The characters in “The Interlopers,” Ulrich von and George , have been enemies since birth. Their feuded over a piece of forestland. While the ruled in the Gradwitz family’s favor, the Znaeym family has never accepted this . Throughout the course of Ulrich and George’s lifetime, the feud has grown into a personal, bloodthirsty one. As boys, they despised each other, and by the evening that the story takes place, the two grown are determined to bring a final end to the feud by their .

On this fateful evening, Ulrich gathers a group of foresters to patrol the land in search of . Separated from his men, he hopes to meet George alone and, when he steps around a trunk, he gets his wish. The two men face each other with in hand, but neither can bring himself to the other. Before either man can act, a bolt of strikes a tree. It falls over and pins them underneath its limbs.

The men are pinned down side-by-side, almost within touching distance. Both are dazed, injured, and at the situation in which they find themselves. George tells that his men are right behind him, and threatens that, when they arrive, they will him but roll the tree on top of Ulrich. To this threat, Ulrich replies that his men will arrive and kill George. Both men know it is only a matter of to see which group of foresters will reach them first.

Ulrich manages to draw his wine out of his coat pocket. He drinks some and, feeling something akin to pity, offers it to George. George refuses on the grounds that he does not wine with an enemy. During a few moments of silence, an idea comes to Ulrich. He proposes to George that they bury their quarrel. He believes that they have been fools and asks George for his . After a long silence, George answers, accepting Ulrich’s proposal.

The men decide to join their voices together to for help. Suddenly, Ulrich sees figures coming through the . They shout louder and the figures come down the hillside toward them. George, who cannot see as well as Ulrich, asks which men are approaching. Ulrich does not reply. He has seen something horrible: it is not men who approach them — it is .