On the American prairies, at the remote Billibon farm, during the grain harvest season, itinerant workers from various countries work side by side. The nearly blind Sakeus and the cook Polly begin their conflict over a newspaper and over water, but the tedium of isolated life, illness and mutual humiliation make their conflict grow more and more brutal. The story paints a picture of people's harsh coexistence, dignity and the consequences of revenge against a backdrop of boundless fields and the rigors of hard labor.