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"The Wolf Leader is an English translation by Alfred Allinson of Le Meneur de loups, an 1857 fantasy novel by Alexandre Dumas. Allinson's translation was first published in London by Methuen in 1904 under the title The Wolf-Leader; the first American edition, edited and somewhat cut by L. Sprague de Camp and illustrated by Mahlon Blaine, was issued under the present title by Prime Press in 1950. The text was also serialized in eight parts in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in the issues for August, 1931-March, 1932. Plot summary Le Meneur de Loups is set around 1780 in Dumas' native town of Villers-Cotterêts, and is supposedly based on a local folk-tale Dumas heard as a child. The story concerns Thibault, a shoe-maker, who is beaten by the gamekeeper of the Lord of Vez for interfering with the lord's hunting. Afterwards he encounters a huge wolf, walking on its hind legs like a man, who offers him vengeance; Thibault may wish harm on any person in return for one of his own hairs for each wish. To seal the agreement, the two exchange rings. As a result of this bargain he also finds himself able to command the local wolves, and hence gradually gains the reputation of being a werewolf. Thibault's first two wishes kill the gamekeeper and injure the Lord of Vez. The wishes turn two hairs on his head long and red, as do his subsequent ones, which, though equally successful, also backfire against him in unexpected ways, leaving him scorned and hated by others in his community. Finally one of his wishes causes him to trade bodies with Lord Raoul of Vauparfond, who is having an affair with the wife of the Count de Mont-Gobert. Caught with the lady by the count as the result of an earlier wish against Lord Raoul, he is mortally wounded. He manages to keep himself alive until transferred back into his own body, only to find himself trapped in his own home, to which the townsfolk have set fire. Escaping, Thibault takes to the forest, where he subsists on animals caught for him by his wolves and hunts and is hunted by the Lord of Vez. He has but one human hair left on his head. The conclusion of the book, however, brings him an unusual redemption. Critical reception In 1951, Anthony Boucher and J. Francis McComas reviewed the 1950 Prime Press edition and placed it among "Dumas's drabbest hack-work.""Recommended Reading," F&SF;, June 1951, p.84 Discussing the werewolf theme in literature, Franz Rottensteiner described The Wolf-Leader as "considerably superior from a literary point of view".Franz Rottensteiner, The Fantasy Book:an illustrated history from Dracula to Tolkien. Collier Books, 1978, (p. 54). References * * External links * The Wolf Leader by Alexandre Dumas * A review and summary by Arthur D. Rypinski * Category:1857 French novels Category:Fantasy novels Category:Novels by Alexandre Dumas Category:Fiction set in 1780 Category:Novels set in Picardy Category:Methuen Publishing books Category:Aisne Category:Werewolf novels "
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"Altoona Rail Kings were a former Independent baseball team, playing their home games at Veterans Memorial Field in Altoona, Pennsylvania. They played two seasons, 1996 in the North Atlantic League, and 1997 in the Heartland League. In 1996, the Rail Kings finished 36-42. In 1997, they finished 22-14 in the Northern Division's first half, and 14-22 in the second. They did make the playoffs, losing in two straight games to the Anderson Lawmen. When the Pittsburgh Pirates-affiliated AA franchise was awarded to Altoona, the Rail Kings relocated to Huntington, West Virginia, for the 1998 season. They retained the Rail King name but redesigned their logo to feature a crowned H rather than an A. The Kings remained in the Heartland League. The Huntington Rail Kings did not finish the 1998 season, closing due to poor attendance. The Altoona Curve arrived in Altoona in 1999. Today, the Rail Kings name lives on at Blair County Ballpark, where the best seats are designated "Rail King." The Rail Kings' mascot was R.K. Two other names considered for the team were used later by affiliated teams: the Spikes, now used by State College, and the Curve, used by the current AA team. Players for the initial season included: *Jeff Andrews *Eric Burroughs *Mike Cacciotti *Peter Dallas *Howard Hill *Mark Hilyard *Anthony Iasparro *Karun Jackson *Farley Love *Travis Maxwell *Carlos Mirabal *Tim Mitchell *Paul Neatrour *Manny Perez *Billy Reed *Stanley Scales *Ray Schmittle *Anthony Sharer *John Smith *Doug Smyly *Tony Webster *Eric Yelding Tommy Seasoltz (batboy) Management included: *Owner/President: Eric Reichert *General Manager: Mike Richmond *Director of Media Relations: Dave Shannon *Director of Sales and Marketing: Shawn McIntire *Account Executive: Eddie Depp *Manager: Tommy Hearn *Coach: Michael Richmond *Athletic trainer:Bryant Musselman Category:Defunct independent baseball league teams Category:Altoona, Pennsylvania Category:1996 establishments in Pennsylvania Category:Sports clubs disestablished in 1996 Category:1997 disestablishments in Pennsylvania Category:Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania "