Whether or not this effect will be accepted as a “freak” trick as was my idea of finding a card by music, in Sh-h-h–! It’s a Secret, I don’t know. However, I do know that this brain storm has garnered much applause, and made not a little talk when performed in front of goodly sized groups of people.
It consists only of effect and little else, but to date it has not failed to get a laugh when the “walk-around” begins. It is so unlooked for, and so unexpected, that it evidently appears funny that one should try and find a card in that manner. But, as those who make a living before the public know, the out of the ordinary effects are those that are remembered longest, and build up reputations for the performers first to do them.
From the viewpoint of the audience, a card is selected, returned as usual, but then the deck is placed face down on the floor and spread around over an area of about one square yard. Now the performer starts WALKING AROUND IN A CIRCLE ON TOP OF THE CARDS ! He asks that the selector concentrate upon his chosen card and imagine the performer walking over it, coming closer and closer to it with each circle he makes. Suddenly the performer stops. Saying that he is quite sure the chosen card is under his right foot as it stands, he kneels on his left knee, lifts his right foot a bit and removes from beneath, a card which he keeps face down, putting it, still face down, to one side. The floor cards are picked up and the spectator who selected one asked to name it aloud. Turning the oddly located card over, the performer shows it to be the actual one originally selected !
So that’s my story, and I’ll stick by it. I’ve tried two different methods, the one I explain being the best. Use any ordinary deck. Just before starting in to work, put a piece of magician’s wax, or better still, a piece of diachylon (lead plaster) wax, about the size of a pea, about an inch from the instep towards the toe on the sole of your right shoe. When this is stepped on, it flattens out to about the size of a quarter. And don’t worry about walking on it. It may pick up dust and dirt, but it will be ready when you need it. Have the deck shuffled, and a card removed. Take the deck back as you hand your spectator a pencil to mark the card. Then have the card replaced, and in your own way get the pasteboard to the top. After a riffle shuffle or two, leaving the top card in place, put the deck on the floor with your right hand, and spread it rather evenly toward the right in a long, straight spread. Now move towards the spread, a bit, and turn your body slightly to the left. Your right foot comes directly on top of the right hand end card, you figuring to get the wax about the center of the back of the card. By doing this, part of the card will be sticking out under the instep. As your foot covers the card, your right and left hands scatter the row of cards in each direction, until they cover about a good square yard of space. Thus, no one ever sees you deliberately put your foot on the deck, or obviously steal away a card. Now walk over the cards in a circle, and watch the reaction of the audience.
You go through the business of telling your spectator to think very much of his card and that you will try to stop near it. Let your audience know, in this case, about what you are doing. Suddenly, it occurs to you to stop, or so it seems to the watchers. You state that you are sure the card is beneath your foot. Now kneel on the left knee, raise the right foot at the heel, and the left hand goes under at instep on the protruding end of the card and presses it to the floor, as the foot is removed. Thus, it is not seen that the card is, or has been attached to the foot. Hand it to someone face down, or put it face down to one side. Before standing, scrape the cards together if you wish, or leave them for your assistant, if you can afford one. Then have the card named, and finally show it, and return to the selector. As I said in the beginning, you’ll actually have to try it, before you will be completely convinced of its value.
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