Tarbell #1 has a version of Prisoner's Escape which Tarbell also calls "Hainging Oneseslf With Ropes". It involves two ropes that are looped together. Once looped it appears that the two ropes are being tied around the magician's neck whereas they are (in fact) free to be pulled apart without (all being well) strangling the magician!

Tarbell has diagrams of the looping which I can follow right up until figures 31/32. I can't quite make sense of what's supposed to happen at this point, though.

The end result seems to be the same as Mark Wilson's much simpler rope-loop in his Cyclopaedia (Don Wayne's Impossible Rope Escape) though I *think* Tarbell's version is a bit sneakier and aims to be a bit more difficult for the audience to detect. I'm sure there must be lots of versions of this technique - but I'm new to ropes so I don't yet know them.

If anyone can give me advice on a) how to finish off the Tarbell looping method or b) any other methods that are just as good (maybe I should concentrate on the Don Wayne version?) I would be really grateful. If there are any clear rope-looping diagrams somewhere on the Web, maybe you can point me to them....?

Best wishes
Huw