The Irish Captain: A Tale of Pontenoy

About this issue

This historical adventure opens in the Forest of Fontainebleau during an elaborate royal hunt. Gerald Desmond, a young gentleman volunteer in Lord Clare's Irish Brigade regiment, encounters a mysterious elderly stranger who claims influence with King Louis XV. The stranger persuades Desmond to guide him toward the hunt despite military regulations forbidding him to wander into royal preserves. As they approach the legendary Pharamond oak—associated with folklore about the "Grand Huntsman" demon—the hunted stag turns to bay. During the chaotic scene, a lady on horseback is thrown and faces goring by the enraged animal. Desmond draws his rapier and rushes to her defense, grasping the stag's hair and driving his blade into the creature to save her. The narrative combines period atmosphere, supernatural folklore, military detail, and heroic action.