XVI

GAPS (WITH ONE WHIST PACK)

LAY out the whole pack face upwards in four rows of thirteen cards each. Pick out the aces, and remove them entirely from the game; this will leave gaps in the rows you have laid out. Wherever such gap occurs, notice what card lies on the left of the gap, and proceed to fill up the gap by placing in it the next higher card of the same suit. If, for example, the 7 of clubs lies to the left of a gap, take the 8 of clubs from the position in which it happens to lie and put it next to the 7 and to the right of it. This will leave a fresh gap in the place from which the 8 of clubs was taken, and this gap is to be filled up in like manner. Whenever the first place in a row becomes vacant it is to be filled with a 2. The process of filling up gaps might continue without stopping but for the fact that no card can be placed to the right of a king. The following tableau shows a position in which all the gaps have been filled up, until no further progress possible:

After arriving at such a stage as this, one fresh deal is allowed, for which you gather up all cards that do not form part of a sequence from the 2's. Thus, in the above lay-out, take up, from the first row, all cards after the 3 of diamonds; in the second row, all cards after the 4 of clubs; in the third row, all cards after the 7 of spades; and in the last row, all after the 5 of hearts. Shuffle well the cards that you have gathered up, and then deal them out afresh, leaving a gap after each of the sequences that remain on the board. If no 2 has been got into place in any of the rows, then the first place is left as the gap in that row. Go on filling up gaps in this lay-out as you did before. If the second tableau gets blocked before all the four sequences are complete, the game has failed.