Place: The citadel of a beleaguered Catholic town in Germany under siege by Protestant troops from Holstein Time: 24 October 1648, the last day of the Thirty Years' War The Sergeant of the Guard receives the watch from a private that the enemy has just set fire to a farm.
Sted: Citadellet i en af protestantiske tropper fra Holstein belejret katolsk by i Tyskland Tid: 24. oktober 1648, den sidste dag i Trediveårskrigen En sergent modtager besked fra en soldat om, at fjenden netop har sat ild til en gård.