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abruptly concluding a cross…examination after having extracted a
fatal admission from a witness。
It was impossible to convince Oppenheimer of my sincerity。 He
insisted that I was making it up as I went along； although he
applauded what he called my 〃to…be…continued…in…our…next；〃 and； at
the times they were resting me up from the jacket； was continually
begging and urging me to run off a few more chapters。
〃Now； professor； cut out that high…brow stuff；〃 he would interrupt
Ed Morrell's and my metaphysical discussions； 〃and tell us more
about the ki…sang and the cunies。 And； say； while you're about it；
tell us what happened to the Lady Om when that rough…neck husband of
hers choked the old geezer and croaked。〃
How often have I said that form perishes。 Let me repeat。 Form
perishes。 Matter has no memory。 Spirit only remembers； as here； in
prison cells； after the centuries； knowledge of the Lady Om and
Chong Mong…ju persisted in my mind； was conveyed by me into Jake
Oppenheimer's mind； and by him was reconveyed into my mind in the
argot and jargon of the West。 And now I have conveyed it into your
mind； my reader。 Try to eliminate it from your mind。 You cannot。
As long as you live what I have told will tenant your mind。 Mind？
There is nothing permanent but mind。 Matter fluxes； crystallizes；
and fluxes again； and forms are never repeated。 Forms disintegrate
into the eternal nothingness from which there is no return。 Form is
apparitional and passes； as passed the physical forms of the Lady Om
and Chong Mong…ju。 But the memory of them remains； shall always
remain as long as spirit endures； and spirit is indestructible。
〃One thing sticks out as big as a house；〃 was Oppenheimer's final
criticism of my Adam Strang adventure。 〃And that is that you've
done more hanging around Chinatown dumps and hop…joints than was
good for a respectable college professor。 Evil communications； you
know。 I guess that's what brought you here。〃
Before I return to my adventures I am compelled to tell one
remarkable incident that occurred in solitary。 It is remarkable in
two ways。 It shows the astounding mental power of that child of the
gutters； Jake Oppenheimer； and it is in itself convincing proof of
the verity of my experiences when in the jacket coma。
〃Say； professor；〃 Oppenheimer tapped to me one day。 〃When you was
spieling that Adam Strang yarn； I remember you mentioned playing
chess with that royal souse of an emperor's brother。 Now is that
chess like our kind of chess？〃
Of course I had to reply that I did not know； that I did not
remember the details after I returned to my normal state。 And of
course he laughed good…naturedly at what he called my foolery。 Yet
I could distinctly remember that in my Adam Strang adventure I had
frequently played chess。 The trouble was that whenever I came back
to consciousness in solitary； unessential and intricate details
faded from my memory。
It must be remembered that for convenience I have assembled my
intermittent and repetitional jacket experiences into coherent and
consecutive narratives。 I never knew in advance where my journeys
in time would take me。 For instance； I have a score of different
times returned to Jesse Fancher in the wagon…circle at Mountain
Meadows。 In a single ten…days' bout in the jacket I have gone back
and back； from life to life； and often skipping whole series of
lives that at other times I have covered； back to prehistoric time；
and back of that to days ere civilization began。
So I resolved； on my next return from Adam Strang's experiences；
whenever it might be； that I should； immediately； I on resuming
consciousness； concentrate upon what visions and memories。 I had
brought back of chess playing。 As luck would have it； I had to
endure Oppenheimer's chaffing for a full month ere it happened。 And
then； no sooner out of jacket and circulation restored； than I
started knuckle…rapping the information。
Further； I taught Oppenheimer the chess Adam Strang had played in
Cho…Sen centuries agone。 It was different from Western chess； and
yet could not but be fundamentally the same； tracing back to a
common origin； probably India。 In place of our sixty…four squares
there are eighty…one squares。 We have eight pawns on a side； they
have nine； and though limited similarly； the principle of moving is
different。
Also； in the Cho…Sen game； there are twenty pieces and pawns against
our sixteen； and they are arrayed in three rows instead of two。
Thus； the nine pawns are in the front row； in the middle row are two
pieces resembling our castles； and in the back row； midway； stands
the king； flanked in order on either side by 〃gold money；〃 〃silver
money；〃 〃knight；〃 and 〃spear。〃 It will be observed that in the Cho…
Sen game there is no queen。 A further radical variation is that a
captured piece or pawn is not removed from the board。 It becomes
the property of the captor and is thereafter played by him。
Well； I taught Oppenheimer this gamea far more difficult
achievement than our own game； as will be admitted； when the
capturing and recapturing and continued playing of pawns and pieces
is considered。 Solitary is not heated。 It would be a wickedness to
ease a convict from any spite of the elements。 And many a dreary
day of biting cold did Oppenheimer and I forget that and the
following winter in the absorption of Cho…Sen chess。
But there was no convincing him that I had in truth brought this
game back to San Quentin across the centuries。 He insisted that I
had read about it somewhere； and； though I had forgotten the
reading； the stuff of the reading was nevertheless in the content of
my mind； ripe to be brought out in any pipe…dream。 Thus he turned
the tenets and jargon of psychology back on me。
〃What's to prevent your inventing it right here in solitary？〃 was
his next hypothesis。 〃Didn't Ed invent the knuckle…talk？ And ain't
you and me improving on it right along？ I got you； bo。 You
invented it。 Say； get it patented。 I remember when I was night…
messenger some guy invented a fool thing called Pigs in Clover and
made millions out of it。〃
〃There's no patenting this；〃 I replied。 〃Doubtlessly the Asiatics
have been playing it for thousands of years。 Won't you believe me
when I tell you I didn't invent it？〃
〃Then you must have read about it； or seen the Chinks playing it in
some of those hop…joints you was always hanging around；〃 was his
last word。
But I have a last word。 There is a Japanese murderer here in
Folsomor was； for he was executed last week。 I talked the matter
over with him； and the game Adam Strang played； and which I taught
Oppenheimer； proved quite similar to the Japanese game。 They are
far more alike than is either of them like the Western game。
CHAPTER XVII
You； my reader； will remember； far back at the beginning of this
narrative； how； when a little lad on the Minnesota farm； I looked at
the photographs of the Holy Land and recognized places and pointed
out changes in places。 Also you will remember； as I described the
scene I had witnessed of the healing of the lepers； I told the
missionary that I was a big man with a big sword； astride a horse
and looking on。
That childhood incident was merely a trailing cloud of glory； as
Wordsworth puts it。 Not in entire forgetfulness had I； little
Darrell Standing； come into the world。 But those memories of other
times and places that glimmered up to the surface of my child
consciousness soon failed and faded。 In truth； as is the way with
all children； the shades of the prison…house closed about me； and I
remembered my mighty past no more。 Every man born of woman has a
past mighty as mine。 Very few men born of women have been fortunate
enough to suffer years of solitary and strait…jacketing。 That was
my good fortune。 I was enabled to remember once again； and to
remember； among other things； the time when I sat astride a horse
and beheld the lepers healed。
My name was Ragnar Lodbrog。 I was in truth a large man。 I stood
half a head above the Romans of my legion。 But that was later；
after the time of my journey from Alexandria to Jerusalem； that I
came to command a legion。 It was a crowded life； that。 Books and
books； and years of writing could not record it all。 So I shall
briefen and no more than hint at the beginnings of it。
Now all is clear and sharp save the very beginning。 I never knew my
mother。 I was told that I was tempest…born； on a beaked ship in the
Northern Sea； of a captured woman； after a sea fight and a sack of a
coastal stronghold。 I never heard the name of my mother。 She died
at the height of the tempest。 She was of the North Danes； so old
Lingaard told me。 He told me much that I was too young to remember；
yet little could he tell。 A sea fight and a sack； battle and
plunde