5. THE EXCELSIOR BILLIARD BALL TRICK
Effect. The effect of this startling trick is the appearance of four solid balls, one by one, between the fingers of one hand.
Preparation. Four solid balls and a shell are required, all being of the same color. To prepare, place two balls under the vest on the right side, the ball and shell in the upper left vest pocket; enter with the fourth ball palmed or, if necessary, obtain it from the table in picking up the wand in the manner previously explained.
Method. After producing the ball, make various passes, vanishes, and recoveries, using the sleights that have been explained.
Then with your right side to the front, pretend to make the ball travel up your sleeve; show the left hand empty; thrust your right hand under the coat; and bring out the ball and shell from the vest pocket, retaining the ball in your palm. Place the ball and shell as one ball between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, the shell to the front. Turn the hand to show the palm empty; in reversing it again place the middle finger on the side of the ball and pull it out of the shell smartly, so that it appears in the space between the first and second fingers with the shell remaining in its position between the thumb and forefinger.
Apparently the left hand now holds two balls and, to prove this to the satisfaction of the spectators, it is necessary to turn the shell while turning the hand to show the other side of the balls. To do this, place the tip of the left third finger on the middle of the shell and quickly turn the shell as the hand is reversed. Then under cover of the turning of the hand to its original position, the same finger pulls the convex side of the shell to the front again.
Bring the right hand over to take the ball from between the first and second fingers, and in doing so slip the palmed ball into the shell. Remove the upper ball and knock it against the lower one to prove conclusively by the sound that they are solid.
Place the second finger alongside the forefinger and put the ball in the right hand in the space between the second and third fingers. Casually show the right hand empty, and let it drop quietly to a position opposite and close to the bottom of the vest. Turn the left hand over to show the palm and, in reversing it again, pull the ball from the shell with the second finger into the space between the first and second fingers exactly as was done to produce the second ball. At the same moment, with the right hand steal one of the balls from under the vest; then raise this hand a little and point with the forefinger at the three balls now showing in the left hand. It should not be necessary to insist that the eyes must be directed to the left hand throughout.
Move the right hand over to the left hand and remove the two upper balls, seizing the opportunity of inserting the palmed ball in the shell as before. Knock the balls together to prove them solid.
Again drop the left second finger against the side of the forefinger and place one ball between the second and third fingers and the other ball between the third and fourth fingers. Make the production of the fourth ball in the same way as before, turning the left hand to show the palm, then turning it over again and pulling the ball out of the shell into the same position between the first and second fingers. Profit by the surprise caused by this production to palm the last ball from the vest. Insert this ball in the shell under cover of taking the ball between the first and second fingers and knock it against the other three balls.
Replace this ball, and in so doing palm off‚ the shell with the right hand. You can then knock all four of the balls on the table, or let them fall one by one onto a tray, the resulting sound proving conclusively that they are solid. A very effective finish, when working on the stage, is to throw the balls to the floor one by one, letting them roll off between the wings.
The drawback to this method is the fact that each new ball appears in the same spot, the space between the first and second fingers, although this is disguised to a certain extent by placing the second finger beside the forefinger each time. The correct, but very difficult, procedure is to replace the second ball between the first and second fingers and then, as the hand is turned over, to roll it up between the second and third fingers and immediately after pull the ball from the shell with the second finger.
In the case of the last ball, two balls have to be rolled upwards before the ball is pulled out of the shell—a difficult operation, but the student should not be content until he has mastered it.
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