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

[ "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." ]

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.