SISTER TAYLOR. I know it. I know it, Ida. But dat ain’t de point. De crow we wants to pick is: Is we gointer set still an’ let dese Baptist tell us when to plant an’ when to pluck up? SISTER JONES. Dat is something to think about when you come to think ’bout it. (Starts to move on) Guess I better go ahead—see y’all later an tell you straighter. (Enter ELDER SIMMS, right, walking fast, Bible under his arm, almost collides with SISTER JONES as she exits.) SIMMS. Oh, ’scuse me, Sister Jones. (She nods and smiles and exits.) How you do, Sister Taylor, Sister Thomas. BOTH. Good evenin’, Elder. SIMMS. Sho is a hot day. SISTER TAYLOR. Yeah, de bear is walkin’de earth lak a natural man. SISTER THOMAS. Reverend, look like you headed de wrong way. It’s almost time for de trial an’ youse all de dependence we got. SIMMS. I know it. I’m tryin’to find de marshall so we kin go after Jim. I wants a chance to talk wid him a minute before court sets. SISTER TAYLOR. Y’think he’ll come clear? SIMMS. (Proudly) I _know_ it! (Shakes the Bible) I’m goin’to law ’em from Genesis to Revelation. SISTER THOMAS. Give it to ’em, Elder. Wear ’em out! SIMMS. We’se liable to havea new Mayor when all dis dust settle. Well, I better scuffle on down de road. (Exits, left.) SISTER THOMAS. Lord, lemme gwan home an’ put dese greens on. (Looks off stage left) Here come Mayor Clark now, wid his belly settin’out in front of him like a cow catcher! His name oughter be Mayor Belly. SISTER TAYLOR. (Arms akimbo) Jus’ look at him! Tryin’to look like a jigadier Breneral. (Enter CLARK hot and perspiring. They look at him coldly.) CLARK. I God, de bear got me! (Silence for a moment) How y’all feelin’, ladies? SISTER TAYLOR. Brother Mayor, I ain’t one of these folks dat bite my tongue an’ bust my gall—whut’s inside got to come out! I can’t see to my rest why you cloakin’in wid dese Baptist buzzards ’ginst yo’ own church. MAYOR CLARK. I ain’t cloakin’in wid _none_. I’m de Mayor of dis whole town I stands for de right an’ ginst de wrong—I don’t keer who it kill or cure. SISTER THOMAS. You think it’s right to be runnin’dat boy off for nothin’? CLARK. I God! You call knockin’a man in de head wid a mule bone nothin’? ’Nother thin; I done missed nine of my best-layin’hens. I ain’t sayin’ Jim got ’em, but different people has tole me he burries a powerful lot of feathers in his back yard. I God, I’m a ruint man! (He starts towards the right exit, but LUM BOGER enters right.) I God, Lum, I been lookin’for you all day. It’s almost three o’clock. (Hands him a key from his ring) Take dis key an’ go fetch Jim Weston on to de church. LUM. Have you got yo’ gavel from de lodge-room? CLARK. I God, that’s right, Lum. I’ll go get it from de lodge room whilst you go git de bone an’ de prisoner. Hurry up! You walk like dead lice droppin’off you. (He exits right while LUM crosses stage towards left.)