Trail-Hunter

Gustave Aimard

Description

In the nineteenth century, the border region between Texas and Mexico was a dangerous region populated by warring tribes, lawless cowboys, and profit-crazed government agents. In The Trail-Hunter, author Gustave Aimard serves up a classic action-adventure tale that throws into sharp relief the tumultuousness of that unique time and place.

Sujets

• Westerns
• Western (genre)
• Western

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781775562467
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE TRAIL-HUNTER
A TALE OF THE FAR WEST
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GUSTAVE AIMARD
Translated by
LASCELLES WRAXALL
 
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The Trail-Hunter A Tale of the Far West First published in 1861 ISBN 978-1-77556-246-7 © 2013 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface PART I - RED CEDAR Chapter I - The Virgin Forest Chapter II - The Contest Chapter III - Don Miguel Zarate Chapter IV - The Peccaries Chapter V - The Wound Chapter VI - The Squatter's Shanty Chapter VII - The Rangers Chapter VIII - The Valley of the Buffalo Chapter IX - The Assassination Chapter X - The Sachem of the Coras Chapter XI - Conversation Chapter XII - El Meson Chapter XIII - Red Cedar Chapter XIV - The Two Hunters Chapter XV - Fray Ambrosio Chapter XVI - Two Varieties of Villains Chapter XVII - El Cañon Del Buitre Chapter XVIII - Father Seraphin Chapter XIX - Unicorn Chapter XX - The Hunt of Wild Horses Chapter XXI - The Surprise Chapter XXII - The Meeting Chapter XXIII - The Abduction Chapter XXIV - The Revolt PART II - EL PRESIDIO DE SANTA FE Chapter I - El Rancho Del Coyote Chapter II - The Cuchillada Chapter III - The Hunters Chapter IV - Sunbeam Chapter XXIX - The Adoption Chapter VI - The Missionary Chapter VII - The Interview Chapter VIII - The Prison Chapter IX - The Embassy Chapter X - The Presentation Chapter XI - Psychological Chapter XII - Diamond Cut Diamond Chapter XIII - A Stormy Discussion Chapter XIV - The Mystery Chapter XXXIX - The Ambuscade Chapter XVI - A Friendly Discussion Chapter XLI - Nathan Chapter XLII - The Wounded Man Chapter XLIII - Indian Diplomacy Chapter XLIV - The Stranger Chapter XLV - General Ventura Chapter XLVI - The Comanches Chapter XXIII - Negotiations Chapter XXIV - Free Chapter XLIX - The Meeting Chapter XXVI - Doña Clara Chapter XXVII - El Vado Del Toro Endnotes
Preface
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The present volume of Aimard's Indian Tales is devoted to the earlieradventures of those hunters, whose acquaintance the reader has formed,I trust with pleasure, in the preceding series. It does not become me tosay anything further in its favour, than that the sustained interest ofthe narrative, which has been regarded as the charm of stories referringto life in the desert and prairie, has not been departed from in thisinstance. The stories themselves supply an innate proof of the writer'scorrectness to Nature, and, in truth, many of the scenes are sostartling that they must be the result of personal observation.
In conclusion, I may be permitted to thank the Press generally for thekindly aid they have afforded me in making the English translation ofAimard's volumes known to the British reading public, and the hearty wayin which they have recognized the merits of the previous series. Itwould be an easy task to collect paragraphs, expressing a belief thatAimard is second to none of the writers who have hitherto describedIndian life and scenery; but I prefer to rest my hopes of success on theinherent qualities of his stories.
Lascelles Wraxall.
PART I - RED CEDAR
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Chapter I - The Virgin Forest
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In Mexico the population is only divided into two classes, the upper andthe lower. There is no intermediate rank to connect the two extremes,and this is the cause of the two hundred and thirty-nine revolutionswhich have overthrown this country since the declaration of itsindependence. Why this is so is simple enough. The intellectual power isin the hands of a small number, and all the revolutions are effected bythis turbulent and ambitious minority; whence it results that thecountry is governed by the most complete military despotism, instead ofbeing a free republic.
Still the inhabitants of the States of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Texas haveretained, even to the present day, that stern, savage, and energeticphysiognomy which may be sought in vain among the other States of theConfederation.
Beneath a sky colder than that of Mexico, the winter, which frequentlycovers the rivers of the region with a thick layer of ice, hardens themuscles of the inhabitants, cleanses their blood, purifies their hearts,and renders them picked men, who are distinguished for their courage,their intelligence, and their profound love of liberty.
The Apaches, who originally inhabited the greater portion of New Mexico,have gradually fallen back before the axe of the pioneers; and afterretiring into the immense deserts that cover the triangle formed by theRio Gila, the Del Norte, and the Colorado, they ravage almost withimpunity the Mexican frontiers, plundering, firing, and devastating allthey meet with on their passage.
The inhabitants of the countries we alluded to above, held in respect bythese ever-shifting savages, are in a state of continual warfare withthem, always ready to fight, fortifying their haciendas, and onlytravelling with weapons in their hands.
El Paso del Norte may be regarded as the outpost of the civilisedportion of Mexico. Beyond that, to the north and north-west, extend thevast unfilled plains of Chihuahua, the bolsón of Mapimi, and the ariddeserts of the Rio Gila. These immense deserts, known by the name ofApacheria, are still as little investigated as they were at the close ofthe eighteenth century. El Paso del Norte owes its name to its situationnear a ford of the Rio Del Norte. It is the oldest of all the NewMexican settlements, and its establishment dates back to the close ofthe sixteenth century. The present settlement is scattered for adistance of about ten miles along the banks of the Del Norte, andcontains four thousand inhabitants at the most. The plaza , or villageof the Paso, is situated at the head of the valley: at the otherextremity is the Presidio of San Elezario. All the interval is occupiedby a continuous line of white, flat-roofed houses, buried in gardens,and surrounded by vineyards. About a mile above the ford the stream isdammed up, and led by a canal into the valley, which it waters.Apacheria begins only a few miles from this settlement.
It is easily seen that the foot of civilised man has only troddentimidly and at rare intervals this thoroughly primitive country, inwhich nature, free to develop herself under the omnipotent eye of thecreator, assumes an aspect of incredible beauty and fancifulness.
On a lovely morning in the month of May, which the Indians call "themoon of the flowers," a man of high stature, with harsh and markedfeatures, mounted on a tall, half-tamed steed, started at a canter fromthe plaza, and after a few minutes of hesitation, employed in realisinghis position, resolutely buried his spurs in the horse's flanks, crossedthe ford, and after leaving behind him the numerous cottonwood treeswhich at this spot cover the river banks, proceeded toward the denseforest that flashed on the horizon.
This horseman was dressed in the costume generally adopted on thefrontiers, and which was so picturesque that we will give a shortdescription of it. The stranger wore a pelisse of green cloth,embroidered with silver, allowing a glimpse of an elegantly-workedshirt, the collar of which was fastened by a loosely-knotted black silkhandkerchief, the ends passed through a diamond ring. He wore greencloth breeches, trimmed with silver, and two rows of buttons of the samemetal, and fastened round the hips by a red silken scarf with goldfringe. The breeches, open on the side half way up the thigh, displayedhis fine linen drawers beneath: his legs were defended by a strip ofbrown embossed and stamped leather, called botas vaqueras , attachedbelow the knee by a silver garter. On his heels enormous spurs clanked.A manga , glistening with gold, and drawn up on the shoulder, protectedthe upper part of his body, while his head was sheltered from theburning sunbeams by a broad-leafed hat of brown stamped felt, the crownof which was contracted by a large silver toquilla passed twice orthrice round it.
His steed was caparisoned with graceful luxuriousness, which heightenedall its beautiful points: a rich saddle of embossed leather, adornedwith massive silver, on the back of which the zarapé was fastened;wide Moorish silver stirrups, and handsome water bottles at thesaddle-bow; while an elegant anquera , made of openwork leather, anddecorated with small steel chains, entirely covered the horse's croup,and sparkled with its slightest movement.
The stranger appeared, judging from the luxury he displayed, to belongto the high class of society. A machete hung down his right side,two pistols were passed through his girdle, the handle of a long knifeprotruded from his right boot, and he held a superbly damascened rifleacross the saddle in front of him.
Bending over the neck of his galloping steed, he advanced rapidlywithout looking round him, although the landscape that lay extendedbefore him was one of the most attractive and majestic in those regions.
The river formed the most capricious windings in the centre of a terraindiversified in a thousand strange ways. Here and there on the sandybanks enormous trees might be seen lying, which, dried up by the sun,evidenced, in their washed-out appearance, that they had been dead forcenturies. Near the shallow and marshy spots, caymans and alligatorswandered about awkwardly. At other places, where the river ran almoststraight, its banks were uniform, and covered with tall trees, roundwhich creepers had twined, and then struck root in the ground again,thus forming the most inextricable confusion. Here and there smallclearings or marshy spots mi