Days, months and years go by. 

Sleeping at night in filthy huts. 
 

Endless work days picking cotton  - 
 

- plowing, weeding or harvesting 
sugar cane under the hot sun. 
 

Every evening locked back into 
the stinking huts for a few hours of sleep 
before another day of toil begins. 
 

A welcome diversion from everyday, 
is when new girls arrive. 
Like in the Mine, no compassion is shown the newbies: 

"Hi Marion ! 
Do you remember me? 
It´s me Sara. 
We were classmates, when we were at school . 
Oh - Your mom and dad got divorced, so now you are here!
Now you are going to wear nice chains like these, 
and you will soon smell just like I do !" 
 

Another diversion from farm life, is 
when some of the convicts are put to 
work in the town. 

Sara was right - Marion who is
walking behind her to town, is now after
a month in chains, just
as fllthy as Sara and all the other convicts.

Many of the farm convicts are local girls sentenced to life
for minor offences, debters, or daughters of divorcees, which have been send to the mine.
All of them hope, they will not meet any relatives and 
friends, who will see them like this.

"Isn´t that one the former 
shop assistant from the bakery?" 

"Yes she looks like her - 
Pooh they stink ! 
Let us hurry and walk past them.
They should not allow such things to 
come into town." 
 

But there is a good reason to 
bring them into town.  

Pneumatic drills cost money, while 
girls cost nearly nothing. 

"Work faster ugly slut ! 
The work must be completed before 
the end of the week, or people will complain. 
They don´t like to be troubled by looking at 
you any longer than necessary. " 
 

For five long days, the girls 
work from dawn to dusk, so they 
can get finished before the weekend. 

 

On Friday afternoon they finally reach the end. 

Monday skilled workmen will lay the new pipes. 

One strong woman from the farm 
will stay in town and fill up the trenches, after 
the men have finished their work. 




 

"You are the one, who is staying to 
fill up the trenches next week?" 

"Yes mistress." 

"Your name, age and offence?" 

"Frida Bergstrom - I´am 28, mistress.
I´am a divorcee, and so lucky I´am allowed to 
work off my former husband´s debts 
as a lifer, mistress." 

"Good - Follow me. 
I will lock you up in the basement 
under the courthouse until we need you!" 
 

The rest of the convicts try to 
get a little rest, before the long walk 
back to the farm. 
 

For a brief moment Reneé dreams of 
the life in freedom she will never know again. 
For her there will never be any expensive dresses, 
and fancy shoes - Only prison rags and chains. 
 

"Walk faster ! 
We must get you filthy whores out of town 
before decent people starts complaining, why 
you still are here." 
 

Back at the farm. 

It´s only surrounded by a normal fence, 
but the farm slaves know too well, it 
is a bullet or a rope around the neck, 
if anyone dare pass it without permisson. 
 

First it is time for punishments - 
 

Then the dead tired women and girls 
are finally allowed to go into 
their huts to sleep. 
 

But not for long -
Very early the next morning a new day 
of hard labour begins with a hard kick 
and a blow of the whip.