The Forfeiture

Despite the early loss of their mother the three brothers, Nathaniel, Matthew and Lucas had lead a charmed life on the large farm of their wealthy, elderly father. Situated in one of the Southern slave states, their father owned a sizeable slave-herd that toiled in his fields to add to his wealth and sustain his sons' idyllic lifestyles.

Needless to say, like all slave-owners and their families, they had complete disregard for the condition of their unfortunate slaves who toiled under the father's overseers' whips generating the wealth which they spent so freely on every conceivable luxury.

When their father died suddenly and unexpectedly, they inherited his farm and the slaves who worked it.

As his heirs they inherited his assets and conversely, they also inherited his liabilities.

Unbeknown to the three brothers their father had heavily mortgaged his farm and upon his death, the bank decided to "call in the debt". Sadly for the brothers, they couldn't repay the loan and the bank decided to foreclose and claim the estate as compensation. 

Under the 'law of forfeiture', the three brothers are held responsible for their father's debt and because they can't redeem it, the bank claims them as "property" and as part of the estate. As is customary in such cases, the three brothers are now classified as slaves and here we see them stripped to the waist being evaluated by a bank official. He is impressed with them and has decided their fate along with that of the farm which they thought they'd inherited.

The three brothers will have their father's branding iron sear itself into the tender flesh of their asses and then stripped near naked and collared, they will be sent to work in the fields harvesting the current crops before the bank sells the property.

Three months later:

The crops have been harvested and the bank has sold the farm. All that remains now is for a clearance sale of all machinery and livestock which includes the farm's slaves to be sold. This takes place today and there is great interest among the local farmers all looking for a bargain from the deceased estate of their late neighbour. 

Particular interest is shown in the slaves on offer who, stripped naked and with their bodies oiled, are on 'display' and available for inspection. These include the three brothers who are now indistinguishable from the other slaves. 

Three months hard labour has wrought considerable changes in them. Exposed to the elements, they are now deeply tanned and their bodies have been transformed into hard, solid muscle from their labours. Their backs show the stripes of the lash which has broken their spirits and turned them into docile, obedient and hard-working slaves so eagerly sought by the local farmers attending today's clearance sale.

The three brothers attract much interest and will sell well. Because they are strong and youthful, they have the promise of twenty-five to thirty years hard labour ahead of them. 

Yes, once on the auction-block, the bidding for them will be most spirited.

Picture randomly found on the internet from an unknown source. The text is mine.