Produced by Steven desJardins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: The TREMENDOUS EVENT MAURICE LE BLANC] BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE WOMAN OF MYSTERY THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THE SECRET OF SAREK EYES OF INNOCENCE THE THREE EYES THE EIGHT STROKES OF THE CLOCK [Illustration: "You don't regret anything, Isabel?" he whispered.] THE TREMENDOUS EVENT BY MAURICE LE BLANC TRANSLATED BY ALEXANDER TEIXEIRA DE MATTOS NEW YORK THE MACAULAY COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY THE MACAULAY COMPANY PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AUTHOR'S NOTE The tremendous event of the 4th. of June, whose consequences affected the relations of the two great Western nations even more profoundly than did the war, has called forth, during the last fifty years, a constant efflorescence of books, memoirs and scientific studies of truthful reports and fabulous narratives. Eye-witnesses have related their impressions; journalists have collected their articles into volumes; scientists have published the results of their researches; novelists have imagined unknown tragedies; and poets have lifted up their voices. There is no detail of that tragic day but has been brought to light; and this is true likewise of the days which went before and of those which came after and of all the reactions, moral or social, economic or political, by which it made itself felt, throughout the twentieth century, in the destinies of the world. There was nothing lacking but Simon Dubosc's own story. And it was strange that we should have known only by reports, usually fantastic, the part played by the man who, first by chance and then by his indomitable courage and later still by his clear-sighted enthusiasm, was thrust into the very heart of the adventure. To-day, when the nations are gathered about the statue over-looking the arena in which the hero fought, does it not seem permissible to add to the legend the embellishment of a reality which will not misrepresent it? And, if it is found that this reality trenches too closely upon the man's private life, need we object? It was in Simon Dubosc that the western spirit first became conscious of itself and it is the whole man that belongs to history. CONTENTS PART THE FIRST CHAPTER PAGE I. THE SUIT 13 II. THE CROSSING 32 III. GOOD-BYE SIMON 54 IV. THE GREAT UPHEAVAL 71 V. VIRGIN SOIL 85 VI. TRIUMPH 98 VII. LYNX-EYE 120 VIII. ON THE WAR-PATH 143 PART THE SECOND