62 USE OF THE DIVINING EOD. 



When he had retired from the room, we laid the following 

 articles in a linear series, using handkerchiefs as we had not 

 enough hats, these were in order. — (1) hat — (2) coloured 

 handkerchief— (3) pair of thick gloves— (4) ha1>— (5) white 

 handkerchief— (6) hat— (7) hat. 



The coins were placed under No. 5. 



On retiring he objected to hat No. 1 as being too near the wall; 

 we appeared loth to move it, and begged him to let it remain. 

 He evidently made a note of this. 



Beginning at No. 7, the rod did not turn over. He was very- 

 deliberate in his proceedings, and had an absorbed manner, with 

 an assumption, if one might so say, of a professional demeanour. 

 At No. 6 no indications were shown. On reaching No. 5 the rod 

 turned over; this was the only «<^M^ handkerchief of the series. 

 At No. 4 there was a slight indication, the rod did not turn over 

 completely: this small sign seemed to be connected with doubt 

 in his mind, he tried again two or three times bcforcfgoing to the 

 next object. At No. 3 there was no indication at all, although 

 there were heavy metal buttons on the gloves. At No. 2 a half 

 indication, he tried here several times as if he could not make up 

 his mind. He reached now No. 1 , the hat we seemed to wish to 

 keep; the rod turned over at once, he said this was the strongest 

 indication for it turned over each time he tried. He would not 

 decide at onco however, but went over the whole series again, as 

 slowly as before, and with the same results. The metal buttons 

 of No. 3 were quite unperceived, while the hat No. 7, and the 

 white handkerchief seemed to fix his attention. Saying that he 

 wfes puzzled, ho went over the whole series a third time, but a 

 little more expeditiously. Finally, he said that No. 7 gave the 

 strongest indication, and the white handkerchief next, but of the 

 two he took up the latter and found that he was right. 



This seemed to us very unsatisfactory, there being two almost 

 equally strongly indicated, but the weaker of the two being 

 chosen. He refused to repeat the experiment even for a sovereign. 

 He had evidently been much puzzled, but having made a lucky 



