeater? I have only to mesmerise it a little.” So saying, he makes pretended mesmeric passes over the watch, every now and then holding it to his ear. At last he says, “I think it will do now. Let us try.” Taking the chain between his finger and thumb, he lets the watch hang down at full length in front of him. “Come, watch, oblige me by telling us the hour that last struck.” (We will suppose that the time is twenty minutes to nine.) To the astonishment of all, the watch chimes eight successive strokes, with a clear bell-like tone. “Now the last quarter.” The watch chimes “two” and stops. “You see, sir, that under the mesmeric influence your watch becomes a capitalrepeater. Let us test its intelligence still further. Here is a pack of cards; will you oblige me by drawing one. Now, watch, tell me what card this gentleman has taken; and answer in the proper spiritualistic fashion, by three strokes for ‘yes,’ and one for ‘no.’ Do you know the card?” The watch chimes thrice. “Very good. Is it a club?” The watch chimes once. “Is it a spade?” The watch again strikes once. “Is it a heart?” The watch chimes three times. “The card is a heart, is it? Now, will you tell us what heart?” The watch chimes seven, and stops. “The watch declares that your card was the seven of hearts, sir. Is that so?” The card is turned, and shown to have been correctly named. Another card (say the queen of hearts) is now drawn. The watch names the suit as before, but when ordered to name the particular card, remains silent, and the performer therefore puts further questions. “Is the card a plain card?” Answer, “No.” “It is a court card, is it? Well, is it the knave?” Answer, “No.” “Is it the queen?” “Yes.” Other questions may in like manner be put,e.g., as to the number thrown by a pair of dice. The watch is at any moment handed for inspection, and if any suggestion of special mechanism be made, a second watch is borrowed, and mesmerised with the like result.
Fig. 105.
Fig. 105.
The secret lies in the use of an ingenious little piece of apparatus, which is placed in the waistcoat pocket of the performer, and from which the sound proceeds. This apparatus, which is represented inFig. 105, consists of a short brass cylinder (about an inch and a quarter in depth, and two inches in diameter), containing a small clock-bell, with the necessary striking mechanism, which is wound up beforehand with a key, after the manner of a watch. This mechanism is set in motion by pressure on the buttona, the hammer continuing to strike as long as the pressure is continued, but ceasing as soon as the pressure is removed. The cylinder, which is perforated all round, in order to give free passage to the sound, is placed upright in the left pocket of the performer’s waistcoat, which should be just so tightaround the ribs that the mere expansion of the chest shall cause the necessary pressure against the buttona, the pressure ceasing when the chest is again contracted. (The placing of a playing-card in the pocket forato rest against will be found to facilitate the arrangement.) This is the whole of the secret. In working the trick the performer has only to take care to hold the watch in a tolerably straight line between the pocket and the audience, when, the line in which the sound travels being the same as if it actually came from the watch, it will be almost impossible to detect the deception.
Some performers, instead of placing the apparatus in the pocket, as above described, hold it in the right hand (the wand being held in the same hand) and cause it to strike by the pressure of the fingers. This is in one sense less effective, inasmuch as you cannot show the hands empty, but it is a very much more easy and certain method, so far as the striking is concerned.
The striking apparatus is generally made to give from fifty to sixty strokes. The performer must be careful not to prolong the trick until the whole are expended, or the unexpected silence of the watch may place him in an embarrassing position.
It is hardly necessary to remark that the drawn cards are forced. Where the watch is made to disclose the numbers thrown by a pair of dice, the dice are either loaded, and thus bound to indicate certain given numbers, or a box is used in which a pair of previously-arranged dice take the place, to the eyes of the audience, of the pair just thrown.