De Turkey and De Law Part 4

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 sh.e.l.ls 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) h.e.l.lo 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 sh.e.l.ls 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 bra.s.s fiddle.

JIM (Hitching up his trousers) Who can't shoot? (to Clarke) Come on an'

gimme un box uh sh.e.l.ls. 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 sh.e.l.ls 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 sh.e.l.ls 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 log--Aint got no dog How am I goin git him, G.o.d knows.

(Dave walks on back near the step, and begins to buck a wing. Daisy comes down the step admiring both the playing and the dancing. All the men goin in singing and clapping)

3.

Rabbit on de log--aint got no dog Shoot him wid my rifle, bam! bam!

4.

Oh Georgie Buck is dead, last word he said Never let a woman have her way

(The tempo rises. As Dave does a good break he brings up directly in front of Daisy. He grabs her and swings her into a slow drag. The porch cheers. Jim stops abruptly. (Enter two women, right and hurry up to the porch)

1st WOMAN (LULU) Don't stop, Jim! Hit dat box a couple mo' licks so some of dese men kin scorch us in de store and treat us.

JIM Aw, I dont feel lak no playin.

DAVE (Grinning triumphantly) Ahm gone dis time to git dat turkey. Daisy run tell yo' ma to put on de hot water kittle (He exits left with gun on shoulder)

DAISY Oh lemme see if I got a letter in de postoffice (She exits into store)

JIM He better git for home fore ah bust dis box over his head.

2nd WOMAN (Jenny) (Grabbing Lige) Aw, don't worry bout Dave Carter. Play us some music so I kin make Lige buy me some soda water. (She is playfully dragging Lige towards the door). Jenny you grab Walter.

(Walter makes a break to jump off the porch and run. The woman catches him and there is a very gay bit of tussling as the men are dragged towards the door)

1st WOMAN (Miss Lulu) I bet if this was Daisy, they'd uh done halted inside and toted out half de store.

JENNY Yeah. (gets Walter to the door) Everything you hear is Daisy, Daisy, Daisy! Just cause she got a walk on her like she done gone crazy thru de hips! (Yanks Walter into the door) Yeah, y'all goin treat us. Come on!

WALTER Yeah, but Daisy's uh young pullet and you gittin gray headed.

JENNY Thank G.o.d I aint gray elsewhere! Come right on. You gointer buy me some soda water n.i.g.g.e.r. (to Jim) Play us some music, Jim, so we kin grand march up to de counter.

JIM I can't play nothin--mad as I is. I'm one minute to boilin and two minutes to steam. I smell blood!