the jacket (the star-rover)-第35章

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Hutchins　and　the　doctor　dragged　me　to　my　feet。



〃Now　let　go！〃　the　Warden　commanded。



Not　all　at　once　could　life　return　into　the　body　that　had　been

practically　dead　for　ten　days；　and　as　a　result；　with　no　power　as　yet

over　my　flesh；　I　gave　at　the　knees；　crumpled；　pitched　sidewise；　and

gashed　my　forehead　against　the　wall。



〃You　see；〃　said　Captain　Jamie。



〃Good　acting；〃　retorted　the　Warden。　　〃That　man's　got　nerve　to　do

anything。〃



〃You're　right；　Warden；〃　I　whispered　from　the　floor。　　〃I　did　it　on

purpose。　　It　was　a　stage　fall。　　Lift　me　up　again；　and　I'll　repeat

it。　　I　promise　you　lots　of　fun。〃



I　shall　not　dwell　upon　the　agony　of　returning　circulation。　　It　was

to　become　an　old　story　with　me；　and　it　bore　its　share　in　cutting　the

lines　in　my　face　that　I　shall　carry　to　the　scaffold。



When　they　finally　left　me　I　lay　for　the　rest　of　the　day　stupid　and

half…comatose。　　There　is　such　a　thing　as　anaesthesia　of　pain；

engendered　by　pain　too　exquisite　to　be　borne。　　And　I　have　known　that

anaesthesia。



By　evening　I　was　able　to　crawl　about　my　cell；　but　not　yet　could　I

stand　up。　　I　drank　much　water；　and　cleansed　myself　as　well　as　I

could；　but　not　until　next　day　could　I　bring　myself　to　eat；　and　then

only　by　deliberate　force　of　my　will。



The　program　me；　as　given　me　by　Warden　Atherton；　was　that　I　was　to

rest　up　and　recuperate　for　a　few　days；　and　then；　if　in　the　meantime

I　had　not　confessed　to　the　hiding…place　of　the　dynamite；　I　should　be

given　another　ten　days　in　the　jacket。



〃Sorry　to　cause　you　so　much　trouble；　Warden；〃　I　had　said　in　reply。

〃It's　a　pity　I　don't　die　in　the　jacket　and　so　put　you　out　of　your

misery。〃



At　this　time　I　doubt　that　I　weighed　an　ounce　over　ninety　pounds。

Yet；　two　years　before；　when　the　doors　of　San　Quentin　first　closed　on

me；　I　had　weighed　one　hundred　and　sixty…five　pounds。　　It　seems

incredible　that　there　was　another　ounce　I　could　part　with　and　still

live。　　Yet　in　the　months　that　followed；　ounce　by　ounce　I　was　reduced

until　I　know　I　must　have　weighed　nearer　eighty　than　ninety　pounds。

I　do　know；　after　I　managed　my　escape　from　solitary　and　struck　the

guard　Thurston　on　the　nose；　that　before　they　took　me　to　San　Rafael

for　trial；　while　I　was　being　cleaned　and　shaved　I　weighed　eighty…

nine　pounds。



There　are　those　who　wonder　how　men　grow　hard。　　Warden　Atherton　was　a

hard　man。　　He　made　me　hard；　and　my　very　hardness　reacted　on　him　and

made　him　harder。　　And　yet　he　never　succeeded　in　killing　me。　　It

required　the　state　law　of　California；　a　hanging　judge；　and　an

unpardoning　governor　to　send　me　to　the　scaffold　for　striking　a

prison　guard　with　my　fist。　　I　shall　always　contend　that　that　guard

had　a　nose　most　easily　bleedable。　　I　was　a　bat…eyed；　tottery

skeleton　at　the　time。　　I　sometimes　wonder　if　his　nose　really　did

bleed。　　Of　course　he　swore　it　did；　on　the　witness　stand。　　But　I　have

known　prison　guards　take　oath　to　worse　perjuries　than　that。



Ed　Morrell　was　eager　to　know　if　I　had　succeeded　with　the　experiment；

but　when　he　attempted　to　talk　with　me　he　was　shut　up　by　Smith；　the

guard　who　happened　to　be　on　duty　in　solitary。



〃That's　all　right；　Ed；〃　I　rapped　to　him。　　〃You　and　Jake　keep　quiet；

and　I'll　tell　you　about　it。　　Smith　can't　prevent　you　from　listening；

and　he　can't　prevent　me　from　talking。　　They　have　done　their　worst；

and　I　am　still　here。〃



〃Cut　that　out；　Standing！〃　Smith　bellowed　at　me　from　the　corridor　on

which　all　the　cells　opened。



Smith　was　a　peculiarly　saturnine　individual；　by　far　the　most　cruel

and　vindictive　of　our　guards。　　We　used　to　canvass　whether　his　wife

bullied　him　or　whether　he　had　chronic　indigestion。



I　continued　rapping　with　my　knuckles；　and　he　came　to　the　wicket　to

glare　in　at　me。



〃I　told　you　to　out　that　out；〃　he　snarled。



〃Sorry；〃　I　said　suavely。　　〃But　I　have　a　sort　of　premonition　that　I

shall　go　right　on　rapping。　　Anderexcuse　me　for　asking　a　personal

questionwhat　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃



〃I'll〃　he　began　explosively；　proving；　by　his　inability　to　conclude

the　remark；　that　he　thought　in　henids。



〃Yes？〃　I　encouraged。　　〃Just　what；　pray？〃



〃I'll　have　the　Warden　here；〃　he　said　lamely。



〃Do；　please。　　A　most　charming　gentleman；　to　be　sure。　　A　shining

example　of　the　refining　influences　that　are　creeping　into　our

prisons。　　Bring　him　to　me　at　once。　　I　wish　to　report　you　to　him。〃



〃Me？〃



〃Yes；　just　precisely　you；〃　I　continued。　　〃You　persist；　in　a　rude　and

boorish　manner；　in　interrupting　my　conversation　with　the　other

guests　in　this　hostelry。〃



And　Warden　Atherton　came。　　The　door　was　unlocked；　and　he　blustered

into　my　cell。　　But　oh；　I　was　so　safe！　　He　had　done　his　worst。　　I　was

beyond　his　power。



〃I'll　shut　off　your　grub；〃　he　threatened。



〃As　you　please；〃　I　answered。　　〃I'm　used　to　it。　　I　haven't　eaten　for

ten　days；　and；　do　you　know；　trying　to　begin　to　eat　again　is　a

confounded　nuisance。



〃Oh；　ho；　you're　threatening　me；　are　you？　　A　hunger　strike；　eh？〃



〃Pardon　me；〃　I　said；　my　voice　sulky　with　politeness。　　〃The

proposition　was　yours；　not　mine。　　Do　try　and　be　logical　on　occasion。

I　trust　you　will　believe　me　when　I　tell　you　that　your　illogic　is　far

more　painful　for　me　to　endure　than　all　your　tortures。〃



〃Are　you　going　to　stop　your　knuckle…talking？〃　he　demanded。



〃No；　forgive　me　for　vexing　youfor　I　feel　so　strong　a　compulsion　to

talk　with　my　knuckles　that〃



〃For　two　cents　I'll　put　you　back　in　the　jacket；〃　he　broke　in。



〃Do；　please。　　I　dote　on　the　jacket。　　I　am　the　jacket　baby。　　I　get

fat　in　the　jacket。　　Look　at　that　arm。〃　　I　pulled　up　my　sleeve　and

showed　a　biceps　so　attenuated　that　when　I　flexed　it　it　had　the

appearance　of　a　string。　　〃A　real　blacksmith's　biceps；　eh；　Warden？

Cast　your　eyes　on　my　swelling　chest。　　Sandow　had　better　look　out　for

his　laurels。　　And　my　abdomenwhy；　man；　I　am　growing　so　stout　that

my　case　will　be　a　scandal　of　prison　overfeeding。　　Watch　out；　Warden；

or　you'll　have　the　taxpayers　after　you。〃



〃Are　you　going　to　stop　knuckle…talk？〃　he　roared。



〃No；　thanking　you　for　your　kind　solicitude。　　On　mature　deliberation

I　have　decided　that　I　shall　keep　on　knuckle…talking。〃



He　stared　at　me　speechlessly　for　a　moment；　and　then；　out　of　sheer

impotency；　turned　to　go。



〃One　question；　please。〃



〃What　is　it？〃　he　demanded　over　his　shoulder。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃



From　the　choleric　exhibition　he　gave　there　and　then　it　has　been　an

unceasing　wonder　with　me　to　this　day　that　he　has　not　long　since　died

of　apoplexy。



Hour　by　hour；　after　the　warden's　discomfited　departure；　I　rapped　on

and　on　the　tale　of　my　adventures。　　Not　until　that　night；　when　Pie…

Face　Jones　came　on　duty　and　proceeded　to　steal　his　customary　naps；

were　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer　able　to　do　any　talking。



〃Pipe　dreams；〃　Oppenheimer　rapped　his　verdict。



Yes；　was　my　thought；　our　experiences　ARE　the　stuff　of　our　dreams。



〃When　I　was　a　night　messenger　I　hit　the　hop　once；〃　Oppenheimer

continued。　　〃And　I　want　to　tell　you　you　haven't　anything　on　me　when

it　came　to　seeing　things。　　I　guess　that　is　what　all　the　novel…

writers　dohit　the　hop　so　as　to　throw　their　imagination　into　the

high　gear。〃



But　Ed　Morrell；　who　had　travelled　the　same　road　as　I；　although　with

different　results；　believed　my　tale。　　He　said　that　when　his　body

died　in　the　jacket；　and　he　himself　went　forth　from　prison；　he　was

never　anybody　but　Ed　Morrell。　　He　never　experienced　previous

existences。　　When　his　spirit　wandered　free；　it　wandered　always　in

the　present。　　As　he　told　us；　just　as　he　was　able　to　leave　his　body

and　gaze　upon　it　lying　in　the　jacket　on　the　cell　floor；　so　could　he

leave　the　prison；　and；　in　the　present；　revisit　San　Francisco　and　see

what　was　occurring。　　In　this　manner　he　had　visited　his　mother　twice；

both　times　finding　her　asleep。　　In　this　spirit…roving　he　said　he　had

no　power　over　material　things。　　He　could　not　open　or　close　a　door；

move　any　obj