Produced by Al Haines [Frontispiece: "Come, fellow, thou art trapped; give me up my purse."] The Black Wolf's Breed _A Story of France In the Old World and the New, happening in the Reign of Louis XIV_ BY HARRIS DICKSON ILLUSTRATIONS BY C. M. RELYEA GROSSET & DUNLAP Publishers -:- New York Copyright 1899 by The Bowen-Merrill Company _All rights reserved_ TO THE MEMORY OF _BIENVILLE_ THE SOLDIER-GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA OUT OF WHOSE MIGHTY PROVINCE HAS GROWN NEARLY ONE-HALF OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST REPUBLIC CONTENTS FOREWORD I The Master II Bienville III Aboard Le Dauphin IV The Road to Versailles V The Decadence of Versailles VI Louis XIV VII At the Austrian Arms VIII A New Friend IX Mademoiselle X In the House of Bertrand XI The Dawn and the Dusk XII Florine to the Rescue XIII The Girl of the Wine Shop XIV The Secretary and the Duke XV New Hopes XVI The Unexpected XVII The Flight From Sceaux XVIII Serigny's Departure XIX The Castle of Cartillon XX From the Path of Duty XXI The Fall of Pensacola XXII The Contents of the Box XXIII A Note Which Went Astray XXIV The Children of the Black Wolf's Breed APPENDIX ILLUSTRATIONS LOI "Come, fellow, thou art trapped; give me up my purse." . . _Frontispiece_ "What is it; what device is there?" "The old man gazed steadily at me for some moments." ELOI _FRANCE--In the old world and in the new!_ _The France of romance and glory under Henry of Navarre; of pride and glitter under Louis XIV, in whose reign was builded, under the silver lilies, that empire--Louisiana--in the vague, dim valley of the Mississippi across the sea: these are the scenes wherein this drama shall be played. Through these times shall run the tale which follows. Times when a man's good sword was ever his truest friend, when he who fought best commanded most respect. It was the era of lusty men----the weak went to the wall._ _King and courtier; soldier and diplomat; lass and lady; these are the people with whom this story deals. If, therefore, you find brave fighting and swords hanging too loosely in their sheaths; if honor clings round an empty shadow and the women seem more fair than honest, I pray you remember when these things did happen, who were the actors, and the stage whereon they played._ _THE AUTHOR._ THE BLACK WOLF'S BREED FOREWORD _It is fitting that old men, even those whose trade is war, should end their days in peace, yet it galls me grievously to sit idly here by the fire, in this year of grace 1746, while great things go on in the world about me._ _The feeble hound at my feet, stretching his crippled limbs to the blaze, dreams of the chase, and bays delighted in his sleep. Nor can I do more than dream and meditate and brood._