being crowded； I had been forced to accept an upper berth。 It was only the other day。 A few years ago。 I was an old man then。 We were coming up from Florida。 It was a collision on a high trestle。 The train crumpled up； and some of the cars fell over sideways and fell off； ninety feet into the bottom of a dry creek。 It was dry； though there was a pool of water just ten feet in diameter and eighteen inches deep。 All the rest was dry boulders； and I bull's…eyed that pool。
〃This is the way it was。 I had just got on my shoes and pants and shirt； and had started to get out of the bunk。 There I was； sitting on the edge of the bunk； my legs dangling down； when the locomotives came together。 The berths； upper and lower； on the opposite side had already been made up by the porter。
〃And there I was； sitting； legs dangling； not knowing where I was； on a trestle or a flat； when the thing happened。 I just naturally left that upper berth； soared like a bird across the aisle； went through the glass of the window on the opposite side clean head… first； turned over and over through the ninety feet of fall more times than I like to remember； and by some sort of miracle was mostly flat…out in the air when I bull's…eyed that pool of water。 It was only eighteen inches deep。 But I hit it flat； and I hit it so hard that it must have cushioned me。 I was the only survivor of my car。 It struck forty feet away from me； off to the side。 And they took only the dead out of it。 When they took me out of the pool I wasn't dead by any means。 And when the surgeons got done with me； there were the fingers gone from my hand； that scar down the side of my face 。 。 。 and； though you'd never guess it； I've been three ribs short of the regular complement ever since。
〃Oh； I had no complaint coming。 Think of the others in that car all dead。 Unfortunately； I was riding on a pass； and so could not sue the railroad company。 But here I am； the only man who ever dived ninety feet into eighteen inches of water and lived to tell the tale。Steward； if you don't mind replenishing my glass 。 。 。 〃
Dag Daughtry complied and in his excitement of interest pulled off the top of another quart of beer for himself。
〃Go on； go on； sir；〃 he murmured huskily； wiping his lips； 〃and the treasure…hunting graft。 I'm straight dying to hear。 Sir； I salute you。〃
〃I may say； steward；〃 the Ancient Mariner resumed； 〃that I was born with a silver spoon that melted in my mouth and left me a proper prodigal son。 Also； that I was born with a back…bone of pride that would not melt。 Not for a paltry railroad accident； but for things long before as well as after； my family let me die； and I 。 。 。 I let it live。 That is the story。 I let my family live。 Furthermore； it was not my family's fault。 I never whimpered。 I never let on。 I melted the last of my silver spoon… …South Sea cotton； an' it please you； cacao in Tonga； rubber and mahogany in Yucatan。 And do you know； at the end； I slept in Bowery lodging…houses and ate scrapple in East…Side feeding…dens； and； on more than one occasion； stood in the bread…line at midnight and pondered whether or not I should faint before I fed。〃
〃And you never squealed to your family；〃 Dag Daughtry murmured admiringly in the pause。
The Ancient Mariner straightened up his shoulders； threw his head back； then bowed it and repeated； 〃No； I never squealed。 I went into the poor…house； or the county poor…farm as they call it。 I lived sordidly。 I lived like a beast。 For six months I lived like a beast； and then I saw my way out。 I set about building the Wide Awake。 I built her plank by plank； and copper…fastened her； selected her masts and every timber of her； and personally signed on her full ship's complement fore…and…aft； and outfitted her amongst the Jews； and sailed with her to the South Seas and the treasure buried a fathom under the sand。
〃You see；〃 he explained； 〃all this I did in my mind； for all the time I was a hostage in the poor…farm of broken men。〃
The Ancient Mariner's face grew suddenly bleak and fierce； and his right hand flashed out to Daughtry's wrist； prisoning it in withered fingers of steel。
〃It was a long； hard way to get out of the poor…farm and finance my miserable little； pitiful little； adventure of the Wide Awake。 Do you know that I worked in the poor…farm laundry for two years； for one dollar and a half a week； with my one available hand and what little I could do with the other； sorting dirty clothes and folding sheets and pillow…slips until I thought a thousand times my poor old back would break in two； and until I knew a million times the location in my chest of every fraction of an inch of my missing ribs。〃
〃You are a young man yet〃
Daughtry grinned denial as he rubbed his grizzled mat of hair。
〃You are a young man yet； steward；〃 the Ancient Mariner insisted with a show of irritation。 〃You have never been shut out from life。 In the poor…farm one is shut out from life。 There is no respectno； not for age alone； but for human life in the poor… house。 How shall I say it？ One is not dead。 Nor is one alive。 One is what once was alive and is in process of becoming dead。 Lepers are treated that way。 So are the insane。 I know it。 When I was young and on the sea； a brother…lieutenant went mad。 Sometimes he was violent； and we struggled with him； twisting his arms； bruising his flesh； tying him helpless while we sat and panted on him that he might not do harm to us； himself； or the ship。 And he； who still lived； died to us。 Don't you understand？ He was no longer of us； like us。 He was something other。 That is itOTHER。 And so； in the poor…farm； we； who are yet unburied； are OTHER。 You have heard me chatter about the hell of the longboat。 That is a pleasant diversion in life compared with the poor…farm。 The food； the filth； the abuse； the bullying； thethe sheer animalness of it！
〃For two years I worked for a dollar and a half a week in the laundry。 And imagine me； who had melted a silver spoon in my moutha sizable silver spoon stewardimagine me； my old sore bones； my old belly reminiscent of youth's delights； my old palate ticklish yet and not all withered of the deviltries of taste learned in younger daysas I say； steward； imagine me； who had ever been free…handed； lavish； saving that dollar and a half intact like a miser； never spending a penny of it on tobacco； never mitigating by purchase of any little delicacy the sad condition of my stomach that protested against the harshness and indigestibility of our poor fare。 I cadged tobacco； poor cheap tobacco； from poor doddering old chaps trembling on the edge of dissolution。 Ay； and when Samuel Merrivale I found dead in the morning； next cot to mine； I first rummaged his poor old trousers' pocket for the half…plug of tobacco I knew was the total estate he left； then announced the news。
〃Oh； steward； I was careful of that dollar and a half。 Don't you see？I was a prisoner sawing my way out with a tiny steel saw。 And I sawed out！〃 His voice rose in a shrill cackle of triumph。 〃Steward； I sawed out！〃
Dag Daughtry held forth and up his beer…bottle as he said gravely and sincerely：
〃Sir； I salute you。〃
〃And I thank you； siryou understand；〃 the Ancient Mariner replied with simple dignity to the toast； touching his glass to the bottle and drinking with the steward eyes to eyes。
〃I should have had one hundred and fifty…six dollars when I left the poor…farm；〃 the ancient one continued。 〃But there were the two weeks I lost； with influenza； and the one week from a confounded pleurisy； so that I emerged from that place of the living dead with but one hundred and fifty…one dollars and fifty cents。〃
〃I see； sir；〃 Daughtry interrupted with honest admiration。 〃The tiny saw had become a crow…bar； and with it you were going back to break into life again。〃
All the scarred face and washed eyes of Charles Stough Greenleaf beamed as he held his glass up。
〃Steward； I salute you。 You understand。 And you have said it well。 I was going back to break into the house of life。 It was a crowbar； that pitiful sum of money accumulated by two years of crucifixion。 Think of it！ A sum that in the days ere the silver spoon had melted； I staked in careless moods of an instant on a turn of the cards。 But as you say； a burglar； I came back to break into life； and I came to Boston。 You have a fine turn for a figure of speech； steward； and I salute you。〃
Again bottle and glass tinkled together； and both men drank eyes to eyes and each was aware that the eyes he gazed into were honest and understanding。
〃But it was a thin crow…bar； steward。 I dared not put my weight on it for a proper pry。 I took a room in a small but respectable hotel； European plan。 It was in Boston； I think I said。 Oh； how careful I was of my crowbar！ I scarcely ate enough to keep my frame inhabited。 But I bought drinks for others； most carefully selectedbought drinks with an air of prosperity that was as a credential to my story； and in my cups （my apparent cups； steward）； spun an old man's yarn of the Wide Awake； the longboat； the bearings unnamable； and the treasure under the sand。A fathom under the sand； that was literary； it was psychological； it smacked of the salt sea； and daring rovers； and the loot of the Spanish Main。
〃You have noticed this nugget I wear on my watch…chain； steward？ I could not afford it at that time； but I talked golden instead； California gold； nuggets and nuggets； oodles and oodles； from the diggings of forty…nine and fifty。 That was literary。 That was colour。 Later； after my first voyage out of Boston I was financially able to buy a nugget。 It was so much bait to which men rose like fishes。 And like fishes they nibbled。 These rings； alsobait。 You never see such rings now。 After I got in funds； I purchased them； too。 Take this nugget： I am talking。 I toy with it absently as I am telling of the great gold treasure we buried under the sand。 Suddenly the nugget flashes fresh recollection into my mind。 I speak of the longboat； of our thirst and hunger； and of the third officer； the fair lad with cheeks virgin of the razor； and that he it was who used it as a sinker when we strove to catch fish。
〃But back in Bosto