the jacket (the star-rover)-第14节

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as　you　always　were。　　It　is　your　body　that　is　dropping　out　of　the

game　a　chunk　at　a　time。　　And　you　are　just　you；　the　same　you　were

before　you　began。〃



〃And　then　what　happens？〃　I　queried。



〃Well；　when　your　body　is　all　dead；　and　you　are　all　there　yet；　you

just　skin　out　and　leave　your　body。　　And　when　you　leave　your　body　you

leave　the　cell。　　Stone　walls　and　iron　doors　are　to　hold　bodies　in。

They　can't　hold　the　spirit　in。　　You　see；　you　have　proved　it。　　You

are　spirit　outside　of　your　body。　　You　can　look　at　your　body　from

outside　of　it。　　I　tell　you　I　know　because　I　have　done　it　three

timeslooked　at　my　body　lying　there　with　me　outside　of　it。〃



〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　Jake　Oppenheimer　rapped　his　laughter　thirteen　cells

away。



〃You　see；　that's　Jake's　trouble；〃　Morrell　went　on。　　〃He　can't

believe。　　That　one　time　he　tried　it　he　was　too　strong　and　failed。

And　now　he　thinks　I　am　kidding。〃



〃When　you　die　you　are　dead；　and　dead　men　stay　dead；〃　Oppenheimer

retorted。



〃I　tell　you　I've　been　dead　three　times；〃　Morrell　argued。



〃And　lived　to　tell　us　about　it；〃　Oppenheimer　jeered。



〃But　don't　forget　one　thing；　Darrell；〃　Morrell　rapped　to　me。　　〃The

thing　is　ticklish。　　You　have　a　feeling　all　the　time　that　you　are

taking　liberties。　　I　can't　explain　it；　but　I　always　had　a　feeling　if

I　was　away　when　they　came　and　let　my　body　out　of　the　jacket　that　I

couldn't　get　back　into　my　body　again。　　I　mean　that　my　body　would　be

dead　for　keeps。　　And　I　didn't　want　it　to　be　dead。　　I　didn't　want　to

give　Captain　Jamie　and　the　rest　that　satisfaction。　　But　I　tell　you；

Darrell；　if　you　can　turn　the　trick　you　can　laugh　at　the　Warden。

Once　you　make　your　body　die　that　way　it　don't　matter　whether　they

keep　you　in　the　jacket　a　month　on　end。　　You　don't　suffer　none；　and

your　body　don't　suffer。　　You　know　there　are　cases　of　people　who　have

slept　a　whole　year　at　a　time。　　That's　the　way　it　will　be　with　your

body。　　It　just　stays　there　in　the　jacket；　not　hurting　or　anything；

just　waiting　for　you　to　come　back。



〃You　try　it。　　I　am　giving　you　the　straight　steer。〃



〃And　if　he　don't　come　back？〃　Oppenheimer；　asked。



〃Then　the　laugh　will　be　on　him；　I　guess；　Jake；〃　Morrell　answered。

〃Unless；　maybe；　it　will　be　on　us　for　sticking　round　this　old　dump

when　we　could　get　away　that　easy。〃



And　here　the　conversation　ended；　for　Pie…Face　Jones；　waking　crustily

from　stolen　slumber；　threatened　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer　with　a

report　next　morning　that　would　mean　the　jacket　for　them。　　Me　he　did

not　threaten；　for　he　knew　I　was　doomed　for　the　jacket　anyway。



I　lay　long　there　in　the　silence；　forgetting　the　misery　of　my　body

while　I　considered　this　proposition　Morrell　had　advanced。　　Already；

as　I　have　explained；　by　mechanical　self…hypnosis　I　had　sought　to

penetrate　back　through　time　to　my　previous　selves。　　That　I　had

partly　succeeded　I　knew；　but　all　that　I　had　experienced　was　a

fluttering　of　apparitions　that　merged　erratically　and　were　without

continuity。



But　Morrell's　method　was　so　patently　the　reverse　of　my　method　of

self…hypnosis　that　I　was　fascinated。　　By　my　method；　my　consciousness

went　first　of　all。　　By　his　method；　consciousness　persisted　last　of

all；　and；　when　the　body　was　quite　gone；　passed　into　stages　so

sublimated　that　it　left　the　body；　left　the　prison　of　San　Quentin；

and　journeyed　afar；　and　was　still　consciousness。



It　was　worth　a　trial；　anyway；　I　concluded。　　And；　despite　the

sceptical　attitude　of　the　scientist　that　was　mine；　I　believed。　　I

had　no　doubt　I　could　do　what　Morrell　said　he　had　done　three　times。

Perhaps　this　faith　that　so　easily　possessed　me　was　due　to　my　extreme

debility。　　Perhaps　I　was　not　strong　enough　to　be　sceptical。　　This

was　the　hypothesis　already　suggested　by　Morrell。　　It　was　a

conclusion　of　pure　empiricism；　and　I；　too；　as　you　shall　see；

demonstrated　it　empirically。







CHAPTER　X







And　above　all　things；　next　morning　Warden　Atherton　came　into　my　cell

on　murder　intent。　　With　him　were　Captain　Jamie；　Doctor　Jackson；　Pie…

Face　Jones；　and　Al　Hutchins。　　Al　Hutchins　was　serving　a　forty…years'

sentence；　and　was　in　hopes　of　being　pardoned　out。　　For　four　years　he

had　been　head　trusty　of　San　Quentin。　　That　this　was　a　position　of

great　power　you　will　realize　when　I　tell　you　that　the　graft　alone　of

the　head　trusty　was　estimated　at　three　thousand　dollars　a　year。

Wherefore　Al　Hutchins；　in　possession　of　ten　or　twelve　thousand

dollars　and　of　the　promise　of　a　pardon；　could　be　depended　upon　to　do

the　Warden's　bidding　blind。



I　have　just　said　that　Warden　Atherton　came　into　my　cell　intent　on

murder。　　His　face　showed　it。　　His　actions　proved　it。



〃Examine　him；〃　he　ordered　Doctor　Jackson。



That　wretched　apology　of　a　creature　stripped　from　me　my　dirt…

encrusted　shirt　that　I　had　worn　since　my　entrance　to　solitary；　and

exposed　my　poor　wasted　body；　the　skin　ridged　like　brown　parchment

over　the　ribs　and　sore…infested　from　the　many　bouts　with　the　jacket。

The　examination　was　shamelessly　perfunctory。



〃Will　he　stand　it？〃　the　Warden　demanded。



〃Yes；〃　Doctor　Jackson　answered。



〃How's　the　heart？〃



〃Splendid。〃



〃You　think　he'll　stand　ten　days　of　it；　Doc。？〃



〃Sure。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　the　Warden　announced　savagely。　　〃But　we'll　try

it　just　the　same。Lie　down；　Standing。〃



I　obeyed；　stretching　myself　face…downward　on　the　flat…spread　jacket。

The　Warden　seemed　to　debate　with　himself　for　a　moment。



〃Roll　over；〃　he　commanded。



I　made　several　efforts；　but　was　too　weak　to　succeed；　and　could　only

sprawl　and　squirm　in　my　helplessness。



〃Putting　it　on；〃　was　Jackson's　comment。



〃Well；　he　won't　have　to　put　it　on　when　I'm　done　with　him；〃　said　the

Warden。　　〃Lend　him　a　hand。　　I　can't　waste　any　more　time　on　him。〃



So　they　rolled　me　over　on　my　back；　where　I　stared　up　into　Warden

Atherton's　face。



〃Standing；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I've　given　you　all　the　rope　I　am　going

to。　　I　am　sick　and　tired　of　your　stubbornness。　　My　patience　is

exhausted。　　Doctor　Jackson　says　you　are　in　condition　to　stand　ten

days　in　the　jacket。　　You　can　figure　your　chances。　　But　I　am　going　to

give　you　your　last　chance　now。　　Come　across　with　the　dynamite。　　The

moment　it　is　in　my　hands　I'll　take　you　out　of　here。　　You　can　bathe

and　shave　and　get　clean　clothes。　　I'll　let　you　loaf　for　six　months

on　hospital　grub；　and　then　I'll　put　you　trusty　in　the　library。　　You

can't　ask　me　to　be　fairer　with　you　than　that。　　Besides；　you're　not

squealing　on　anybody。　　You　are　the　only　person　in　San　Quentin　who

knows　where　the　dynamite　is。　　You　won't　hurt　anybody's　feelings　by

giving　in；　and　you'll　be　all　to　the　good　from　the　moment　you　do　give

in。　　And　if　you　don't〃



He　paused　and　shrugged　his　shoulders　significantly。



〃Well；　if　you　don't；　you　start　in　the　ten　days　right　now。〃



The　prospect　was　terrifying。　　So　weak　was　I　that　I　was　as　certain　as

the　Warden　was　that　it　meant　death　in　the　jacket。　　And　then　I

remembered　Morrell's　trick。　　Now；　if　ever；　was　the　need　of　it；　and

now；　if　ever；　was　the　time　to　practise　the　faith　of　it。　　I　smiled　up

in　the　face　of　Warden　Atherton。　　And　I　put　faith　in　that　smile；　and

faith　in　the　proposition　I　made　to　him。



〃Warden；〃　I　said；　〃do　you　see　the　way　I　am　smiling？　　Well；　if；　at

the　end　of　the　ten　days；　when　you　unlace　me；　I　smile　up　at　you　in

the　same　way；　will　you　give　a　sack　of　Bull　Durham　and　a　package　of

brown　papers　to　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer？〃



〃Ain't　they　the　crazy　ginks；　these　college　guys；〃　Captain　Jamie

snorted。



Warden　Atherton　was　a　choleric　man；　and　he　took　my　request　for

insulting　braggadocio。



〃Just　for　that　you　get　an　extra　cinching；〃　he　informed　me。



〃I　made　you　a　sporting　proposition；　Warden；〃　I　said　quietly。　　〃You

can　cinch　me　as　tight　as　you　please；　but　if　I　smile　ten　days　from

now　will　you　give　the　Bull　Durham　to　Morrell　and　Oppenheimer？〃



〃You　are　mighty　sure　of　yourself；〃　he　retorted。



〃That's　why　I　made　the　proposition；〃　I　replied。



〃Getting　religion；　eh？〃　he　sneered。



〃No；〃　was　my　answer。　　〃It　merely　happens　that　I　possess　more　life

than　you　can　ever　reach　the　end　of。　　Make　it　a　hundred　days　if　you

want；　and　I'll　smile　at　you　when　it's　over。〃



〃I　guess　ten　days　will　more　than　do　you；　Standing。〃



〃That's　your　opinion；〃　I　said。　　〃Have　you　got　faith　in　it？　　If　you

have　you　won't　even　lose　the　price　of　the　two　five…cents　sacks　of

tobacco。　　Anyway；　what　have　you　got　to　be　afraid　of？〃



〃For　two　cents　I'd　kick　the　face　off　of　you　right　now；〃　he　snarled。



〃Don't　let　me　stop　you。〃　　I　was　impudently　suave。　　〃Kick　as　hard　as

you　please；　and　I'll　still　have　enough　face　left　with　which　to

smile。　　In　the　meantime；　while　you　are　hesitating；　suppose　you

accept　my　original　proposition。〃



A　man　must　be　terribly　weak　and　profoundly　desperate　to　be　able；

under　such　circumstances；　to　beard　the　Warden　in　solitary。　　Or　he

may　be　both；　and；　in　addition；　he　may　have　faith。　　I