KARL LEBRECHT IMMERMANN
THE OBERHOF (1839)
TRANSLATED BY PAUL BERNARD THOMAS
Chapter I
THE JUSTICE OF THE ESTATE
ITH the sleeves of Ms shirt rolled up the old
Justice of the estate was standing in the yard
between the barns and the farm buildings and
gazing attentively into a fire which he had
kindled on the ground between stones and
logs, and which was now crackling merrily. He straight-
ened around a small anvil which was standing beside it,
laid down a hammer and a pair of tongs so as to have them
ready to grasp, tested the points of some large wheel-
nails which he drew forth from the breast-pocket of a
leather apron he had tied around him, put the nails down
in the bottom of the rack-wagon, the wheel of which he
was about to repair, carefully turned the rim around until
the place where the tire was broken was on top, and then
made the wheel fast by putting stones under it.
After he had again looked into the fire for a few mo- ments, but not long enough to cause his bright, sharp eyes to blink, he quickly thrust the tongs into it, lifted out the red-hot piece of iron, laid it on the anvil, pounded it with the hammer so that the sparks flew in all directions, clapped the still glowing piece of iron down on the broken place in the tire, hammered and welded it fast with two heavy blows, and then drove the nails into their places, which was easily done, as the iron was still soft and pliable.
A few very sharp and powerful blows gave the inserted piece its finishing touch. The Justice kicked away the
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