Take out the four jacks from the pack and hold them in your hand in the shape of a fan. Explain to the audience that the jacks represent four night watchmen and the remainder of the pack a building. Box the jacks together and place them on the top of the pack. The night watchmen will each guard one floor of the building.

Take the top card from the pack and show it to the audience so that they can see it is a jack and place it at the bottom of the pack, explaining that this is the night watchman for the basement.

Take the next card from the top of the pack but this time it is not shown to the audience and slip it into the pack about two thirds of the way down, telling the onlookers that this is the night watchman for the ground floor.

The next card is then removed from the top of the pack, kept concealed and placed in the pack somewhere between the top and the night watchman on the ground floor at the same time advising the spectators that this is the night watchman for the first floor.

Finally show the fourth card on the top of the pack to the audience (which is a jack) and leave it on the top, pointing out that this is the night watchman for the top floor.

Ask someone to cut the pack.

Explain to your audience that your night watchmen have to be checked periodically to see that they are still separated as they are in a habit of all getting together on one floor and playing cards.

Look through the pack so that the audience can see and all four jacks will appear together in the middle of the pack.