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First: Opening A .
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Second: Pass each thumb away from you over the far thumb string, both strings of the index loop, and under both strings of the little finger loop. Now, lift up the near little finger strings temporarily on the tips of the index fingers (Fig. 154), and draw toward you on the back of the thumb the far little finger string, by returning the thumb to its usual position and dropping the near little finger strings from the tip of each index (Fig. 155).
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Third: Bend the index and middle finger of each hand down through the upper thumb loop and pass the index to the near side of the lower near thumb string; then pass the middle finger to the far side of the same string (Fig. 156), draw the string up between the two fingers, and put it on the tip of the index by turning the palm away from you. Release the loops from the thumbs and draw the hands apart (Fig. 157).
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Fourth: Transfer the upper index loops to the thumbs, by putting each thumb from below into the upper index loop, withdrawing the index and returning the thumb to its position (Fig. 158).
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Fifth: Pick up, between the tips of the left thumb and index, the right near thumb string (close to the right thumb) (Fig. 159), lift the loop entirely off the right thumb, turn it over so that its near string becomes its far string and then place the loop over the two strings of the right little finger loop (Fig. 160). Now with the left thumb and index draw the far little finger string through the original right thumb loop (Fig. 161); put the right thumb under the far little finger string just pulled through the loop, and pick up from below on the back of the right thumb the string of the former thumb loop which you have just been holding with the left thumb and index (Fig. 162) and return the thumb to its position (Fig. 163, Right hand). Repeat the same movement on the left hand as follows: Pick up, between the tips of the right thumb and index, the left near thumb string (close to the left thumb), lift the loop entirely off the left thumb, turn it over so that its near string becomes its far string and then place the loop over the two strings of the left little finger loop; now with the right thumb and index draw the far little finger string through the original left thumb loop; put the left thumb under the far little finger string just pulled through the loop, and pick up from below on the back of the left thumb the string of the former thumb loop which you have been holding with the right thumb and index and return the thumb to its position (Fig. 163).
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Sixth: Pick up, between the tips of the left thumb and index, the right near thumb string (close to the right thumb), lift the loop entirely off the right thumb, turn it over so that its near string becomes its far string, and then place the loop over the strings of the right little finger loop. Now, with the left thumb and index, draw the near little finger string through the original right thumb loop; put the right thumb under this near little finger string just pulled through the loop, and pick up from below on the back of the thumb the right near thumb string which you have been holding with the left thumb and index and return the thumb to its position. Repeat the same movement on the left hand, as follows: Pick up, between the tips of the right thumb and index, the left near thumb string (close to the left thumb), lift the loop entirely off the left thumb, turn it over so that its near string becomes its far string and then place the loop over the two strings of the left little finger loop. Now, with the right thumb and index, draw the near little finger string through the original left thumb loop; put the left thumb under the near little finger string just pulled through the loop, and pick up from below on the back of the left thumb the near string of the former thumb loop which you have been holding with the right thumb and index and return the left thumb to its position. Separate the hands (Fig. 164).
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Seventh: Release the loops from the index fingers and separate the hands, drawing the strings very tight and moving the hands alternately up and down to make the "Elks" appear (Fig. 165).
The Fifth and Sixth movements of this figure exhibit what appear to be artificial methods, and yet it is difficult to see how the same results could be produced by any quicker or more simple procedure.
