the jacket (the star-rover)-第3章

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convictions；　and　yet；　because　he　was　a　snivelling　cur　of　a　yellow

dog；　his　last　sentence　had　been　only　for　seven　years。　　Good　credits

would　materially　reduce　this　time。　　My　time　was　life。　　Yet　this

miserable　degenerate；　in　order　to　gain　several　short　years　of

liberty　for　himself；　succeeded　in　adding　a　fair　portion　of　eternity

to　my　own　life…time　term。



I　shall　tell　what　happened　the　other　way　around；　for　it　was　only

after　a　weary　period　that　I　learned。　　This　Cecil　Winwood；　in　order

to　curry　favour　with　the　Captain　of　the　Yard；　and　thence　the　Warden；

the　Prison　Directors；　the　Board　of　Pardons；　and　the　Governor　of

California；　framed　up　a　prison…break。　　Now　note　three　things：　　（a）

Cecil　Winwood　was　so　detested　by　his　fellow…convicts　that　they　would

not　have　permitted　him　to　bet　an　ounce　of　Bull　Durham　on　a　bed…bug

raceand　bed…bug　racing　was　a　great　sport　with　the　convicts；　（b）　I

was　the　dog　that　had　been　given　a　bad　name：　　（c）　for　his　frame…up；

Cecil　Winwood　needed　the　dogs　with　bad　names；　the　lifetimers；　the

desperate　ones；　the　incorrigibles。



But　the　lifers　detested　Cecil　Winwood；　and；　when　he　approached　them

with　his　plan　of　a　wholesale　prison…break；　they　laughed　at　him　and

turned　away　with　curses　for　the　stool　that　he　was。　　But　he　fooled

them　in　the　end；　forty　of　the　bitterest…wise　ones　in　the　pen。　　He

approached　them　again　and　again。　　He　told　of　his　power　in　the　prison

by　virtue　of　his　being　trusty　in　the　Warden's　office；　and　because　of

the　fact　that　he　had　the　run　of　the　dispensary。



〃Show　me；〃　said　Long　Bill　Hodge；　a　mountaineer　doing　life　for　train

robbery；　and　whose　whole　soul　for　years　had　been　bent　on　escaping　in

order　to　kill　the　companion　in　robbery　who　had　turned　state's

evidence　on　him。



Cecil　Winwood　accepted　the　test。　　He　claimed　that　he　could　dope　the

guards　the　night　of　the　break。



〃Talk　is　cheap；〃　said　Long　Bill　Hodge。　　〃What　we　want　is　the　goods。

Dope　one　of　the　guards　to…night。　　There's　Barnum。　　He's　no　good。　　He

beat　up　that　crazy　Chink　yesterday　in　Bughouse　Alleywhen　he　was

off　duty；　too。　　He's　on　the　night　watch。　　Dope　him　to…night　an'　make

him　lose　his　job。　　Show　me；　and　we'll　talk　business　with　you。〃



All　this　Long　Bill　told　me　in　the　dungeons　afterward。　　Cecil　Winwood

demurred　against　the　immediacy　of　the　demonstration。　　He　claimed

that　he　must　have　time　in　which　to　steal　the　dope　from　the

dispensary。　　They　gave　him　the　time；　and　a　week　later　he　announced

that　he　was　ready。　　Forty　hard…bitten　lifers　waited　for　the　guard

Barnum　to　go　to　sleep　on　his　shift。　　And　Barnum　did。　　He　was　found

asleep；　and　he　was　discharged　for　sleeping　on　duty。



Of　course；　that　convinced　the　lifers。　　But　there　was　the　Captain　of

the　Yard　to　convince。　　To　him；　daily；　Cecil　Winwood　was　reporting

the　progress　of　the　breakall　fancied　and　fabricated　in　his　own

imagination。　　The　Captain　of　the　Yard　demanded　to　be　shown。　　Winwood

showed　him；　and　the　full　details　of　the　showing　I　did　not　learn

until　a　year　afterward；　so　slowly　do　the　secrets　of　prison　intrigue

leak　out。



Winwood　said　that　the　forty　men　in　the　break；　in　whose　confidence　he

was；　had　already　such　power　in　the　Prison　that　they　were　about　to

begin　smuggling　in　automatic　pistols　by　means　of　the　guards　they　had

bought　up。



〃Show　me；〃　the　Captain　of　the　Yard　must　have　demanded。



And　the　forger…poet　showed　him。　　In　the　Bakery；　night　work　was　a

regular　thing。　　One　of　the　convicts；　a　baker；　was　on　the　first

night…shift。　　He　was　a　stool　of　the　Captain　of　the　Yard；　and　Winwood

knew　it。



〃To…night；〃　he　told　the　Captain；　〃Summerface　will　bring　in　a　dozen

'44　automatics。　　On　his　next　time　off　he'll　bring　in　the　ammunition。

But　to…night　he'll　turn　the　automatics　over　to　me　in　the　bakery。

You've　got　a　good　stool　there。　　He'll　make　you　his　report　to…

morrow。〃



Now　Summerface　was　a　strapping　figure　of　a　bucolic　guard　who　hailed

from　Humboldt　County。　　He　was　a　simple…minded；　good…natured　dolt　and

not　above　earning　an　honest　dollar　by　smuggling　in　tobacco　for　the

convicts。　　On　that　night；　returning　from　a　trip　to　San　Francisco；　he

brought　in　with　him　fifteen　pounds　of　prime　cigarette　tobacco。　　He

had　done　this　before；　and　delivered　the　stuff　to　Cecil　Winwood。　　So；

on　that　particular　night；　he；　all　unwitting；　turned　the　stuff　over

to　Winwood　in　the　bakery。　　It　was　a　big；　solid；　paper…wrapped　bundle

of　innocent　tobacco。　　The　stool　baker；　from　concealment；　saw　the

package　delivered　to　Winwood　and　so　reported　to　the　Captain　of　the

Yard　next　morning。



But　in　the　meantime　the　poet…forger's　too…lively　imagination　ran

away　with　him。　　He　was　guilty　of　a　slip　that　gave　me　five　years　of

solitary　confinement　and　that　placed　me　in　this　condemned　cell　in

which　I　now　write。　　And　all　the　time　I　knew　nothing　about　it。　　I　did

not　even　know　of　the　break　he　had　inveigled　the　forty　lifers　into

planning。　　I　knew　nothing；　absolutely　nothing。　　And　the　rest　knew

little。　　The　lifers　did　not　know　he　was　giving　them　the　cross。　　The

Captain　of　the　Yard　did　not　know　that　the　cross　know　was　being

worked　on　him。　　Summerface　was　the　most　innocent　of　all。　　At　the

worst；　his　conscience　could　have　accused　him　only　of　smuggling　in

some　harmless　tobacco。



And　now　to　the　stupid；　silly；　melodramatic　slip　of　Cecil　Winwood。

Next　morning；　when　he　encountered　the　Captain　of　the　Yard；　he　was

triumphant。　　His　imagination　took　the　bit　in　its　teeth。



〃Well；　the　stuff　came　in　all　right　as　you　said；〃　the　captain　of　the

Yard　remarked。



〃And　enough　of　it　to　blow　half　the　prison　sky…high；〃　Winwood

corroborated。



〃Enough　of　what？〃　the　Captain　demanded。



〃Dynamite　and　detonators；〃　the　fool　rattled　on。　　〃Thirty…five　pounds

of　it。　　Your　stool　saw　Summerface　pass　it　over　to　me。〃



And　right　there　the　Captain　of　the　Yard　must　have　nearly　died。　　I

can　actually　sympathize　with　himthirty…five　pounds　of　dynamite

loose　in　the　prison。



They　say　that　Captain　Jamiethat　was　his　nicknamesat　down　and

held　his　head　in　his　hands。



〃Where　is　it　now？〃　he　cried。　　〃I　want　it。　　Take　me　to　it　at　once。〃



And　right　there　Cecil　Winwood　saw　his　mistake。



〃I　planted　it；〃　he　liedfor　he　was　compelled　to　lie　because；　being

merely　tobacco　in　small　packages；　it　was　long　since　distributed

among　the　convicts　along　the　customary　channels。



〃Very　well；〃　said　Captain　Jamie；　getting　himself　in　hand。　　〃Lead　me

to　it　at　once。〃



But　there　was　no　plant　of　high　explosives　to　lead　him　to。　　The　thing

did　not　exist；　had　never　existed　save　in　the　imagination　of　the

wretched　Winwood。



In　a　large　prison　like　San　Quentin　there　are　always　hiding…places

for　things。　　And　as　Cecil　Winwood　led　Captain　Jamie　he　must　have

done　some　rapid　thinking。



As　Captain　Jamie　testified　before　the　Board　of　Directors；　and　as

Winwood　also　so　testified；　on　the　way　to　the　hiding…place　Winwood

said　that　he　and　I　had　planted　the　powder　together。



And　I；　just　released　from　five　days　in　the　dungeons　and　eighty　hours

in　the　jacket；　I；　whom　even　the　stupid　guards　could　see　was　too　weak

to　work　in　the　loom…room；　I；　who　had　been　given　the　day　off　to

recuperatefrom　too　terrible　punishmentI　was　named　as　the　one　who

had　helped　hide　the　non…existent　thirty…five　pounds　of　high

explosive！



Winwood　led　Captain　Jamie　to　the　alleged　hiding…place。　　Of　course

they　found　no　dynamite　in　it。



〃My　God！〃　Winwood　lied。　　〃Standing　has　given　me　the　cross。　　He's

lifted　the　plant　and　stowed　it　somewhere　else。〃



The　Captain　of　the　Yard　said　more　emphatic　things　than　〃My　God！〃

Also；　on　the　spur　of　the　moment　but　cold…bloodedly；　he　took　Winwood

into　his　own　private　office；　looked　the　doors；　and　beat　him　up

frightfullyall　of　which　came　out　before　the　Board　of　Directors。

But　that　was　afterward。　　In　the　meantime；　even　while　he　took　his

beating；　Winwood　swore　by　the　truth　of　what　he　had　told。



What　was　Captain　Jamie　to　do？　　He　was　convinced　that　thirty…five

pounds　of　dynam