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Use paragraphs 8–10 from “The Interlopers” to answer the question.

In this excerpt, two men are trapped under a tree and accuse each other of trespassing on their land. How do the men’s situation and conversation create tension and mystery in the story? In 1-2 sentences, support your ideas with evidence from the paragraph.

The men's situation creates tension and mystery in the story by trapping them under a tree, leaving their fates uncertain. The conversation adds to the tension and mystery as they accuse each other of trespassing on their land, hinting at a long-standing feud between the two families. Evidence from the paragraphs includes the line, "This feud is between you and me. So far as I can see it's a little difficult to arrange a meeting." Additionally, the line, "The old man, motionless, made no sign of reply; the pressure of their position was building up too much for speech," suggests that their dire circumstances are adding to the suspense and mystique of the story.

In paragraphs 8-10 of "The Interlopers," the men's situation and conversation create tension and mystery in the story through the use of suspenseful dialogue and vivid imagery. For example, when one of the men shouts, "Curse you!...I’ll settle the matter with you for good,” it heightens the tension as it leaves the reader wondering what he plans to do. Additionally, the description of the storm "hurtling through the darkness" adds to the mysterious atmosphere and intensifies the sense of danger surrounding the trapped men.

To answer the question, we can examine paragraphs 8-10 of "The Interlopers" to see how the men's situation and conversation create tension and mystery. In these paragraphs, the two men, Ulrich von Gradwitz and Georg Znaeym, find themselves trapped under a fallen beech tree. As they struggle to free themselves, their conversation takes an accusing turn, revealing a longstanding feud between their families. This situation creates tension as the men's animosity and the dire circumstances they find themselves in leave the reader uncertain of how their encounter will be resolved. For example, the text states, "The old fierce hatred seemed to be revived." This suggests that the intense animosity between the men threatens to escalate their predicament and potentially lead to a violent confrontation, adding to the mystery and uncertainty of the outcome.