Ch 6

The three awoke to a gun being fired at dawn. The night was rough. They were cold and didn't sleep much. After the gunshot, there were the sounds of chains being shuffled all around as everyone inside lined up at the gate to have their chains put back on. Jimmy, Lou, Noah, and the other boys had been kept shackled through the night. They stood and got in line. As they went past the guard, he smiled at them.

"Hope your first night was good for ya. Once you realize there is no escape, then we might take them chains off. Step it up, got to learn to walk fast in em." He shoved the last boy with the butt of his gun making him stumble. He was able to catch himself and keep walking as the man laughed.

They walked for a few until they came to the entrance of a mine shaft. Lou watched as some groups went straight to gather buckets of tools and disappeared in the mine. Others worked around the mine. She looked up to Jimmy. A tall man came to stand in front of them. Jimmy immediately recognized him from the saloon the first night they were there. He walked up and down in front of his newcomers.

"Welcome to my little world. Here, I am the judge and jury. You do what we say and we'll leave you be. Even give you food rations at night. You do anything stupid, and I mean anything, and my men can carry out the punishment that they see fit. You carry your own weight. If you get too sick to work, then you are of no need to us. Just easier for us to put you out of your misery and get rid of our headache. Look around boys. Get used to this place, learn to love it cause it's more than likely the last place you will ever see."

He looked down the line of them.

"Break em up. Put those two boys on the mine crew. We lost three last night. The other three put them on pick axes for now."

A man came and unhooked the two young boys. He pushed them toward the mine shaft. Another came and gathered Jimmy, Noah, and Lou. He led them over to a long line of about twenty men chained together. He hooked their chains and handed them axes.

"Simple boys. The rocks get hauled up out the mine and you bust em up for us. Now git on it." He said as he spat tobacco at their feet.

Jimmy looked to Noah and then to Lou between them. Noah nodded at Jimmy as he began to swing the axe. Lou managed to keep up most of the morning. As the guard shouted for lunch, she happily dropped the axe. He walked along and threw a biscuit at each one. He then came with a barrel of water. He gave each one a drink then it was back to work. As the sun began to set, Lou felt like her arms were gonna fall off.

"Quitting time, put em down!" Yelled the guard.

Lou dropped hers with relief. She had managed to keep up and not draw attention to herself. Noah had helped out. Sometimes hitting rocks on her pile when no one was looking. They were led back to the holding area. They came to the gate. Chains were being taken off and each man was handed another biscuit for supper. As Jimmy, Lou, and Noah came up, the guard glared in their faces.

"Chains ain't coming off yet for you three. Can't take the chance of any plans of escape. Y'all will learn how it goes here." He smirked as he did throw them each a biscuit.

Jimmy glared right back at the man. The man moved and stood nose to nose with Jimmy. Jimmy didn't move.

"Go ahead and try me." Said the guard.

Lou reached out and touched Jimmy's back while the guard was distracted. Jimmy felt Lou's touch and closed his mouth.

"That's what I thought." The guard said as he pushed Jimmy and them inside the walls.

They shuffled over to a spot near the back and fell down to sit. They each ate their biscuit. Jimmy saw Lou keep her hands in fists.

"What you got going on Lou?" He said as he pulled her hands out to see.

"Ain't nothing Jimmy. I'm fine."

"Lou, look at all the blisters. Noah?"

Noah looked at her hands.

"God Lou, your hands are a mess. We got to wrap these or you won't be able to work tomorrow." Said Noah

"I'll be fine. I can do it."

"Lou, if you can't keep up then they will find out." Said Jimmy as he tore a sleeve off his shirt.

Noah did the same. They each wrapped one of her hands and pulled it tight. Lou grimaced.

"Sorry Lou but we had to." Said Noah.

An older man sitting down from Jimmy watched the trio. Jimmy saw him move closer out the corner of his eye.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"I don't mean any harm. I know y'all are new here. I noticed the little feller there done messed his hands up."

"What's it to ya?"

"Here." The man reached into his waistband and pulled out some sort of leaves. He handed them to Jimmy.

"What the hell is this?"

"I work on the hillside. I was married to a half-breed years ago. Wrap these in his wrappings and his hands will heal faster."

"Why are you helping us?"

"Son, I've been here for months. If'n we don't help each other, then we would all be dead already. If I can help ya, then I will. Name's Eric."

"Jimmy. This is Lou and Noah."

"Wish we were meetin under better conditions."

"Why don't everyone here fight back and run for it? Y'all outnumber the guards."

"That's cause y'all still got fight left in you. Most men try to stand up. We get beat for it. Kinda breaks you after a while. Others that are headstrong keep fighting until they can hardly stand, then the guards shoot them. Bury em up in the hills. They go into town and find more to replace them. Most like me, just hold out hope that we will be found and freed."

"We got family. They will be looking for us."

"Look out for each other and just do your jobs that you are given. I can already see that little feller is important to ya."

"He can hold his own."

"He or she?"

"He." Said Jimmy

"Yeah I got ya. Well he has got to keep up in order at stay hidden. I'll help if I can in anyway."

"He will be fine. I'll make damn sure of that. They will come for us."

"Just give them something to find." Eric said as he scooted back over to his spot.