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beat up that crazy Chink yesterday in Bughouse Alleywhen he was
off duty； too。 He's on the night watch。 Dope him to…night an' make
him lose his job。 Show me； and we'll talk business with you。〃
All this Long Bill told me in the dungeons afterward。 Cecil Winwood
demurred against the immediacy of the demonstration。 He claimed
that he must have time in which to steal the dope from the
dispensary。 They gave him the time； and a week later he announced
that he was ready。 Forty hard…bitten lifers waited for the guard
Barnum to go to sleep on his shift。 And Barnum did。 He was found
asleep； and he was discharged for sleeping on duty。
Of course； that convinced the lifers。 But there was the Captain of
the Yard to convince。 To him； daily； Cecil Winwood was reporting
the progress of the breakall fancied and fabricated in his own
imagination。 The Captain of the Yard demanded to be shown。 Winwood
showed him； and the full details of the showing I did not learn
until a year afterward； so slowly do the secrets of prison intrigue
leak out。
Winwood said that the forty men in the break； in whose confidence he
was； had already such power in the Prison that they were about to
begin smuggling in automatic pistols by means of the guards they had
bought up。
〃Show me；〃 the Captain of the Yard must have demanded。
And the forger…poet showed him。 In the Bakery； night work was a
regular thing。 One of the convicts； a baker； was on the first
night…shift。 He was a stool of the Captain of the Yard； and Winwood
knew it。
〃To…night；〃 he told the Captain； 〃Summerface will bring in a dozen
'44 automatics。 On his next time off he'll bring in the ammunition。
But to…night he'll turn the automatics over to me in the bakery。
You've got a good stool there。 He'll make you his report to…
morrow。〃
Now Summerface was a strapping figure of a bucolic guard who hailed
from Humboldt County。 He was a simple…minded； good…natured dolt and
not above earning an honest dollar by smuggling in tobacco for the
convicts。 On that night； returning from a trip to San Francisco； he
brought in with him fifteen pounds of prime cigarette tobacco。 He
had done this before； and delivered the stuff to Cecil Winwood。 So；
on that particular night； he； all unwitting； turned the stuff over
to Winwood in the bakery。 It was a big； solid； paper…wrapped bundle
of innocent tobacco。 The stool baker； from concealment； saw the
package delivered to Winwood and so reported to the Captain of the
Yard next morning。
But in the meantime the poet…forger's too…lively imagination ran
away with him。 He was guilty of a slip that gave me five years of
solitary confinement and that placed me in this condemned cell in
which I now write。 And all the time I knew nothing about it。 I did
not even know of the break he had inveigled the forty lifers into
planning。 I knew nothing； absolutely nothing。 And the rest knew
little。 The lifers did not know he was giving them the cross。 The
Captain of the Yard did not know that the cross know was being
worked on him。 Summerface was the most innocent of all。 At the
worst； his conscience could have accused him only of smuggling in
some harmless tobacco。
And now to the stupid； silly； melodramatic slip of Cecil Winwood。
Next morning； when he encountered the Captain of the Yard； he was
triumphant。 His imagination took the bit in its teeth。
〃Well； the stuff came in all right as you said；〃 the captain of the
Yard remarked。
〃And enough of it to blow half the prison sky…high；〃 Winwood
corroborated。
〃Enough of what？〃 the Captain demanded。
〃Dynamite and detonators；〃 the fool rattled on。 〃Thirty…five pounds
of it。 Your stool saw Summerface pass it over to me。〃
And right there the Captain of the Yard must have nearly died。 I
can actually sympathize with himthirty…five pounds of dynamite
loose in the prison。
They say that Captain Jamiethat was his nicknamesat down and
held his head in his hands。
〃Where is it now？〃 he cried。 〃I want it。 Take me to it at once。〃
And right there Cecil Winwood saw his mistake。
〃I planted it；〃 he liedfor he was compelled to lie because； being
merely tobacco in small packages； it was long since distributed
among the convicts along the customary channels。
〃Very well；〃 said Captain Jamie； getting himself in hand。 〃Lead me
to it at once。〃
But there was no plant of high explosives to lead him to。 The thing
did not exist； had never existed save in the imagination of the
wretched Winwood。
In a large prison like San Quentin there are always hiding…places
for things。 And as Cecil Winwood led Captain Jamie he must have
done some rapid thinking。
As Captain Jamie testified before the Board of Directors； and as
Winwood also so testified； on the way to the hiding…place Winwood
said that he and I had planted the powder together。
And I； just released from five days in the dungeons and eighty hours
in the jacket； I； whom even the stupid guards could see was too weak
to work in the loom…room； I； who had been given the day off to
recuperatefrom too terrible punishmentI was named as the one who
had helped hide the non…existent thirty…five pounds of high
explosive！
Winwood led Captain Jamie to the alleged hiding…place。 Of course
they found no dynamite in it。
〃My God！〃 Winwood lied。 〃Standing has given me the cross。 He's
lifted the plant and stowed it somewhere else。〃
The Captain of the Yard said more emphatic things than 〃My God！〃
Also； on the spur of the moment but cold…bloodedly； he took Winwood
into his own private office； looked the doors； and beat him up
frightfullyall of which came out before the Board of Directors。
But that was afterward。 In the meantime； even while he took his
beating； Winwood swore by the truth of what he had told。
What was Captain Jamie to do？ He was convinced that thirty…five
pounds of dynamite were loose in the prison and that forty desperate
lifers were ready for a break。 Oh； he had Summerface in on the
carpet； and； although Summerface insisted the package contained
tobacco； Winwood swore it was dynamite and was believed。
At this stage I enter or； rather； I depart； for they took me away
out of the sunshine and the light of day to the dungeons； and in the
dungeons and in the solitary cells； out of the sunshine and the
light of day； I rotted for five years。
I was puzzled。 I had only just been released from the dungeons； and
was lying pain…racked in my customary cell； when they took me back
to the dungeon。
〃Now；〃 said Winwood to Captain Jamie； 〃though we don't know where it
is； the dynamite is safe。 Standing is the only man who does know；
and he can't pass the word out from the dungeon。 The men are ready
to make the break。 We can catch them red…handed。 It is up to me to
set the time。 I'll tell them two o'clock to…night and tell them
that； with the guards doped； I'll unlock their cells and give them
their automatics。 If； at two o'clock to…night； you don't catch the
forty I shall name with their clothes on and wide awake； then；
Captain； you can give me solitary for the rest of my sentence。 And
with Standing and the forty tight in the dungeons； we'll have all
the time in the world to locate the dynamite。〃
〃If we have to tear the prison down stone by stone；〃 Captain Jamie
added valiantly。
That was six years ago。 In all the intervening time they have never
found that non…existent explosive； and they have turned the prison
upside…down a thousand times in searching for it。 Nevertheless； to
his last day in office Warden Atherton believed in the existence of
that dynamite。 Captain Jamie； who is still Captain of the Yard；
believes to this day that the dynamite is somewhere in the prison。
Only yesterday； he came all the way up from San Quentin to Folsom to
make one more effort to get me to reveal the hiding…place。 I know
he will never breathe easy until they swing me off。
CHAPTER III
All that day I lay in the dungeon cudgelling my brains for the
reason of this new and inexplicable punishment。 All I could
conclude was that some stool had lied an infraction of the rules on
me in order to curry favour with the guards。
Meanwhile Captain Jamie fretted his head off and prepared for the
night； while Winwood passed the word along to the forty lifers to be
ready for the break。 And two hours after midnight every guard in
the prison was under orders。 This included the day…shift which
should have been asleep。 When two o'clock came； they rushed the
cells occupied by the forty。 The rush was simultaneous。 The cells
were opened at the same moment； and without exception the men named
by Winwood were found out of their bunks； fully dressed； and
crouching just inside their doors。 Of course； this was verification
absolute of all the fabric of lies that the p