Wetterleuchten am Dachstein: Hannes Kähls von Kählsberg has hired himself out as a head farmhand on the estate out of love for Jutta, the beautiful young lady of the Salzerhof. Since she was widowed, Jutta has developed into a proud, domineering person who does not show Hannes the unconfessed feelings she has for him. She fights doggedly for the land of the salt mountain, which is the state salt works authority wants to dispute. Hannes urges her to give up because he thinks large parts of the underground tunnel are in danger of collapsing.