The Interlopers

'The Interlopers' is a short story about two feuding families who quarrel over land. The story begins with Ulrich Von Gradwitz, who is hunting on his own land, eager to catch a member of the opposing family trespassing his land. Georg Znaeym’s family believes that the Gradwitz family was wrongly given a piece of forest land. Even though the Gradwitz family legally obtained this land, both families hunt each other to take possession of it.

Both Ulrich and Georg, along with their own men, set out into the forest during a cloudy night, to hunt one another. As time passes by, both Ulrich and Georg come towards the center of the forest, and soon come face to face. Both men became enraged at the sight of the other, as they wouldn’t let the chance to take the enemy down slip away. Suddenly, lighting flashed close by, and knocked down a big oak tree, trapping the men underneath.

The two men were now trapped to the ground, with nowhere to go. Each man claims that his own posse will arrive first, and leave the other to die. But, as time quickly passes by, both begin to realize that this may be their end. Ulrich and Georg propose the idea of ending their feud, and half-heartedly become friends. Finally, the story ends when they see figures further into the forest, and yell out for help, hoping that they will be their men who will come to their rescue. Unfortunately, they are not men, but a pack of wolves.