
CHAPTER I. - LAS CUMBRES.
CHAPTER II. - THE TRAVELLERS.
CHAPTER III. - THE SALTEADORES.
CHAPTER IV. - EL RAYO.
CHAPTER V. - THE HACIENDA DEL ARENAL.
CHAPTER VI. - THROUGH THE WINDOW.
CHAPTER VII. - THE RANCHO.
CHAPTER VIII. - THE WOUNDED MAN.
CHAPTER IX. - A DISCOVERY.
CHAPTER X. - THE MEETING.
The story opens on the winding road that snakes through Las Cumbres, a breathtaking stretch of Mexican highlands where mist‑clad peaks rise and fall like a living tapestry. Two horsemen, dressed as wealthy hacendados, pause beside a clear mountain stream, their polished cigars drifting smoke into the cooling air. Their presence, both relaxed and imposing, hints at a world where beauty and danger share the same horizon.
Both riders are heavily armed—revolvers, double‑barrel rifles, knives, even a lasso—suggesting a life accustomed to sudden conflict. The elder, a rugged, charismatic figure with striking black eyes, commands respect, while his younger companion carries an air of aristocratic poise. As they converse and take in the scenery, the listener senses the undercurrent of a guerrilla existence, where loyalty, survival, and the rugged landscape shape every decision.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (660K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Camille Bernard and Marc D'Hooghe at Free Literature (back online soon in an extended version, also linking to free sources for education worldwide ... MOOC's, educational materials,...)
Release date
2013-12-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1818–1883
Adventure, frontier danger, and far-off landscapes run through these fast-moving novels by a French writer who turned his taste for travel into popular fiction. Best known for stories set in the Americas, he helped bring the western and frontier tale to a wide 19th-century readership.
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