El retorno de D'Artacán

Some time has passed when we again meet the Muskehounds living a life of leisure. The years have not passed uneventfully—Dogranian has married Juliet and has two children.

The Muskehounds, having arrived in Paris, head to the Palace to appear before a general meeting of the Muskehounds. Our friends notice that the King has changed—despite looking the same as ever. He says and does odd things and does not immediately recognise our friends.

Dogtanian’s family arrives in Paris where they are met by the Muskehound, Pip and Planchet. They go out into the street where they find one of the Cardinal’s guards fixing a notice announcing that the Muskehounds have been relieved of their duties as the King’s personal guards and replaced by the Cardinal’s guard.

The Muskehounds enter the King’s private office for their audience, but the King does not seem to take much notice of their request and our friends leave with their hopes dashed.

Pom arrives in Paris on a vegetable cart and runs to Dogtanian's house to tell him about his meeting with the imprisoned King. At first, Dogtanian cannot believe him, as he has only recently seen the King in person.

Dogtanian, the Three Muskehounds, Pom and the King spend the night in the forest and then prepare to continue their journey to Paris. The King decides to disguise himself as a Muskehound, so that no one will recognise him, and to avoid a possible second kidnap attempt.

Dogtanian takes Rofty to see an old magician called Exili, who lives in a cave in the forest, as he has been told that Exili might be able to help. Milady sees Dogtanian on the way to the Magician’s cave and alerts Richelieu, who is getting increasingly puzzled by the reappearance of the Muskehounds, and wants at all costs to find out what they are up to.

The King has fallen ill, and the doctors cannot diagnose what he is suffering from. His condition appears serious. A maid tells the Queen that she has seen someone suspicious in the royal kitchens. The Queen, fearing that someone may have poisoned her husband, sends for the Muskehounds.

The King is expecting a visit from the Count of Bavaria with whom he hopes to establish friendly relations which could be of great benefit to France. But, concerned about the possible machination Blanbec and his followers, he asks Dogtanian and the Muskehounds to keep an eye open in case his half-brother tries something else.

Dogtanian, knowing that they have been spied on, talks to De Treville and then to the King about changing their plans. They decide that Richelieu's guards should provide the escort for the Count of Bavaria, so that the Muskehounds can keep an eye on things, as Blanbec believes that they will be the escort.

Blancbec, dressed as King, receives the Count of Bavaria at the frontier. The Count is touched and highly flattered to see that the King himself has come to the frontier to meet him but Blanbec immediately starts to treat him haughtily and rudely, as his plan is to offend the Count and ruin the chances of an alliance.

Dogtanian arrives in Paris to see the King. First however, with the help of the Muskehounds, he has to get rid of the Cardinal’s men, who continue to accuse Dogtanian of organising the ambush in order to discredit them.

Dogtanian, the Three Muskehounds and the King (still disguised as a Muskehound) accompany the Count of Bavaria and his retinue to Paris. But Blancbec has been informed by a spy that the Count of Bavaria is on his way back to France. The cunning half-brother infers that only the real King could have persuaded the Count to change his mind, and orders his men to attack the party and capture the King.

The Count of Bavaria arrives in Paris where he is received by the Queen and by Richelieu (because the King is still on his way, having stayed behind to rescue the muskehounds by posing as Blancbec). Meanwhile Dogtanian, the Three Muskehounds and the King in his disguise as “The fifth Muskehound”, ride towards Paris. When they get there, they are intercepted by Widimer and the Cardinal’s guards, as Richelieu has ordered them to bring in Dogtanian to explain where the King is. At first the Muskehounds appear to be winning their sword fight, but reinforcements of guards arrive, and the King orders Dogtanian to surrender.

With the intention of discrediting the King and of inciting the people to rebel, Blancbec has persuaded the nobility of a province to raise excessive and unfair taxes from their subjects. But a mysterious character called Pedigreen Hood, the leader of a band of outlaws who hide in a forest, robs the nobility and shares out the proceeds among the poor. The nobles go to Paris to protest to the King and to demand assistance. Richelieu decides to send Widimer and his men.

The Muskehoundsarrive in a village of the province, where they are able to confirm that the story which the emigrating mouse had told Pomwas no exaggeration – the peasants were living in total poverty. Suddenly, Pedigreen Hood's men arrive and start handing out money and food to the people of the village. Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds head for them in order to talk. The outlaws complain of the King’s injustice in decreeing such high taxes; the Muskehounds try to explain to them that the King cannot be responsible; either the local nobles are raising taxes on their own account, or someone other than the King is behind it.

Bonguau arrives secretly at the castle and proposes a cunning plan to the local nobles for capturing Pedigreen – they will pretend to lower taxes and give more freedom to the peasants. To celebrate, they will convene an archery competition with big cash prizes. As Pedigreen is an excellent bowman, he is bound to enter so as to win the prize money and share it among the poor. It should be easy to capture him. The noble’s soldiers issue proclamations announcing the lowering of taxes and the archery contest, much to the joy of the naïve populace.

In the light of this latest turn of events, Bonguau decides to bring his men, and together with the soldiers of the villainous nobles, they form a sizeable army. In order to draw out the outlaws, they attack a small village and start to pillage it. As anticipated, Pedigreen and the Muskehounds are not slow to arrive. Whereupon, the bulk of Bonguagu’s force, which has remained in hiding until this moment, falls upon our friends, who look like losing their fight.

Dogtanian and the Muskehounds are summoned to the Palace, where they are given the task of escorting Lady Dalma, a cousin of the King on her way from Italy to spend a time at the court. On their way to meet Lady Dalma, they cross paths with a coach which has just been robbed by a masked man dressed in black, who has taken all the jewellery belonging to the occupants.

The King holds a banquet to celebrate the arrival of Lady Dalma at the Palace. Naturally, Dogtanian, Juliet and the Three Muskehounds are invited. During the party, Athos is inseparable from Lady Dalma, so besotted is he with her. She asks him to accompany her to the bedrooms, as her shoes are hurting her and she wants to change them. Enchanted, Athos accompanies her and stands guard outside her door while she changes.

The King charges the Muskehounds with the task of catching the mysterious masked man in black. For his part, Richelieu suspects the Muskehounds; the masked man could be another Pedigreen Hood and be a friend of Dogtanian; after all, Dogtanian did not capture him at the banquet.

The King charges the Muskehounds with the task of catching the mysterious masked man in black. For his part, Richelieu suspects the Muskehounds; the masked man could be another Pedigreen Hood and be a friend of Dogtanian; after all, Dogtanian did not capture him at the banquet.

Blancbec, fed up with the Muskehounds always frustrating his plans, contracts Milady to kidnap Fleur, Dogtanian's daughter. Milady arrives at Dogtanian’s house when he is not there, pretending that she has a message from the Cardinal, who is prepared to work with the Muskehounds. Juliet tells her that Dogtanian will be back shortly, so Milady pretends to wait for him. Milady starts to play hide and seek with Fleur, and when Juliet is not watching, carries her off.

Richelieu, who for some time has suspected that some strange intrigue is going on which he does not know about, orders Widimer to investigate Fleur’s kidnapping. Widimer is astonished because he cannot understand why the cardinal should wish to help his old enemy. Richelieu tells him to stop talking nonsense and to carry out his orders; the interests of France are above any personal rivalry. On their side, the Muskehounds and Pip move heaven and earth to find the trail of the missing Fleur. Naturally, Dogtanian and Juliet are dismayed.

Dogtanian pursues Bonguau who joins up with Blancbec in his castle, to tell him all is lost and that they must flee. Dogtanian arrives as Blancbec and Bonguau are preparing to escape, but Blancbec threatens that he will kill Fleur if Dogtanian does not give up his sword. Dogtanian throws down his sword, but at the same time, Fleur bites Blancbec’s hand and forces him to release her. As Dogtanian embraces his daughter, the two villains take flight—but not very far. The Three Muskehounds, following Dogtanian, cut them off and capture them.

Monsieur De Treville decides to retire from his position as head of the Royal Guard, as he believes that a younger man should take over his difficult task. Widimer tries to apply for the post, claiming the glory for a series of successes, including the capture of Blancbec; but the appointment falls to Dogtanian. At first, he is reluctant to accept such a high honour, and tries in turn to persuade his three friends to accept the post.