Alcide
A young poacher whose disregard for property and rules attracts Michel enough to make him an accomplice on his own land.
To profit from the estate’s game while keeping his nighttime routes, partners, and buyers hidden from both his father and Michel.
The book
At a glance
- Another son of Bocage; Charles’s brother
- The home farm near the poultry
- Poaching and illicit sale of game
- Michel’s secret nighttime accomplice
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeAlcide is another son of Bocage, so little noticed by Michel that the owner is astonished to learn he exists. He sleeps near the poultry at the home farm and moves through the woods after dark, setting traps and helping sell stolen rabbits and other game.
With Bute’s help, Michel catches Alcide by stretching a concealed copper wire across his usual path. Instead of punishing him, Michel pays him, asks for a lesson in setting snares, and begins meeting him at night. Their expeditions let Michel violate the property rules he is publicly responsible for enforcing.
Alcide accepts Michel’s money and lets him join the poaching, but he never says where the stolen animals are sold or who else is involved. Michel can pay to participate, but he cannot buy Alcide’s trust.
How the book draws them
- A sharp, ferret-like faceMichel calls him a wicked-looking youngster, with green eyes, tow-colored hair, and a sharp, ferret-like expression.
- Patient in the woodsAlcide sets traps and follows the same nighttime routes, using his detailed knowledge of the estate to avoid being caught.
- Protects his secretsEven after Michel pays him and joins the poaching, Alcide refuses to explain where the stolen game goes. Michel is frustrated because he wants to know every part of the hidden operation.
- Hard toward animalsHe kills rabbits efficiently and takes a delight in finishing off a wounded young roe-deer that Michel remembers with horror.
Alcide and Michel catch rabbits together, and once a young roe-deer; young Heurtevent collects the game at night. Alcide also earns part of the reward Bocage pays for every poacher’s snare he supposedly discovers. Michel is more offended by the boy’s continued secrecy than by the theft itself.
When Bute’s drunken outburst exposes part of the scheme, Bocage beats Alcide only for spending the night out; he cannot believe Michel was involved. Alcide’s story shows that Michel is not truly part of the poachers’ world. Alcide takes his money and lets him join in, but keeps the real operation secret.
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