第2章

Tomysurprise——yes，tomyelationbeitsaid——bothmyfellow-

prisonersknewmethroughmyrecordasanincorrigible。EvenintothelivinggraveOppenheimerhadoccupiedfortenyearshadmyfame，ornotoriety，rather，penetrated。

Ihadmuchtotellthemofprisonhappeningsandoftheoutsideworld。Theconspiracytoescapeofthefortylifers，thesearchfortheallegeddynamite，andallthetreacherousframe-upofCecilWinwoodwasnewstothem。Astheytoldme，newsdidoccasionallydribbleintosolitarybywayoftheguards，buttheyhadhadnothingforacoupleofmonths。Thepresentguardsondutyinsolitarywereaparticularlybadandvindictiveset。

Againandagainthatdaywewerecursedforourknuckletalkingbywhateverguardwason。Butwecouldnotrefrain。Thetwoofthelivingdeadhadbecomethree，andwehadsomuchtosay，whilethemannerofsayingitwasexasperatinglyslowandIwasnotsoproficientastheyattheknucklegame。

"WaittillPie-Facecomesonto-night，"Morrellrappedtome。"Hesleepsmostofhiswatch，andwecantalkastreak。"

Howwedidtalkthatnight！Sleepwasfarthestfromoureyes。Pie-

FaceJoneswasameanandbitterman，despitehisfatness；butweblessedthatfatnessbecauseitpersuadedtostolensnatchesofslumber。Neverthelessourincessanttappingbotheredhissleepandirritatedhimsothathereprimandedusrepeatedly。Andbytheothernightguardswewereroundlycursed。Inthemorningallreportedmuchtappingduringthenight，andwepaidforourlittleholiday；for，atnine，cameCaptainJamiewithseveralguardstolaceusintothetormentofthejacket。Untilninethefollowingmorning，fortwenty-fourstraighthours，lacedandhelplessonthefloor，withoutfoodorwater，wepaidthepriceforspeech。

Oh，ourguardswerebrutes！Andundertheirtreatmentwehadtohardentobrutesinordertolive。Hardworkmakescallousedhands。

Hardguardsmakehardprisoners。Wecontinuedtotalk，and，onoccasion，tobejacketedforpunishment。Nightwasthebesttime，and，whensubstituteguardschancedtobeon，weoftentalkedthroughawholeshift。

Nightanddaywereonewithuswholivedinthedark。Wecouldsleepanytime，wecouldknuckle-talkonlyonoccasion。Wetoldoneanothermuchofthehistoryofourlives，andforlonghoursMorrellandIhavelainsilently，whilesteadily，withfaint，fartaps，Oppenheimerslowlyspelledouthislife-story，fromtheearlyyearsinaSanFranciscoslum，throughhisgang-training，throughhisinitiationintoallthatwasvicious，whenasaladoffourteenheservedasnightmessengerintheredlightdistrict，throughhisfirstdetectedinfractionofthelaws，andonandonthroughtheftsandrobberiestothetreacheryofacomradeandtoredslayingsinsideprisonwalls。

TheycalledJakeOppenheimerthe"HumanTiger。"Somecubreportercoinedthephrasethatwilllongoutlivethemantowhomitwasapplied。AndyetIeverfoundinJakeOppenheimerallthecardinaltraitsofrighthumanness。Hewasfaithfulandloyal。Iknowofthetimeshehastakenpunishmentinpreferencetoinformingonacomrade。Hewasbrave。Hewaspatient。Hewascapableofself-

sacrifice——Icouldtellastoryofthis，butshallnottakethetime。Andjustice，withhim，wasapassion。Theprison-killingsdonebyhimweredueentirelytothisextremesenseofjustice。Andhehadasplendidmind。Alife-timeinprison，tenyearsofitinsolitary，hadnotdimmedhisbrain。

Morrell，everatruecomrade，toohadasplendidbrain。Infact，andIwhoamabouttodiehavetherighttosayitwithoutincurringthechargeofimmodesty，thethreebestmindsinSanQuentinfromtheWardendownwerethethreethatrottedtheretogetherinsolitary。Andhereattheendofmydays，reviewingallthatIhaveknownoflife，Iamcompelledtotheconclusionthatstrongmindsareneverdocile。Thestupidmen，thefearfulmen，themenungiftedwithpassionaterightnessandfearlesschampionship——thesearethemenwhomakemodelprisoners。IthankallgodsthatJakeOppenheimer，EdMorrell，andIwerenotmodelprisoners。

CHAPTERVI

Thereismorethanthegermoftruthinthingserroneousinthechild’sdefinitionofmemoryasthethingoneforgetswith。Tobeabletoforgetmeanssanity。Incessantlytoremember，meansobsession，lunacy。SotheproblemIfacedinsolitary，whereincessantrememberingstroveforpossessionofme，wastheproblemofforgetting。WhenIgamedwithflies，orplayedchesswithmyself，ortalkedwithmyknuckles，Ipartiallyforgot。WhatI

desiredwasentirelytoforget。

Thereweretheboyhoodmemoriesofothertimesandplaces——the"trailingcloudsofglory"ofWordsworth。Ifaboyhadhadthesememories，weretheyirretrievablylostwhenhehadgrowntomanhood？

Couldthisparticularcontentofhisboybrainbeutterlyeliminated？Orwerethesememoriesofothertimesandplacesstillresidual，asleep，immuredinsolitaryinbraincellssimilarlytothewayIwasimmuredinacellinSanQuentin？

Solitarylife-prisonershavebeenknowntoresurrectandlookuponthesunagain。Thenwhycouldnottheseother-worldmemoriesoftheboyresurrect？

Buthow？Inmyjudgment，byattainmentofcompleteforgetfulnessofpresentandofmanhoodpast。

Andagain，how？Hypnotismshoulddoit。Ifbyhypnotismtheconsciousmindwereputtosleep，andthesubconsciousmindawakened，thenwasthethingaccomplished，thenwouldallthedungeondoorsofthebrainbethrownwide，thenwouldtheprisonersemergeintothesunshine。

SoIreasoned——withwhatresultyoushalllearn。ButfirstImusttellhow，asaboy，Ihadhadtheseother-worldmemories。IhadglowedinthecloudsofgloryItrailedfromlivesaforetime。Likeanyboy，IhadbeenhauntedbytheotherbeingsIhadbeenatothertimes。Thishadbeenduringmyprocessofbecoming，erethefluxofallthatIhadeverbeenhadhardenedinthemouldoftheonepersonalitythatwastobeknownbymenforafewyearsasDarrellStanding。

Letmenarratejustoneincident。ItwasupinMinnesotaontheoldfarm。Iwasnearlysixyearsold。AmissionarytoChina，returnedtotheUnitedStatesandsentoutbytheBoardofMissionstoraisefundsfromthefarmers，spentthenightinourhouse。Itwasinthekitchenjustaftersupper，asmymotherwashelpingmeundressforbed，andthemissionarywasshowingphotographsoftheHolyLand。

AndwhatIamabouttotellyouIshouldlongsincehaveforgottenhadInotheardmyfatherreciteittowonderinglistenerssomanytimesduringmychildhood。

Icriedoutatsightofoneofthephotographsandlookedatit，firstwitheagerness，andthenwithdisappointment。Ithadseemedofasuddenmostfamiliar，inmuchthesamewaythatmyfather’sbarnwouldhavebeeninaphotograph。Thenithadseemedaltogetherstrange。ButasIcontinuedtolookthehauntingsenseoffamiliaritycameback。

"TheTowerofDavid，"themissionarysaidtomymother。

"No！"Icriedwithgreatpositiveness。

"Youmeanthatisn’titsname？"themissionaryasked。

Inodded。

"Thenwhatisitsname，myboy？"

"It’snameis……"Ibegan，thenconcludedlamely，"I，forget。"

"Itdon’tlookthesamenow，"Iwentonafterapause。"They’vebenfixin’itupawful。"

Herethemissionaryhandedtomymotheranotherphotographhehadsoughtout。

"Iwastheremyselfsixmonthsago，Mrs。Standing。"Hepointedwithhisfinger。"ThatistheJaffaGatewhereIwalkedinandrightuptotheTowerofDavidinthebackofthepicturewheremyfingerisnow。Theauthoritiesareprettywellagreedonsuchmatters。ElKul’ah，asitwasknownby——"

ButhereIbrokeinagain，pointingtorubbishpilesofruinedmasonryontheleftedgeofthephotograph"Overtheresomewhere，"Isaid。"ThatnameyoujustspokewaswhattheJewscalledit。Butwecalleditsomethingelse。Wecalledit……Iforget。"

"Listentotheyoungster，"myfatherchuckled。"You’dthinkhe’dbenthere。"

Inoddedmyhead，forinthatmomentIknewIhadbeenthere，thoughallseemedstrangelydifferent。Myfatherlaughedtheharder，butthemissionarythoughtIwasmakinggameofhim。Hehandedmeanotherphotograph。Itwasjustableakwasteofalandscape，barrenoftreesandvegetation，ashallowcanyonwitheasy-slopingwallsofrubble。Inthemiddledistancewasaclusterofwretched，flat-roofedhovels。

"Now，myboy，whereisthat？"themissionaryquizzed。

Andthenamecametome！

"Samaria，"Isaidinstantly。

Myfatherclappedhishandswithglee，mymotherwasperplexedatmyanticconduct，whilethemissionaryevincedirritation。

"Theboyisright，"hesaid。"ItisavillageinSamaria。Ipassedthroughit。ThatiswhyIboughtit。Anditgoestoshowthattheboyhasseensimilarphotographsbefore。"

Thismyfatherandmotherdenied。

"Butit’sdifferentinthepicture，"Ivolunteered，whileallthetimemymemorywasbusyreconstructingthephotograph。Thegeneraltrendofthelandscapeandthelineofthedistanthillswerethesame。ThedifferencesInotedaloudandpointedoutwithmyfinger。

"Thehouseswasaboutrighthere，andtherewasmoretrees，lotsoftrees，andlotsofgrass，andlotsofgoats。Icansee’emnow，an’

twoboysdrivin’’em。An’righthereisalotofmenwalkin’behindoneman。An’overthere"——IpointedtowhereIhadplacedmyvillage——"isalotoftramps。Theyain’tgotnothin’onexceptin’

rags。An’they’resick。Theirfaces，an’hands，an’legsisallsores。"

"He’sheardthestoryinchurchorsomewhere——youremember，thehealingofthelepersinLuke，"themissionarysaidwithasmileofsatisfaction。"Howmanysicktrampsarethere，myboy？"

IhadlearnedtocounttoahundredwhenIwasfiveyearsold，soI

wentoverthegroupcarefullyandannounced:

"Tenof’em。They’reallwavin’theirarmsan’yellin’attheothermen。"

"Buttheydon’tcomenearthem？"wasthequery。

Ishookmyhead。"Theyjuststandrighttherean’keepa-yellin’

liketheywasintrouble。"

"Goon，"urgedthemissionary。"Whatnext？What’sthemandoinginthefrontoftheothercrowdyousaidwaswalkingalong？"

"They’veallstopped，an’he’ssayin’somethingtothesickmen。

An’theboyswiththegoats’sstoppedtolook。Everybody’slookin’。"

"Andthen？"

"That’sall。Thesickmenareheadin’forthehouses。Theyain’tyellin’anymore，an’theydon’tlooksickanymore。An’Ijustkeepsettin’onmyhorsea-lookin’on。"

Atthisallthreeofmylistenersbrokeintolaughter。

"An’I’mabigman！"Icriedoutangrily。"An’Igotabigsword！"

"ThetenlepersChristhealedbeforehepassedthroughJerichoonhiswaytoJerusalem，"themissionaryexplainedtomyparents。"Theboyhasseenslidesoffamouspaintingsinsomemagiclanternexhibition。"

ButneitherfathernormothercouldrememberthatIhadeverseenamagiclantern。

"Tryhimwithanotherpicture，"fathersuggested。

"It’salldifferent，"IcomplainedasIstudiedthephotographthemissionaryhandedme。"Ain’tnothin’hereexceptthathillandthemotherhills。Thisoughttobeacountryroadalonghere。An’overthereoughttobegardens，an’trees，an’housesbehindbigstonewalls。An’overthere，ontheotherside，inholesintherocksoughttobewheretheyburieddeadfolks。Youseethisplace？——theyusedtothrowstonesatpeoplethereuntiltheykilled’m。Ineverseen’mdoit。Theyjusttoldmeaboutit。"

"Andthehill？"themissionaryasked，pointingtothecentralpartoftheprint，forwhichthephotographseemedtohavebeentaken。

"Canyoutellusthenameofthehill？"

Ishookmyhead。

"Neverhadnoname。Theykilledfolksthere。I’veseem’mmore’nonce。"

"Thistimeheagreeswiththemajorityoftheauthorities，"

announcedthemissionarywithhugesatisfaction。"ThehillisGolgotha，thePlaceofSkulls，or，asyouplease，sonamedbecauseitresemblesaskull。Noticetheresemblance。Thatiswheretheycrucified——"Hebrokeoffandturnedtome。"Whomdidtheycrucifythere，youngscholar？Telluswhatelseyousee。"

Oh，Isaw——myfatherreportedthatmyeyeswerebulging；butIshookmyheadstubbornlyandsaid:

"Iain’ta-goin’totellyoubecauseyou’relaughin’atme。Iseenlotsan’lotsofmenkilledthere。Theynailed’emup，an’ittookalongtime。Iseen——butIain’ta-goin’totell。Idon’ttelllies。Youaskdadan’maifItelllies。He’dwhalethestuffin’

outofmeifIdid。Ask’m。"

Andthereatnotanotherwordcouldthemissionarygetfromme，eventhoughhebaitedmewithmorephotographsthatsentmyheadwhirlingwitharushofmemory-picturesandthaturgedandtickledmytonguewithspatesofspeechwhichIsullenlyresistedandovercame。

"HewillcertainlymakeagoodBiblescholar，"themissionarytoldfatherandmotherafterIhadkissedthemgood-nightanddepartedforbed。"Orelse，withthatimagination，he’llbecomeasuccessfulfiction-writer。"

Whichshowshowprophecycangoagley。IsithereinMurderers’

Row，writingtheselinesinmylastdays，or，rather，inDarrellStanding’slastdayseretheytakehimoutandtrytothrusthimintothedarkattheendofarope，andIsmiletomyself。IbecameneitherBiblescholarnornovelist。Onthecontrary，untiltheyburiedmeinthecellsofsilenceforhalfadecade，Iwaseverythingthatthemissionaryforecastednot——anagriculturalexpert，aprofessorofagronomy，aspecialistinthescienceoftheeliminationofwastemotion，amasteroffarmefficiency，apreciselaboratoryscientistwhereprecisionandadherencetomicroscopicfactareabsoluterequirements。

AndIsithereinthewarmafternoon，inMurderers’Row，andceasefromthewritingofmymemoirstolistentothesoothingbuzzoffliesinthedrowsyair，andcatchphrasesofalow-voicedconversationbetweenJosephusJackson，thenegromurdereronmyright，andBambeccio，theItalianmurdereronmyleft，whoarediscussing，throughgrateddoortograteddoor，backandforthpastmygrateddoor，theantisepticvirtuesandexcellencesofchewingtobaccoforfleshwounds。

AndinmysuspendedhandIholdmyfountainpen，andasIrememberthatotherhandsofme，inlonggoneages，wieldedink-brush，andquill，andstylus，Ialsofindthought-spaceintimetowonderifthatmissionary，whenhewasalittlelad，evertrailedcloudsofgloryandglimpsedthebrightnessofoldstar-rovingdays。

Well，backtosolitary，afterIhadlearnedthecodeofknuckle-talkandstillfoundthehoursofconsciousnesstoolongtoendure。Byself-hypnosis，whichIbegansuccessfullytopractise，Ibecameabletoputmyconsciousmindtosleepandtoawakenandloosemysubconsciousmind。Butthelatterwasanundisciplinedandlawlessthing。Itwanderedthroughallnightmarishmadness，withoutcoherence，withoutcontinuityofscene，event，orperson。

Mymethodofmechanicalhypnosiswasthesoulofsimplicity。

Sittingwithfoldedlegsonmystraw-mattress，IgazedfixedlyatafragmentofbrightstrawwhichIhadattachedtothewallofmycellnearthedoorwherethemostlightwas。Igazedatthebrightpoint，withmyeyesclosetoit，andtiltedupwardtilltheystrainedtosee。AtthesametimeIrelaxedallthewillofmeandgavemyselftotheswayingdizzinessthatalwayseventuallycametome。AndwhenIfeltmyselfswayoutofbalancebackward，Iclosedmyeyesandpermittedmyselftofallsupineandunconsciousonthemattress。

Andthen，forhalf-an-hour，tenminutes，oraslongasanhourorso，Iwouldwandererraticallyandfoolishlythroughthestoredmemoriesofmyeternalrecurrenceonearth。Buttimesandplacesshiftedtooswiftly。Iknewafterward，whenIawoke，thatI，DarrellStanding，wasthelinkingpersonalitythatconnectedallbizarrenessandgrotesqueness。Butthatwasall。Icouldneverliveoutcompletelyonefullexperience，onepointofconsciousnessintimeandspace。Mydreams，ifdreamstheymaybecalled，wererhymelessandreasonless。

Thus，asasampleofmyrovings:inasingleintervaloffifteenminutesofsubconsciousnessIhavecrawledandbellowedintheslimeoftheprimevalworldandsatbesideHaas——furtherandcleavedthetwentiethcenturyairinagas-drivenmonoplane。Awake，I

rememberedthatI，DarrellStanding，intheflesh，duringtheyearprecedingmyincarcerationinSanQuentin，hadflownwithHaasfurtheroverthePacificatSantaMonica。Awake，Ididnotrememberthecrawlingandthebellowingintheancientslime。Nevertheless，awake，IreasonedthatsomehowIhadrememberedthatearlyadventureintheslime，andthatitwasaverityoflong-previousexperience，whenIwasnotyetDarrellStandingbutsomebodyelse，orsomethingelsethatcrawledandbellowed。Oneexperiencewasmerelymoreremotethantheother。Bothexperienceswereequallyreal——orelsehowdidIrememberthem？

Oh，whataflutteringofluminousimagesandactions！InafewshortminutesofloosedsubconsciousnessIhavesatinthehallsofkings，abovethesaltandbelowthesalt，beenfoolandjester，man-

at-arms，clerkandmonk；andIhavebeenruleraboveallattheheadofthetable——temporalpowerinmyownswordarm，inthethicknessofmycastlewalls，andthenumbersofmyfightingmen；spiritualpowerlikewiseminebytokenofthefactthatcowledpriestsandfatabbotssatbeneathmeandswiggedmywineandswinedmymeat。

Ihaveworntheironcollaroftheserfaboutmyneckincoldclimes；andIhavelovedprincessesofroyalhousesinthetropic-

warmedandsun-scentednight，whereblackslavesfannedthesultryairwithfansofpeacockplumes，whilefromafar，acrossthepalmandfountains，driftedtheroaringoflionsandthecriesofjackals。Ihavecrouchedinchilldesertplaceswarmingmyhandsatfiresbuildedofcamel’sdung；andIhavelaininthemeagreshadeofsun-parchedsagebrushbydrywater-holesandyearneddry-tonguedforwater，whileaboutme，dismemberedandscatteredinthealkali，werethebonesofmenandbeastswhohadyearnedanddied。

Ihavebeensea-cunyandbravo，scholarandrecluse。Ihaveporedoverhand-writtenpagesofhugeandmustytomesinthescholasticquietudeandtwilightofcliff-perchedmonasteries，whilebeneathonthelesserslopes，peasantsstilltoiledbeyondtheendofdayamongthevinesandolivesanddroveinfrompasturestheblattinggoatsandlowingkine；yes，andIhaveledshoutingrabblesdownthewheel-worn，chariot-ruttedpavesofancientandforgottencities；

and，solemn-voicedandgraveasdeath，Ihaveenunciatedthelaw，statedthegravityoftheinfraction，andimposedtheduedeathonmen，who，likeDarrellStandinginFolsomPrison，hadbrokenthelaw。

Aloft，atgiddymastheadsoscillatingabovethedecksofships，I

havegazedonsun-flashedwaterwherecoral-growthsiridescedfromprofoundsofturquoisedeeps，andconnedtheshipsintothesafetyofmirroredlagoonswheretheanchorsrumbleddownclosetopalm-

frondedbeachesofsea-poundedcoralrock；andIhavestrivenonforgottenbattlefieldsoftheelderdays，whenthesunwentdownonslaughterthatdidnotceaseandthatcontinuedthroughthenight-

hourswiththestarsshiningdownandwithacoolnightwindblowingfromdistantpeaksofsnowthatfailedtochillthesweatofbattle；

andagain，IhavebeenlittleDarrellStanding，bare-footedinthedew-lushgrassofspringontheMinnesotafarm，chilblainedwhenoffrostymorningsIfedthecattleintheirbreath-steamingstalls，soberedtofearandaweofthesplendourandterrorofGodwhenI

satonSundaysundertherantandpreachmentoftheNewJerusalemandtheagoniesofhell-fire。

Now，theforegoingweretheglimpsesandglimmeringsthatcametome，when，inCellOneofSolitaryinSanQuentin，Istaredmyselfunconsciousbymeansofaparticleofbright，light-radiatingstraw。

Howdidthesethingscometome？SurelyIcouldnothavemanufacturedthemoutofnothinginsidemypentwallsanymorethancouldIhavemanufacturedoutofnothingthethirty-fivepoundsofdynamitesoruthlesslydemandedofmebyCaptainJamie，WardenAtherton，andthePrisonBoardofDirectors。

IamDarrellStanding，bornandraisedonaquartersectionoflandinMinnesota，erstwhileprofessorofagronomy，aprisonerincorrigibleinSanQuentin，andatpresentadeath-sentencedmaninFolsom。Idonotknow，ofDarrellStanding’sexperience，thesethingsofwhichIwriteandwhichIhavedugfromoutmystore-

housesofsubconsciousness。I，DarrellStanding，borninMinnesotaandsoontodiebytheropeinCalifornia，surelyneverloveddaughtersofkingsinthecourtsofkings；norfoughtcutlasstocutlassontheswayingdecksofships；nordrownedinthespirit-

roomsofships，guzzlingrawliquortothewassail-shoutinganddeath-singingofseamen，whiletheshipliftedandcrashedontheblack-toothedrocksandthewaterbubbledoverhead，beneath，andallabout。

SuchthingsarenotofDarrellStanding’sexperienceintheworld。

YetI，DarrellStanding，foundthesethingswithinmyselfinsolitaryinSanQuentinbymeansofmechanicalself-hypnosis。NomoreweretheseexperiencesDarrellStanding’sthanwastheword"Samaria"DarrellStanding’swhenitleapttohischildlipsatsightofaphotograph。

Onecannotmakeanythingoutofnothing。InsolitaryIcouldnotsomakethirty-fivepoundsofdynamite。Norinsolitary，outofnothinginDarrellStanding’sexperience，couldImakethesewide，farvisionsoftimeandspace。Thesethingswereinthecontentofmymind，andinmymindIwasjustbeginningtolearnmywayabout。

CHAPTERVII

Soherewasmypredicament:IknewthatwithinmyselfwasaGolcondaofmemoriesofotherlives，yetIwasunabletodomorethanflitlikeamadmanthroughthosememories。IhadmyGolcondabutcouldnotmineit。

IrememberedthecaseofStaintonMoses，theclergymanwhohadbeenpossessedbythepersonalitiesofSt。Hippolytus，Plotinus，Athenodorus，andofthatfriendofErasmusnamedGrocyn。AndwhenI

consideredtheexperimentsofColoneldeRochas，whichIhadreadintyrofashioninotherandbusierdays，IwasconvincedthatStaintonMoseshad，inpreviouslives，beenthosepersonalitiesthatonoccasionseemedtopossesshim。Intruth，theywerehe，theywerethelinksofthechainofrecurrence。

ButmoreespeciallydidIdwellupontheexperimentsofColoneldeRochas。Bymeansofsuitablehypnoticsubjectsheclaimedthathehadpenetratedbackwardsthroughtimetotheancestorsofhissubjects。Thus，thecaseofJosephinewhichhedescribes。ShewaseighteenyearsoldandshelivedatVoiron，inthedepartmentoftheIsere。UnderhypnotismColoneldeRochassentheradventuringbackthroughheradolescence，hergirlhood，herchildhood，breast-

infancy，andthesilentdarkofhermother’swomb，and，stillback，throughthesilenceandthedarkofthetimewhenshe，Josephine，wasnotyetborn，tothelightandlifeofapreviousliving，whenshehadbeenachurlish，suspicious，andembitteredoldman，bynameJean-ClaudeBourdon，whohadservedhistimeintheSeventhArtilleryatBesancon，andwhodiedattheageofseventy，longbedridden。YES，anddidnotColoneldeRochasinturnhypnotizethisshadeofJean-ClaudeBourdon，sothatheadventuredfartherbackintotime，throughinfancyandbirthandthedarkoftheunborn，untilhefoundagainlightandlifewhen，asawickedoldwoman，hehadbeenPhilomeneCarteron？

ButtryasIwouldwithmybrightbitofstrawintheoozementoflightintosolitary，Ifailedtoachieveanysuchdefinitenessofpreviouspersonality。Ibecameconvinced，throughthefailureofmyexperiments，thatonlythroughdeathcouldIclearlyandcoherentlyresurrectthememoriesofmypreviousselves。

Butthetidesofliferanstronginme。I，DarrellStanding，wassostronglydisinclinedtodiethatIrefusedtoletWardenAthertonandCaptainJamiekillme。IwasalwayssoinnatelyurgedtolivethatsometimesIthinkthatiswhyIamstillhere，eatingandsleeping，thinkinganddreaming，writingthisnarrativeofmyvariousme’s，andawaitingtheincontestableropethatwillputanephemeralperiodinmylong-linkedexistence。

Andthencamedeathinlife。Ilearnedthetrick，EdMorrelltaughtitme，asyoushallsee。ItbeganthroughWardenAthertonandCaptainJamie。Theymusthaveexperiencedarecrudescenceofpanicatthoughtofthedynamitetheybelievedhidden。Theycametomeinmydarkcell，andtheytoldmeplainlythattheywouldjacketmetodeathifIdidnotconfesswherethedynamitewashidden。Andtheyassuredmethattheywoulddoitofficiallywithoutanyhurttotheirownofficialskins。Mydeathwouldappearontheprisonregisterasduetonaturalcauses。

Oh，dear，cotton-woolcitizen，pleasebelievemewhenItellyouthatmenarekilledinprisonsto-dayastheyhavealwaysbeenkilledsincethefirstprisonswerebuiltbymen。

Iwellknewtheterror，theagony，andthedangerofthejacket。

Oh，themenspirit-brokenbythejacket！Ihaveseenthem。AndI

haveseenmencrippledforlifebythejacket。Ihaveseenmen，strongmen，mensostrongthattheirphysicalstaminaresistedallattacksofprisontuberculosis，afteraprolongedboutwiththejacket，theirresistancebrokendown，fadeaway，anddieoftuberculosiswithinsixmonths。TherewasSlant-EyedWilson，withanunguessedweakheartoffear，whodiedinthejacketwithinthefirsthourwhiletheunconvincedinefficientofaprisondoctorlookedonandsmiled。AndIhaveseenamanconfess，afterhalfanhourinthejacket，truthsandfictionsthatcosthimyearsofcredits。

Ihadhadmyownexperiences。Atthepresentmomenthalfathousandscarsmarkmybody。Theygotothescaffoldwithme。DidIliveahundredyearstocomethosesamescarsintheendwouldgotothegravewithme。

Perhaps，dearcitizenwhopermitsandpayshishang-dogstolacethejacketforyou——perhapsyouareunacquaintedwiththejacket。Letmedescribe，it，sothatyouwillunderstandthemethodbywhichI

achieveddeathinlife，becameatemporarymasteroftimeandspace，andvaultedtheprisonwallstoroveamongthestars。

Haveyoueverseencanvastarpaulinsorrubberblanketswithbrasseyeletssetinalongtheedges？Thenimagineapieceofstoutcanvas，somefourandone-halffeetinlength，withlargeandheavybrasseyeletsrunningdownbothedges。Thewidthofthiscanvasisneverthefullgirthofthehumanbodyitistosurround。Thewidthisalsoirregular——broadestattheshoulders，nextbroadestatthehips，andnarrowestatthewaist。

Thejacketisspreadonthefloor。Themanwhoistobepunished，orwhoistobetorturedforconfession，istoldtolieface-

downwardontheflatcanvas。Ifherefuses，heisman-handled。

Afterthathelayshimselfdownwithawill，whichisthewillofthehang-dogs，whichisyourwill，dearcitizen，whofeedsandfeesthehang-dogsfordoingthisthingforyou。

Themanliesface-downward。Theedgesofthejacketarebroughtasnearlytogetheraspossiblealongthecentreoftheman’sback。

Thenarope，ontheprincipleofashoe-lace，isrunthroughtheeyelets，andontheprincipleofashoe-lacingthemanislacedinthecanvas。Onlyheislacedmoreseverelythananypersoneverlaceshisshoe。Theycallit"cinching"inprisonlingo。Onoccasion，whentheguardsarecruelandvindictive，orwhenthecommandhascomedownfromabove，inordertoinsuretheseverityofthelacingtheguardspresswiththeirfeetintotheman’sbackastheydrawthelacingtight。

Haveyoueverlacedyourshoetootightly，and，afterhalfanhour，experiencedthatexcruciatingpainacrosstheinstepoftheobstructedcirculation？Anddoyourememberthatafterafewminutesofsuchpainyousimplycouldnotwalkanotherstepandhadtountietheshoe-laceandeasethepressure？Verywell。Thentrytoimagineyourwholebodysolaced，onlymuchmoretightly，andthatthesqueeze，insteadofbeingmerelyontheinstepofonefoot，isonyourentiretrunk，compressingtotheseemingofdeathyourheart，yourlungs，andalltherestofyourvitalandessentialorgans。

Irememberthefirsttimetheygavemethejacketdowninthedungeons。Itwasatthebeginningofmyincorrigibility，shortlyaftermyentrancetoprison，whenIwasweavingmyloom-taskofahundredyardsadayinthejute-millandfinishingtwohoursaheadoftheaverageday。Yes，andmyjute-sackingwasfarabovetheaveragedemanded。Iwassenttothejacketthatfirsttime，accordingtotheprisonbooks，becauseof"skips"and"breaks"inthecloth，inshort，becausemyworkwasdefective。Ofcoursethiswasridiculous。Intruth，IwassenttothejacketbecauseI，anewconvict，amasterofefficiency，atrainedexpertintheeliminationofwastemotion，hadelectedtotellthestupidheadweaverafewthingshedidnotknowabouthisbusiness。Andtheheadweaver，withCaptainJamiepresent，hadmecalledtothetablewhereatrociousweaving，suchascouldneverhavegonethroughmyloom，wasexhibitedagainstme。ThreetimeswasIthuscalledtothetable。Thethirdcallingmeantpunishmentaccordingtotheloom-

roomrules。Mypunishmentwastwenty-fourhoursinthejacket。

Theytookmedownintothedungeons。Iwasorderedtolieface-

downwardonthecanvasspreadflatuponthefloor。Irefused。Oneoftheguards，Morrison，gullettedmewithhisthumbs。Mobins，thedungeontrusty，aconvicthimself，struckmerepeatedlywithhisfists。IntheendIlaydownasdirected。And，becauseofthestruggleIhadvexedthemwith，theylacedmeextratight。Thentheyrolledmeoverlikealoguponmyback。

Itdidnotseemsobadatfirst。Whentheyclosedmydoor，withclangandclashofleveredboltage，andleftmeintheutterdark，itwaseleveno’clockinthemorning。ForafewminutesIwasawaremerelyofanuncomfortableconstrictionwhichIfondlybelievedwouldeaseasIgrewaccustomedtoit。Onthecontrary，myheartbegantothumpandmylungsseemedunabletodrawsufficientairformyblood。Thissenseofsuffocationwasterrorizing，andeverythumpoftheheartthreatenedtoburstmyalreadyburstinglungs。

Afterwhatseemedhours，andafterwhat，outofmycountlesssucceedingexperiencesinthejacketIcannowfairlyconcludetohavebeennotmorethanhalf-an-hour，Ibegantocryout，toyell，toscream，tohowl，inaverymadnessofdying。Thetroublewasthepainthathadariseninmyheart。Itwasasharp，definitepain，similartothatofpleurisy，exceptthatitstabbedhotlythroughtheheartitself。

Todieisnotadifficultthing，buttodieinsuchslowandhorriblefashionwasmaddening。Likeatrappedbeastofthewild，I

experiencedecstasiesoffear，andyelledandhowleduntilI

realizedthatsuchvocalexercisemerelystabbedmyheartmorehotlyandatthesametimeconsumedmuchofthelittleairinmylungs。

Igaveoverandlayquietforalongtime——aneternityitseemedthen，thoughnowIamconfidentthatitcouldhavebeennolongerthanaquarterofanhour。Igrewdizzywithsemi-asphyxiation，andmyheartthumpeduntilitseemedsurelyitwouldburstthecanvasthatboundme。AgainIlostcontrolofmyselfandsetupamadhowlingforhelp。

InthemidstofthisIheardavoicefromthenextdungeon。

"Shutup，"itshouted，thoughonlyfaintlyitpercolatedtome。

"Shutup。Youmakemetired。"

"I’mdying，"Icriedout。

"Poundyourearandforgetit，"wasthereply。

"ButIAMdying，"Iinsisted。

"Thenwhyworry？"camethevoice。"You’llbedeadprettyquickan’

outofit。Goaheadandcroak，butdon’tmakesomuchnoiseaboutit。You’reinterruptin’mybeautysleep。"

SoangeredwasIbythiscallousindifferencethatIrecoveredself-

controlandwasguiltyofnomorethansmotheredgroans。Thisenduredanendlesstime——possiblytenminutes；andthenatinglingnumbnesssetupinallmybody。Itwaslikepinsandneedles，andforaslongasithurtlikepinsandneedlesIkeptmyhead。ButwhenthepricklingofthemultitudinousdartsceasedtohurtandonlythenumbnessremainedandcontinuedvergingintogreaternumbnessIoncemoregrewfrightened。

"HowamIgoin’togetawinkofsleep？"myneighbour，complained。

"Iain’tanymorehappythanyou。Myjacket’sjustastightasyourn，an’Iwanttosleepan’forgetit。"

"Howlonghaveyoubeenin？"Iasked，thinkinghimanew-comercomparedtothecenturiesIhadalreadysuffered。

"Sincedaybeforeyesterday，"washisanswer。

"Imeaninthejacket，"Iamended。

"Sincedaybeforeyesterday，brother。"

"MyGod！"Iscreamed。

"Yes，brother，fiftystraighthours，an’youdon’thearmeraisin’aroaraboutit。Theycinchedmewiththeirfeetinmyback。Iamsometight，believeME。Youain’ttheonlyonethat’sgottroubles。

Youain’tbeninanhouryet。"

"I’vebeeninhoursandhours，"Iprotested。

"Brother，youmaythinkso，butitdon’tmakeitso。I’mjusttellin’youyouain’tbeninanhour。Iheard’mlacin’you。"

Thethingwasincredible。Already，inlessthananhour，Ihaddiedathousanddeaths。Andyetthisneighbour，balancedandequable，calm-voicedandalmostbeneficentdespitetheharshnessofhisfirstremarks，hadbeeninthejacketfiftyhours！

"Howmuchlongeraretheygoingtokeepyouin？"Iasked。

"TheLordonlyknows。CaptainJamieisrealpeevedwithme，an’hewon’tletmeoutuntilI’maboutcroakin’。Now，brother，I’mgoingtogiveyouthetip。Theonlywayisshutyourfacean’forgetit。

Yellin’an’hollerin’don’twinyounomoneyinthisjoint。An’thewaytoforgetistoforget。Justgettorememberin’everygirlyoueverknew。That’llcatuphoursforyou。Mebbeyou’llfeelyourselfgettin’woozy。Well，getwoozy。Youcan’tbeatthatforkillin’time。An’whenthegirlswon’tholdyou，gettothinkin’ofthefellowsyougotitinfor，an’whatyou’ddoto’emifyougotachance，an’whatyou’regoin’todoto’emwhenyougetthatsamechance。"

ThatmanwasPhiladelphiaRed。BecauseofpriorconvictionhewasservingfiftyyearsforhighwayrobberycommittedonthestreetsofAlameda。Hehadalreadyservedadozenofhisyearsatthetimehetalkedtomeinthejacket，andthatwassevenyearsago。Hewasoneofthefortyliferswhoweredouble-crossedbyCecilWinwood。

ForthatoffencePhiladelphiaRedlosthiscredits。Heismiddle-

agednow，andheisstillinSanQuentin。Ifhesurviveshewillbeanoldmanwhentheylethimout。

Ilivedthroughmytwenty-fourhours，andIhaveneverbeenthesamemansince。Oh，Idon’tmeanphysically，althoughnextmorning，whentheyunlacedme，Iwassemi-paralyzedandinsuchastateofcollapsethattheguardshadtokickmeintheribstomakemecrawltomyfeet。ButIwasachangedmanmentally，morally。Thebrutephysicaltortureofitwashumiliationandaffronttomyspiritandtomysenseofjustice。Suchdisciplinedoesnotsweetenaman。I

emergedfromthatfirstjacketingfilledwithabitternessandapassionatehatredthathasonlyincreasedthroughtheyears。MyGod——whenIthinkofthethingsmenhavedonetome！Twenty-fourhoursinthejacket！LittleIthoughtthatmorningwhentheykickedmetomyfeetthatthetimewouldcomewhentwenty-fourhoursinthejacketmeantnothing；whenahundredhoursinthejacketfoundmesmilingwhentheyreleasedme；whentwohundredandfortyhoursinthejacketfoundthesamesmileonmylips。

Yes，twohundredandfortyhours。Dearcotton-woollycitizen，doyouknowwhatthatmeans？Itmeanstendaysandtennightsinthejacket。Ofcourse，suchthingsarenotdoneanywhereintheChristianworldnineteenhundredyearsafterChrist。Idon’taskyoutobelieveme。Idon’tbelieveitmyself。ImerelyknowthatitwasdonetomeinSanQuentin，andthatIlivedtolaughatthemandtocompelthemtogetridofmebyswingingmeoffbecauseI

bloodiedaguard’snose。

Iwritetheselinesto-dayintheYearofOurLord1913，andto-day，intheYearofOurLord1913，menarelyinginthejacketinthedungeonsofSanQuentin。

Ishallneverforget，aslongasfurtherlivingandfurtherlivesbevouchsafedme，mypartingfromPhiladelphiaRedthatmorning。Hehadthenbeenseventy-fourhoursinthejacket。

"Well，brother，you’restillalivean’kickin’，"hecalledtome，asIwastotteringlydraggedfrommycellintothecorridorofdungeons。

"Shutup，you，Red，"thesergeantsnarledathim。

"Forgetit，"wastheretort。

"I’llgetyouyet，Red，"thesergeantthreatened。

"Thinkso？"PhiladelphiaRedqueriedsweetly，erehistonesturnedtosavageness。"Why，youoldstiff，youcouldn’tgetnothin’。Youcouldn’tgetafreelunch，muchlessthejobyou’vegotnow，ifitwasn’tforyourbrother’spull。An’Iguessweallain’tmistakenonthestinkoftheplacewhereyourbrother’spullcomesfrom。"

Itwasadmirable——thespiritofmanrisingaboveitsextremity，fearlessofthehurtanybruteofthesystemcouldinflict。

"Well，solong，brother，"PhiladelphiaRednextcalledtome。"Solong。Begood，an’lovetheWarden。An’ifyousee’em，justtell’emthatyousawmebutthatyoudidn’tseemesaw。"

Thesergeantwasredwithrage，and，bythereceiptofvariouskicksandblows，IpaidforRed’spleasantry。

CHAPTERVIII

Insolitary，inCellOne，WardenAthertonandCaptainJamieproceededtoputmetotheinquisition。AsWardenAthertonsaidtome:

"Standing，you’regoingtocomeacrosswiththatdynamite，orI’llkillyouinthejacket。HardercasesthanyouhavecomeacrossbeforeIgotdonewiththem。You’vegotyourchoice——dynamiteorcurtains。"

"ThenIguessitiscurtains，"Ianswered，"becauseIdon’tknowofanydynamite。"

ThisirritatedtheWardentoimmediateaction。"Liedown，"hecommanded。

Iobeyed，forIhadlearnedthefollyoffightingthreeorfourstrongmen。Theylacedmetightly，andgavemeahundredhours。

Onceeachtwenty-fourhoursIwaspermittedadrinkofwater。Ihadnodesireforfood，norwasfoodofferedme。TowardtheendofthehundredhoursJackson，theprisondoctor，examinedmyphysicalconditionseveraltimes。

ButIhadgrowntoousedtothejacketduringmyincorrigibledaystoletasinglejacketinginjureme。Naturally，itweakenedme，tookthelifeoutofme；butIhadlearnedmusculartricksforstealingalittlespacewhiletheywerelacingme。Attheendofthefirsthundredhours’boutIwaswornandtired，butthatwasall。Anotherboutofthisdurationtheygaveme，afteradayandanighttorecuperate。Andthentheygaveonehundredandfiftyhours。MuchofthistimeIwasphysicallynumbandmentallydelirious。Also，byaneffortofwill，Imanagedtosleepawaylonghours。

Next，WardenAthertontriedavariation。Iwasgivenirregularintervalsofjacketandrecuperation。IneverknewwhenIwastogointothejacket。ThusIwouldhavetenhours’recuperation，anddotwentyinthejacket；orIwouldreceiveonlyfourhours’rest。Atthemostunexpectedhoursofthenightmydoorwouldclangopenandthechangingguardswouldlaceme。Sometimesrhythmswereinstituted。Thus，forthreedaysandnightsIalternatedeighthoursinthejacketandeighthoursout。Andthen，justasIwasgrowingaccustomedtothisrhythm，itwassuddenlyalteredandIwasgiventwodaysandnightsstraight。

Andevertheeternalquestionwaspropoundedtome:Wherewasthedynamite？SometimesWardenAthertonwasfuriouswithme。Onoccasion，whenIhadenduredanextraseverejacketing，healmostpleadedwithmetoconfess。Onceheevenpromisedmethreemonthsinthehospitalofabsoluterestandgoodfood，andthenthetrustyjobinthelibrary。

Dr。Jackson，aweakstickofacreaturewithasmatteringofmedicine，grewsceptical。Heinsistedthatjacketing，nomatterhowprolonged，couldneverkillme；andhisinsistencewasachallengetotheWardentocontinuetheattempt。

"Theseleancollegeguys’dfoolthedevil，"hegrumbled。"They’retougher’nraw-hide。Justthesamewe’llwearhimdown。Standing，youhearme。Whatyou’vegotain’tacautiontowhatyou’regoingtoget。Youmightaswellcomeacrossnowandsavetrouble。I’mamanofmyword。You’veheardmesaydynamiteorcurtains。Well，thatstands。Takeyourchoice。"

"Surelyyoudon’tthinkI’mholdingoutbecauseIenjoyit？"I

managedtogasp，foratthemomentPie-FaceJoneswasforcinghisfootintomybackinordertocinchmetighter，whileIwastryingwithmymuscletostealslack。"Thereisnothingtoconfess。Why，I’dcutoffmyrighthandrightnowtobeabletoleadyoutoanydynamite。"

"Oh，I’veseenyoureducatedkindbefore，"hesneered。"Yougetwheelsinyourhead，someofyou，thatmakeyousticktoanyoldidea。Yougetbaulky，likehorses。Tighter，Jones；thatain’thalfacinch。Standing，ifyoudon’tcomeacrossit’scurtains。Istickbythat。"

OnecompensationIlearned。Asonegrowsweakeroneislesssusceptibletosuffering。Thereislesshurtbecausethereislesstohurt。Andthemanalreadywellweakenedgrowsweakermoreslowly。Itisofcommonknowledgethatunusuallystrongmensuffermoreseverelyfromordinarysicknessesthandowomenorinvalids。

Asthereservesofstrengthareconsumedthereislessstrengthtolose。Afterallsuperfluousfleshisgonewhatisleftisstringyandresistant。Infact，thatwaswhatIbecame——asortofstring-

likeorganismthatpersistedinliving。

MorrellandOppenheimerweresorryforme，andrappedmesympathyandadvice。Oppenheimertoldmehehadgonethroughit，andworse，andstilllived。

"Don’tletthembeatyouout，"hespelledwithhisknuckles。"Don’tletthemkillyou，forthatwouldsuitthem。Anddon’tsquealontheplant。"

"Butthereisn’tanyplant，"Irappedbackwiththeedgeofthesoleofmyshoeagainstthegrating——Iwasinthejacketatthetimeandsocouldtalkonlywithmyfeet。"Idon’tknowanythingaboutthedamneddynamite。"

"That’sright，"Oppenheimerpraised。"He’sthestuff，ain’the，Ed？"

WhichgoestoshowwhatchanceIhadofconvincingWardenAthertonofmyignoranceofthedynamite。HisverypersistenceinthequestconvincedamanlikeJakeOppenheimer，whocouldonlyadmiremeforthefortitudewithwhichIkeptaclosemouth。

Duringthisfirstperiodofthejacket-inquisitionImanagedtosleepagreatdeal。Mydreamswereremarkable。Ofcoursetheywerevividandreal，asmostdreamsare。Whatmadethemremarkablewastheircoherenceandcontinuity。OftenIaddressedbodiesofscientistsonabstrusesubjects，readingaloudtothemcarefullypreparedpapersonmyownresearchesoronmyowndeductionsfromtheresearchesandexperimentsofothers。WhenIawakenedmyvoicewouldseemstillringinginmyears，whilemyeyesstillcouldseetypedonthewhitepaperwholesentencesandparagraphsthatIcouldreadagainandmarvelaterethevisionfaded。Inpassing，IcallattentiontothefactthatatthetimeInotedthattheprocessofreasoningemployedinthesedreamspeecheswasinvariablydeductive。

Thentherewasagreatfarmingsection，extendingnorthandsouthforhundredsofmilesinsomepartofthetemperateregions，withaclimateandfloraandfaunalargelyresemblingthoseofCalifornia。

Notonce，nortwice，butthousandsofdifferenttimesIjourneyedthroughthisdream-region。ThepointIdesiretocallattentiontowasthatitwasalwaysthesameregion。Noessentialfeatureofiteverdifferedinthedifferentdreams。Thusitwasalwaysaneight-

hourdrivebehindmountainhorsesfromthealfalfameadows(whereI

keptmanyJerseycows)tothestragglyvillagebesidethebigdrycreek，whereIcaughtthelittlenarrow-gaugetrain。Everyland-

markinthateight-hourdriveinthemountainbuckboard，everytree，everymountain，everyfordandbridge，everyridgeanderodedhillsidewaseverthesame。

Inthiscoherent，rationalfarm-regionofmystrait-jacketdreamstheminordetails，accordingtoseasonandtothelabourofmen，didchange。ThusontheuplandpasturesbehindmyalfalfameadowsI

developedanewfarmwiththeaidofAngoragoats。HereImarkedthechangeswitheverydream-visit，andthechangeswereinaccordancewiththetimethatelapsedbetweenvisits。

Oh，thosebrush-coveredslopes！HowIcanseethemnowjustaswhenthegoatswerefirstintroduced。AndhowIrememberedtheconsequentchanges——thepathsbeginningtoformasthegoatsliterallyatetheirwaythroughthedensethickets；thedisappearanceoftheyounger，smallerbushesthatwerenottootallfortotalbrowsing；thevistasthatformedinalldirectionsthroughtheolder，tallerbushes，asthegoatsbrowsedashighastheycouldstandandreachontheirhindlegs；thedriftageofthepasturegrassesthatfollowedinthewakeoftheclearingbythegoats。

Yes，thecontinuityofsuchdreamingwasitscharm。Camethedaywhenthemenwithaxeschoppeddownallthetallerbrushsoastogivethegoatsaccesstotheleavesandbudsandbark。Cametheday，inwinterweather，whenthedrydenudedskeletonsofallthesebushesweregatheredintoheapsandburned。CamethedaywhenI

movedmygoatsontootherbrush-impregnablehillsides，withfollowingintheirwakemycattle，pasturingknee-deepinthesucculentgrassesthatgrewwherebeforehadbeenonlybrush。AndcamethedaywhenImovedmycattleon，andmyplough-menwentbackandforthacrosstheslopes’contour——ploughingtherichsodundertorottoliveandcrawlinghumousinwhichtobedmyseedsofcropstobe。

Yes，andinmydreams，often，Igotoffthelittlenarrow-gaugetrainwherethestragglyvillagestoodbesidethebigdrycreek，andgotintothebuck-boardbehindmymountainhorses，anddrovehourbyhourpastalltheoldfamiliarlandmarksofmyalfalfameadows，andontomyuplandpastureswheremyrotatedcropsofcornandbarleyandcloverwereripeforharvestingandwhereIwatchedmymenengagedintheharvest，whilebeyond，everclimbing，mygoatsbrowsedthehigherslopesofbrushintocleared，tilledfields。

Buttheseweredreams，frankdreams，fanciedadventuresofmydeductivesubconsciousmind。Quiteunlikethem，asyoushallsee，weremyotheradventureswhenIpassedthroughthegatesofthelivingdeathandrelivedtherealityoftheotherlivesthathadbeenmineinotherdays。

InthelonghoursofwakinginthejacketIfoundthatIdweltagreatdealonCecilWinwood，thepoet-forgerwhohadwantonlyputallthistormentonme，andwhowaseventhenatlibertyoutinthefreeworldagain。No；Ididnothatehim。Thewordistooweak。

Thereisnowordinthelanguagestrongenoughtodescribemyfeelings。IcansayonlythatIknewthegnawingofadesireforvengeanceonhimthatwasapaininitselfandthatexceededalltheboundsoflanguage。IshallnottellyouofthehoursIdevotedtoplansoftortureonhim，norofthediabolicalmeansanddevicesoftorturethatIinventedforhim。Justoneexample。Iwasenamouredoftheancienttrickwherebyanironbasin，containingarat，isfastenedtoaman’sbody。Theonlywayoutfortheratisthroughthemanhimself。AsIsay，IwasenamouredofthisuntilIrealizedthatsuchadeathwastooquick，whereuponIdweltlongandfavourablyontheMoorishtrickof——butno，Ipromisedtorelatenofurtherofthismatter。Letitsufficethatmanyofmypain-

maddeningwakinghoursweredevotedtodreamsofvengeanceonCecilWinwood。

CHAPTERIX

OnethingofgreatvalueIlearnedinthelong，pain-wearyhoursofwaking——namely，themasteryofthebodybythemind。Ilearnedtosufferpassively，as，undoubtedly，allmenhavelearnedwhohavepassedthroughthepost-graduatecoursesofstrait-jacketing。Oh，itisnoeasytricktokeepthebraininsuchserenereposethatitisquiteoblivioustothethrobbing，exquisitecomplaintofsometorturednerve。

AnditwasthisverymasteryofthefleshbythespiritwhichIsoacquiredthatenabledmeeasilytopractisethesecretEdMorrelltoldtome。

"Thinkitiscurtains？"EdMorrellrappedtomeonenight。

Ihadjustbeenreleasedfromonehundredhours，andIwasweakerthanIhadeverbeenbefore。SoweakwasIthatthoughmywholebodywasonemassofbruiseandmisery，neverthelessIscarcelywasawarethatIhadabody。

"Itlookslikecurtains，"Irappedback。"Theywillgetmeiftheykeepitupmuchlonger。"

"Don’tletthem，"headvised。"Thereisaway。Ilearneditmyself，downinthedungeons，whenMassieandIgotoursgoodandplenty。Ipulledthrough。ButMassiecroaked。IfIhadn’tlearnedthetrick，I’dhavecroakedalongwithhim。You’vegottobeprettyweakfirst，beforeyoutryit。Ifyoutryitwhenyouarestrong，youmakeafailureofit，andthenthatqueersyouforeverafter。

ImadethemistakeoftellingJakethetrickwhenhewasstrong。Ofcourse，hecouldnotpullitoff，andinthetimessincewhenhedidneedit，itwastoolate，forhisfirstfailurehadqueeredit。Hewon’tevenbelieveitnow。HethinksIamkiddinghim。Ain’tthatright，Jake？"

AndfromcellthirteenJakerappedback，"Don’tswallowit，Darrell。

It’sasurefairystory。"

"Goonandtellme，"IrappedtoMorrell。

"ThatiswhyIwaitedforyoutogetrealweak，"hecontinued。"Nowyouneedit，andIamgoingtotellyou。It’suptoyou。Ifyouhavegotthewillyoucandoit。I’vedoneitthreetimes，andI

know。"

"Well，whatisit？"Irappedeagerly。

"Thetrickistodieinthejacket，towillyourselftodie。Iknowyoudon’tgetmeyet，butwait。Youknowhowyougetnumbinthejacket——howyourarmoryourleggoestosleep。Nowyoucan’thelpthat，butyoucantakeitfortheideaandimproveonit。Don’twaitforyourlegsoranythingtogotosleep。Youlieonyourbackascomfortableasyoucanget，andyoubegintouseyourwill。

"Andthisistheideayoumustthinktoyourself，andthatyoumustbelieveallthetimeyou’rethinkingit。Ifyoudon’tbelieve，thenthere’snothingtoit。Thethingyoumustthinkandbelieveisthatyourbodyisonethingandyourspiritisanotherthing。Youareyou，andyourbodyissomethingelsethatdon’tamounttoshucks。

Yourbodydon’tcount。You’retheboss。Youdon’tneedanybody。

Andthinkingandbelievingallthisyouproceedtoproveitbyusingyourwill。Youmakeyourbodydie。

"Youbeginwiththetoes，oneatatime。Youmakeyourtoesdie。

Youwillthemtodie。Andifyou’vegotthebeliefandthewillyourtoeswilldie。Thatisthebigjob——tostartthedying。Onceyou’vegotthefirsttoedead，therestiseasy，foryoudon’thavetodoanymorebelieving。Youknow。Thenyouputallyourwillintomakingtherestofthebodydie。Itellyou，Darrell，Iknow。

I’vedoneitthreetimes。

"Onceyougetthedyingstarted，itgoesrightalong。Andthefunnythingisthatyouareallthereallthetime。Becauseyourtoesaredeaddon’tmakeyouintheleastbitdead。By-and-byyourlegsaredeadtotheknees，andthentothethighs，andyouarejustthesameasyoualwayswere。Itisyourbodythatisdroppingoutofthegameachunkatatime。Andyouarejustyou，thesameyouwerebeforeyoubegan。"

"Andthenwhathappens？"Iqueried。

"Well，whenyourbodyisalldead，andyouareallthereyet，youjustskinoutandleaveyourbody。Andwhenyouleaveyourbodyyouleavethecell。Stonewallsandirondoorsaretoholdbodiesin。

Theycan’tholdthespiritin。Yousee，youhaveprovedit。Youarespiritoutsideofyourbody。Youcanlookatyourbodyfromoutsideofit。ItellyouIknowbecauseIhavedoneitthreetimes——lookedatmybodylyingtherewithmeoutsideofit。"

"Ha！ha！ha！"JakeOppenheimerrappedhislaughterthirteencellsaway。

"Yousee，that’sJake’strouble，"Morrellwenton。"Hecan’tbelieve。Thatonetimehetriedithewastoostrongandfailed。

AndnowhethinksIamkidding。"

"Whenyoudieyouaredead，anddeadmenstaydead，"Oppenheimerretorted。

"ItellyouI’vebeendeadthreetimes，"Morrellargued。

"Andlivedtotellusaboutit，"Oppenheimerjeered。

"Butdon’tforgetonething，Darrell，"Morrellrappedtome。"Thethingisticklish。Youhaveafeelingallthetimethatyouaretakingliberties。Ican’texplainit，butIalwayshadafeelingifIwasawaywhentheycameandletmybodyoutofthejacketthatI

couldn’tgetbackintomybodyagain。Imeanthatmybodywouldbedeadforkeeps。AndIdidn’twantittobedead。Ididn’twanttogiveCaptainJamieandtherestthatsatisfaction。ButItellyou，Darrell，ifyoucanturnthetrickyoucanlaughattheWarden。

Onceyoumakeyourbodydiethatwayitdon’tmatterwhethertheykeepyouinthejacketamonthonend。Youdon’tsuffernone，andyourbodydon’tsuffer。Youknowtherearecasesofpeoplewhohavesleptawholeyearatatime。That’sthewayitwillbewithyourbody。Itjuststaysthereinthejacket，nothurtingoranything，justwaitingforyoutocomeback。

"Youtryit。Iamgivingyouthestraightsteer。"

"Andifhedon’tcomeback？"Oppenheimer，asked。

"Thenthelaughwillbeonhim，Iguess，Jake，"Morrellanswered。

"Unless，maybe，itwillbeonusforstickingroundthisolddumpwhenwecouldgetawaythateasy。"

Andheretheconversationended，forPie-FaceJones，wakingcrustilyfromstolenslumber，threatenedMorrellandOppenheimerwithareportnextmorningthatwouldmeanthejacketforthem。Mehedidnotthreaten，forheknewIwasdoomedforthejacketanyway。

Ilaylongthereinthesilence，forgettingthemiseryofmybodywhileIconsideredthispropositionMorrellhadadvanced。Already，asIhaveexplained，bymechanicalself-hypnosisIhadsoughttopenetratebackthroughtimetomypreviousselves。ThatIhadpartlysucceededIknew；butallthatIhadexperiencedwasaflutteringofapparitionsthatmergederraticallyandwerewithoutcontinuity。

ButMorrell’smethodwassopatentlythereverseofmymethodofself-hypnosisthatIwasfascinated。Bymymethod，myconsciousnesswentfirstofall。Byhismethod，consciousnesspersistedlastofall，and，whenthebodywasquitegone，passedintostagessosublimatedthatitleftthebody，lefttheprisonofSanQuentin，andjourneyedafar，andwasstillconsciousness。

Itwasworthatrial，anyway，Iconcluded。And，despitethescepticalattitudeofthescientistthatwasmine，Ibelieved。I

hadnodoubtIcoulddowhatMorrellsaidhehaddonethreetimes。

Perhapsthisfaiththatsoeasilypossessedmewasduetomyextremedebility。PerhapsIwasnotstrongenoughtobesceptical。ThiswasthehypothesisalreadysuggestedbyMorrell。Itwasaconclusionofpureempiricism，andI，too，asyoushallsee，demonstrateditempirically。

CHAPTERX

Andaboveallthings，nextmorningWardenAthertoncameintomycellonmurderintent。WithhimwereCaptainJamie，DoctorJackson，Pie-

FaceJones，andAlHutchins。AlHutchinswasservingaforty-years’

sentence，andwasinhopesofbeingpardonedout。ForfouryearshehadbeenheadtrustyofSanQuentin。ThatthiswasapositionofgreatpoweryouwillrealizewhenItellyouthatthegraftaloneoftheheadtrustywasestimatedatthreethousanddollarsayear。

WhereforeAlHutchins，inpossessionoftenortwelvethousanddollarsandofthepromiseofapardon，couldbedependedupontodotheWarden’sbiddingblind。

IhavejustsaidthatWardenAthertoncameintomycellintentonmurder。Hisfaceshowedit。Hisactionsprovedit。

"Examinehim，"heorderedDoctorJackson。

Thatwretchedapologyofacreaturestrippedfrommemydirt-

encrustedshirtthatIhadwornsincemyentrancetosolitary，andexposedmypoorwastedbody，theskinridgedlikebrownparchmentovertheribsandsore-infestedfromthemanyboutswiththejacket。

Theexaminationwasshamelesslyperfunctory。

"Willhestandit？"theWardendemanded。

"Yes，"DoctorJacksonanswered。

"How’stheheart？"

"Splendid。"

"Youthinkhe’llstandtendaysofit，Doc。？"

"Sure。"

"Idon’tbelieveit，"theWardenannouncedsavagely。"Butwe’lltryitjustthesame——Liedown，Standing。"

Iobeyed，stretchingmyselfface-downwardontheflat-spreadjacket。

TheWardenseemedtodebatewithhimselfforamoment。

"Rollover，"hecommanded。

Imadeseveralefforts，butwastooweaktosucceed，andcouldonlysprawlandsquirminmyhelplessness。

"Puttingiton，"wasJackson’scomment。

"Well，hewon’thavetoputitonwhenI’mdonewithhim，"saidtheWarden。"Lendhimahand。Ican’twasteanymoretimeonhim。"

Sotheyrolledmeoveronmyback，whereIstaredupintoWardenAtherton’sface。

"Standing，"hesaidslowly，"I’vegivenyoualltheropeIamgoingto。Iamsickandtiredofyourstubbornness。Mypatienceisexhausted。DoctorJacksonsaysyouareinconditiontostandtendaysinthejacket。Youcanfigureyourchances。ButIamgoingtogiveyouyourlastchancenow。Comeacrosswiththedynamite。ThemomentitisinmyhandsI’lltakeyououtofhere。Youcanbatheandshaveandgetcleanclothes。I’llletyouloafforsixmonthsonhospitalgrub，andthenI’llputyoutrustyinthelibrary。Youcan’taskmetobefairerwithyouthanthat。Besides，you’renotsquealingonanybody。YouaretheonlypersoninSanQuentinwhoknowswherethedynamiteis。Youwon’thurtanybody’sfeelingsbygivingin，andyou’llbealltothegoodfromthemomentyoudogivein。Andifyoudon’t——"

Hepausedandshruggedhisshoulderssignificantly。

"Well，ifyoudon’t，youstartinthetendaysrightnow。"

Theprospectwasterrifying。SoweakwasIthatIwasascertainastheWardenwasthatitmeantdeathinthejacket。AndthenI

rememberedMorrell’strick。Now，ifever，wastheneedofit；andnow，ifever，wasthetimetopractisethefaithofit。IsmiledupinthefaceofWardenAtherton。AndIputfaithinthatsmile，andfaithinthepropositionImadetohim。

"Warden，"Isaid，"doyouseethewayIamsmiling？Well，if，attheendofthetendays，whenyouunlaceme，Ismileupatyouinthesameway，willyougiveasackofBullDurhamandapackageofbrownpaperstoMorrellandOppenheimer？"

"Ain’ttheythecrazyginks，thesecollegeguys，"CaptainJamiesnorted。

WardenAthertonwasacholericman，andhetookmyrequestforinsultingbraggadocio。

"Justforthatyougetanextracinching，"heinformedme。

"Imadeyouasportingproposition，Warden，"Isaidquietly。"Youcancinchmeastightasyouplease，butifIsmiletendaysfromnowwillyougivetheBullDurhamtoMorrellandOppenheimer？"