the jacket (the star-rover)-第12章

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on　murder　intent。　　With　him　were　Captain　Jamie；　Doctor　Jackson；　Pie…

Face　Jones；　and　Al　Hutchins。　　Al　Hutchins　was　serving　a　forty…years'

sentence；　and　was　in　hopes　of　being　pardoned　out。　　For　four　years　he

had　been　head　trusty　of　San　Quentin。　　That　this　was　a　position　of

great　power　you　will　realize　when　I　tell　you　that　the　graft　alone　of

the　head　trusty　was　estimated　at　three　thousand　dollars　a　year。

Wherefore　Al　Hutchins；　in　possession　of　ten　or　twelve　thousand

dollars　and　of　the　promise　of　a　pardon；　could　be　depended　upon　to　do

the　Warden's　bidding　blind。



I　have　just　said　that　Warden　Atherton　came　into　my　cell　intent　on

murder。　　His　face　showed　it。　　His　actions　proved　it。



〃Examine　him；〃　he　ordered　Doctor　Jackson。



That　wretched　apology　of　a　creature　stripped　from　me　my　dirt…

encrusted　shirt　that　I　had　worn　since　my　entrance　to　solitary；　and

exposed　my　poor　wasted　body；　the　skin　ridged　like　brown　parchment

over　the　ribs　and　sore…infested　from　the　many　bouts　with　the　jacket。

The　examination　was　shamelessly　perfunctory。



〃Will　he　stand　it？〃　the　Warden　demanded。



〃Yes；〃　Doctor　Jackson　answered。



〃How's　the　heart？〃



〃Splendid。〃



〃You　think　he'll　stand　ten　days　of　it；　Doc。？〃



〃Sure。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　the　Warden　announced　savagely。　　〃But　we'll　try

it　just　the　same。Lie　down；　Standing。〃



I　obeyed；　stretching　myself　face…downward　on　the　flat…spread　jacket。

The　Warden　seemed　to　debate　with　himself　for　a　moment。



〃Roll　over；〃　he　commanded。



I　made　several　efforts；　but　was　too　weak　to　succeed；　and　could　only

sprawl　and　squirm　in　my　helplessness。



〃Putting　it　on；〃　was　Jackson's　comment。



〃Well；　he　won't　have　to　put　it　on　when　I'm　done　with　him；〃　said　the

Warden。　　〃Lend　him　a　hand。　　I　can't　waste　any　more　time　on　him。〃



So　they　rolled　me　over　on　my　back；　where　I　stared　up　into　Warden

Atherton's　face。



〃Standing；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I've　given　you　all　the　rope　I　am　going

to。　　I　am　sick　and　tired　of　your　stubbornness。　　My　patience　is

exhausted。　　Doctor　Jackson　says　you　are　in　condition　to　stand　ten

days　in　the　jacket。　　You　can　figure　your　chances。　　But　I　am　going　to

give　you　your　last　chance　now。　　Come　across　with　the　dynamite。　　The

moment　it　is　in　my　hands　I'll　take　you　out　of　here。　　You　can　bathe

and　shave　and　get　clean　clothes。　　I'll　let　you　loaf　for　six　months

on　hospital　grub；　and　then　I'll　put　you　trusty　in　the　library。　　You

can't　ask　me　to　be　fairer　with　you　than　that。　　Besides；　you're　not

squealing　on　anybody。　　You　are　the　only　person　in　San　Quentin　who

knows　where　the　dynamite　is。　　You　won't　hurt　anybody's　feelings　by

giving　in；　and　you'll　be　all　to　the　good　from　the　moment　you　do　give

in。　　And　if　you　don't〃



He　paused　and　shrugged　his　shoulders　significantly。



〃Well；　if　you　don't；　you　start　in　the　ten　days　right　now。〃



The　prospect　was　terrifying。　　So　weak　was　I　that　I　was　as　certain　as

the　Warden　was　that　it　meant　death　in　the　jacket。　　And　then　I

remembered　Morrell's　trick。　　Now；　if　ever；　was　the　need　of　it；　and

now；　if　ever；　was　the　time　to　practise　the　faith　of　it。　　I　smiled　up

in　the　face　of　Warden　Atherton。　　And　I　put　faith　in　that　smile；　and

faith　in　the　proposition　I　made　to　him。



〃Warden；〃　I　said；　〃do　you　see　the　way　I　am　smiling？　　Well；　if；　at

the　end　of　the　ten　days；　when　you　unlace　me；　I　smile　up　at　you　in

the　same　way；　will　you　give　a　sack　of　Bull　Durham　and　a　package　of

brown　papers　to　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer？〃



〃Ain't　they　the　crazy　ginks；　these　college　guys；〃　Captain　Jamie

snorted。



Warden　Atherton　was　a　choleric　man；　and　he　took　my　request　for

insulting　braggadocio。



〃Just　for　that　you　get　an　extra　cinching；〃　he　informed　me。



〃I　made　you　a　sporting　proposition；　Warden；〃　I　said　quietly。　　〃You

can　cinch　me　as　tight　as　you　please；　but　if　I　smile　ten　days　from

now　will　you　give　the　Bull　Durham　to　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer？〃



〃You　are　mighty　sure　of　yourself；〃　he　retorted。



〃That's　why　I　made　the　proposition；〃　I　replied。



〃Getting　religion；　eh？〃　he　sneered。



〃No；〃　was　my　answer。　　〃It　merely　happens　that　I　possess　more　life

than　you　can　ever　reach　the　end　of。　　Make　it　a　hundred　days　if　you

want；　and　I'll　smile　at　you　when　it's　over。〃



〃I　guess　ten　days　will　more　than　do　you；　Standing。〃



〃That's　your　opinion；〃　I　said。　　〃Have　you　got　faith　in　it？　　If　you

have　you　won't　even　lose　the　price　of　the　two　five…cents　sacks　of

tobacco。　　Anyway；　what　have　you　got　to　be　afraid　of？〃



〃For　two　cents　I'd　kick　the　face　off　of　you　right　now；〃　he　snarled。



〃Don't　let　me　stop　you。〃　　I　was　impudently　suave。　　〃Kick　as　hard　as

you　please；　and　I'll　still　have　enough　face　left　with　which　to

smile。　　In　the　meantime；　while　you　are　hesitating；　suppose　you

accept　my　original　proposition。〃



A　man　must　be　terribly　weak　and　profoundly　desperate　to　be　able；

under　such　circumstances；　to　beard　the　Warden　in　solitary。　　Or　he

may　be　both；　and；　in　addition；　he　may　have　faith。　　I　know　now　that　I

had　the　faith　and　so　acted　on　it。　　I　believed　what　Morrell　had　told

me。　　I　believed　in　the　lordship　of　the　mind　over　the　body。　　I

believed　that　not　even　a　hundred　days　in　the　jacket　could　kill　me。



Captain　Jamie　must　have　sensed　this　faith　that　informed　me；　for　he

said：



〃I　remember　a　Swede　that　went　crazy　twenty　years　ago。　　That　was

before　your　time；　Warden。　　He'd　killed　a　man　in　a　quarrel　over

twenty…five　cents　and　got　life　for　it。　　He　was　a　cook。　　He　got

religion。　　He　said　that　a　golden　chariot　was　coming　to　take　him　to

heaven；　and　he　sat　down　on　top　the　red…hot　range　and　sang　hymns　and

hosannahs　while　he　cooked。　　They　dragged　him　off；　but　he　croaked　two

days　afterward　in　hospital。　　He　was　cooked　to　the　bone。　　And　to　the

end　he　swore　he'd　never　felt　the　heat。　　Couldn't　get　a　squeal　out　of

him。〃



〃We'll　make　Standing　squeal；〃　said　the　Warden。



〃Since　you　are　so　sure　of　it；　why　don't　you　accept　my　proposition？〃

I　challenged。



The　Warden　was　so　angry　that　it　would　have　been　ludicrous　to　me　had

I　not　been　in　so　desperate　plight。　　His　face　was　convulsed。　　He

clenched　his　hands；　and；　for　a　moment；　it　seemed　that　he　was　about

to　fall　upon　me　and　give　me　a　beating。　　Then；　with　an　effort；　he

controlled　himself。



〃All　right；　Standing；〃　he　snarled。　　〃I'll　go　you。　　But　you　bet　your

sweet　life　you'll　have　to　go　some　to　smile　ten　days　from　now。　　Roll

him　over；　boys；　and　cinch　him　till　you　hear　his　ribs　crack。

Hutchins；　show　him　you　know　how　to　do　it。〃



And　they　rolled　me　over　and　laced　me　as　I　had　never　been　laced

before。　　The　head　trusty　certainly　demonstrated　his　ability。　　I

tried　to　steal　what　little　space　I　could。　　Little　it　was；　for　I　had

long　since　shed　my　flesh；　while　my　muscles　were　attenuated　to　mere

strings。　　I　had　neither　the　strength　nor　bulk　to　steal　more　than　a

little；　and　the　little　I　stole　I　swear　I　managed　by　sheer　expansion

at　the　joints　of　the　bones　of　my　frame。　　And　of　this　little　I　was

robbed　by　Hutchins；　who；　in　the　old　days　before　he　was　made　head

trusty；　had　learned　all　the　tricks　of　the　jacket　from　the　inside　of

the　jacket。



You　see；　Hutchins　was　a　cur　at　heart；　or　a　creature　who　had　once

been　a　man；　but　who　had　been　broken　on　the　wheel。　　He　possessed　ten

or　twelve　thousand　dollars；　and　his　freedom　was　in　sight　if　he

obeyed　orders。　　Later；　I　learned　that　there　was　a　girl　who　had

remained　true　to　him；　and　who　was　even　then　waiting　for　him。　　The

woman　factor　explains　many　things　of　men。



If　ever　a　man　deliberately　committed　murder；　Al　Hutchins　did　that

morning　in　solitary　at　the　Warden's　bidding。　　He　robbed　me　of　the

little　space　I　stole。　　And；　having　robbed　me　of　that；　my　body　was

defenceless；　and；　with　his　foot　in　my　back　while　he　drew　the　lacing

light；　he　constricted　me　as　no　man　had　ever　before　succeeded　in

doing。　　So　severe　was　this　constriction　of　my　frail　frame　upon　my

vital　organs　that　I　felt；　there　and　then；　immediately；　that　death

was　upon　me。　　And　still　the　miracle　of　faith　was　mine。　　I　did　not

believe　that　I　was　going　to　die。　　I　knewI　say　I　KNEWthat　I　was

not　going　to　die。　　My　head　was　swimming；　and　my　heart　was　pounding

from　my　toenails　to　the　hair…roots　in　my　scalp。



〃That's　pretty　tight；〃　Captain　Jamie　urged　reluctantly。



〃The　hell　it　is；〃　said　Doctor　Jackson。　　〃I　tell　you　nothing　can　hurt

him。　　He's　a　wooz。　　He　ought　to　have　been　dead　long　ago。〃



Warden　Atherton；　after　a　hard　struggle；　managed　to　insert　his

forefinger　between　the　lacing　and　my　back。　　He　brought　his　foot　to

bear　upon　me；　with　the　weight　of　his　body　added　to　his　foot；　and

pulled；　but　failed　to　get　any　fraction　of　an　inch　of　slack。



〃I　take　my　hat　off　to　you；　Hutchins；〃　he　said。　　〃You　know　your　job。

Now　roll　him　over　and　let's　look　at　him。〃



They　rolled　me　over　on　my　back。　　I　stared　up　at　them　with　bulging

eyes。　　This　I　know：　　Had　they　laced　me　in　such　fashion　the　first

time　I　went　into　the　jacket；　I　would　surely　have　died　in　the　first

ten　minutes。　　But　I　was　well　trained。　　I　had　behind　me　the　thousands

of　hours　in　the　jacket；　and；　plus　that；　I　had　faith　in　what　Morrell

had　told　me。



〃Now；　laugh；　damn　you；　laugh；〃　said　the　Warden　to　me。　　〃Start　that

smile　you've　been　bragging　about。



So；　while　my　lungs　panted　for　a　little　air；　while　my　heart

threatened　to　burst；　while　my　mind　reeled；　nevertheless　I　was　able

to　smile　up　into　the　Warden's　face。







CHAPTER　XI







The　door　clanged；　shutting　out　all　but　a　little　light；　and　I　was

left　alone　on　my　back。　　By　the　tricks　I　had　long　since　learned　in

the　jacket；　I　managed　to　writhe　myself　across　the　floor　an　inch　at　a

time　until　the　edge　of　the　sole　of　my　right　shoe　touched　the　door。

There　was　an　immense　cheer　in　this。　　I　was　not　utterly　alone。　　If

the　need　arose；　I　could　at　least　rap　knuckle　talk　to　Morrell。



But　Warden　Atherton　must　have　left　strict　injunctions　on　the　guards；

for；　though　I　managed　to　call　Morrell　and　tell　him　I　intended　trying

the　experiment；　he　was　prevented　by　the　guards　from　replying。　　Me

they　could　only　curse；　for；　in　so　far　as　I　was　in　the　jacket　for　a

ten　days'　bout；　I　was　beyond　all　threat　of　punishment。



I　remember　remarking　at　the　time　my　serenity　of　mind。　　The　customary

pain　of　the　jacket　was　in　my　body；　but　my　mind　was　so　passive　that　I

was　no　more　aware　of　the　pain　than　was　I　aware　of　the　floor　beneath

me　or　the　walls　around　me。　　Never　was　a　man　in　better　mental　and

spiritual　condition　for　such　an　experiment。　　Of　course；　this　was

largely　due　to　my　extreme　weakness。　　But　there　was　more　to　it。　　I

had　long　schooled　myself　to　be　oblivious　to　pain。　　I　had　neither

doubts　nor　fears。　　All　the　content　of　my　mind　seemed　to　be　an

absolute　faith　in　the　over…lordship　of　the　mind。　　This　passivity　was

almost　dream…like；　and　yet；　in　its　way；　it　was　positive　almost　to　a

pitch　of　exaltation。



I　began　my　concentration　of　will。　　Ev