Arkansas State press., 1942-01-30

Jaw, you scared; that's all
He's a white man and you scared"
1.-The hell I'm scared" Gus
hurt and stung, defended himself,
Bigger went to Gus and placed
an arm about his shoulders.
"Listen, you won't have to go
in. You just stand at the door
and keep watch, see? Me and
Jack and G. Hi go in, If any
body comes along, you whistle and
wd'll 90 out the back way, That's
all"
The front door opened; they
stopped talking and turned their
heads.
Here comes Jack and &, II.
now" Bigger said,
Jack and G.. II. walked to the
rear of the poolroom.
What you guys doing?' Jack
asked,
Shooting game. Wanna
play?' Bigger asked.
"You asking 'em to play and |
I'm paying for the game Gus
said
They all laughed and Bigger
laughed with them LAT stopped
quickly. He felt that the joke
was on him and he took a seat
alongside the wall and propped
his feet upon the ring Of chair,
as though he had not heard. Gus
and G. II. kept on laughing. .
"You niggers is crazy Bigger
said. you laugh like monkeys
and you amt got nerve enough
to do nothing but talk"
what you mean ?" G. II. ask
ed
Il got a haul all figured out, :"
Bigger said.
"What haul?"
cold Blum's"
There was silence. Jack lit a
cigarette. Gus looked away, avoid
ing the conversation.
"If old Blum was black man,
you all would be itching to go.
Cause he's white, everybody's
scared"
II amt scared" Jack said. Pm
with YOU
"You say you got it all figured
out?' G. H. asked.
Bigger took a deep breath and
looked from face to face. 1t
seemed to him that he should not
have to explain.
Look, it'll be easy. There amt
nothing to be scared of. Between
three and four amt nobody in the
store but the old man. The cop is
way down at the other end of the
watch. Three Of usll go in, see
One of usll throw a gun on old
Blum; one Of us'll make for the
cash box under the counter; one
Of usll make for the back door
and have it open so We can make
a quick getaway down the back
alley That's ali. 1t won't take
three minutes"
II thought we said we wasn't
never going to use a gum" G., II.
said, "And we amt bothered no
white felix's before"
Cant you see? This is some
thing big" Bigger said.
He waited for more objections.
When none were forthcoming, he
talked again,
1--WE can do it, if you niggers
amt scared"
Save for the sound of Docs
whisthng up front, there was sill
ence. Bigger watched Jack closely
he knew that the situation was
one in which Jacks word would
be decisive. Bigger was afraid Of
Gus, because he knew that Gus
would not hold out if Jack said
yes. Gus stood at the table, toy
ing with a cue stick, his eyes
straying lazily over the billiard
balls scattered about the table in
the array of an unfinished game.
Bigger rose and sent the balls
whirling with a sweep of his hand,
then looked straight at Gus as
the cleaning balls kissed and re
bounded from the rubber cushions,
zig-zagging across the tables
green cloth. Even though Bigger
had asked Gus to be with him in
the robbery. the fear that Gus
would really go made the muscle
of Bigger's stomach tighten; he
was hot all over, He felt as if
he wanted to sEeeze and could
not; only it was more nervous
than wanting to sneeze. He grew
hotter, tighter, his nerves were
taut and his teeth were on edge.
He felt that something would
soon snap within him.