f000001,0.560,17.680,"The following morning when he came out on to the dike once more the world was different from the one he had seen the day before; it was low tide again, to be sure, but the day had not yet attained its noon, and beams of the bright spring sun fell almost perpendicularly onto the endless flats."
f000002,17.680,27.720,"The white gulls flew quietly hither and thither, and invisible above them, high under the azure sky, larks sang their eternal melody."
f000003,27.720,44.240,"Hauke, who did not know how nature can deceive one with her charms, stood on the northwestern corner of the dike and looked for the new bed of the channel that had startled him so yesterday, but in the sunlight pouring down from the zenith, he did not even find it at first."
f000004,44.240,49.720,"Not until he had shaded his eyes from the blinding rays, did he recognise it."
f000005,49.720,56.360,"Yet the shadows in the twilight of yesterday must have deceived him: it could be discerned but faintly."
f000006,56.360,61.200,"The exposed mouse business must have done more damage to the dike than the flood."
f000007,61.200,74.640,"To be sure, things had to be changed; however, this could be done by careful digging and, as Ole Peters had said, the damage could be repaired by fresh sod and some bundles of straw for covering."
f000008,74.640,80.920,"It wasn't so bad, he said to himself, relieved; you fooled yourself yesterday."
f000009,80.920,88.920,"He called the overseers, and the work was decided on without contradiction, something that had never happened before."
f000010,88.920,99.360,"The dikemaster felt as if a strengthening calm were spreading through his still weakened body and after a few weeks everything was neatly carried out."
f000011,99.360,110.840,"The year went on, but the more it advanced and the more undisturbed the newly spread turf grew green through the straw covering, the more restlessly Hauke walked or rode past the spot."
f000012,110.840,115.120,"He turned his eyes away, he rode on the inside edge of the dike."
f000013,115.120,125.160,"A few times, when it occurred to him that he would have to pass by the place, he had his horse, though it was already saddled, led back into the stable."
f000014,125.160,134.080,"Then again, when he had no business there, he would wander to it, suddenly and on foot, so as to leave his hill quickly and unseen."
f000015,134.080,141.680,"Sometimes he had turned back again, unable once more to inflict on himself the sight of this uncanny place."
f000016,141.680,153.440,"Finally, he felt like breaking up the whole thing with his own hands, for this piece of the dike lay before his eyes like a bite of conscience that had taken on form outside of himself."
f000017,153.440,161.560,"And yet his hand could not touch it any more; and to no one, not even his wife, could he talk about it."
f000018,161.560,169.360,"Thus September had come; at night a moderate storm had raged and at last had blown away to the northwest."
f000019,169.360,187.800,"On the dull forenoon after it, at low tide, Hauke rode out on the dike and, as his glance swept over the flats, something shot through him: there, on from the northwest, he suddenly saw the ghostly new bed of the channel again, more sharply marked and worn deeper."
f000020,187.800,192.040,"No matter how hard he strained his eyes, it would not go."
f000021,192.040,195.200,"When he came home, Elke seized his hand."
f000022,195.200,199.880,"What's the matter, Hauke? she said, as she looked at his gloomy face."
f000023,199.880,202.480,"There is no new calamity, is there?"
f000024,202.480,208.080,"We are so happy now; it seems, you are at peace now with all of them."
f000025,208.080,213.200,"After these words, he did not feel equal to expressing his confused fear."
f000026,213.200,223.560,"No, Elke, he said, nobody is hostile to me; but it is a responsible functionto protect the community from our Lord's sea."
f000027,223.560,228.080,"He withdrew, so as to escape further questioning by his beloved wife."
f000028,228.080,234.520,"He walked through stable and barn, as if he had to look over everything; but he saw nothing round about."
f000029,234.520,240.920,"He was preoccupied only with hushing up his conscience, with convincing himself that it was a morbidly exaggerated fear."