If the student has faithfully practiced the ex­ercises given in the foregoing instructions, he should by this time have acquired considerable facility in the actual work of ventriloquizing, and no doubt will be eager to add to his accom­plishments the power of fetching a voice from a box or trunk and through the walls or ceiling of a room, and even from the cellar. Having al­ready obtained the ability to make the ventriloquial drone—which is the foundation of all dis­tant sounds—the attainment of these desired effects presents no special difficulty.

For the box or trunk, the voice and method of production are identically the same as for the imitation of a person behind a door. The sound should be hollow and quite loud, though some­what obscure. Additional realism is given this voice when using it in public by occasionally lift­ing the cover of the box while speaking ventriloquially, the movement being accompanied by a corresponding change in tonal quality or strength, This greatly helps to make the illusion effective. In other words, as the lid is gradually lifted, the sound must be heard more distinctly, until when the cover is raised to its full extent the voice should come out full and strong, although still retaining its distinguishing characteristics.

To affect this, it is necessary to cause the tones to gradually roll forward, as it were, from the middle of the throat to the extreme forward part of the mouth, where confined by the closed teeth and the partly closed lips it will still retain enough of its muffled, hollow quality to preserve the deception. In closing the box the method is reversed, the tones being gradually forced back­ward to their first position.

At first you will find it hard to use other than the ventriloquial voice from the time the cover is raised until it is closed, but this difficulty can be overcome by practice. You can hold a con­versation with the fictitious person inside before you open the box, or even with it open if you allow the lid to remain up while doing so; but as there is a constant change in tone while the lid is in motion it is evident that the introduction of your natural voice  renders the feat rather formidable. In fact, most performers are con­tent to let well enough alone and not attempt the interruption while the movement is in prog­ress, and I am not so sure but that the effect is more impressive with this mode of procedure than might otherwise be the case.

Below is given a very effective dialogue for use in this connection, and in the department devoted exclusively to dialogues there is still another.

Vent. (knocking on the trunk). Hello! (No response.) Hello! (Louder.)
Voice. Hello. What do you want? (Sup­pressed.)
Vent. What is the matter? Are you asleep? (Takes hold of cover preparatory to raising it.)
Voice. Yes, what is it?
Vent. Nothing—only I thought you might like a dollar.
Voice. Oh, no, I'm not asleep. (This answer is made loudly and quickly in the forward part of the mouth while the lid is being raised, as if the person were coming out. Then suddenly let go the lid, and say in the ventriloquial voice.) Oh, my finger, my finger!
Vent. What is the matter, Jack?
Voice. My finger is caught. Oh! Oh!
Vent. (raising the lid). I beg your pardon, sir.Is it much hurt?
Voice. I should say it was. Lend me your handkerchief, will you?
Vent. I am sorry you put your finger in such a dangerous place. (Throws handkerchief into the trunk and lowers the lid.)
Voice. Yes, so am I.
Vent. What prompted you to get into the trunk?
Voice. I was playing (flaying) hide and seek.
Vent. Oh, I see. Some one came along and locked you in.
Voice. Yes; let me out, I am nearly suffocated.
Vent. Don't be in a hurry.
Voice. Say, I'll knock out that fellow in one round when I catch him.
Vent. Now, Jack, where did you get all those parcels I saw you with the other night? (Raises lid.)
Voice. Hello, little girl!
Vent. Keep quiet, sir.
Voice. That's my Sarah Jane out there.
Vent. Silence, sir (impatiently). Now I want you to give me your attention, and keep so quiet that you can hear a pin drop.
Voice. All right, let her drop (drock or drot).
Vent. What is that?
Voice. I say, all right.
Vent. Now, tell me where you got all those parcels the other night.
Voice. I got them at—(mention some well known grocery firm).
Vent. Oh, indeed?
Voice. Yes; you know that tall clerk there?
Vent. Yes.
Voice. Well, I asked him for one pound of canary seed.
Vent. What did he say?
Voice. He said, "What do you want one pound of canary seed for?"
Vent. And whom did you want it for?
Voice. I said, "I want it for the canary bird, of course."
Vent. Did you buy anything else?
Voice. Yes, I got five cents' worth of carraway seed.
Vent. What answer did he give you when you asked for that?
Voice. He said, "What do you want five cents' worth of carraway seed for?"
Vent. And what did you tell him you wanted it for?
Voice. Why, I told him I wanted it for five cents.
Vent. Did you buy anything else?
Voice. Well, when I was half way home 1 noticed I had no lard.
Vent. Oh, you forgot the lard, I suppose; what made you forget it?
Voice. I don't know, but I suppose it was so slippery that it slipped my memory. (This is a hard sentence to pronounce, hut usually it may he understood if rendered. I suppose it was so slickery it slicked my memory If you can’t make it intelligible, leave it out.)  Say
Vent. Well, sir!
Voice. Where were you last Sunday?
Vent. Why, I was at home.
Voice. If you had been (ghin) where you ought to have been you'd have heard my father preach (reach).
Vent. Oh, at church I suppose.
Voice. No, in jail!
Vent. You rascal. I will thrash you for your continued impudence. {Throughout the dialogue the lid of the trunk should be raised and lowered frequently; the voice changing with the action. At this point in the conversation proceed in the following manner: Raise the cover and hit at the imaginary man with a cane or stick. Have him.' cry out as if hurt. Then say, "There, will you behave yourself now f " Have him laugh, changing the volume of sound in time with the movement of the cover, laughing louder when it is raised and in subdued tones when lowered. This will produce a fine effect. Conclude as follows.)
Vent. I see it is useless to try to make you behave yourself.
Voice. Say
Vent. Well?
Voice. Shake hands before (ghefore) you go and I'll sing you a song.
Vent. All right. (Puts hand in trunk and shakes it vigorously.) Now go ahead.
Voice. What shall I sing?
Vent. Oh, sing "The Soldier's Farewell."
Voice. All right. (Sings.)
How can I bear to leave thee, One
parting kiss I give thee; And then
whate'er befalls me, I go where
honor calls me.
Chorus:
Farewell, farewell, my own true love,
Farewell, farewell, my own true love.

During the course of the singing, raise and lower the lid several times, modifying the sound as you do so, which will make a very good climax.