e. Proceed by placing thumb of
right hand on the side of sleeve toward spectators, and the fingers at
the back, and rub the hand up and down the sleeve from the elbow to the
cuff, and at the same time secretly gain possession of the coin between
the buttons and bring it down behind the sleeve towards the elbow. Now
with a slow pinching movement bring the coin down between the thumb and
fingers and apparently out through the cloth of the sleeve, meanwhile
moving the left arm up and down slightly. The coin left in the sleeve
can be secretly got away by dropping the arm and allowing it to fall
into the hand and then pocketed.

AN ORIGINAL COIN SWINDLE

Palm a halfpenny in your right hand and ask a friend (be sure he _is_
your friend) to lend you a shilling. Pick up a glass, invert it, and
place the borrowed shilling on its bottom. Then ask your friend whether
the coin is on the top or bottom of the tumbler. He will naturally look
surprised at such a question; and you then say,--"Ah, I see you know the
trick." Slide the shilling off the glass into your right hand, and as
your friend holds out his hand to receive it back, drop the concealed
halfpenny into it. The chances are ten to one that he will place the
coin in his pocket without glancing at it. Unless you really desire to
swindle your friend out of elevenpence halfpenny you will, of course,
explain to him how he has been "had."

A CROSS

Place seven coins on the table, five in a row and one above and one
underneath the centre coin. Then challenge any one to form a cross with
these coins by moving two only, all the arms of the cross to have the
same number of coins. After many attempts and failures show how easy it
is to accomplish by taking the two coins at the ends of the row and
placing them upon the coin in the centre.

SIMPLE TRICKS WITH HANDKERCHIEFS, RINGS, CANDLES, ETC.

A KNOT THAT CANNOT BE DRAWN TIGHT

Tie a single over-hand knot in a handkerchief, and holding it in your
left hand, give one end to some one, telling him to pull at a given
signal. As he is about to do so, slip your left thumb underneath and,
letting go the end hanging over your left hand, allow the handkerchief
to run between your thumb and forefinger, when it will come out without
any knot (Fig. 4).

[Illustration]
Fig. 4.

TO TIE AN INSTANTANEOUS KNOT IN A HANDKERCHIEF

Hold the handkerchief in both hands;