the jacket (the star-rover)-第64章

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with　the　outside　world。　　Once；　with　a　guard；　and　once　with　a　short…

timer　in　solitary；　I　entrusted；　by　memorization；　a　letter　of　inquiry

addressed　to　the　curator　of　the　Museum。　　Although　under　the　most

solemn　pledges；　both　these　men　failed　me。　　It　was　not　until　after　Ed

Morrell；　by　a　strange　whirl　of　fate；　was　released　from　solitary　and

appointed　head　trusty　of　the　entire　prison；　that　I　was　able　to　have

the　letter　sent。　　I　now　give　the　reply；　sent　me　by　the　curator　of

the　Philadelphia　Museum；　and　smuggled　to　me　by　Ed　Morrell：





〃It　is　true　there　is　such　an　oar　here　as　you　have　described。　　But

few　persons　can　know　of　it；　for　it　is　not　on　exhibition　in　the

public　rooms。　　In　fact；　and　I　have　held　this　position　for　eighteen

years；　I　was　unaware　of　its　existence　myself。



〃But　upon　consulting　our　old　records　I　found　that　such　an　oar　had

been　presented　by　one　Daniel　Foss；　of　Elkton；　Maryland；　in　the　year

1821。　　Not　until　after　a　long　search　did　we　find　the　oar　in　a

disused　attic　lumber…room　of　odds　and　ends。　　The　notches　and　the

legend　are　carved　on　the　oar　just　as　you　have　described。



〃We　have　also　on　file　a　pamphlet　presented　at　the　same　time；　written

by　the　said　Daniel　Foss；　and　published　in　Boston　by　the　firm　of　N。

Coverly；　Jr。；　in　the　year　1834。　　This　pamphlet　describes　eight　years

of　a　castaway's　life　on　a　desert　island。　　It　is　evident　that　this

mariner；　in　his　old　age　and　in　want；　hawked　this　pamphlet　about

among　the　charitable。



〃I　am　very　curious　to　learn　how　you　became　aware　of　this　oar；　of　the

existence　of　which　we　of　the　museum　were　ignorant。　　Am　I　correct　in

assuming　that　you　have　read　an　account　in　some　diary　published　later

by　this　Daniel　Foss？　　I　shall　be　glad　for　any　information　on　the

subject；　and　am　proceeding　at　once　to　have　the　oar　and　the　pamphlet

put　back　on　exhibition。



Very　truly　yours；

〃HOSEA　SALSBURTY。〃　｛1｝







CHAPTER　XX







The　time　came　when　I　humbled　Warden　Atherton　to　unconditional

surrender；　making　a　vain　and　empty　mouthing　of　his　ultimatum；

〃Dynamite　or　curtains。〃　　He　gave　me　up　as　one　who　could　not　be

killed　in　a　strait…jacket。　　He　had　had　men　die　after　several　hours

in　the　jacket。　　He　had　had　men　die　after　several　days　in　the　jacket；

although；　invariably；　they　were　unlaced　and　carted　into　hospital　ere

they　breathed　their　last　。　。　。　and　received　a　death　certificate　from

the　doctor　of　pneumonia；　or　Bright's　disease；　or　valvular　disease　of

the　heart。



But　me　Warden　Atherton　could　never　kill。　　Never　did　the　urgency

arise　of　carting　my　maltreated　and　perishing　carcass　to　the

hospital。　　Yet　I　will　say　that　Warden　Atherton　tried　his　best　and

dared　his　worst。　　There　was　the　time　when　he　double…jacketed　me。　　It

is　so　rich　an　incident　that　I　must　tell　it。



It　happened　that　one　of　the　San　Francisco　newspapers　（seeking；　as

every　newspaper　and　as　every　commercial　enterprise　seeks；　a　market

that　will　enable　it　to　realize　a　profit）　tried　to　interest　the

radical　portion　of　the　working　class　in　prison　reform。　　As　a　result；

union　labour　possessing　an　important　political　significance　at　the

time；　the　time…serving　politicians　at　Sacramento　appointed　a

senatorial　committee　of　investigation　of　the　state　prisons。



This　State　Senate　committee　INVESTIGATED　（pardon　my　italicized

sneer）　San　Quentin。　　Never　was　there　so　model　an　institution　of

detention。　　The　convicts　themselves　so　testified。　　Nor　can　one　blame

them。　　They　had　experienced　similar　investigations　in　the　past。

They　knew　on　which　side　their　bread　was　buttered。　　They　knew　that

all　their　sides　and　most　of　their　ribs　would　ache　very　quickly　after

the　taking　of　their　testimony　。　。　。　if　said　testimony　were　adverse

to　the　prison　administration。　　Oh；　believe　me；　my　reader；　it　is　a

very　ancient　story。　　It　was　ancient　in　old　Babylon；　many　a　thousand

years　ago；　as　I　well　remember　of　that　old　time　when　I　rotted　in

prison　while　palace　intrigues　shook　the　court。



As　I　have　said；　every　convict　testified　to　the　humaneness　of　Warden

Atherton's　administration。　　In　fact；　so　touching　were　their

testimonials　to　the　kindness　of　the　Warden；　to　the　good　and　varied

quality　of　the　food　and　the　cooking；　to　the　gentleness　of　the

guards；　and　to　the　general　decency　and　ease　and　comfort　of　the

prison　domicile；　that　the　opposition　newspapers　of　San　Francisco

raised　an　indignant　cry　for　more　rigour　in　the　management　of　our

prisons；　in　that；　otherwise；　honest　but　lazy　citizens　would　be

seduced　into　seeking　enrolment　as　prison　guests。



The　Senate　Committee　even　invaded　solitary；　where　the　three　of　us

had　little　to　lose　and　nothing　to　gain。　　Jake　Oppenheimer　spat　in

its　faces　and　told　its　members；　all　and　sundry；　to　go　to　hell。　　Ed

Morrell　told　them　what　a　noisome　stews　the　place　was；　insulted　the

Warden　to　his　face；　and　was　recommended　by　the　committee　to　be　given

a　taste　of　the　antiquated　and　obsolete　punishments　that；　after　all；

must　have　been　devised　by　previous　Wardens　out　of　necessity　for　the

right　handling　of　hard　characters　like　him。



I　was　careful　not　to　insult　the　Warden。　　I　testified　craftily；　and

as　a　scientist；　beginning　with　small　beginnings；　making　an　art　of　my

exposition；　step　by　step；　by　tiny　steps；　inveigling　my　senatorial

auditors　on　into　willingness　and　eagerness　to　listen　to　the　next

exposure；　the　whole　fabric　so　woven　that　there　was　no　natural

halting　place　at　which　to　drop　a　period　or　interpolate　a　query　。　。　。

in　this　fashion；　thus；　I　got　my　tale　across。



Alas！　no　whisper　of　what　I　divulged　ever　went　outside　the　prison

walls。　　The　Senate　Committee　gave　a　beautiful　whitewash　to　Warden

Atherton　and　San　Quentin。　　The　crusading　San　Francisco　newspaper

assured　its　working…class　readers　that　San　Quentin　was　whiter　than

snow；　and　further；　that　while　it　was　true　that　the　strait…jacket　was

still　a　recognized　legal　method　of　punishment　for　the　refractory；

that；　nevertheless；　at　the　present　time；　under　the　present　humane

and　spiritually　right…minded　Warden；　the　strait…jacket　was　never；

under　any　circumstance；　used。



And　while　the　poor　asses　of　labourers　read　and　believed；　while　the

Senate　Committee　dined　and　wined　with　the　Warden　at　the　expense　of

the　state　and　the　tax　payer；　Ed　Morrell；　Jake　Oppenheimer；　and　I

were　lying　in　our　jackets；　laced　just　a　trifle　more　tightly　and　more

vindictively　than　we　had　ever　been　laced　before。



〃It　is　to　laugh；〃　Ed　Morrell　tapped　to　me；　with　the　edge　of　the　sole

of　his　shoe。



〃I　should　worry；〃　tapped　Jake。



And　as　for　me；　I　too　capped　my　bitter　scorn　and　laughter；　remembered

the　prison　houses　of　old　Babylon；　smiled　to　myself　a　huge　cosmic

smile；　and　drifted　off　and　away　into　the　largeness　of　the　little

death　that　made　me　heir　of　all　the　ages　and　the　rider　full…panoplied

and　astride　of　time。



Yea；　dear　brother　of　the　outside　world；　while　the　whitewash　was

running　off　the　press；　while　the　august　senators　were　wining　and

dining；　we　three　of　the　living　dead；　buried　alive　in　solidarity；

were　sweating　our　pain　in　the　canvas　torture。



And　after　the　dinner；　warm　with　wine；　Warden　Atherton　himself　came

to　see　how　fared　it　with　us。　　Me；　as　usual；　they　found　in　coma。

Doctor　Jackson　for　the　first　time　must　have　been　alarmed。　　I　was

brought　back　across　the　dark　to　consciousness　with　the　bite　of

ammonia　in　my　nostrils。　　I　smiled　into　the　faces　bent　over　me。



〃Shamming；〃　snorted　the　Warden；　and　I　knew　by　the　flush　on　his　face

and　the　thickness　in　his　tongue　that　he　had　been　drinking。



I　licked　my　lips　as　a　sign　for　water；　for　I　desired　to　speak。



〃You　are　an　ass；〃　I　at　last　managed　to　say　with　cold　distinctness。

〃You　are　an　ass；　a　coward；　a　cur；　a　pitiful　thing　so　low　that

spittle　would　be　wasted　on　your　face。　　In　such　matter　Jake

Oppenheimer　is　over…generous　with　you。　　As　for　me；　without　shame　I

tell　you　the　only　reason　I　do　not　spit　upon　you　is　that　I　cannot

demean　myself　nor　so　degrade　my　spittle。〃



〃I've　reac