Wilhelm Raabe (1831-1910) published his crime novel in 1891. The first-person narrator, Eduard, who has long been settled in Africa, has returned once again to his northern German hometown. There, "Stopfkuchen," the nickname of Eduard's childhood friend Heinrich, has now become a farm. The former owner had long been rumored to have murdered a cattle dealer. However, that is not true: during a celebration, Heinrich reveals to Eduard the true connections and the name of the murderer. Still under the spell of the events, Eduard writes down his experiences on the ship during the return journey.