I was always wishing and wondering when I'd hear some news from home, and none ever came.

Nomah was a bit of a place where hardly anybody did anything but idle and drink, and spend money when they had it.

When they had none they went away.

There wasn't even a place to take exercise in, and the leg-irons I wore night and day began to eat into my flesh.

I wasn't used to them in those days.