Міжзірковий мандрівник
Chapter 2
HewasastooloftheCaptainoftheYard,andWinwoodknewit.
“To-night,”hetoldtheCaptain,“Summerfacewillbringinadozen’44automatics.Onhisnexttimeoffhe’llbringintheammunition.Butto-nighthe’llturntheautomaticsovertomeinthebakery.You’vegotagoodstoolthere.He’llmakeyouhisreportto-morrow.”
NowSummerfacewasastrappingfigureofabucolicguardwhohailedfromHumboldtCounty.Hewasasimple-minded,good-natureddoltandnotaboveearninganhonestdollarbysmugglingintobaccofortheconvicts.Onthatnight,returningfromatriptoSanFrancisco,hebroughtinwithhimfifteenpoundsofprimecigarettetobacco.Hehaddonethisbefore,anddeliveredthestufftoCecilWinwood.So,onthatparticularnight,he,allunwitting,turnedthestuffovertoWinwoodinthebakery.Itwasabig,solid,paper-wrappedbundleofinnocenttobacco.Thestoolbaker,fromconcealment,sawthepackagedeliveredtoWinwoodandsoreportedtotheCaptainoftheYardnextmorning.
Butinthemeantimethepoet-forger’stoo-livelyimaginationranawaywithhim.HewasguiltyofaslipthatgavemefiveyearsofsolitaryconfinementandthatplacedmeinthiscondemnedcellinwhichInowwrite.AndallthetimeIknewnothingaboutit.Ididnotevenknowofthebreakhehadinveigledthefortylifersintoplanning.Iknewnothing,absolutelynothing.Andtherestknewlittle.
