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I read the code as a matter of course。
〃Thought you might be awake；〃 Oppenheimer tapped。 〃How goes it with
the Professor？〃
Then； dim and far； I could hear Morrell's taps enunciating that they
had put me in the jacket an hour before； and that； as usual； I was
already deaf to all knuckle talk。
〃He is a good guy；〃 Oppenheimer rapped on。 〃I always was suspicious
of educated mugs； but he ain't been hurt none by his education。 He
is sure square。 Got all the spunk in the world； and you could not
get him to squeal or double cross in a million years。〃
To all of which； and with amplification； Ed Morrell agreed。 And I
must； right here； ere I go a word further； say that I have lived
many years and many lives； and that in those many lives I have known
proud moments； but that the proudest moment I have ever known was
the moment when my two comrades in solitary passed this appraisal of
me。 Ed Morrell and Jake Oppenheimer were great spirits； and in all
time no greater honour was ever accorded me than this admission of
me to their comradeship。 Kings have knighted me； emperors have
ennobled me； and； as king myself； I have known stately moments。 Yet
of it all nothing do I adjudge so splendid as this accolade
delivered by two lifers in solitary deemed by the world as the very
bottom…most of the human cesspool。
Afterwards； recuperating from this particular bout with the jacket；
I brought up my visit to Jake's cell as a proof that my spirit did
leave my body。 But Jake was unshakable。
〃It is guessing that is more than guessing；〃 was his reply； when I
had described to him his successive particular actions at the time
my spirit had been in his cell。 〃It is figuring。 You have been
close to three years in solitary yourself； Professor； and you can
come pretty near to figuring what any guy will do to be killing
time。 There ain't a thing you told me that you and Ed ain't done
thousands of times； from lying with your clothes off in hot weather
to watching flies； tending sores； and rapping。〃
Morrell sided with me； but it was no use。
〃Now don't take it hard； Professor；〃 Jake tapped。 〃I ain't saying
you lied。 I just say you get to dreaming and figuring in the jacket
without knowing you're doing it。 I know you believe what you say；
and that you think it happened； but it don't buy nothing with me。
You figure it； but you don't know you figure itthat is something
you know all the time； though you don't know you know it until you
get into them dreamy； woozy states。〃
〃Hold on； Jake；〃 I tapped。 〃You know I have never seen you with my
own eyes。 Is that right？〃
〃I got to take your word for it； Professor。 You might have seen me
and not known it was me。〃
〃The point is；〃 I continued； 〃not having seen you with your clothes
off； nevertheless I am able to tell you about that scar above your
right elbow； and that scar on your right ankle。〃
〃Oh； shucks；〃 was his reply。 〃You'll find all that in my prison
description and along with my mug in the rogues' gallery。 They is
thousands of chiefs of police and detectives know all that stuff。〃
〃I never heard of it；〃 I assured him。
〃You don't remember that you ever heard of it；〃 he corrected。 〃But
you must have just the same。 Though you have forgotten about it；
the information is in your brain all right； stored away for
reference； only you've forgot where it is stored。 You've got to get
woozy in order to remember。〃
〃Did you ever forget a man's name you used to know as well as your
own brother's？ I have。 There was a little juror that convicted me
in Oakland the time I got handed my fifty…years。 And one day I
found I'd forgotten his name。 Why； bo； I lay here for weeks
puzzling for it。 Now； just because I could not dig it out of my
memory box was no sign it was not there。 It was mislaid； that was
all。 And to prove it； one day； when I was not even thinking about
it； it popped right out of my brain to the tip of my tongue。
'Stacy；' I said right out loud。 'Joseph Stacy。' That was it。 Get
my drive？
〃You only tell me about them scars what thousands of men know。 I
don't know how you got the information； I guess you don't know
yourself。 That ain't my lookout。 But there she is。 Telling me
what many knows buys nothing with me。 You got to deliver a whole
lot more than that to make me swallow the rest of your whoppers。〃
Hamilton's Law of Parsimony in the weighing of evidence！ So
intrinsically was this slum…bred convict a scientist； that he had
worked out Hamilton's law and rigidly applied it。
And yetand the incident is deliciousJake Oppenheimer was
intellectually honest。 That night； as I was dozing off； he called
me with the customary signal。
〃Say； Professor； you said you saw me wiggling my loose tooth。 That
has got my goat。 That is the one thing I can't figure out any way
you could know。 It only went loose three days ago； and I ain't
whispered it to a soul。〃
CHAPTER XXI
Pascal somewhere says： 〃In viewing the march of human evolution；
the philosophic mind should look upon humanity as one man； and not
as a conglomeration of individuals。〃
I sit here in Murderers' Row in Folsom； the drowsy hum of flies in
my ears as I ponder that thought of Pascal。 It is true。 Just as
the human embryo； in its brief ten lunar months； with bewildering
swiftness； in myriad forms and semblances a myriad times multiplied；
rehearses the entire history of organic life from vegetable to man；
just as the human boy； in his brief years of boyhood； rehearses the
history of primitive man in acts of cruelty and savagery； from
wantonness of inflicting pain on lesser creatures to tribal
consciousness expressed by the desire to run in gangs； just so； I；
Darrell Standing； have rehearsed and relived all that primitive man
was； and did； and became until he became even you and me and the
rest of our kind in a twentieth century civilization。
Truly do we carry in us； each human of us alive on the planet to…
day； the incorruptible history of life from life's beginning。 This
history is written in our tissues and our bones； in our functions
and our organs； in our brain cells and in our spirits； and in all
sorts of physical and psychic atavistic urgencies and compulsions。
Once we were fish…like； you and I； my reader； and crawled up out of
the sea to pioneer in the great； dry…land adventure in the thick of
which we are now。 The marks of the sea are still on us； as the
marks of the serpent are still on us； ere the serpent became serpent
and we became we； when pre…serpent and pre…we were one。 Once we
flew in the air； and once we dwelt arboreally and were afraid of the
dark。 The vestiges remain； graven on you and me； and graven on our
seed to come after us to the end of our time on earth。
What Pascal glimpsed with the vision of a seer； I have lived。 I
have seen myself that one man contemplated by Pascal's phil