Brotherhood of the Wolf

On 21 September 1765, de Bauterne killed an animal he believed was la Bete. It was a 130-pound wolf. After sending his trophy to Louis XV, the hero hunter collected his pay. For a time, all was quiet in the Gevaudan. Until the killing started again.

Abbe Pierre Pourcher notes, several times, that la Bete was a beast of great cunning:

Her cunning, skill and mobility, even her very existence were completely beyond human understanding.

When the killing resumed, however, local villagers knew Antoine de Bauterne's prey had been just another animal. It was time for Marquis d'Apcher, a 19-year-old, to assemble a hunting party. Jean Chastel was a member of that group.