Hot texas prairies, wild horses, freeracing along their expanses race against the wind, courageous handsome cowboys and wise hunter-trackers, adorable girls and gloomy villains, cruel Indians and noble heroes, risking a life for the sake of honor and beautiful ladies, bloody secrets and eternal struggle of good and evil for love and happiness - such is the "gentleman's set", from which an adventure adventure novel of the second half of the 19th century consists. An example of this is the "Horseman without a Head", beloved by all of us from adolescence.
A few words about the author
"Horseman without a head" - the book of the most popularEnglish writer of Scottish origin Thomas Main Reed, written by him in 1865, at the same time and published by a major London publishing house and bought up with great speed. In 1868, the translation of the work into Russian appeared. The reading public swallowed the contents overnight. Naturally, especially young people were reading. Enthusiastic teenagers raved about the adventures of Maurice Mustang and dreamed of going to conquer America. With his usual humor in one of the stories, Chekhov very vividly reproduced the atmosphere of the special popularity of the book in Russia. But let's return to the author himself, because the novel "The Horseman without a Head", the content of which so excited the public, is closely connected with its creator. The writer often signed the pseudonym "Captain Mine Reed." The hint of the military profession added to its subjects elements of reliability, truthfulness, realism. A great lover of adventure, fidgeting with an easy share of adventurism in character, Reed dreamed of an eventful life since his youth, therefore, instead of the path of the priest, what his father was, he goes to the US in search of his share and stories, from which then his books will appear. He was an active participant in the war in Mexico, the Bavarian revolution, was seriously injured more than once. Most of what we read in the Quartononka, The Leader of the Seminoles, the same "Horseman" is based on completely truthful situations, which I heard or faced with the author himself.
And after returning to the Old World, to England, Mine Reedcompletely gives himself to literature. He wrote more than 60 works, and most of them are prepared for a long glorious life. And although in recent years, fate has not been good to the master of the word, Captain Reed has already outlived his time, and for most of the girls and boys, boys and girls around the world from 11 to 20 years, he will remain one of the favorite authors whose romantic vision of the world awakens in young soul better feelings, thoughts and dreams.
The most famous novel
"Headless Horseman", a summary of whichwe now consider, rightfully recognized as the best work of Reed. There is everything that is necessary for a kind adventure novel. A knight without tribe, fear and reproach, who ends up as a noble nobleman (Maurice Gerald) and his rival Captain Cassius Colhoun is sneaky, arrogant, ready for a vile murder to satisfy his whims. Two stunning beauty girls - Mexican senorita Isidora and Creole Louise Poindexter, who are fighting for a place in the heart of Maurice, noble, devoted friends, exciting intrigue, sharp, twisted turns and even an eerie monster, whether a ghost, or a victim of a ruthless crime - a rider, whose head is tied to the saddle.
This is the book "The Horseman without a Head"a summary of which is as follows: once rich, but now ruined, but gentle and noble planter Woodley Poindexter with all the household moved to a new residence in Texas - more semi-wild state, whose residents every minute expect Indian attack. Hacienda belongs in fact his nephew Cassius, what do not know the beauty Louise and the young, clean and generous young man, Henry, her brother - the children Poindexter. The way they fall into the sand storms and probably would have died if it had not been a pleasant unexpected help brave man, whose noble manners could not spoil the dust-poor clothing and equipment. Between Louise and the savior, thus Morim Mustang, love breaks out at first sight. From this moment the main invisible opposition of the male characters of the novel "The Horseman without a Head" begins. The summary of the following events looks like this: with the help of the old Zeb Stump, Gerald's loyal friend, lovers exchange gentle letters, and then meet in the garden of the asiend. But the enemy is not slumbering. Kolhoun tries first to remove from his path Maurice, setting on him Henry, because the connection with the straggly hunter after the horses allegedly disgrace his sister and the whole family. However, the clash ends peacefully, which is not part of Cassius's plans. He decides to finish the opponent himself. Then the action in the novel "The Horseman without a Head" is developing very rapidly. The summary is reduced to the following events. Having tracked the enemy, the captain kills Maurice, chops off his head and returns home. Local residents see in the district a terrible vision: a rider with no head on his shoulders. After many adventures, during which mustanger almost died, and Zeb stoemp almost on his knees clambered all the prairie in search of evidence of crime, justice prevails. Calhoun waiting for the inevitable retribution, Louise marries the loved one, and the old Poindexter replace dead son takes his family-in-law, who turned the noble Irish gentleman. In general, everyone is happy!
