at A by the left hand and at B by the right. It was cut at x and
consequently was in two pieces not of equal length, but of which one
was practically the whole length of the rope while the other was the
piece AX, or possibly some six inches long. While gathering up the
rope to be magically restored, the old scoundrel simply got rid of
this small piece and showed the longer one as the restored rope.

To go into details and to give the "drill" as to how to get the string
or rope into the required position would be tedious and difficult to
understand. The illustration, I trust, explains sufficiently clearly
the secret of the trick, and if one tries to get it into this position
it will be found quite easy to do, "chacun a son gout."

Shah Mahommed made quite a feature of the trick, using two assistants
for it, one to hold the rope occasionally and the other to cut it.

The first time I remember seeing it was when Uncle George showed it to
me on my fourth birthday, many long weary years ago.

[Illustration]

The string (as shewn in the above illustration) being held for the
audience to cut at x.

THE SWASTIKA

I remember on one occasion some 20 years ago, being very puzzled by a
trick that is often performed in Bengal.

The magician gets from one of the servants a broken "chatti" or
earthenware bowl. He selects a piece about two inches square and asks
one of his audience to draw upon it with a piece of charcoal, borrowed
from the "Khansamah" or cook, the sign of the Swastika, with which
most people are familiar.

[Illustration]

The draftsman is then requested to place the piece of earthenware or
tile on the ground and after gazing intently at the Swastika to crush
it to powder with the heel of his boot. These instructions are
accordingly carried out. The man of magic now asks his assistant to
look at the palm of his hand and see that there is no mark upon it.
There is no mark. The hand is then held out palm upwards over the
powdered tile and the assistant is told to gaze at it intently. After
a few seconds the performer turns the assistant's hand over so that it
is now palm downwards. A little music on the "bean," a magic pass, a
mystic word, and the assistant is requested to look at the palm of
his hand, when to his astonishment, there is a distinct mark of the
Swastika upon it! Truly a miracle!

The trick is a most effective one, and when well performed, with
intervals for gazing at the dust, the cl