Jim, if there's goin' to
be any trouble--

JIM. [_Watching the coming mob._] I reckon they ain't--and anyway I
want this side of the fence by myself. [_Exeunt_ LIZBETH _and_ EM'LY
_to house._] Take 'em way back to the kitchen.

SAM. [_At the door._] All right?

JIM. Dead sure.

_Exit_ SAM. JIM _removes his paper collar--adjusts the two guns under
his coat-tails--takes a chew of tobacco, and fatefully waits. Enter
back of fence_, BOLLINGER, SARBER, CAL, ESROM, DAVE, _and_ SUPERS;
DAVE _drifts away from them to left._ ESROM _playing Jew's-harp.
All enter when_ JIM _gets through his preparations and leans against
porch._

BOLLINGER. [_Loudly._] Here, stop the band.

SARBER. Stop her.

ESROM _is silent._

BOLLINGER. [Pause.] Hello, Jim. [_His tone carries a nagging
insinuation._

JIM. Hello.

DAVE. I'll tell the old man, Jim. [_Going._

JIM. Oh, no hurry, Dave.

_Exit_ DAVE.

BOLLINGER. Well, they killed our friend down at Louisiana last night.
[JIM _chews and nods once._] Where's your pony?

JIM. [_After pause._] Have you looked in the stable?

BOLLINGER. [_Sneering._] No.

JIM. Well, don't.

BOLLINGER. Didn't calculate to, Jim. [_Pause._] You know what that
fellow said before they shot him.

JIM. [_Shakes his head._] No.

SARBER. [_In quarrelsome bawl. Pointing at_ JIM.] Why, he said--

BOLLINGER. [_Maintaining his leadership._] Hold on! it was understood
I was to do the talkin'.

ALL. Go on! Shut up, Sarber!

SARBER. He was takin' all day fur it.

BOLLINGER. [_Clashing._] I'll take as long as I damn please, and I'll
have the nigger play tunes between times if I want to--

ALL. Go on, Bollinger!

BOLLINGER. [_Resuming his nag of_ JIM.] Know what he said?

JIM. [_Pause. Chews and shakes head._] Don't care.

BOLLINGER. He said you _give_ him the pony.

JIM. You _hear_ him say so?

BOLLINGER. No, but the boys down Louisiana did; they knowed it was
your pony, and they arrested him.

SARBER. [_Again intruding._] Then they telegraphed you--

BOLLINGER. Hold on! [_Growl from_ MOB.] They didn't know he was the
train-robber--only thought he was a hoss thief--so they held him while
they telegraphed you--[JIM _nods. Pause._] That's the way we got on to
him--the operator showed us the message--[_Pause._ JIM _nods._] Showed
us your answer, too. [_Pause._ JIM _nods._] Here's a copy of it marked
Exhibit B. "The man tells the truth. The pony is his'n.--Jim Radburn."

SARBER. And we saw the o