ht by dem ole mule bones. Jim, he was jus'
comin' up when Ah fired. So when he seen dat turkey fallin', whut do
he do? He fires off his gun an' make out he kilt dat turkey. Ah beat
him tuh de bird and we got tuh tusslin'. He tries tuh make _me_ give
him _mah_ turkey so's he kin run tuh Daisy an' make out he done kilt
it. So we got tuh fightin' an' Ah wuz beatin' him too till he retched
down an' got de hock bone uh dat mule an' lammed me over de head an'
fore Ah could git up, he done took mah turkey an' went wid it. (to
Clarke) Mist Clarke Ah wants tuh swear out uh warrant ginst Jim
Weston. Ahm gointer law him outa dis town, too.

SIMMS
Dat wuz uh low-down caper, Jim, cut sho nuff.

CLARKE
Sho its uh ugly caper tuh cut. Come on inside, Dave, an Ah'll make out
de papers. He ain't goin' to carry on lak dat in _my_ town.

(Exit Dave and Clarke into de store)

LINDSAY
(Jokingly to Sims) See whut capers you Meth'dis niggers'll
cut--lammin' folks over de head wid mule bones an' stealin' they
turkeys.

SIMMS
Oh you Baptist ain't uh lot better'n nobody else. You steals an'
fights too.

LINDSAY
(still bantering) Yeah, but we done kotched dis Meth'dis nigger an' we
gointer run him right on outa town too. Jus' wait an' see. Yeah, boy.
Dat Jim'll be uh gone gator 'fore tomorrow night.

WALTER
Oh, I don't know whether he's gointer be gone or not. We Meth'dis got
jus' as much say-so in dis town as anybody else.

LIGE
Yeah. You Baptis run yo' mouf but you don't run de town. Furthermo' we
ain't heard nothin' but Dave's lie. Better wait till we see Jim an'
git de straight of dis thing.

HAMBO
Will you lissen at dat? Dese half-washed Christians hates de truth lak
uh bed-bug hates de light. God a' mighty! (rising) Ahm goin' in an'
see to it dat de Mayor makes dem papers out right. (He exits angrily
into the store. Simms and all the men rise too)

SIMMS
Come on Walter, you an Lige. Less we go inside too. Dat po' boy got
tuh git jestice. An' 'tween de Mayor an' dese Baptists he ain't got
much chance. (They exit into the store)

1st WOMAN
Come on you young gals, whut y'all wanta be hangin' round de store an'
its way after black dark. Yo' mammies oughter take an frail de las'
one of yuh! Come along! (The girls come downoff the porch and join the
women. Loud angry voices inside the store)

2nd WOMAN
Lawd, lemme git home an' tell my husban' bout all dis. Umph! Umph!
(The women and girls exit as the men all emerge from th