Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-01-24
Finds Role Of A
Bully Exciting
BY RICHARD WRIGHT
(InStaIiment Four

BY RICHARD WRIGHT
unstaIlment Four
&'"Swell, wasn't it?''
Yeah, it was a killer" Bigger
said.
He walked alongside Jack brisk
~ until they came to Thirty-ninth
Street.
I'VE better get our guns" Bigger
said.
Yeah"
I'VE got about fifteen minutes. 50
20. X"
$50 long"
He walked home with a mount
ing feeling of fear When he reach
ed his doorway, he hesitated about
going up. He didn't want to rob
Blumis; he was scared. But he had
To- go through with it now. Noise
lessly, he went up the steps and
inserted his key in the lock, the
door swung in silently and he heard
his mother singing behind Che cur
tain:
I5--n
= Ia my heart, in my heart,
{; Lord, / want to be Christian,
In my heart, in my heart. ...
6 He tiptOed into the room and
lifted the top mattress of his bed
and pulled forth the gun and
slipped it inside of his shirt. Just
as he was about to open the door
his mother paused in her singing.
THAT you, Bigger?"
4 He stepped quickly into the outer
hallway and slammed the door and
bounded headlong down the stairs
He went to the vestibule and swung
through the door into the street
feeling that ball of hot tightness
growing larger and heavier in his
stomach and chest. He opened his
mouth to breathe. He headed fo1
Docs and came to the door and
looked inside. Jack and @. H. were
shooting pool at a rear table. Gus
was not there. He felt slight les
SEEMING of nervous tension and swal-
lowed. He looked up and down the
street; very few people were ou
and the cop was not in sight. A
clock in a window across the stree
told him that it was twelve min.
.utes to three. Well, this was it; III
had to go IN he lifted his left hant
and wiped sweat from his fore
head in a long slow gesture. HI
hesitated a moment longer at thu
door, then went in, walking will
firm steps to the rear table. He die
not speak to Jack or G.. H., no.
they to him. He lit cigarette witt
shaking fingers and watched tn
spinning billiard ball roll and CLEAN
and clack over the green Stretcl
OF cloth, dropping into holes ate
bounding to and fro from the rub
Der cushions. He felt impelled t
say something to ease the swellinI
in his chest. Hurriedly, ne flicket
his cigarette into spittoon, and
with twin eddies of blue smoke jut
ting from his black nostrils, shout
ed hoarsely, Jack, betcha two bit
you can't make it,"
Jack did not answer; the bal
shot straight across the table an,
vanished into side pocket.
you would've lost" Jack said.
"Too late now" Bigger said. 'Yol
wouldn't bet, SO you lost"
He spoke without looking. His
entire body hungered for keen
sensation, something exciting and
violent TO relieve the tautness. Ii
was now ten minutes to three and
Gus had not come. If Gus stayed
away much longer, ii would be
too late. And Gus knew that. If
they were going to do anything,
it certainly ought to be done be-
fore folks started coming into the
streets to buy their food for sup
per, and while the cop was down
at the other end of the block.
THAT BASTARD" Bigger said. g
knew It'll" -
"Oh, he'll be along" Jack said
Sometimes I'd like to cut his vel
low heart out" Bigger said, finger
ing the knife in his pocket.
Maybe he's hanging around som
meat" CT H. said.
Hes just scared" Bigger sale
sScared to rob a white man"
THE billiard balls clacked. JAG
,chalked his cue stick and the me
stallic noise made Bigger grit hi
steeth until they ached. He didn
Hike that noise; it made him fee
like cutting something with hi