Uncle Billy, angry and bitter, decides upon sinister revenge (“They’re all a Bunch o’ Fools”). separately (“The Tiny Mountain Chickadee”).
All decide to camp for the night in an unfinished cabin near the road Tom and Piney have brought extra provisions, which they agree to share with the others. Tom and Piney have a moment together before going to bed. The pair have eloped and are traveling to Poker Flat to be married. Tom Simson and Piney Woods, two young lovers, meet the party. Uncle Billy discovers a bottle of whiskey, which allows the group to vent its frustrations with Poker Flat in still more colorful fashion. Later the same day. The party has stopped far short of its goal Oakhurst tries in vain to keep them moving. They need to reach the next town, Sandy Bar, by nightfall, since they have no provisions. Not being responsible for those events, they vent their frustrations at the town and at one another. The gambler, John Oakhurst, two whores – Cassie, the younger one, and Lori, the older – and a thief, known simply as “Uncle Billy,” have been expelled from Poker Flat in the wake of recent violent events.
