After the death of his father, the ambitious farmhand Hauke Haien works his way up to become the successor to the old dyke count, whose daughter Elke he marries. He develops plans for the construction of a new dyke to provide better protection against storm surges, but encounters resistance and inertia from the villagers, who superstitiously suspect him of being in league with the devil. As a heavy storm approaches, he chases towards the floods with his white horse...