CH - XV] STRING FIGURES 335 



string up to the root of the fingers. Close the right fist, and 

 carry the fist (holding the ring) round in a circle, first back to 

 the far side, then to the right, and so on round the right string 

 of the loop, to its original position. (5) Open the index, keeping 

 the rest of the fist shut, and put the tip of the index on the tip 

 of the nose. (6) Finally, let go with the mouth and pull the 

 left string of the loop. The whole string will then come away. 



Of course the same result can be obtained if the ring is made 

 by passing the right hand to the left on the far side of the string 

 held by the left hand, so that when the cross is held in the 

 mouth the string originally held by the right hand is uppermost. 

 But in this case the ring should be taken by the left index, 

 which is carried round the left string of the loop. 



The Handcuff Trick is worked thus : Two players, P and Q, 

 are connected thus. One end of a piece of string is tied round P's 

 right wrist, the other is tied round his left wrist. Another piece 

 of string is passed through the space bounded by the string tied 

 to P's wrist, his body, and his arms. The ends of this piece are 

 then tied one on Q's right wrist, and the other on Q's left wrist. 

 The players desire to free themselves from the entanglement. 



Either player can free himself thus : (1) P takes up a small 

 loop L near the middle of the string tied to his wrists, and pulling 

 the loop to one of Q's wrists on the palmar side of it, passes it, 

 from the elbow to the finger side, between Q's wrist and the 

 loop on that wrist. (2) Next, P draws this loop L sufficiently far 

 through until he is able to pass it, first over Q's hand, and then 

 under the wrist loop on the outer side of Q's wrist, passing this 

 time from the finger to the elbow side of Q. When in this position 

 P can pull his own string clear of Q on the outer side of Q's arm. 



The Button-Hole Trick is worked thus : (1) Pass a loop of 

 string through a button-hole or key-ring. (2) Hold the thumbs 

 upright, and insert them from below in the two loops one on 

 each side of the button-hole. Move tine hands a little out from 

 the body and towards each other. (3) Hook the right little- 

 finger into the right-hand string of the left thumb loop, and pull 

 it across to the right hand. (4) Pass the left hand above the 

 right little-finger loop, hook the left little-finger into the left 



