he had more than
once pretended to be a Protestant, feigning conversion to the Catholic
faith in order to secure the fifty crowns that M. Pelisson paid each
neophyte as the price of conversion. This cheat discovered, the
chevalier was condemned to the lash and to prison. He suffered the lash,
escaped from prison, disguised himself by means of an immense shade over
his eye, girded himself with a formidable sword with which he ambled
about, then embraced the profession of wheedling country folk for the
benefit of gambling houses, into which he led those innocent lambs, who
did not come forth again until completely shorn. It must be said--to the
chevalier's credit that he took no part himself in these rascalities; as
he said to himself--if he did bait the hook, he at least did not eat the
fish.

The laws regarding duels were at that time very severe. One day the
chevalier encountered a well-known brave named Fontenay-Coup-d'Epee. The
latter roughly elbowed our adventurer, saying, "Take care! I am Fontenay
Sword-Thrust." "And I," said the Gascon, "Croustillac Cannon-Ball,"
whipping out his sword.

Fontenay was killed, and Croustillac obliged to flee in order to escape
capture.

The chevalier had often heard of the wonderful fortunes to be realized
in the colonies. Journeying sometimes on foot, sometimes on horse,
sometimes in a wagon, he went to Rochelle hoping to embark for America.
Once there, Croustillac found that he not only must pay his passage on
board a vessel, but must also obtain from the intendant of marine,
permission to embark for the Antilles.

These two things were equally difficult of accomplishment; the
emigration of Protestants, which Louis XIV. wished to prevent, made the
officers of the ports extremely severe, and the voyage to Martinique
cost no less than eight or nine hundred livres. In all his life the
adventurer had never been possessed of a tithe of this amount. Arriving
at Rochelle with ten crowns in his pocket, dressed in a smock frock and
carrying his clothing on the end of his scabbard, the chevalier went,
like a journeyman, to lodge at a poor tavern, ordinarily frequented by
sailors.

There he inquired as to outgoing vessels, and learned that the Unicorn
would set sail in a few days. Two of the crew of this vessel frequented
the tavern which the chevalier had selected for the center of his
operations. It would take too long to tell by what prodigies of
astuteness and address; by what imp