BETTY They’s no place else t’ go— LLOYD It’s the _only_ place t’ go. We’d oughta went thar before. Come on, Betty, git in. (_They get in the boat._ LLOYD _shoves it away from the bank_.) We c’n go acrost ’n’ git grub—we c’n go home— BETTY Home! I don’t want t’ _see_ home again! I hate it! I hate these woods! They’s no place fer us—nowhur— LLOYD They’s room on the lake— BETTY Oh, yes! They’s room thar! They’s room on the Lake! LLOYD It’s big! It’s deep! (_They row out of sight, left. A burst of song and laughter comes from the picnickers down the lake. Then there is the sharp crackle of twigs, and the noise of running._ PLANK _and the_ SHERIFF _run in from the right_.) PLANK (_pointing off left, excitedly_) Thar he is, Shuruff! SHERIFF (_Draws his pistol as they run off left._) _Curtain_ THE LAKE SCENE 2 (_A cleared place sloping down to the left, where the lake comes in in a little bay. The branches of old trees meet overhead. The lake glitters in the bright sunlight._ PLANK _and the_ SHERIFF, _with the pistol still in his hand, stand and shout off left_.) SHERIFF Come in, you! Put that boat in to shore! LLOYD’S VOICE I won’t— I won’t— SHERIFF I’m givin’ you one more chance! LLOYD’S VOICE I won’t never do it! You cain’t make me, you cain’t— SHERIFF I’ll give you till I count three! LLOYD’S VOICE Count ten! Count a hunderd! I won’t come! SHERIFF (_deliberately_) One! Two! Three! Comin’? LLOYD’S VOICE Never! SHERIFF (_raises his gun slowly and fires_) Take that, then! (BETTY _screams_.) PLANK You got him, Shuruff! He’s sunk down in the boat like he’s dead! Hey! Look at it! Look! The girl! She’s standin’ up in the boat! Good God, she’s jumpin’ in the lake! She’ll drownd! (BUTCH _and_ ELLY, _followed by_ JOE, _run in from the right_.) ELLY (_in horror_) Shuruff! Shuruff! You’ve killed him! You’ve killed him! (_She looks off, left._) Oh, the girl—she’s drownin’! Quick, save her—you got to—go an’ save her, she’s drownin’! (BUTCH _throws off his coat_.) BUTCH (_muttering_) Christ! (_He dashes off, left._) ELLY (_with a moan_) Oh, w’at’ve you done, w’at’ve you done! (_With bitter scorn._) You don’t know! You think you’ve upheld the law, you think you’ve done yer duty! Well, you ain’t! You’ve killed an innocent boy that wouldn’t hurt a fly—that’s w’at you’ve done! (_She looks left._) Oh, hurry! hurry! She’s goin’ down! Hurry an’ git her! SHERIFF Go help him, Plank. Go help him. Joe, go drag in the boat. Hurry up! (PLANK _and_ JOE _hurry out_.) ELLY Mebbe she ain’t drownded. Mebbe she ain’t—the pore thing— (_She sinks down wearily. To the_ SHERIFF.) Why’d you stand thar? Why don’t you do sump’n? (_With infinite scorn, infinite weariness._) Look at him. He’s the law. He’s done his duty. He’s got his man. He’ll git a reward. SHERIFF Shet up! ELLY