Le défilé d'enfer
Le défilé d'enfer is an adventure novel written in 1891 by the French writer Louis Boussenard (1847–1910), which consists of two books, each with two parts.
content
prolog
Civil war raged in Batoche: Louis Riel and the Bois-brûlés (descendants of French trappers and Indian women) resist the attacks of General Middleton, but were betrayed by Toussaint. Baptiste and his three sons Jean, Jacques and François are followers of Riel. When Toussaint kills Baptiste, his sons swear vengeance.
first book
- Part 1
In Hell Gap (USA) the cowboy Bob Kennedy is hanged by the citizen group “The Vigilant”. The Baptist sons who persecute Toussaint resuscitate the hanged man, who then accompanies them. Bob Kennedy discovers that Toussaint lives in town under the name of Mr. Jonathan. The brothers and Bob set his bank on fire, but the man's body cannot be found.
- Part 2
The three brothers and Bob Kennedy ambush a stagecoach in the Turtle Mountains (mountain range between the USA and Canada) and steal from Colonel Fairfield, who works for Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Sullivan. This then pursues the thieves together with a six-man troop. Finally, the two groups of men meet again in Maison-seule, where Sullivan's wife and daughter Kate live. Jean and Jacques want to use the stolen money to buy Louis Riel out of the captivity of the English. However, the Colonel drugs everyone, takes the money and escapes, but is then killed by a bear. While searching for him, Bob meet and the three brothers find Jonathan and Sullivan, who tie up Bob and poach the three Americans. Finally, Kate shoots Jonathan. The brothers later find out that Louis Riel has been killed and then set off to see their uncle Perrot, who had asked them for help.
second book
- Part 1
In London, Sir Georges goes on an expedition to find out whether the bighorn is a sheep or a goat. Shortly before leaving, he learns that the banker Mr. Jonathan, with whom his entire fortune was deposited, is on the run. On his expedition, Sir Georges is accompanied by the Franco-Canadian hunter Joseph Perrot. In Clinton, they meet half a dozen cannibals. Sir Georges wishes to be part of a cannibalism scene and causes his servant Tom to shoot a porter. He then takes photos of how this is scalped alive. His cries of pain are recorded with a phonograph. Georges sends Tom to Clinton to immediately send the audio and video to his brother.
After Tom takes the documents to the post office, he is skinned and scalped. A short time later, Sir Georges and Perrot are captured by the Indian porters. Their leader admits to be responsible for Tom's death and to want to scalp Sir Georges in revenge for the murder of the bearer and skin alive. Perrot is first handcuffed, but frees himself and saves Sir Georges' life. A few days later they arrive in Barkerville.
- Part 2
Alexis Bogdanoff is the founder and owner of the mining company Free Russia. When their existence is threatened, Alexis leaves for Victoria and Perrot takes over the mine with the support of his three nephews. He receives a dispatch from Alexis informing him that his rights have been granted and that work in the mine can continue. When Perrot receives a despatch from Sir Georges asking him to help him hunt a bighorn, he joins him.
Monsieur Yvan, the head of the mine, does not appear on payday. Perrot's nephews find him murdered, the keys to the cash register have disappeared. After a fight between Guillaume le Rouge and Jean, it becomes clear that the former is the murderer of Yvan. On the way to Barkerville, Perrot tells Sir Georges about Free Russia. When Sir Georges learns that an article that would mean the end of the mining company does not work, he pushes Perrot down a slope. In a letter addressed to Perrot, François and Bob learn from Alexis that the latter fled to the USA after his arrest and that the dispatch did not come from him. It becomes clear that Sir Georges is behind all the government-sponsored intrigues. The sheriff acted as an accomplice. Guillaume le Rouge broke into Yvan's room to steal the cash register keys. When Jean Guillaume was extradited to the sheriff, he himself was arrested on the pretext of lack of credibility, as was Jacques.
Sir Georges returns to Barkerville. The sheriff is supposed to take over Perrot's office. The arrested brothers are heard in court when Perrot, who was believed to be dead, appears. However, he is also arrested. Bob and François stun Sir Georges. In doing so, they discover the certificates of ownership of Free Russia and seize them. They demand that Georges write a letter to the sheriff ordering the release of the brothers and Perrots, confessing to the attempted murder of Perrot and issuing a receipt for the amount wrongly demanded by Free-Russia. Under torture, he fulfills the requirements, the letter is delivered to the sheriff. The sheriff flees, but the men are free and leave for the Olympics with Bob. Sir Georges is sent to Victoria.
epilogue
Jean and Kate celebrate their wedding in the MaisonSeule. The Free-Russia was sold at a high price and the proceeds shared. Bob learns that Sir Georges sold the cannibalism scene's visual and audio material and that it was then on public display. A missionary understood the words of the cannibalism victim, which weigh heavily on Sir Georges.
output
Louis Boussenard: Le défilé d'enfer. Paris: E. Flammarion, DL 1891. Series: Les Grandes aventures