the jacket (the star-rover)-第13章

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my　heart　thumped　until　it　seemed　surely　it　would　burst　the　canvas

that　bound　me。　　Again　I　lost　control　of　myself　and　set　up　a　mad

howling　for　help。



In　the　midst　of　this　I　heard　a　voice　from　the　next　dungeon。



〃Shut　up；〃　it　shouted；　though　only　faintly　it　percolated　to　me。

〃Shut　up。　　You　make　me　tired。〃



〃I'm　dying；〃　I　cried　out。



〃Pound　your　ear　and　forget　it；〃　was　the　reply。



〃But　I　AM　dying；〃　I　insisted。



〃Then　why　worry？〃　came　the　voice。　　〃You'll　be　dead　pretty　quick　an'

out　of　it。　　Go　ahead　and　croak；　but　don't　make　so　much　noise　about

it。　　You're　interruptin'　my　beauty　sleep。〃



So　angered　was　I　by　this　callous　indifference　that　I　recovered　self…

control　and　was　guilty　of　no　more　than　smothered　groans。　　This

endured　an　endless　timepossibly　ten　minutes；　and　then　a　tingling

numbness　set　up　in　all　my　body。　　It　was　like　pins　and　needles；　and

for　as　long　as　it　hurt　like　pins　and　needles　I　kept　my　head。　　But

when　the　prickling　of　the　multitudinous　darts　ceased　to　hurt　and

only　the　numbness　remained　and　continued　verging　into　greater

numbness　I　once　more　grew　frightened。



〃How　am　I　goin'　to　get　a　wink　of　sleep？〃　my　neighbour；　complained。

〃I　ain't　any　more　happy　than　you。　　My　jacket's　just　as　tight　as

yourn；　an'　I　want　to　sleep　an'　forget　it。〃



〃How　long　have　you　been　in？〃　I　asked；　thinking　him　a　new…comer

compared　to　the　centuries　I　had　already　suffered。



〃Since　day　before　yesterday；〃　was　his　answer。



〃I　mean　in　the　jacket；〃　I　amended。



〃Since　day　before　yesterday；　brother。〃



〃My　God！〃　I　screamed。



〃Yes；　brother；　fifty　straight　hours；　an'　you　don't　hear　me　raisin'　a

roar　about　it。　　They　cinched　me　with　their　feet　in　my　back。　　I　am

some　tight；　believe　ME。　　You　ain't　the　only　one　that's　got　troubles。

You　ain't　ben　in　an　hour　yet。〃



〃I've　been　in　hours　and　hours；〃　I　protested。



〃Brother；　you　may　think　so；　but　it　don't　make　it　so。　　I'm　just

tellin'　you　you　ain't　ben　in　an　hour。　　I　heard　'm　lacin'　you。〃



The　thing　was　incredible。　　Already；　in　less　than　an　hour；　I　had　died

a　thousand　deaths。　　And　yet　this　neighbour；　balanced　and　equable；

calm…voiced　and　almost　beneficent　despite　the　harshness　of　his　first

remarks；　had　been　in　the　jacket　fifty　hours！



〃How　much　longer　are　they　going　to　keep　you　in？〃　I　asked。



〃The　Lord　only　knows。　　Captain　Jamie　is　real　peeved　with　me；　an'　he

won't　let　me　out　until　I'm　about　croakin'。　　Now；　brother；　I'm　going

to　give　you　the　tip。　　The　only　way　is　shut　your　face　an'　forget　it。

Yellin'　an'　hollerin'　don't　win　you　no　money　in　this　joint。　　An'　the

way　to　forget　is　to　forget。　　Just　get　to　rememberin'　every　girl　you

ever　knew。　　That'll　cat　up　hours　for　you。　　Mebbe　you'll　feel

yourself　gettin'　woozy。　　Well；　get　woozy。　　You　can't　beat　that　for

killin'　time。　　An'　when　the　girls　won't　hold　you；　get　to　thinkin'　of

the　fellows　you　got　it　in　for；　an'　what　you'd　do　to　'em　if　you　got　a

chance；　an'　what　you're　goin'　to　do　to　'em　when　you　get　that　same

chance。〃



That　man　was　Philadelphia　Red。　　Because　of　prior　conviction　he　was

serving　fifty　years　for　highway　robbery　committed　on　the　streets　of

Alameda。　　He　had　already　served　a　dozen　of　his　years　at　the　time　he

talked　to　me　in　the　jacket；　and　that　was　seven　years　ago。　　He　was

one　of　the　forty　lifers　who　were　double…crossed　by　Cecil　Winwood。

For　that　offence　Philadelphia　Red　lost　his　credits。　　He　is　middle…

aged　now；　and　he　is　still　in　San　Quentin。　　If　he　survives　he　will　be

an　old　man　when　they　let　him　out。



I　lived　through　my　twenty…four　hours；　and　I　have　never　been　the　same

man　since。　　Oh；　I　don't　mean　physically；　although　next　morning；　when

they　unlaced　me；　I　was　semi…paralyzed　and　in　such　a　state　of

collapse　that　the　guards　had　to　kick　me　in　the　ribs　to　make　me　crawl

to　my　feet。　　But　I　was　a　changed　man　mentally；　morally。　　The　brute

physical　torture　of　it　was　humiliation　and　affront　to　my　spirit　and

to　my　sense　of　justice。　　Such　discipline　does　not　sweeten　a　man。　　I

emerged　from　that　first　jacketing　filled　with　a　bitterness　and　a

passionate　hatred　that　has　only　increased　through　the　years。　　My

Godwhen　I　think　of　the　things　men　have　done　to　me！　　Twenty…four

hours　in　the　jacket！　　Little　I　thought　that　morning　when　they　kicked

me　to　my　feet　that　the　time　would　come　when　twenty…four　hours　in　the

jacket　meant　nothing；　when　a　hundred　hours　in　the　jacket　found　me

smiling　when　they　released　me；　when　two　hundred　and　forty　hours　in

the　jacket　found　the　same　smile　on　my　lips。



Yes；　two　hundred　and　forty　hours。　　Dear　cotton…woolly　citizen；　do

you　know　what　that　means？　　It　means　ten　days　and　ten　nights　in　the

jacket。　　Of　course；　such　things　are　not　done　anywhere　in　the

Christian　world　nineteen　hundred　years　after　Christ。　　I　don't　ask

you　to　believe　me。　　I　don't　believe　it　myself。　　I　merely　know　that

it　was　done　to　me　in　San　Quentin；　and　that　I　lived　to　laugh　at　them

and　to　compel　them　to　get　rid　of　me　by　swinging　me　off　because　I

bloodied　a　guard's　nose。



I　write　these　lines　to…day　in　the　Year　of　Our　Lord　1913；　and　to…day；

in　the　Year　of　Our　Lord　1913；　men　are　lying　in　the　jacket　in　the

dungeons　of　San　Quentin。



I　shall　never　forget；　as　long　as　further　living　and　further　lives　be

vouchsafed　me；　my　parting　from　Philadelphia　Red　that　morning。　　He

had　then　been　seventy…four　hours　in　the　jacket。



〃Well；　brother；　you're　still　alive　an'　kickin'；〃　he　called　to　me；　as

I　was　totteringly　dragged　from　my　cell　into　the　corridor　of

dungeons。



〃Shut　up；　you；　Red；〃　the　sergeant　snarled　at　him。



〃Forget　it；〃　was　the　retort。



〃I'll　get　you　yet；　Red；〃　the　sergeant　threatened。



〃Think　so？〃　Philadelphia　Red　queried　sweetly；　ere　his　tones　turned

to　savageness。　　〃Why；　you　old　stiff；　you　couldn't　get　nothin'。　　You

couldn't　get　a　free　lunch；　much　less　the　job　you've　got　now；　if　it

wasn't　for　your　brother's　pull。　　An'　I　guess　we　all　ain't　mistaken

on　the　stink　of　the　place　where　your　brother's　pull　comes　from。〃



It　was　admirablethe　spirit　of　man　rising　above　its　extremity；

fearless　of　the　hurt　any　brute　of　the　system　could　inflict。



〃Well；　so　long；　brother；〃　Philadelphia　Red　next　called　to　me。　　〃So

long。　　Be　good；　an'　love　the　Warden。　　An'　if　you　see　'em；　just　tell

'em　that　you　saw　me　but　that　you　didn't　see　me　saw。〃



The　sergeant　was　red　with　rage；　and；　by　the　receipt　of　various　kicks

and　blows；　I　paid　for　Red's　pleasantry。







CHAPTER　VIII







In　solitary；　in　Cell　One；　Warden　Atherton　and　Captain　Jamie

proceeded　to　put　me　to　the　inquisition。　　As　Warden　Atherton　said　to

me：



〃Standing；　you're　going　to　come　across　with　that　dynamite；　or　I'll

kill　you　in　the　jacket。　　Harder　cases　than　you　have　come　across

before　I　got　done　with　them。　　You've　got　your　choicedynamite　or

curtains。〃



〃Then　I　guess　it　is　curtains；〃　I　answered；　〃because　I　don't　know　of

any　dynamite。〃



This　irritated　the　Warden　to　immediate　action。　　〃Lie　down；〃　he

commanded。



I　obeyed；　for　I　had　learned　the　folly　of　fighting　three　or　four

strong　men。　　They　laced　me　tightly；　and　gave　me　a　hundred　hours。

Once　each　twenty…four　hours　I　was　permitted　a　drink　of　water。　　I　had

no　desire　for　food；　nor　was　food　offered　me。　　Toward　the　end　of　the

hundred　hours　Jackson；　the　prison　doctor；　examined　my　physical

condition　several　times。



But　I　had　grown　too　used　to　the　jacket　during　my　incorrigible　days

to　let　a　single　jacketing　injure　me。　　Naturally；　it　weakened　me；

took　the　life　out　of　me；　but　I　had　learned　muscular　tricks　for

stealing　a　little　space　while　they　were　lacing　me。　　At　the　end　of

the　first　hundred　hours'　bout　I　was　worn　and　tired；　but　that　was

all。　　Another　bout　of　this　duration　they　gave　me；　after　a　day　and　a

night　to　recuperate。　　And　then　they　gave　one　hundred　and　fifty

hours。　　Much　of　this　time　I　was　physically　numb　and　mentally

delirious。　　Also；　by　an　effort　of　will；　I　managed　to　sleep　away　long

hours。



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