The first edition of this book is dated 1850. The edition used is dated 1905. The publisher was Blackie & Son, Ltd, London, Glasgow and Dublin. The number of pages is 231.

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General information

Quite a lively story! At one point the hero is to die by hanging by the heels over a precipice! At another he and his companions are attacked by a pack of snarling bloodhounds! And many other tense situations.

As usual with this prolific author the text is well interlarded with Spanish words, and those from other languages, French, German, Latin, Greek. We have done our best to get these words right, but beg to be forgiven if you spot an error here and there.

In addition to our difficulties with the Spanish, there is an Irish member of the cast whose words are so mis-pronounced that they practically constitute a language of their own. Here again we have tried to get the spellings as they appear in the book, but you can quite see how difficult that has been.

This book first appeared in the 1850s, and went through several editions in a few years. Forty years later there was a revival, and again several editions appeared. There are people even nowadays who revere “Captain” Mayne Reid as the first author to start this genre: authentic books about the wilder parts of North America, and its history.

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Contents

Chapter I.
The Land of Anahuac.

Chapter II.
An Adventure among the Creoles of New Orleans.

Chapter III.
A Volunteer Rendezvous.

Chapter IV.
Life on the Island of Lobos.

Chapter V.
A Skeleton Adventure.

Chapter VI.
The Landing at Sacrificios.

Chapter VII.
The City of the True Cross.

Chapter VIII.
Major Blossom.

Chapter IX.
Scouting in the Chaparral.

Chapter X.
Adventure with a Cayman.

Chapter XI.
Don Cosmé Rosales.

Chapter XII.
A Mexican Dinner.

Chapter XIII.
A Subterranean Drawing-Room.

Chapter XIV.
“The Norther.“

Chapter XV.
A Little Fair Weather again.

Chapter XVI.
The Scout continued, with a Variety of Reflections.

Chapter XVII.
One Way of Taming a Bull.

Chapter XVIII.
A Brush with the Guerilleros.

Chapter XIX.
A Herculean Feat.

Chapter XX.
Running the Gauntlet.

Chapter XXI.
A Short Fight at “Long Shot”.

Chapter XXII.
The Rescue.

Chapter XXIII.
The Cocuyo.

Chapter XXIV.
Lupé and Luz.

Chapter XXV.
A Tough Night of it after all.

Chapter XXVI.
The Light after the Shade.

Chapter XXVII.
A Disappointment and a New Plan.

Chapter XXVIII.
A Foolhardy Adventure.

Chapter XXIX.
Help from Heaven.

Chapter XXX.
A Shot in the Dark.

Chapter XXXI.
Captured by Guerilleros.

Chapter XXXII.
A Blind Ride.

Chapter XXXIII.
A Drink à la Cheval.

Chapter XXXIV.
An odd Way of opening a Letter.

Chapter XXXV.
The Cobra-di-Capello.

Chapter XXXVI.
The Head-Quarters of the Guerilla.

Chapter XXXVII.
Chane’s Courtship.

Chapter XXXVIII.
The Dance of the Tagarota.

Chapter XXXIX.
A Kiss in the Dark.

Chapter XL.
Maria de Merced.

Chapter XLI.
The Pursuit.

Chapter XLII.
A New and Terrible Enemy.

Chapter XLIII.
A Battle with Bloodhounds.

Chapter XLIV.
An Indian Ruse.

Chapter XLV.
A Coup d’Éclair.

Chapter XLVI.
A Bridge of Monkeys.

Chapter XLVII.
The Jarachos.

Chapter XLVIII.
Padre Jarauta.

Chapter XLIX.
A Hang by the Heels.

Chapter L.
A Very Short Trial.

Chapter LI.
A Bird’s-eye View of a Battle.

Chapter LII.
An Odd Way of Escaping from a Battle-field.

Chapter LIII.
A Wholesale Capture.

Chapter LIV.
A Duel, with an odd Ending.

Chapter LV.
An Adios.

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