of diamonds. Pats the jack on his
for head, sings:) Hey, hey, back up, jenny, get your load. (Talking)
Dump to that jack, boys, dump to it. High, low, jack and the game and
four. One to go. We're four wid you, boys.

LIGE: Yeah, but you-all playin' catch-up.

FRANK: Gimme them cards ... lemme deal some.

LIGE: Frank, now you really got responsibility on you. They's got one
game on us.

FRANK: Aw, man, I'm gonna deal 'em up a mess. This deal's in the White
House. (He shuffles and puts the cards down for WALTER to cut.) Cut
'em.

WALTER: Nope, I never cut green timber. (FRANK deals and turns the
card up.)

FRANK: Hearts, boys. (He turns up an ace.)

LUM: Aw, you snatched that ace, nigger.

WALTER: Yeah, they done carried the cub to us, partner.

LIGE: Oh, he didn't do no such a thing. That ace was turned fair. We
jus' too hard for you ... we eats our dinner out a the blacksmith
shop.

WALTER: Aw, you all cheatin'. You know it wasn't fair.

FRANK: Aw, shut up, you all jus' whoopin' and hollerin' for nothin'.
Tryin' to bully the game. (FRANK and LIGE rise and shake hands
grandly.)

LIGE: Mr. Hoover, you sho is a noble president. We done stuck these
niggers full of cobs. They done got scared to play us.

LIGE (?) Scared to play you? Get back down to this table, let me
spread my mess.

LOUNGER: Yonder comes Elder Simms. You all better squat that rabbit.
They'll be having you all up in the church for playin' cards.

(FRANK grabs up the cards and puts them in his pocket quickly.
Everybody picks up the money and looks unconcerned as the preacher
enters. Enter ELDER SIMMS with his two prim-looking little children by
the hand.)

ELDER SIMMS: How do, children. Right warm for this time in November,
ain't it?

VOICE: Yes sir, Reverend, sho is. How's Sister Simms?

SIMMS: She's feelin' kinda po'ly today. (Goes on in store with his
children)

VOICE: (Whispering loudly) Don't see how that great big ole powerful
woman could be sick. Look like she could go bear huntin' with her
fist.

ANOTHER VOICE: She look jus' as good as you-all's Baptist pastor's
wife. Pshaw, you ain't seen no big woman, nohow, man. I seen one once
so big she went to whip her little boy and he run up under her belly
and hid six months 'fore she could find him.

ANOTHER VOICE: Well, I knowed a woman so little that she had to get up
on a soap box to look over a grain of sand.

(REV. SIMMS comes out of store, each child behind him sucking