The Mule-Bone

epub:type="z3998:stage-direction">He comes up and pushes Jim playfully. Jim You better go head and let me alone. To Daisy. Come here, Daisy! Lige That’s just what I say. Niggers can’t have no fun without someone getting mad⁠ ⁠… specially over a woman. Jim I ain’t mad.⁠ ⁠… Daisy, ’scuse me, honey, but that fool, Dave.⁠ ⁠… Dave I ain’t mad neither.⁠ ⁠… Jim always tryin’ to throw off on me. But you can’t joke him. Daisy Soothingly. Aw, now, now! Jim You ain’t jokin’. You means that, nigger. And if you tryin’ to get hot, first thing, you can pull of my blue shirt you put on this morning. Dave Youse a got that wrong. I ain’t got on no shirt of yours. Jim Yes, you is got on my shirt, too. Don’t tell me you ain’t got on my shirt. Dave Well, even if I is, you can just lift your big plantations out of my shoes. You can just foot it home barefooted. Jim You try to take any shoes offa me! Lige Pacifying them. Aw, there ain’t no use of all that. What you all want to start this quarreling for over a little jokin’. Jim Nobody’s quarreling.⁠ ⁠… I’m just playin’ a little for Daisy and Dave’s out there clownin’ with her. Clark In doorway. I ain’t gonna have no fussin’ round my store, no way. Shut up, you all. Jim Well, Mayor Clark, I ain’t mad with him. We’se been friends all our lives. He’s slept in my bed and wore my clothes and et my grub.⁠ ⁠… Dave I et your grub? And many time as you done laid down with your belly full of my grandma’s collard greens. You done et my meat and bread a whole lot more times than I et your stewed fish-heads. Jim I’d rather eat stewed fish-heads than steal out of other folkses houses so much till you went to sleep on the roost and fell down one night and broke up the settin’ hen. Loud laughter from the crowd. Dave Youse a liar if you say I stole anybody’s chickens. I didn’t have to. But you⁠ ⁠… ’fore you started goin’ around with me, playin’ that little box of yours, you was so hungry you had the white mouth. If it wasn’t for these white folks throwin’ me money for my dancin’, you would be thin as a whisper right now. Jim Laughing sarcastically. Your dancin’! You been leapin’ around here like a tailless monkey in a wash pot for a long time and nobody was payin’ no ’tention to you, till I come along playing. Lindsay Boys, boys, that ain’t no way for friends to carry on. Daisy Well, if you all gonna keep up this quarrelin’ and carryin’ on I’m goin’ home. ’Bout time for me to be gittin’ back to my white folks anyhow. It’s dark now. I’m goin’, even if I have to go by myself. I shouldn’t a stopped by here nohow. Jim Stopping his quarrel. You ain’t gonna go home by yourself. I’m goin’ with you. Dave

Singing softly.

It may be so,
I don’t know.
But it sounds to me
Like a lie.

Walter Dave ain’t got as much rabbit blood as folks thought. Dave Tell ’em ’bout me. Turns to Daisy. Won’t you choose a treat on me, Miss Daisy, ’fore we go? Daisy Coyly. Yessir, thank you. I wants a drink of soda water. Dave pulls his hat down over his eyes, whirls around and offers his arm to Daisy. They strut into the store, Dave gazing contemptuously at Jim as he passes. Crowd roars with laughter, much to the embarrassment of Jim. Lige Ol’ fast Dave jus’ runnin’ the hog right over you, Jim. Walter Thought you was such a hot man. Lum Boger Want me to go in there and put Daisy under arrest and bring her to you? Jim Sitting down on the edge of porch with one foot on the step and lights a cigarette pretending not to be bothered. Aw, I’ll get her when I want her. Let him treat her, but see who struts around that lake and down the railroad with her by and by. Dave and Daisy emerge from the store, each holding a bottle of red soda pop and laughing together. As they start down the steps Dave accidentally steps on Jim’s outstretched foot. Jim jumps up and pushes Dave back, causing him to spill the red soda all over his white shirt front. Jim Stay off my foot, you big ox. Dave Well, you don’t have to wet me all up, do you, and me in company? Why don’t you put your damn foot in your pocket? Daisy Wiping Dave’s shirt front with her handkerchief. Aw, ain’t that too bad. Jim To Dave. Well, who’s shirt did I wet? It’s mine, anyhow, ain’t it? Dave Belligerently. Well, if it’s your shirt, then you come take it off me. I’m tired of your lip. Jim Well, I will. Dave Well, put your fist where you lip is. Pushing Daisy aside. Daisy Frightened. I want to go home. Now, don’t you all boys fight. Jim attempts to come up the steps. Dave pushes him back and he stumbles and falls in the dust. General excitement as the crowd senses a fight. Little Boy On the edge of crowd. Fight, fight, you’re no kin. Kill one another, won’t be no sin. Fight, fight, you’re no kin. Jim jumps up and rushes for Dave as the latter starts down the steps. Dave meets him with his fist squarely in the face and causes him to step backward, confused. Daisy Still on porch, half crying. Aw, my Lawd! I want to go home. General hubbub, women’s cries of “Don’t let ’em fight.” “Why don’t somebody stop ’em?” “What kind of men is you all, sit there and let them boys fight like that.” Men’s voices urging the fight: “Aw, let ’em fight.” “Go for him, Dave.” “Slug him, Jim.” Jim makes another