the Jack upon his forehead. He stands up and sings again.) Ahm goin' to de 'Bama Lawd. Pardner don't want no change. (He collects that trick and plays again. Dave also stands.)

DAVE Here come de man from de White House—ol' king of diamonds. (Sings, all join.) Ahm goin' back to de Bama, Lawd. Pardner won't be worried wid you. (He collects the trick.) Never had no trouble, Lour pardner, till I stopped by here.

(They all stand hilariously slam down their cards.

WALTER Aw, wese just too hard for you boys—we eats our dinner out de blacksmith shop. Y'all can't bully dis game. (He solemnly reaches over and takes Dave's hand.)

DAVE (to Walter) Mr. Hoover, you sho is a noble president. We done stuck dese shad-moufs full of cobs. They skeered to play us any mo'.

LIGE Who skeered? Y'all jus' playin ketch up nohow. Git back down and lemme wrap uh five-up round yo' neck.

DAVE (looking off right) Squat dat rabbit an' less jump another one. Here come Daisy.

WALTER Aw Lord, you ain't no mo' good now. But Ah don't blame you, Dave, she looks warm.

(Enter Daisy right with a scarlet hibiscus over each ear and smiling broadly.)

LIGE (jumps down and takes Daisy by the arm) Come on up here, Daisy and ease Dave's pain. He's so crazy 'bout you his heart 'bout to burn a hole in his shirt. (She steps up on the porch)

DAVE
(Bashfully) Aw, y'all gwan. Ah kin talk.

DAISY
(Arms akimbo, impudently) Oh kin you? (She gets up close to Dave)

DAVE
(Pleased) You better git way from me fore Jim come long.

DAISY (Coquettishly) Ain't you man enough to cover de ground you stand on?

DAVE
Oh, Ah can back my crap! Don't worry 'bout me. Where you headed for?

DAISY
Where you goin? (Audaciously)

DAVE Out by de cypress swamp to kill us uh turkey. Its uh great big ole gobbler—been slurring me fer six months. Ahm gointer git him today for you, and yo' mama gointer cook him.

DAISY
Ah sho would love the ham of turkey.

DAVE (Patting his gun barrel) Well me an' ole Hannah sho gointer git you one. Look here, Daisy, will you choose uh bag of ground peas?

DAISY
I jus love goobers

DAVE
(Sticking out his right elbow) You lak chicken?

DAISY
Yeah

DAVE Take uh wing. (She locks arms with him and they strut inside the store.)

LIGE
Ah blieve dat fool is got some gumption. Jim Weston better watch out.

WALTER
Oh I ain't never figgered Dave was no fool. He's uh bottom fish. Jim
talks all de time but Dave will run him uh hot—here he come now.
(Looks off left. All look the same way.)

LUM Lawd, don't he look mean? (She chuckles) Ah bet he know Daisy's here wid Dave. Ah wouldn't take nothin' for dis.

(Enter Jim Weston left with a guitar looking very glum. He stops beside the step for a moment. Takes off his hat and fans with it.)

JIM
Howdy do, folks.

ALL
Howdy do, Jim.

JIM Don't do all they say. (He sees the gun leaning against the rail) Who gun dat? (Points at the gun)

LIGE You know so well whose gun dat is. Ah jus' heard him say he's goin out to git his gal uh ham of a turkey gobbler out round de cypress swamp. He's inside now treatin her to penders and candy. (He winks at the others and they wink back)

WALTER (Turns and calls into the store) Say, Dave! Don't try to keep Daisy in dere all day. Her feller out here waitin to scorch her home.

DAVE (from inside store)
Let him come git her if she want him.

LIGE Umph! dere now, de mule done kicked Rucker! (Calls inside to Dave) I hear you crowin, rooster. I know yo' nest aint far.

HAMBO (From inside store) Yeah, dis rooster must know something—he's gittin plenty grit in his craw.

(General laughter)

(There is a gay burst of laughter from inside the store. In a moment
Dave enters from the store with Daisy on his left arm. With his right
he is stuffing shells into his pocket. The air is tense. Lindsay,
Hambo and Joe Clarke all enter behind the couple)

DAVE (Releases Daisy and steps to the edge of the porch right in front of Jim and looks up at the sky) Well, sun's gettin low—better git on out to de swamp and git dat gobbler. (He turns and picks up de gun and breaks it)

JIM
Lo Daisy. (Sullenly)

DAISY (Brightly) Hello Jimmy (She is eating peanuts) Ain't Dave smart? He's gonna kill me uh turkey an' ah kin eat all ah wants.

JIM
He aint de onliest person kin shoot round here.

LIGE Yeah, but he's best marksman just de same. Taint no use talkin, Jim. You can't buck Dave in de woods. But you got de world beat wid uh git-fiddle. Yessuh, Dave is uh sworn marksman but you kin really beat de box. Less have uh tune.

JIM
Oh I ain't for pickin no box. I come to git some shells for my rifle.
Sorta figgered on uh wild turkey or two. (He comes up on the porch and
starts in the store)

DAISY
If Dave go git me dat big ole turkey an' you go git me one too—gee!
Wont I have uh turkey fit?

LINDSAY
Lord, Daisy, you gointer have dese boys killin up every turkey in
Orange County.

WALTER You mean Dave. Jim couldn't hit de side of uh barn wid uh brass fiddle.

JIM (Hitching up his trousers) Who can't shoot? (to Clarke) Come on an' gimme un box uh shells. I'll show yuh who kin shoot! (He exits into store with Clarke behind him)

DAVE
(To Daisy) You wait here till ah git back wid yo' turkey.

DAISY
Ahm skeered.

DAVE Whut you skeered of? Jim? He aint no booger boo, if his ears do flop lak uh mule.

DAISY Naw. Ah aint skeered uh no Jim. Ah got tuh git back tuh de white folks an Ahm skeered tuh go round dat lake at night by myself. (Enter Jim from store and stands in door with box of shells in his hand)

JIM No girl look like you don't have to go home by yo' self, if it was midnight.

DAVE
(Gun in hand and ready to exit) Naw, cause Ahm right here—

JIM Daisy don't you trust yo'self round dat lake after dark, wid dat (points at Dave) breath and—britches. You needs uh real man to perteck you from dem 'gators and moccasins.

DAVE
Let somethin happen and she'll find out who got rabbit blood and who
aint. Well, Ahm gone. (He steps down off the steps but looks back at
Daisy).

JIM Ahm goin too—git you uh great big ole turkey-rooster. (Dave takes a step or two towards left exit).

DAISY Jim, aint you gointer knock off a li'l tune fo' you go? Ahm lonesome for some music.

(Dave stops in his tracks and looks wistful. Jim sets down the shells on the bench and picks up his box with a swagger and tunes a bit.)

WALTER
Georgy Buck!

JIM (Plays the air thru once then starts to sing. Dave leans his gun against the fence and stands there.)

  1.
  Georgy Buck is dead, last word he said
  I don't want no shortenin in my bread.

  2.
  Rabbit on de