The Sleeping Wolf

           ItwasaboutthistimethatthenewspaperswerefullofthedaringescapeofaconvictfromSanQuentinprison. Hewasaferociousman. Hehadbeenill-madeinthemaking. Hehadnotbeenbornright,andhehadnotbeenhelpedanybythemouldinghehadreceivedatthehandsofsociety.Thehandsofsocietyareharsh,andthismanwasastrikingsampleofitshandiwork. Hewasabeast—ahumanbeast,itistrue,butneverthelesssoterribleabeastthathecanbestbecharacterisedascarnivorous. 

           InSanQuentinprisonhehadprovedincorrigible. Punishmentfailedtobreakhisspirit. Hecoulddiedumb-madandfightingtothelast,buthecouldnotliveandbebeaten. Themorefiercelyhefought,themoreharshlysocietyhandledhim,andtheonlyeffectofharshnesswastomakehimfiercer. Straight-jackets,starvation,andbeatingsandclubbingswerethewrongtreatmentforJimHall;butitwasthetreatmenthereceived. ItwasthetreatmenthehadreceivedfromthetimehewasalittlepulpyboyinaSanFranciscoslum—softclayinthehandsofsocietyandreadytobeformedintosomething. 

           ItwasduringJimHall’sthirdterminprisonthatheencounteredaguardthatwasalmostasgreatabeastashe. Theguardtreatedhimunfairly,liedabouthimtothewarden,losthiscredits,persecutedhim. Thedifferencebetweenthemwasthattheguardcarriedabunchofkeysandarevolver. JimHallhadonlyhisnakedhandsandhisteeth. Buthesprangupontheguardonedayandusedhisteethontheother’sthroatjustlikeanyjungleanimal. 

           Afterthis,JimHallwenttoliveintheincorrigiblecell. Helivedtherethreeyears. Thecellwasofiron,thefloor,thewalls,theroof. Heneverleftthiscell. Heneversawtheskynorthesunshine. Daywasatwilightandnightwasablacksilence. Hewasinanirontomb,buriedalive.