Books with author Mayne Reid

The stag of Texas, reclining in midnight lair, is startled from his slumbers by the hoofstroke of a horse. He does not forsake his covert, nor yet rise to his feet. His domain is shared by the wild steeds of the savannah, given to nocturnal straying. He only uprears his head; and, with antlers o’ertopping the tall grass, listens for a repetition of the sound. Again is the hoofstroke heard, but with altered intonation. There is a ring of metal—the clinking of steel against stone. The sound, significant to the ear of the stag, causes a quick change in his air and attitude. Springing clear of his couch, and bounding a score of yards across the prairie, he pauses to look back upon the disturber of his dreams. In the clear moonlight of a southern sky, he recognises the most ruthless of his enemies—man. One is approaching upon horseback. Yielding to instinctive dread, he is about to resume his flight: when something in the appearance of the horseman—some unnatural seeming—holds him transfixed to the spot. With haunches in quivering contact with the sward, and frontlet faced to the rear, he continues to gaze—his large brown eyes straining upon the intruder in a mingled expression of fear and bewilderment. What has challenged the stag to such protracted scrutiny? The horse is perfect in all its parts—a splendid steed, saddled, bridled, and otherwise completely caparisoned. In it there appears nothing amiss—nothing to produce either wonder or alarm. But the man—the rider? Ah! About him there is something to cause both—something weird—something wanting! By heavens! it is the head!

• Two of Scottish-American author Mayne Reid's classic Wild West novels are bound together in this Kindle eBook: The Headless Horseman & The Scalp HuntersThe Headless Horseman or A Strange Tale of Texas (1866)Set in Texas and based on a south Texas folk tale, The Headless Horseman is a story about an Irish adventurer in the War with Mexico. The story takes place soon after the war. Louise Poindexter, a beautiful newcomer, is courted by two men - the arrogant and vindictive Cassius Calhoun and the dashing but poor mustanger Maurice Gerald. Calhoun plots to eliminate his rival when tragedy strikes: Louise's brother, the young Henry Poindexter is murdered. All clues point to Maurice Gerald as the assassin. At the same time a headless rider is spotted in the environs of the Poindexter plantation.The Scalp Hunters or, Romantic adventures in northern Mexico (1851)A Creole is hired by a Scalp Hunter to hunt Navajos and Apaches and finds himself rescuing the Scalp Hunter’s daughter from the Indians. This is Mayne Reid’s second novel and is written for a more sophisticated audience of Wild West tales.About The Author Scots-Irish American writer Thomas Mayne Reid (1818 – 1883) known as . "Captain" Reid. He wrote many adventure novels akin to those written by Frederick Marryat and Robert Louis Stevenson.These novels contain action that takes place primarily in untamed settings: the American West, Mexico, South Africa, the Himalayas, and Jamaica. He is perhaps best known for the classic The Headless Horseman (1865). A quotation from The Scalp Hunters is on his grave marker: "This is `weed prairie'; it is misnamed: It is the Garden of God." Reid's work attracted a large following of admirers, particularly young boys. Vladimir Nabokov recalled The Headless Horseman as a favourite adventure novel of his childhood years "which had given him a vision of the prairies and the great open spaces and the overarching sky." In his autobiography, United States President Teddy Roosevelt credits Mayne Reide with being a major early inspiration. The shy, asthmatic aristocrat, Theodore Roosevelt, would grow up to pursue naturalistic zoology and adventure travel. Russell Miller, in his biography of Arthur Conan Doyle, credits Mayne Reid as being one of Conan Doyle's favorite childhood authors and a great influence on Conan Doyle's writings.Other books by the same author: The Rifle Rangers or Adventures in South Mexico (1850) Set in Vera Cruz, Mexico during the Mexican War (1846–48), this novel depicts the plight of American soldiers stationed in Mexico during the war and their effect on the native population. It follows the life of protagonist Captain Jack Haller as he helms the newly formed American battalion, dubbed the "Rifle Rangers". Accompanying Haller is a small band of fellow soldiers whom he leads on several missions through the Tierra Caliente portion of Mexico. The Rifle Rangers was Reid's first novel and is reflective of the author's wartime duty as a lieutenant in the First New York Volunteer Infantry, with which he traveled to the parts of Mexico.

The legend of the headless horseman is one that has roots in a number of different countries and cultures, dating back much farther than Washington Irving’s well-known tale. Captain Mayne Reid’s tale, published nearly forty years later, is based on a well-known Texas folk tale.Set in nineteenth-century Texas, The Headless Horseman tells the story of Louise Poindexter, who is a newcomer to town. Courted by Cassius Calhoun and Maurice Gerald, Louise finds that her life takes a turn when her brother, Henry Poindexter, is found murdered. The tale twists further when it is reported that a headless horseman has been seen on the Poindexter plantation. In this classic tale, Mayne Reid takes readers on an incredible journey to discover the killer of Henry Poindexter and solve the mystery of the Headless Horseman.The Headless Horseman is an overlooked gem, a classic piece of literature, and an edge-of-your-seat mystery thriller. Originally published in 1866, this edition is a faithful reprint of a rare and out-of-print masterpiece.