the jacket (the star-rover)-第17章

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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。　　Even　then　my　body　was　numbing　and

prickling　through　the　loss　of　circulation。　　I　directed　my　will　to

the　little　toe　of　my　right　foot；　and　I　willed　that　toe　to　cease　to

be　alive　in　my　consciousness。　　I　willed　that　toe　to　dieto　die　so

far　as　I；　its　lord；　and　a　different　thing　entirely　from　it；　was

concerned。　　There　was　the　hard　struggle。　　Morrell　had　warned　me　that

it　would　be　so。　　But　there　was　no　flicker　of　doubt　to　disturb　my

faith。　　I　knew　that　that　toe　would　die；　and　I　knew　when　it　was　dead。

Joint　by　joint　it　had　died　under　the　compulsion　of　my　will。



The　rest　was　easy；　but　slow；　I　will　admit。　　Joint　by　joint；　toe　by

toe；　all　the　toes　of　both　my　feet　ceased　to　be。　　And　joint　by　joint；

the　process　went　on。　　Came　the　time　when　my　flesh　below　the　ankles

had　ceased。　　Came　the　time　when　all　below　my　knees　had　ceased。



Such　was　the　pitch　of　my　perfect　exaltation；　that　I　knew　not　the

slightest　prod　of　rejoicing　at　my　success。　　I　knew　nothing　save　that

I　was　making　my　body　die。　　All　that　was　I　was　devoted　to　that　sole

task。　　I　performed　the　work　as　thoroughly　as　any　mason　laying

bricks；　and　I　regarded　the　work　as　just　about　as　commonplace　as

would　a　brick…mason　regard　his　work。



At　the　end　of　an　hour　my　body　was　dead　to　the　hips；　and　from　the

hips　up；　joint　by　joint；　I　continued　to　will　the　ascending　death。



It　was　when　I　reached　the　level　of　my　heart　that　the　first　blurring

and　dizzying　of　my　consciousness'　occurred。　　For　fear　that　I　should

lose　consciousness；　I　willed　to　hold　the　death　I　had　gained；　and

shifted　my　concentration　to　my　fingers。　　My　brain　cleared　again；　and

the　death　of　my　arms　to　the　shoulders　was　most　rapidly　accomplished。



At　this　stage　my　body　was　all　dead；　so　far　as　I　was　concerned；　save

my　head　and　a　little　patch　of　my　chest。　　No　longer　did　the　pound　and

smash　of　my　compressed　heart　echo　in　my　brain。　　My　heart　was　beating

steadily　but　feebly。　　The　joy　of　it；　had　I　dared　joy　at　such　a

moment；　would　have　been　the　cessation　of　sensations。



At　this　point　my　experience　differs　from　Morrell's。　　Still　willing

automatically；　I　began　to　grow　dreamy；　as　one　does　in　that

borderland　between　sleeping　and　waking。　　Also；　it　seemed　as　if　a

prodigious　enlargement　of　my　brain　was　taking　place　within　the　skull

itself　that　did　not　enlarge。　　There　were　occasional　glintings　and

flashings　of　light　as　if　even　I；　the　overlord；　had　ceased　for　a

moment　and　the　next　moment　was　again　myself；　still　the　tenant　of　the

fleshly　tenement　that　I　was　making　to　die。



Most　perplexing　was　the　seeming　enlargement　of　brain。　　Without

having　passed　through　the　wall　of　skull；　nevertheless　it　seemed　to

me　that　the　periphery　of　my　brain　was　already　outside　my　skull　and

still　expanding。　　Along　with　this　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable

sensations　or　experiences　that　I　have　ever　encountered。　　Time　and

space；　in　so　far　as　they　were　the　stuff　of　my　consciousness；

underwent　an　enormous　extension。　　Thus；　without　opening　my　eyes　to

verify；　I　knew　that　the　walls　of　my　narrow　cell　had　receded　until　it

was　like　a　vast　audience…chamber。　　And　while　I　contemplated　the

matter；　I　knew　that　they　continued　to　recede。　　The　whim　struck　me

for　a　moment　that　if　a　similar　expansion　were　taking　place　with　the

whole　prison；　then　the　outer　walls　of　San　Quentin　must　be　far　out　in

the　Pacific　Ocean　on　one　side　and　on　the　other　side　must　be

encroaching　on　the　Nevada　desert。　　A　companion　whim　was　that　since

matter　could　permeate　matter；　then　the　walls　of　my　cell　might　well

permeate　the　prison　walls；　pass　through　the　prison　walls；　and　thus

put　my　cell　outside　the　prison　and　put　me　at　liberty。　　Of　course；

this　was　pure　fantastic　whim；　and　I　knew　it　at　the　time　for　what　it

was。



The　extension　of　time　was　equally　remarkable。　　Only　at　long

intervals　did　my　heart　beat。　　Again　a　whim　came　to　me；　and　I　counted

the　seconds；　slow　and　sure；　between　my　hear