"HE CAN DO LITTLE."

This is another "sell" of almost childish simplicity, but we have seen
people desperately puzzled over it, and even "give it up" in despair.

The leader takes a stick (or poker) in his left hand, thence transfers
it to his right, and thumps three times on the floor, saying: "He can
do little who can't do this." He then hands the stick to another person,
who, as he supposes, goes through exactly the same performance; but
if he does not know the game, is generally told, to his disgust, that
he has incurred a forfeit, his imitation not having been exact.

The secret lies in the fact that the stick, when passed on, is first
received in the left hand and thence transferred to the right before
going through the performance.

"THROWING LIGHT."

Two of the company agree privately upon a word (which should be one
susceptible of two or three meanings), and interchange remarks tending
to throw light upon it. The rest of the players do their best to guess
the word, but when any of them fancies he has succeeded, he does not
publicly announce his guess, but makes such a remark as to indicate
to the two initiated that he has discovered their secret. If they have
any doubt that he has really guessed the word, they challenge him,
i.e., require him to name it in a whisper. If this guess proves to be
right, he joins in conversation, and assists in throwing light on the
subject; but if, on the other hand, he is wrong, he must submit to
have a handkerchief thrown over his head, and so remain until by some