246 CARD TRICKS. [CH. xiv. 



sides of an old cloth, about five feet long, and of nearly the same 

 width. Each card bore a legibly- written number from to 9. He 

 invited the spectators to ask for whatever number they pleased, 

 provided it did not hold doublets, nor contain more than four of 

 the cyphers ; asserting that his dogs, without the least assistance 

 from him, would bring, in regular order, the several cards repre- 

 senting the required number ; and to create, as it seemed to me, 

 the impression that it was a matter of perfect indifference what 

 dog he took, he unyoked one of the leaders, a close-cropped, small 

 Dane, and called him to the centre. I begged a lady who was 

 leaning on my arm, and whose eyes are generally sharp enough, to 

 watch the man most carefully. Some one demanded 1824. The 

 dog went round and round the cloth as if examining every card 

 separately, and lifted, in regular succession (carrying them one by 

 one to his master), the several numbers composing 1824. The dog 

 committed no blunder ; and did not long hesitate in making his 

 selection. Another person in the crowd called out for 29, when 

 the dog was equally successful ; and on neither occasion could the 

 lady or myself perceive that the man gave the slightest sign. At one 

 time I thought I had detected that he took a short step forward, as 

 if to receive the card, when the dog was about to grasp the right 

 one ; but I was soon aware that I had only found a " mare's nest." 



437. When reharnessing the Dane to the carriage, the showman 

 gave out that, if duly paid, he could exhibit before the " respect- 

 able and discriminating company "the feats of a far more wonderful 

 animal. He collected what satisfied him ; and producing two 

 similar packs of common playing cards (say a dozen in each), he 

 bade the Russian come forth and astonish the public. The man 

 distributed one pack along the borders of the cloth ; and handing 

 round the other pack, he begged as many of the company as pleased, 

 to take a card. Five or six did so. The man then showed what 

 cards remained in his hands to the poodle, desiring him to point 

 out those that had been taken. The dog walked round and round 

 the cloth, and one by one fetched the corresponding cards. 



438. The showman still more astonished the gaping crowd by 

 assuring them that this dog's intellect was so extraordinary and 

 wonderful, that he could read their most secret thoughts ; and to 

 prove the truth of his assertion, whilst telling a good-humoured 

 fiacre-driver, well known to many of them, to think of a card, he 

 successfully forced * one upon his sight : and after coachee had, 



* So adroitly obtruding (or the eight by lightly sticking on a 



forcing) a particular card of an bit of paper cut into proper shape, 



outspread pack upon the notice of and of the same colour as the suit, 



an unsuspecting party, that he un- The metamorphosed card is forced 



hesitatingly selects that identical upon one of the audience, and the 



card. This trick is performed very exhibitor manages unperceived to 



effectively, having previously con- remove the deception with his 



cealed the eight of a suit, by tern- little finger when reshuffling the 



porarily converting the seven into cards. 



