e and
light candle, and as you lay down matchbox with right hand (right side
to audience), palm egg in left hand from hip pocket or vest. Pick up
"skin" egg and hold over candle, presently remarking "It's getting
hot"; suddenly place it apparently in the left hand (really crushing it
up and finger palming), and show palmed egg in left hand. After sundry
"passes" "vanish" to candle. This is worked on same principle as "Card
in Candle," or "Card on Ale Bottle," using a half shell (cut
lengthwise). When you go to take egg, remove with left hand and place
in right, in which is original egg still palmed. The shell fits on
this, so only one egg appears. Pick up the candlestick in left hand,
and bring it forward to show it quite unprepared, allowing the _feke_
to fall forward flat on table.

[Illustration]

Replace the candle and pick up the handkerchief. This has an oval wire
shape in centre covered by a piece of the same material as the
handkerchief--this fits over egg, which presses out handkerchief into
proper shape. When you pretend to take hold of the egg through
handkerchief, you really seize this--allowing egg to drop into right
palm out of sight. Gather up the four ends of the handkerchief with
this hand, which adds cover for egg. Let go top (egg?) with left hand
and ask assistant to hold handkerchief for you. In handing it to him
first take it in your left hand and let your right fall naturally to
side, and either "vest" or "_profonde_" egg. Now take up pistol and
fire at egg (?) in handkerchief, and picking up the plate or tray, lay
down pistol and ask assistant to lay handkerchief with the egg gently
on it. With your other hand open out handkerchief--when he sees roll of
paper on same. (This is original piece, palmed in when pretending to
place egg in. The wire frame holds it in position.) Let your assistant
open out the paper and verify mark (if one was made). Meanwhile, lay
down the plate and handkerchief on the table, at the same time palming
small _feke_ containing white silk handkerchief in left hand. Now take
back piece of paper from assistant and thank him; then make left hand
into a fist and push the paper in at top till all is in. This pushes
out handkerchief from the _feke_ into the palm; then secretly remove
_feke_ on finger, continuing the pushing with another finger (old
idea). Now draw out silk handkerchief from bottom of left hand--show it
by holding it at the top corners, in front of you--graduall