das Dorf in den Bergen

Grundorf, a tiny hamlet crouched under the forest-clad mountain known as Hohenhorn. It is summer and the lake Windigersee ('windy lake') reflects the perfect blue of the sky. What a place! The romantics of France and Italy could not picture such a scene! The tinkle of goat bells, the buzz of honey bees in the long grass. A fisherman on the water sings an old song, long forgotten by those in the bustle of the towns and cities.

But then a woodcutter hurries into the settlement. His face is lined with anxiety. Everybody in the hamlet knows him--he is a local man-- but he pays little heed to them. Asking only to speak to the good Pfarrer. Or Frau Bauer. Or even the master, von Schwarzenwolff himself.

In the church, the woodcutter finds the Pfarrer in conversation with Hilda concerning the unfortunate Werner family.

He rushes up to them and explains hastily that that he has just come across the body of Simon the Pedlar, a local who failed to return from a visit to Lindendorf. The woodcutter was working near the Lindendorf road, to the village's east. While searching for a suitable larch tree, he came across the pedlar's corpse.

Von Schwarzenwolff sees the trio through the church doors and quickly learns of the event....

"Thank you all", the woodcutter remarks as the cart is produced.

"I will drive us there. Frau Brumen, Pfarrer, please take a seat up here beside me. "

It is a hot, dusty ride to Simon's death place. The Lindendorf road is in truth little more than a track, with dense forest bending over on either side of the way. The road sticks close to the lakeside, which flashes in and out of view as they progress. The woodcutter says little, preferring that the village leaders see the corpse for themselves. Hilda recalls that Simon, the victim, was a man in excellent health. Middle-aged rather than old, he was as fit as a flea as a result of his work carrying a heavy pack from village to village. After half an hour's sweaty progress, the woodcutter recognises a landmark and draws the cart to a halt by the roadside.

"Up here, " he says gravely and heads up the slope to the road's left, on the opposite side from the lake. After a few minute's trudge through dense forest, the four reach the place where poor Simon lies. Even in the summer heat, this is a quiet, gloomy place. The late pedlar lies on his back on the forest floor. His eyes are open and his face bears an expression of terror. Even at a glance it can be seen that his face and clothes are badly scratched. His hat is missing and leaves and twigs are threaded through his hair. His pack is missing.

The woodcutter has chosen his help wisely. None of the three investigators weaken at the macabre sight.

Both the Pfarrer and von Schwarzenwolff perceive that the victims’ many scrapes and gashes are self-inflicted. Caused from running recklessly through the forest’s overhanging branches. At night, perhaps? And in a state of blind panic. It would explain the loss of his hat, his many gouges and scrapes, and the leaves threaded through his hair.

But von Schwarzenwolff’s uninhibited search of the corpse reveals a further shocking find. His expert probings reveal deeper puncture wounds among the many superficial scrapes. They appear in perfect, regular pairs on Simon’s arms, face and of course his neck. Fang marks. The body is also unnaturally pale and drawn, drained of its blood.

It is the discovery that the woodcutter feared but did not dare speak. Simon has fallen prey to a vampir!

Hilda’s search is similarly thorough and successful. One by one she finds the pedlar’s missing possessions. His hat, close by. A shoe, thrown off in flight. His pack, closer to the road. Even a few broken branches and snapped off twigs that suggests the point where he took fear and bolted from the road.

The woodcutter comes to Hilda’s side and stands with her on the road.

"Simon would have done better to have run that way, down to the lake, than up there into the forest. But he could not swim well…"