In this story trick the four Jacks figure as burglars. It is advisable, though not absolutely necessary to have them in order of Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, from the top, and to have a few cards between each one. This may be done in a moment or two by spreading the pack fanwise, finding the Jacks by their indices, and altering their positions as may be necessary.

Suppose this is done. You take the pack face up in your left hand, saying that you require the four Jacks. You run through the cards, pushing them off one by one into the right hand, till you come to the Jack of Clubs. Lift off the cards in your right hand and turn those in your left toward the spectators, showing the Jack. Push it slightly off the pack and bring the cards in your right hand over it again, but raise them so that this time they cover only the upper half of the Jack. Grip it at the back with the tip of the right second finger and then bring the right hand packet down flush with the rest of the pack. The result will be that the Jack of Clubs will protrude half its length below the deck.

This should be done fairly and openly. You have simply found the first Jack and you have pushed it halfway out of the pack.

You continue to run over the faces of the cards until you come to the Jack of Diamonds. Here the trickery begins. Before you lift off the right hand packet to show the Diamond Jack you push the next card squarely behind it, then push the two as one, a little off the pack as you did the Club Jack. Remove the right hand packet and show the Jack of Diamonds. You hold it squarely towards spectators and they have no reason to suspect anything if you work easily and smoothly.

Bring the right hand packet on the upper half of this

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