As the curtain rises a girl is just finishing singing the last
bars of a sentimental song of the type of "A Bird in a Gilded
Cage"

Badfoot (At end of song, and pulling out a
roll of bills.)

De drinks is on me, Slim, after that one. Dat's de kind of a
song dat always gets me, somethin' sad an' touchin', like it
was jest borderin' on a funral or somethin'.

Barnay

Boy, you se dirty wid money!

Badfoot

I mean. Lil Augie done fixed me right.

Slim

Three winners in one day!

Badfoot

Yes suh, three hats full of money!

Barnay

Was he carryin' yo' money every trip, Badfoot?

Badfoot

Loaded wid it, Barnay. I bet eve'thing I could scrape or steal.
Boy, I'd pawn ma gol' teeth to bet on de hoss Lil Augie is
ridin'. Dat's how good he is with me.

Barnay

He is a hoss ridin' lil fool, but three races ain't so much in
one day. I knowed a man what run........

Badfoot (Interrupting him)

You always knowed a man what did somethin' better than anybody
else. You is jest natchully de biggest puhvaricator...dat's
elegant for liar....in St. Louis. So many lies done come out o'
yo' mouth that the truth can't feel at home there no mo'.

Barnay

Anyhow, I knowed a man what run six in one day.

Slim

How many did he win, Barnay?

2

Barnay

He ain't won none. He jest ran 'em.

Badfoot

Khah! Khah! Dat ain't half bad, Barnay. I wan't scared a nobody
doin' better'n Lil Augie, 'cause Lil Augie is got de world tee-
rolled.

Bystander

Hot damn!

Second Bystander

He good all right, but he ain't all dat fine. He's yo' boy. Dat's
how come you backs him up so strong.

Badfoot

Sho', he ma boy. I knowed him when he wan't no bigger'n a field
mouse. I been lask a daddy to him. I learned him how to ride.
Sho! But dat ain't no cause for me to put ma money on a shine
what's goin' to let his goat stop to nibble grass.

1st Bystander

You tell 'em, Badfoot. Lil Augie is too bad.

Badfoot (With enthusiasm)

Don't I know it? Can't nobody tell me nothin' bout Lil Augie.
I knowed him when he was knee-high to a grasshopper. I feel lak
he belongs to me. I seen him when he wan't nothin' but a lil
skinny brat on de ole Red River Plantation. No good at nothin'
lak pickin' cotton nor doin' the other things therest of the
folks had to do, but always runnin' after de hosses, pattin' em
an' climbin' em, fallin' off an huhtin' hisself, an' den climbin'
back agin. Lil as he was he had de kinda grit dat's made him de
best jockey from one end of dis country to de other. I been
follerin' him since he run away from de plantation. Yes suh, me
an' lil Augie is lak dat. (He holds up two fingers to show how
close he and Lil Augie are.) He lucky, too.

Barnay

He sho' is. Seems lak Lil Augie don't have to strive for nothin';
anything he wants seems to come his way, jest lak it dropped
down out of the sky. How you count for dat, Badfoot?

Badfoot

I counts for it jest natchully. Lil Augie was borned wid a veil.
An' you know what dat means.

3

Barnay

Sho' nuff? Dat de truf, Badfoot?

Badfoot

Fo' Gawd. I knowed his people. His big sistah say he can even see
spirits. When he's a young-un, settin' in de cabin do' one night,
he seen a pack o' spirits jump in de clo'es what was on de' line.
He seen one ole hant jump in a night gown an' hang his haid over
de clo'es line, an' one jumped in a ole pair o' stove pipe drawers
an' started to wavin' his hands an' rattlin' his bones. Lil
Augie is sho' nuff lucky.

Barnay

Lucky as he is, they's some side bettin' goin' on dat they's one
thing his luck won't get him.

Badfoot

What's dat?

Barnay

Della Green.

Badfoot

Who say Lil Augie's aimin' at Della?

Barnay

All Targee Street know it. Lil Augie ain't spoke to her yet. But
ever since he been here, he been lookin' at her lak a sick kitten
at a pan o' milk. Della know it, but she ain't give no sign. It's
jest natchull to her for any man what comes to St. Louis to want her.
She's de puttiest gal on Targee Street.

Badfoot

Do Biglow know about Lil Augie likin' Della?

Barnay

I don't know. I hopes not. Wouldn't lak to see Lil Augie get in no
trouble wid Biglow. Biglow could jest about put Lil Augie to sleep
wid one hand.

Slim

Maybe dat's why Lil Augie been comin' here every day spendin' his
money so free, so he can get to look at Della. I don't s'pose
Biglow spects what it's all about. He jest lak to come in an' see
Lil Augie here in his saloon spendin' all dat money. Ever' cent Lil
Augie spend mean mo' for Biglow. An' mo' for Biglow mean mo' for
Della.

4

Badfoot

Jest de same, I got to talk to Augie. I don't want him to have no
trouble with Biglow 'bout Della.

Slim

I know one person what wouldn't care if Lil Augie took Della away.

Barnay

You mean Lila?

Slim

Yeah.

Barnay

It do seem kinda low de way Biglow left Lila after all de years
they had been together, and after her workin' an' slavin' for him
the way she done all that time. I guess evrybody on Targee Street
know who staked Biglow to dis saloon. Evrything in here from de
bar to dat do' was bought wid Lila's money.

Badfoot

You mean she bought it an' turned it over to Biglow?

Barnay

Womens is funny when dey loves. Dey thinks nothin' aint too good
for they men. Lila bought an' paid for dis saloon, an' put it all
in Biglow's name; an' no time aint passed before he put her out
an' took up wid Della.

Slim

Well, you know how Biglow is. Love 'em a little, then let 'em go,
and don't never turn back. Yet I gets sorry for Lila de way she
comes here every blessed day an' jest sets an' looks at Biglow so
hard an' pitiful. An' when Della comes in de evil way Lila looks
at her makes me jumpy all over. Lila ain't started nothin' yet,
but she ain't dis quiet for nothin'. You know where dey's smoke
dey's fire, an Lila got plenty smoke in her.

Barnay

Lila carries fire wid her an' it's a wonder to me she ain't used
it fo' now.

Badfoot

You mean she carries a gun?

Barnay

Yes suh, an' a real blue-barred six-shooter at dat.

5

Badfoot

Do Biglow know about it?

Barnay

How he gwine keep from knowin' 'bout it? Wan't him an' Lila together eight or ten years befo' Biglow turned to Della? But you know how Biglow is, he's de toughest mack on Targee Street, an' Lila know it, dat's why she ain't never started nothin' with him.

Badfoot

Dat's all de mo' reason I got for talkin' to Lil Augie. I don't want him mixed up wid no mess 'tween Lila an' Biglow on count of Della.

Barnay

You done said somepin'. I don't want nothin' to happen to Lil Augie to change dat luck o' hisn. He's jest lak a streak o' lightnin'. Jest gimme two mo' chances to bet on Lil Augie an' I'll have me nough money to buy me some Mardi Gras clothes lak you an' Lil Augie. I was jest lookin' at a new suit dis mornin'. All I needs to get it is fo' dollars an' seventy-five cents mo'.

Slim

How much do it cost Barnay?

Barnay

Five dollars.

Badfoot

You goin' to have to get you some new rage pretty quick if you se aimin' to be at de Cotton Flower Ball tonight.

Barnay

I'm goin' borry me a suit from Lil Augie for dat.

Badfoot

How you 'spect to get in Augie's clo'es? You'd make two of Lil Augie.

Barnay

I'm goin' melt up an' po' maself in it.

Badfoot

Hush, Barnay!

6

Barnay

Khah! Khah! Dog if I ain't. Gotta git there somehow.

(Enter Della, a rosy, buff-colored mulatress, far more striking than the other women present. She wears magenta cloth and has short curly brown hair which is brushed in pompadour fashion. There is an artificial beauty spot near her left eye. She has the insolent, proud walk of one aware of her beauty.)

Girls at Tables

Heo-, Della.
Hello, Della.

Della

Heo, y'all.

Badfoot

You se lookin' mighty fine, gal.

Della

Heo, Badfoot. Seen Biglow?

Badfoot

Not yet. He ain't come from de race. I reckon he had to walk back.

Della

Was he bettin' hard, Badfoot?

Badfoot

He say he was. Say he know'd Lil Augie couldn't bring dat nanny goat, Jenny Rose, in 'head of Blue Boy. I tried to tell him 'bout ma boy Augie, but he wouldn't pay me nommind.

Barnay

He be glad to bet on Lil Augie next time, I bet.

Bystander

You mighty right.

(Della crosses to a table and sits down.)

Della (To Waiter)

Sweeten water, Slim.

(He brings the drink. She crosses her legs,
displaying a jewelled garter beneath the bright haze of
her petticoats.)

Badfoot (Calling across the room)

You goin' walk for de cake tonight, gal?

Della

Oh, I'll be in it, I reckon.

Girl

Wouldn't be no walk 'thout Della.

Badfoot

Goin' walk wid Biglow?

Della

Maybe. I 'spect so.

Barnay

You oughta let me walk wid you, Miss Della. I'm goin' be fixed up so
you won't know me. I'm goin' wear a sky-blue suit wid big milk white
buttons. You an' me could take dat cake Miss Della.

(Laughter from all.)

Della

I'll have to see dat outfit first, Barnay.

(Enter Lil Augie, a diminutive, black jockey whose street
clothes are a treat to casual eyes. He wears a swallow tail coat,
striped trousers, top hat, and a gayly flowered satin vest. He is
a trim figure for all his extravagant attire, and the deference
paid him by his companions is evidence of his achievements. A
small coterie of noisy admirers comes in with him.)

Lil Augie (At top of his voice.)

Heah 'tis!

## Lil Augie

An' I got a good eye, too. You se as putty as a race hoss. You se de kinda gal money was made to spend on. You was jest made for lovin' and shinin' up to.

## Della

How long you been in St. Louis?

## Augie

Jes' about a month, jes' since de races started. I didn't care much for dis town at fust, but now, well you heared about dat city called heaven? I guess dis must be it for sho'.

## Della

Why you say dat?

## Augie

Cause I'm lookin' at one of de angels right now.

## Della (Laughing)

If you rides as fast as you talks them other riders can't have much of a chance wid you.

## Augie

All they has a chance at is to see ma dust.

## Della

I think dat's what you se tryin' to do to me, Lil Augie.

## Lil Augie

What's dat?

## Della

Tryin' to throw dust in ma eyes.

## Augie

Dat's de truf, gal, only it ain't jest common dirty dust. Know what kind it is?

## Della

No, what kind is it?

## Augie

Lucky dust, de only kind I has anything to do with. I'd lak to throw so much of dat in yo' eyes till you couldn't see nobody but me.