Jim Dory, eh? Who said anything about Jim Dory? I guess you’ve told on yerself! BUTCH I never! SHERIFF You’ve fixed yerself now! Look around, Joe. I’ll watch him. They oughta be evidence, too. (JOE _begins his search of the room, over by the bunks. He crosses to the fireplace._) JOE Don’t see nuthin’. BUTCH You won’t find nuthin’— JOE Here’s a pan! Bloody water, Shuruff! SHERIFF Le’s see it— JOE (_bringing it over_) He washed his hands. SHERIFF You got ’em bloody, did you—puttin’ Jim back in the buggy? Oh, he told. He had time to git out a word or two afore he died. Well, we got evidence. We got you now whur we want you— BUTCH (_slowly_) Shuruff—I’ll tell you— SHERIFF It’s time you told me. BUTCH I’ll tell you who done it. My brother—he done it. ELLY Butch! BUTCH He’s crazy. He runs wild here in the woods. He ain’t right— SHERIFF (_sarcastically_) Whut’s this? BUTCH He lives with us—my brother— You must’a’ heerd of him. PLANK I’ve heerd of a crazy boy here in the woods, Shuruff. But that don’t prove nuthin’. You hear funny stories about these woods here— BUTCH Ask Elly! SHERIFF ’S this crazy boy live here with you? ELLY (_after a moment_) Yes. SHERIFF ’N’ sleeps here? ELLY Yes. Sleeps thar. (_She points to the top bunk._) SHERIFF (_to_ BUTCH) He’s yer brother, eh? BUTCH Yes. Name’s Adams—too, like mine. I’ll tell you. I cain’t pertect him. I tried. He went out las’ night. I didn’t know why. He goes out—roams in the woods—all the time. Lately, he’s got to mumblin’ sump’n—like this: “Woods is too full—woods is too full. People.” I’ve heerd him, ask Elly. ELLY Oh, he did—he said that—“People. Too many people. They’s room in the lake—they’s room thar—they’s room in the lake. It’s big. It’s deep.” Oh— (_Buries her face in her hands._) BUTCH She liked him. He _uz my brother_. Las’ night he went out. He come in this mornin’ early. It uz him—it uz _him_ killed Jim Dory. He told me. Met him in the woods—stuck a knife in him. He washed his hands—they uz blood on ’em. He throwed his coat under the bunk—they uz blood on it. He went out again. SHERIFF (_excitedly_) Whur is he? Whur’d he go to? BUTCH Don’t ask me— SHERIFF Tell me—quick, whur is he? ELLY (_in anguish_) In the lake—that’s whur he’s at. SHERIFF In the lake? ELLY Drownded. BUTCH No—no! No, he ain’t, Shuruff. He’s _on_ the lake. ELLY (_agonized_) Butch! BUTCH In a boat. SHERIFF We’ll git him. He won’t git away! BUTCH You won’t git him—not alive, you won’t. You’ll have t’ be keerful if you even go near him—he’s got a gun! SHERIFF We’ll git him! BUTCH He’s crazy. He’ll shoot. SHERIFF We’ll shoot _first_! ELLY Shuruff! No, no! Don’t do it. Don’t listen t’ him. BUTCH Be keerful, Shuruff— SHERIFF I ain’t skeered of him— BUTCH They’s a girl with him— SHERIFF A girl—? BUTCH