Before Reading

The Interlopers
Short Story by Saki

VIDEO TRAILER KEYWORD: HML10-426

What’s wrong with holding

a GRUDGE ?
Both history and literature are full of individuals who bear grudges,
RL 2 Determine a theme of a or feelings of great resentment, against others. This situation occurs
text and analyze in detail how so often in literature that it can be classified as an archetype—a
it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details. pattern that appears in works all over the world and in different
time periods. Recall, for example, the Montagues and Capulets—
Romeo and Juliet’s warring relatives. In “The Interlopers,” you will
read about two neighboring families whose ongoing feud has dire
consequences.

ROLE-PLAY With a partner, imagine a scenario in which a long-

standing grudge exists between the two of you. Think about what
your relationship once involved. For example, maybe you were
teammates or best friends. Also consider what event led to your
disagreement. Then role-play a chance meeting. How do you behave
toward each other? Do you remain angry or make up? Afterward,
discuss what the hazards of holding the grudge have been.

426
 Meet the Author
text analysis: theme and setting
In a short story, a theme is a message about life or human Saki
nature that the writer wants to communicate to readers. 1870–1916
Often, the setting of a story, or where and when it takes place, Full of Surprises
helps convey this message. To understand how setting might “Saki” (säPkC) was the pen name of Hector
contribute to theme, ask yourself the following questions: Hugh Munro, a British fiction writer of the
early 20th century. He was considered one
• What aspects of the setting are emphasized? of the finest wits and storytellers of his
• How does the setting affect the characters? generation. Written in the years leading up
to World War I, his works convey the mixed
• How does the setting relate to the story’s main conflict? sentiments of the time. Many of his short
stories are satires, darkly humorous pieces
“The Interlopers” takes place in a forest whose ownership has
that reveal flaws in social customs and
been disputed by two families for generations. As you read, institutions. Like the fiction of American
think about what Saki is saying about human nature and how icon O. Henry, Saki’s narratives often feature
the story’s setting helps make this message clear. surprise endings.
A World Traveler
reading strategy: monitor At the age of 32, Saki began a long career
Good readers automatically check, or monitor, their as a newspaper correspondent. While
comprehension of what they read. One way they accomplish on assignment, he lived in various places,
this is by clarifying difficult passages. Strategies such as including the Balkans, Russia, and France.
In 1908, after his father died, Saki settled in
rereading, reading aloud, and summarizing can make tough
London. There, at the age of 38, he began
parts easier to understand. to write fiction, incorporating many of
As you read “The Interlopers,” stop and clarify the points in the exotic places he had visited into his
the story that are confusing to you. Use a chart like this one. works. For example, “The Interlopers” is set
in the Carpathians, a mountain range in
Confusing How I Clarified My New eastern Europe that Saki knew through his
Passage My Understanding Understanding many journeys.
A Tragic End
Unfortunately, Saki’s career as a fiction writer
vocabulary in context was short-lived. Following the outbreak of
World War I, he enlisted in the British army. “I
Saki uses the following words to tell his tale of resentments and
have always looked forward to the romance
greed. Categorize each word as “Know Well,” “Think I Know,” of a European war,” he once remarked. In
or “Don’t Know.” Then, in your Reader/Writer Notebook, write a November 1916, he was killed by a German
brief definition of each word that is familiar to you. sniper during an
n attack at
Beaumont-Hamel,
mel, France.
word acquiesce languor pinioned He was 46 yearss old.
list condolence marauder precipitous
draft pestilential succor Author
interloper Online
Go to thinkcentral.com.
ntral.com..
KEYWORD: HML10-427
L10-427
Know Well Think I Know Don’t Know

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

427
 the

Interlopers
SAKI

In a forest of mixed growth somewhere on the eastern spurs of the Carpathians,1 interloper (GnPtEr-lõQpEr)
a man stood one winter night watching and listening, as though he waited n. one that intrudes in a
place, situation, or activity
for some beast of the woods to come within the range of his vision, and, later,
of his rifle. But the game2 for whose presence he kept so keen an outlook was
none that figured in the sportman’s calendar as lawful and proper for the chase;
Ulrich von Gradwitz3 patrolled the dark forest in quest of a human enemy. a a THEME AND SETTING
The forest lands of Gradwitz were of wide extent and well stocked with What aspects of the
story’s natural setting
game; the narrow strip of precipitous woodland that lay on its outskirt was
are emphasized in this
not remarkable for the game it harbored or the shooting it afforded, but it introductory paragraph?
10 was the most jealously guarded of all its owner’s territorial possessions. A
famous lawsuit, in the days of his grandfather, had wrested it from the illegal precipitous (prG-sGpPG-tEs)
possession of a neighboring family of petty landowners; the dispossessed adj. extremely steep
party had never acquiesced in the judgment of the Courts, and a long series
acquiesce (BkQwC-DsP) v. to
of poaching affrays4 and similar scandals had embittered the relationships agree or give in to
between the families for three generations. The neighbor feud had grown into
a personal one since Ulrich had come to be head of his family; if there was a

1. eastern spurs of the Carpathians (kär-pAPthC-Enz): the edges of a mountain range in central Europe.
2. game: animals hunted for food or sport.
3. Ulrich von Gradwitz (MlPrGKH fôn grädPvGts).
4. poaching affrays (E-frAzP): noisy quarrels about hunting on someone else’s property.

428 unit 4: theme

 man in the world whom he detested and wished ill to it was Georg Znaeym,5
the inheritor of the quarrel and the tireless game-snatcher and raider of the
disputed border-forest. The feud might, perhaps, have died down or been
20 compromised if the personal ill-will of the two men had not stood in the
way; as boys they had thirsted for one another’s blood, as men each prayed b MONITOR
that misfortune might fall on the other, and this wind-scourged winter night Clarify your under-
Ulrich had banded together his foresters to watch the dark forest, not in quest standing of why Ulrich
of four-footed quarry, but to keep a lookout for the prowling thieves whom and Georg are enemies
by rereading or reading
he suspected of being afoot from across the land boundary. The roebuck,6
aloud lines 7–30.
which usually kept in the sheltered hollows during a storm wind, were running
like driven things tonight, and there was movement and unrest among the marauder (mE-rôdPEr) n.
one who raids and loots
creatures that were wont to sleep through the dark hours. Assuredly there was
a disturbing element in the forest, and Ulrich could guess the quarter from
30 whence it came. b RL 2

He strayed away by himself from the watchers whom he had placed in c ARCHETYPE
ambush on the crest of the hill, and wandered far down the steep slopes amid An archetype is a pattern
the wild tangle of undergrowth, peering through the tree trunks and listening that appears repeatedly
through the whistling and skirling7 of the wind and the restless beating of the in literature, such as star-
crossed lovers, a search
branches for sight or sound of the marauders. If only on this wild night, in for treasure, or a battle
this dark, lone spot, he might come across Georg Znaeym, man to man, with against evil. The plot of
none to witness—that was the wish that was uppermost in his thoughts. And “The Interlopers” centers
as he stepped around the trunk of a huge beech, he came face to face with the around the archetypal
plot of enemies who have
man he sought.
inherited a feud. Consider
40 The two enemies stood glaring at one another for a long silent moment. c what other literary
Each had a rifle in his hand, each had hate in his heart and murder works you have read that
uppermost in his mind. The chance had come to give full play to the passions contain feuds. What
of a lifetime. But a man who has been brought up under the code of a theme, or central idea,
usually develops from a
restraining civilization cannot easily nerve himself to shoot down his neighbor plot involving an inherited
in cold blood and without a word spoken, except for an offense against his feud?
hearth and honor. And before the moment of hesitation had given way to
action a deed of Nature’s own violence overwhelmed them both. A fierce shriek
of the storm had been answered by a splitting crash over their heads, and ere Language Coach
they could leap aside a mass of falling beech tree had thundered down on Homophones Many
words sound alike but
50 them. Ulrich von Gradwitz found himself stretched on the ground, one arm have different spellings.
numb beneath him and the other held almost as helplessly in a tight tangle Reread lines 47–50.
of forked branches, while both legs were pinned beneath the fallen mass. His The word ere is an old-
heavy shooting boots had saved his feet from being crushed to pieces, but if fashioned word with
several homophones,
his fractures were not as serious as they might have been, at least it was evident
including err. Which
that he could not move from his present position till someone came to release word means “to make a
him. The descending twigs had slashed the skin of his face, and he had to wink mistake”? Which word
away some drops of blood from his eyelashes before he could take in a general means “before”? How
can you tell?

5. Georg Znaeym (gA-ôrgP tsnAPCm).

6. roebuck: a male roe deer.
7. skirling: a shrill cry or sound.

430 unit 4: theme

 view of the disaster. At his side, so near that under ordinary circumstances he pinioned (pGnPyEnd) adj.
could almost have touched him, lay Georg Znaeym, alive and struggling, but restrained or immobilized
60 obviously as helplessly pinioned down as himself. All around them lay a thick- pinion v.
strewn wreckage of splintered branches and broken twigs. d
Relief at being alive and exasperation at his captive plight brought a strange d THEME AND SETTING
medley of pious thank offerings and sharp curses to Ulrich’s lips. Georg, who How does the natural
setting, particularly the
was nearly blinded with the blood which trickled across his eyes, stopped his fallen tree, affect Ulrich
struggling for a moment to listen, and then gave a short, snarling laugh. and Georg?
“So you’re not killed, as you ought to be, but you’re caught, anyway,” he
cried; “caught fast. Ho, what a jest, Ulrich von Gradwitz snared in his stolen
forest. There’s real justice for you!”
And he laughed again, mockingly and savagely.

the interlopers 431

 70 “I’m caught in my own forest land,” retorted Ulrich. “When my men come
to release us, you will wish, perhaps, that you were in a better plight than
caught poaching on a neighbor’s land, shame on you.” e e GRAMMAR AND STYLE
Georg was silent for a moment; then he answered quietly. Reread lines 70–72. Saki
uses the subordinate
“Are you sure that your men will find much to release? I have men, too,
clause “When my men
in the forest tonight, close behind me, and they will be here first and do the come to release us” to tell
releasing. When they drag me out from under these branches, it won’t need how Ulrich thinks he will
much clumsiness on their part to roll this mass of trunk right over on the top be rescued.
of you. Your men will find you dead under a fallen beech tree. For form’s sake
I shall send my condolences to your family.” condolence (kEn-dIPlEns)
80 “It is a useful hint,” said Ulrich fiercely. “My men had orders to follow n. an expression of
sympathy
in ten minutes’ time, seven of which must have gone by already, and when
they get me out—I will remember the hint. Only as you will have met your
death poaching on my lands, I don’t think I can decently send any message of
condolence to your family.”
“Good,” snarled Georg, “good. We fight this quarrel out to the death, you and
I and our foresters, with no cursed interlopers to come between us. Death . . . to
you, Ulrich von Gradwitz.”
“The same to you, Georg Znaeym, forest thief, game-snatcher.” f f MONITOR
Both men spoke with the bitterness of possible defeat before them, for each Summarize in one or two
sentences what each man
90 knew that it might be long before his men would seek him out or find him; it
threatens to do if rescued.
was a bare matter of chance which party would arrive first on the scene.
Both had now given up the useless struggle to free themselves from the mass
of wood that held them down; Ulrich limited his endeavors to an effort to
bring his one partially free arm near enough to his outer coat pocket to draw
out his wine flask. Even when he had accomplished that operation, it was
long before he could manage the unscrewing of the stopper or get any of the
liquid down his throat. But what a heaven-sent draft it seemed! It was an open draft (drBft) n. a gulp or
winter,8 and little snow had fallen as yet, hence the captives suffered less from swallow
the cold than might have been the case at that season of the year; nevertheless,
100 the wine was warming and reviving to the wounded man, and he looked across
with something like a throb of pity to where his enemy lay, just keeping the
groans of pain and weariness from crossing his lips.
“Could you reach this flask if I threw it over to you?” asked Ulrich suddenly;
“there is good wine in it, and one may as well be as comfortable as one can. Let
us drink, even if tonight one of us dies.”
“No, I can scarcely see anything; there is so much blood caked around my
eyes,” said Georg, “and in any case I don’t drink wine with an enemy.”
Ulrich was silent for a few minutes and lay listening to the weary screeching
of the wind. An idea was slowly forming and growing in his brain, an idea that
110 gained strength every time that he looked across at the man who was fighting

8. open winter: a mild winter.

432 unit 4: theme

 so grimly against pain and exhaustion. In the pain and languor that Ulrich languor (lBngPgEr) n. a
himself was feeling the old fierce hatred seemed to be dying down. g lack of feeling or energy
“Neighbor,” he said presently, “do as you please if your men come first. It
g THEME AND SETTING
was a fair compact. But as for me, I’ve changed my mind. If my men are the
In what ways are Ulrich’s
first to come, you shall be the first to be helped, as though you were my guest. actions influenced by the
We have quarreled like devils all our lives over this stupid strip of forest, where natural setting and its
the trees can’t even stand upright in a breath of wind. Lying here tonight, conditions? Cite specifics
thinking, I’ve come to think we’ve been rather fools; there are better things in from lines 92–112.
life than getting the better of a boundary dispute. Neighbor, if you will help
120 me to bury the old quarrel I—I will ask you to be my friend.”
Georg Znaeym was silent for so long that Ulrich thought, perhaps, he had
fainted with the pain of his injuries. Then he spoke slowly and in jerks.
“How the whole region would stare and gabble if we rode into the market
square together. No one living can remember seeing a Znaeym and a von
Gradwitz talking to one another in friendship. And what peace there would
be among the forester folk if we ended our feud tonight. And if we choose to
make peace among our people, there is none other to interfere, no interlopers
from outside. . . . You would come and keep the Sylvester night9 beneath my
roof, and I would come and feast on some high day at your castle. . . . I would
130 never fire a shot on your land, save when you invited me as a guest; and you
should come and shoot with me down in the marshes where the wildfowl are.
In all the countryside there are none that could hinder if we willed to make
peace. I never thought to have wanted to do other than hate you all my life, but
I think I have changed my mind about things too, this last half-hour. And you
offered me your wine flask. . . . Ulrich von Gradwitz, I will be your friend.”
For a space both men were silent, turning over in their minds the wonderful
changes that this dramatic reconciliation would bring about. In the cold,
gloomy forest, with the wind tearing in fitful gusts through the naked branches
and whistling around the tree trunks, they lay and waited for the help that succor (sOkPEr) n. help in a
140 would now bring release and succor to both parties. And each prayed a private difficult situation
prayer that his men might be the first to arrive, so that he might be the first to
show honorable attention to the enemy that had become a friend. h h THEME AND SETTING
Presently, as the wind dropped for a moment, Ulrich broke silence. Reread lines 113–142. How
has the setting brought
“Let’s shout for help,” he said; “in this lull our voices may carry a little way.”
about changes in the
“They won’t carry far through the trees and undergrowth,” said Georg, “but conflict between Ulrich
we can try. Together, then.” and Georg?
The two raised their voices in a prolonged hunting call.
“Together again,” said Ulrich a few minutes later, after listening in vain for
an answer halloo.
150 “I heard something that time, I think,” said Ulrich.
“I heard nothing but the pestilential wind,” said Georg hoarsely. pestilential
(pDsQtE-lDnPshEl) adj.
likely to spread and
cause disease

9. Sylvester night: New Year’s Eve, the feast day of Saint Sylvester (Pope Sylvester I).

the interlopers 433

 There was silence again for some minutes, and then Ulrich gave a joyful cry.
“I can see figures coming through the wood. They are following in the way I
came down the hillside.”
Both men raised their voices in as loud a shout as they could muster.
“They hear us! They’ve stopped. Now they see us. They’re running down the
hill towards us,” cried Ulrich.
“How many of them are there?” asked Georg.
“I can’t see distinctly,” said Ulrich; “nine or ten.”
160 “Then they are yours,” said Georg; “I had only seven out with me.”
“They are making all the speed they can, brave lads,” said Ulrich gladly.
“Are they your men?” asked Georg. “Are they your men?”
“No,” said Ulrich with a laugh, the idiotic chattering laugh of a man
unstrung with hideous fear.
i THEME AND SETTING
“Who are they?” asked Georg quickly, straining his eyes to see what the How does nature get the
other would gladly not have seen. better of Ulrich and Georg
“Wolves.”  i at the story’s conclusion?

Review the photographs

in this lesson. What
mood do they help
create?

434 unit 4: theme

After Reading

Comprehension
1. Recall Why is Ulrich in the forest? RL 2 Determine a theme of a
text and analyze in detail how it
2. Recall Why are the von Gradwitz and Znaeym families fighting? emerges and is refined by specific
details; provide an objective
3. Summarize What happens to Ulrich and Georg when they are in the forest? summary.

Text Analysis
4. Identify Conflict Use a chart like the one shown to record an example of each
kind of conflict found in the story. Then explain the nature of the conflict.

Kind of Conflict Example from the Story Explanation

Character vs. character
Character vs. nature
Character vs. self

5. Analyze Climax Identify the climax of the story. How do Ulrich and Georg
begin to change at this turning point? Cite evidence to support your claim.
6. Understand Irony A contrast between what is expected and what really
occurs is called irony. Think about what you thought would happen at the
conclusion of “The Interlopers” and what actually does happen. How is the
ending of the story ironic?
7. Interpret Title Who or what are the interlopers? Give two interpretations
of the story’s title.
8. Examine Theme and Setting Think about the story’s setting and the way it
affects Ulrich and Georg. What theme related to setting do you think Saki
communicates in the story? Cite evidence to support your claim.
9. Monitor Review the chart you created as you read. How has clarifying your
reading helped you to better understand the story? Offer two personal
examples to support your answer.

Text Criticism
10. Critical Interpretations “Saki came to the short story as a satirist,” argues
one literary critic, “and never averted his eye from the darker side of human
nature, a place where not only social ineptness, pomposity, and foolishness
are rooted but criminality as well.” What human vices or follies does Saki
ridicule in the story?

What’s wrong with holding a GRUDGE?

Why do you think grudges appear so often in literature?

the interlopers 435

Vocabulary in Context word list
vocabulary practice acquiesce
Decide whether each pair of terms are similar or different. condolence
draft
1. precipitous/steep 6. draft/sip
interloper
2. acquiesce/dispute 7. succor/assistance
languor
3. marauder/raider 8. pestilential/healthful
marauder
4. condolence/indifference 9. interloper/guest
pestilential
5. languor/energy 10. pinioned/pinned down
pinioned

academic vocabulary in writing precipitous

succor
• alter • layer • theme • unify • symbol

How might the wolves be a symbol in this story? Consider how changing the
wolves to another animal might alter the symbolic meaning. Explain your
interpretation in a paragraph. Use at least one Academic Vocabulary word in
your response.

vocabulary strategy: connotation

The term connotation refers to an attitude or feeling connected to a word. For L 5b Analyze nuances in the
meanings of words with similar
example, languor and sluggishness could both be defined as “a lack of physical denotations.
or mental energy,” but Saki’s use of languor to describe Ulrich’s condition
connotes a dreaminess not associated with sluggishness. Writers are aware
of the connotations of words and often use them to evoke specific feelings or
moods. If you are unable to determine a word’s connotation by looking at the
word alone, consider it in the context of the sentence, sentences, or paragraphs
that surround it.

PRACTICE Place the words in each numbered item below on a continuum to

show the positive, negative, or neutral connotations associated with each word.
Then compare your answers with those of a classmate.

Negative Neutral Positive

1. pale, pasty, fair

2. exotic, strange, unusual Interactive
3. flimsy, light, feathery Vocabulary
4. brilliance, brightness, glare Go to thinkcentral.com.
KEYWORD: HML10-436
5. discriminating, picky, selective

436 unit 4: theme

Language
grammar and style: Vary Sentence Structures L 1b Use various types of clauses
to convey specific meanings
Review the Grammar and Style note on page 432. Saki uses subordinate clauses and add variety and interest to
to vary his sentence structures and add important details. A subordinate (or writing. W 2 Write explanatory
texts to examine and convey
dependent) clause contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete complex ideas, concepts, and
thought as a sentence does. Subordinate clauses answer the questions how, how information clearly and accurately
through the effective analysis of
many, how much, to what degree, what kind, which one, why, when, and where. content.
They may be introduced by words like because, if, since, when, where, who, and
whom. Here are three examples of subordinate clauses from the story:
The neighbor feud had grown into a personal one since Ulrich had come to be
head of his family; if there was a man in the world whom he detested and
wished ill to it was Georg Znaeym. . . . (lines 15–17)
Notice how the revisions in blue use subordinate clauses to join sentences.
Doing so creates sentence variety and adds detail to this first draft. Use similar
methods to revise your responses to the prompt.

student model

who
Ulrich and Georg are enemies. They have held a grudge against each other
When
for a long time. They meet in the forest. The old war picks up where it left
If hadn’t first fallen
off. A tree falls on top of them. Otherwise, they might have killed each

other immediately.

reading-writing connection


YOUR Explore the topics of context and theme in “The Interlopers” by
responding to this prompt. Then use the revising tip to improve
TURN your writing.

writing prompt revising tip

Extended Constructed Response: Analysis Review your response.
In the story, Saki cleverly explores the theme of Have you varied the
hunting. In three to five paragraphs, analyze the structure of your
message Saki conveys about hunters and their prey. sentences? If not,
revise to include
subordinate clauses
Interactive
Revision
that add important
Go to thinkcentral.com.
details. KEYWORD: HML10-437

the interlopers 437

 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Text Analysis
Theme and Setting
Theme is the message about life or human nature that the writer wants to communicate to
readers. The setting of a story is where and when the action takes place. “The Interlopers”
takes place in a forest that two men fight over. The setting contributes to the theme the
author, Saki, is conveying about human nature.

Directions:  In the chart record words, phrases, and sentences from the story that tell about
how the setting affects the characters and conflict. Then answer the question that follows.

How the Setting Affects the Characters How the Setting Affects the Main Conflict
Ulrich is hunting in the dark. The forest lands and their game had been fought

The Interlopers
over by the families.
Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Which details from the chart help you understand the theme?

Resource Manager Unit 4 21

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Reading Strategy
Monitor
Good readers automatically check, or monitor, their comprehension of what they read. One
way they accomplish this is by clarifying difficult passages. Strategies such as rereading,
reading aloud, and summarizing can make tough parts easier to understand.

Directions:  In the chart, record the line numbers of confusing passages from the story,
the strategy you used to clarify them, and the understanding you gained. An example has
been started for you.

Confusing How I Clarified My My New Understanding

Passages Understanding

The Interlopers
Lines 8–20 rereading Two families have feuded over land. The
courts ruled in favor of one family, but the
other family didn’t accept the decision.
Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Resource Manager Unit 4 23

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Reading Check
Directions:  Recall the events from the short story by Saki. Then answer the questions in
phrases or sentences.

1. What is Ulrich von Gradwitz doing in the forest on a winter night?

2. Why are Ulrich and Georg feuding?

The Interlopers

3. What happens to Ulrich and Georg that prevents them from fighting one another?

4. What decision do Ulrich and Georg make?

Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

5. What happens to Ulrich and Georg at the end of the story?

28 Unit 4 Resource Manager

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Question Support
Text Analysis
For questions 1–3, see page 435 of the Student Edition.
Directions:  Answer the questions.

4. Identify Conflict  For each kind of conflict in the first column, choose the sentence
that best explains it in the second column.

���� 1. Character vs. Character a. Georg considers whether to be Ulrich’s friend.

���� 2. Character vs. Nature b. Ulrich and Georg point rifles at each other.
���� 3. Character vs. Self c. Ulrich and Georg are pinned under a tree.

5. Analyze Climax  Circle the phrase that completes the following sentence. The turning

The Interlopers
point of the story occurs when
a. Georg and Ulrich point rifles at each other
b. Georg and Ulrich are pinned under a tree
c. Georg and Ulrich become friends
d. Georg and Ulrich hear sounds

6. Understand Irony  Reread lines 156–157. Then fill in the chart.

What I Thought Would Happen What Really Happened

Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

7. Interpret Title  An interloper is “one that intrudes into a place, situation, or activity.”
Underline two possible interlopers from the list. Then explain how they intrude.
a. Georg and Ulrich b. the storm c. wolves d. the tree

8. Examine Theme and Setting  Think about the woods and the storm. The men
make great plans, but they die because of nature. How would you state the author’s
message? 

9. Monitor  Three ways to monitor your reading are rereading, summarizing, and reading aloud.
Choose two and, on a separate sheet of paper, tell how you used them to understand the story better. 

Resource Manager Unit 4 29

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Grammar and Style

Vary Sentence Structures
Saki uses subordinate clauses to vary his sentence structure and add important details. A
subordinate (or dependent) clause contains a subject and a verb but does not express
a complete thought like a sentence does. Subordinate clauses may be introduced by words
such as although, because, if, since, so that, when, where, which, who, or whom. Here is
an example from the story.
The feud might, perhaps, have died down or been compromised if the personal ill-will of
the two men had not stood in the way . . . . (lines 19–21)

Directions:  Revise the following paragraphs by using subordinate clauses to join related
sentences. Use proofreading symbols from the chart to show your changes.
The Interlopers

Proofreading Symbols
Add letters, words, or Make a capital Delete letters or words.
punctuation. letter lowercase.

Ulrich and Georg are sworn enemies. They continue to feud over

the ownership of a narrow strip of woodland. The court has ruled that

the land belongs to Ulrich’s family. Georg’s family refuses to accept

Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

this decision and continues to use the land for hunting. This infuriates

Ulrich.

Ulrich decides he must put an end to the poaching. One dark and

forbidding night, he wanders away from his men and decides to go

hunting for his enemy. He hopes to come upon Georg alone in the

woods. He wants to settle the feud once and for all.

30 Unit 4 Resource Manager

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Vocabulary Study
Words in Context
Directions:  As your teacher reads each item, listen for the boldfaced word. Discuss possible
meanings of the word and write on the chart what you think the word means. After reading
“The Interlopers,” confirm or adjust your definition.

1. The Court forbade Georg from hunting on the land, but he did not acquiesce. He
continued his hunting parties there.
2. Georg threatens to kill Ulrich, yet promises to send condolences to Ulrich’s family.
3. Ulrich drinks a draft of his wine after being injured.
4. Ulrich views Georg as an interloper; he feels that the forest lands are his and that
George has no right to hunt on them.

The Interlopers
5. Ulrich is filled with languor. His injury and the cold have taken away his energy.
6. Ulrich waits for the marauders, hoping to catch the men who have no right to the deer.
7. The men viewed nature as pestilential; the wind could only hurt them and make them
sick.
8. Ulrich and Georg are pinioned by a fallen tree and cannot move.
9. Trees cling to rock ledges by their roots in the precipitous woodland.
10. Ulrich and Georg waited for their foresters to rescue them and give them succor in this
difficult situation.

Vocabulary Word Predicted Meaning Meaning in Selection

Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Resource Manager Unit 4 25

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Vocabulary Practice

acquiesce draft languor pestilential precipitous

condolence interloper marauder pinioned succor

A.  Directions:  Write the word from the box that correctly completes each sentence.

1. Nurses and doctors offer ________________ and help to people who are ill.

2. The ________________ hill was so steep that it was impassable in the icy weather.

3. During the wrestling match, the weaker fighter was ________________ to the mat.

4. The ________________ rats spread a disease called the plague in the Middle Ages.
The Interlopers

5. The company president wrote a letter of ________________ , offering her sympathy.

6. The annoying ________________ crashed the conversation and listened into what
everyone was saying.

7. On a hot day, a ________________ of ice water tastes very refreshing.

8. The ________________ looted the tomb of the ancient Egyptian ruler, stealing the
gold inside it.

9. Lucy would whine until her parents would ________________ to her demands for
a toy and buy it for her.

Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

10. Mike had aches and ________________ for weeks as a result of the flu.

B.  Writing Option Imagine how you might resolve an argument. Write a paragraph using
at least two words from the box.

26 Unit 4 Resource Manager

Grade 10
 Name Date

The Interlopers Copy Master

Vocabulary Strategy
Connotation
A word’s connotation is the attitudes and feelings associated with it. For example, acquiesce
and bend both mean “agree to,” but bend suggests a surrender not associated with acquiesce.
When you choose among words that have almost the same meaning, use their connotations to
help you select the word that best fits the context.

A.  Directions:  Choose the word that best fits each sentence. Write it in the blank.

used /recycled

1. Chris bought a car ________________ from the dealer.

2. The ________________ bottles will be made into new ones.

The Interlopers
stingy /thrifty

3. A ________________ saver, Charles always put aside money for his retirement.

4. Scrooge was so ________________ that he would not give his employees a paid day
off on Christmas!

shy /reserved

5. The ________________ panda hid behind its mother in the zoo.

6. A ________________ and dignified man, Dr. Lui always wore a tie and a jacket.
Copyright © Holt McDougal, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

mediocre /average

7. Five students received a(n) ________________ grade and had to repeat the class.

8. The ________________ student earned a 75 percent on the test.

B.  Directions:  On a separate sheet of paper, write your own sentences to show the
difference in connotation between slender and emaciated. Use a dictionary if you need one.

Resource Manager Unit 4 27

Grade 10