按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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。
Next； Warden Atherton tried a variation。 I was given irregular
intervals of jacket and recuperation。 I never knew when I was to go
into the jacket。 Thus I would have ten hours' recuperation； and do
twenty in the jacket； or I would receive only four hours' rest。 At
the most unexpected hours of the night my door would clang open and
the changing guards would lace me。 Sometimes rhythms were
instituted。 Thus； for three days and nights I alternated eight
hours in the jacket and eight hours out。 And then； just as I was
growing accustomed to this rhythm； it was suddenly altered and I was
given two days and nights straight。
And ever the eternal question was propounded to me： Where was the
dynamite？ Sometimes Warden Atherton was furious with me。 On
occasion； when I had endured an extra severe jacketing； he almost
pleaded with me to confess。 Once he even promised me three months
in the hospital of absolute rest and good food； and then the trusty
job in the library。
Dr。 Jackson； a weak stick of a creature wi