M reed the headless horseman brief retelling. "The Headless Horseman": main characters, brief description

"The Headless Horseman", the main characters of which are the subject of this review, are famous work English writer M. Reed, written by him in 1865. This work is one of the most famous in the author’s work, it occupies a prominent place in world literature and was filmed by a Soviet film studio in 1973.

Characteristics of the main character

At the very beginning, the writer introduces the reader to several characters in his story. The narrative begins with a description of the move of the wealthy planter Woodley Poindexter and his family to a new place of residence. On the way, the small detachment got lost, but was saved by a courageous mustanger whose name was Maurice Gerald. a strong and handsome young man, a native of Ireland. In America, he occupied a very modest social position, as he was engaged in hunting. However, in his homeland he bore the title of baronet. This man immediately made a great impression on travelers.

The work “The Headless Horseman,” whose main characters have bright and memorable characters, has a dynamic plot that captivates the reader from the very first pages. So, already at the very beginning, a conflict is brewing between the brave mustanger and the planter’s nephew, Cassius Colhoun.

Description of the villain

This character is the antagonist of the main character of the novel. He immediately disliked his new acquaintance out of jealousy: he was in love with his cousin Louise, the daughter of a planter, and wanted to marry her, but she fell in love with Maurice at first sight. Cassius was a retired military man with a very bad reputation. In addition, he is cowardly and arrogant, that is, he is the complete opposite of the hunter, which further intensifies the conflict between them.

Louise Poindexter

The novel “The Headless Horseman”, the main characters of which are written by the writer with the skill of a real psychologist, is interesting because in it elements of action-packed action are intertwined with a detective line. Maurice's beloved played a decisive role in the intrigue. Because of her, the hunter had a quarrel with her cousin, who was terribly jealous of her. Louise is a brave and determined girl. She has a strong-willed character, she is courageous, reasonable, but at the same time jealous, and sometimes can be quick-tempered. Nevertheless, she attracts the reader with her courage, dexterity, responsiveness and devotion.

Woodley Poindexter and his son

The work “The Headless Horseman,” whose main characters are distinguished by their integrity and expressiveness of character, conveys in sufficient detail and reliably the situation in America in the mid-nineteenth century. Woodley is a typical representative of the class of bankrupt plantation landowners, of whom there were many in American society the day before civil war. This man is noble in his own way: so, despite the difference in his position with the status of Maurice, he immediately developed respect for him. He received him as a guest and treated him as an equal. He is a loving father and a caring owner.

One of the most famous English writers is Mayne Reed. "The Headless Horseman" is his most famous work, in which he reenacted his adventures in America. Another minor character of the work is Louise's brother, Henry. This is a hot young man who, to his misfortune, quarreled with Maurice over his sister, which largely predetermined his fate, because Cassius, taking advantage of the quarrel, decided to kill the hunter and place all the blame on his cousin. However, he confused him with his rival and mistakenly killed Henry, whose corpse scared the locals.

Other minor characters

A true master of prose is Mine Reed. “The Headless Horseman” is a work in which he skillfully combined drama, detective and love line. One of the most colorful supporting characters is Maurice's friend Zeb Stump. He is brave, honest and noble. It was he who saved the main character from certain death (lynching) and proved that he was not guilty of Henry’s murder.

Another heroine of the work is Isidora. This is a very hot and fiery woman who is in love with Maurice. Having learned that she has a happy rival, she tries in every possible way to quarrel between the lovers. At the same time, she deceives Diaz, a jealous Mexican who is in love with her, who, out of jealousy, kills her at the end of the work, for which he himself is immediately lynched. So, get general idea about Reed's work allows an overview of his most famous novel and his brief retelling. “The Headless Horseman” is a work that is a true classic of American literature.

Headless horseman

The action takes place in the 1850s. Wagons are driving across the Texas prairie - it is the bankrupt planter Woodley Poindexter who is moving from Louisiana to Texas. His son Henry, daughter Louise and nephew, retired captain Cassius Colhoun, are traveling with him. Suddenly they lose track - in front of them is a scorched prairie. A young horseman in a Mexican costume shows the way to the caravan. The caravan continues moving, but soon the rider appears again, this time to save the displaced from the hurricane. He says his name is Maurice Gerald, or Maurice the Mustanger, because he is a wild horse hunter. Louise falls in love with him at first sight.

Soon there will be a housewarming dinner at Casa del Corvo, where the Poindexters have settled. In the midst of the celebration, Maurice the Mustang appears with a herd of horses, which he caught on Poindexter's order. Among them, a mustang with a rare speckled color stands out. Poindexter offers a large sum for it, but the mustanger refuses the money and presents the mustang as a gift to Louise.

After some time, the commandant of Fort Inge, located near Casa del Corvo, arranges a return reception - a picnic on the prairie, during which it is planned to hunt mustangs. Maurice is the guide. As soon as the picnic participants settle down at a rest stop, a herd of wild mares appears, and a speckled mare, galloping after them, takes Louise to the prairie. Maurice fears that the speckled one, having caught up with her herd, will try to get rid of the rider, and rushes in pursuit. Soon he catches up with the girl, but they face a new danger - a herd of wild stallions, extremely aggressive at this time of year, is galloping towards them. Maurice and Louise have to flee, but they finally get rid of the pursuit only when the mustanger kills the leader with a well-aimed shot.

The heroes are left alone, and Maurice invites Louise to his hut. The girl is pleasantly surprised to see books and other little things there that testify to the owner’s education.

Meanwhile, Cassius Colquhoun, burning with jealousy, follows in the footsteps of Maurice and Louise and eventually meets them. They drive slowly side by side, and jealousy flares up in him with new strength.

In the evening of the same day, the men drink in the bar of the only hotel in the village, “At Privale,” which is run by the German Franz Oberdofer. Colquhoun proposes a toast that is insulting to the Irishman Maurice Gerald and pushes him in the process. In response, he throws a glass of whiskey in Colhoun's face. It is clear to everyone that the quarrel will end in a shootout.

Indeed, right there, in the bar, a duel takes place. Both participants are wounded, but the mustanger still manages to put a gun to Colhoun's head. He is forced to apologize.

Because of their wounds, Colhoun and Maurice the mustanger must remain on bed rest, but Colhoun is surrounded by care, and the mustanger languishes in a squalid hotel. But soon baskets of provisions begin to arrive to him - these are gifts from Isidora Covarubio de Los Llanos, whom he once saved from the hands of drunken Indians and who was in love with him. Louise becomes aware of this, and, tormented by jealousy, she arranges a meeting with the mustanger. During the meeting, a declaration of love occurs between them.

When Louise once again gets ready to go horseback riding, her father forbids her to go on the pretext that the Comanches are on the warpath. The girl surprisingly easily agrees and begins to get involved in archery - with the help of arrows she exchanges letters with Maurice the Mustanger.

The exchange of letters is followed by secret night meetings in the courtyard of the estate. One of these meetings is witnessed by Cassius Colquhoun, who wants to use this as an excuse to deal with the mustanger at the hands of Henry Poindexter. A quarrel occurs between Henry and Maurice, but Louise persuades her brother to catch up with the mustanger and apologize to him.

The enraged Colhoun tries to set a certain Miguel Diaz against Maurice, who has his own scores to settle with the Irishman because of Isidora, but he turns out to be dead drunk. Then Colquhoun himself goes after Maurice and Henry.

The next day it turns out that Henry has disappeared. Suddenly, his horse with traces of dried blood appears at the gates of the estate. They suspect that the young man was attacked by Comanches. Fort officers and planters gather to search.

Suddenly the owner of the hotel appears. He says that the night before the mustanger paid the bill and moved out. Soon Henry Poindexter appeared at the hotel. Having found out in which direction the mustanger had gone, he galloped after it.

The search party is riding along a forest clearing, when suddenly, against the backdrop of the setting sun, a headless horseman appears to the eyes of those gathered. The detachment tries to follow in his footsteps, but the tracks are lost in the “chalk prairie”. It was decided to postpone the search until the morning, and the major, the commandant of the fort, reports on the evidence found by the ranger Spangler that excludes the involvement of the Indians. Suspicion of murder falls on Maurice Gerald, and everyone decides to go to his hut in the morning.

At this time, the hunter Zebulon (Zeb) Stump, a friend of Maurice, comes to Casa del Corvo. Louise tells him rumors about her brother's death and Maurice Gerald's involvement in it. At her request, the hunter goes to the mustanger to save him from lynching.

When the hunter finds himself in the hut, the dog Tara comes running with Maurice's business card tied to his collar. It is written there in blood where he can be found. Zeb Stump arrives just in time to save his injured friend from a jaguar. Meanwhile, Louise sees a horseman resembling Maurice from the roof of the estate. Having galloped after him, she finds a note from Isidora to Maurice in the forest. Jealousy flares up in the girl, and she decides, contrary to decency, to go to her lover to check her suspicions. In the mustanger's hut she meets Isidora. When she sees her rival, she leaves the hut.

Thanks to Isidora, the search party easily finds the mustanger's home, where Woodley Poindexter discovers his daughter. He sends her home. And just in time, since those gathered are already ready to lynch the alleged murderer, mainly thanks to Colhoun’s false testimony. She manages to postpone the execution for a while, but passions flare up with renewed vigor, and the unconscious mustanger is again ready to be strung up on a branch. This time he is saved by Zeb Stump, who demands a fair trial. Maurice Gerald is taken to the guardhouse at Fort Inge.

Zeb Stump follows in the footsteps of the drama participants. During his search, he manages to see the headless horseman at close range, and he is convinced that it is Henry Poindexter.

While awaiting trial, Colhoun asks his uncle for Auiza's hand - he is his debtor and is unlikely to be able to refuse. But Louise doesn't want to hear about it. Then, at the trial, Colhoun talks about her secret meeting with the mustanger and about the latter’s quarrel with Henry. Louise is forced to admit that this is true.

From Maurice's story at the trial, it becomes known that after a quarrel, they met Henry in the forest, made peace and exchanged capes and hats as a sign of friendship. Henry left, and Maurice decided to spend the night in the forest. Suddenly he was awakened by a shot, but he did not attach any importance to it and fell asleep again, and in the morning he discovered Henry’s corpse with his head cut off. To deliver it to his relatives, the corpse had to be placed in the saddle of a mustang that belonged to Maurice, since Henry’s horse did not want to carry this gloomy burden. The mustanger himself mounted Henry's horse, but did not take the reins in his hands, so he could not control him when he bolted. As a result of a frenzied gallop, the mustanger hit his head on a branch and flew off his horse.

At this moment, Zeb Stump appears, leading Colquhoun and the Headless Horseman with him. He saw how Colhoun tried to catch the horseman to get rid of evidence, and makes it clear at the trial that Colhoun is the killer. The evidence is a bullet with Colhoun's initials removed from the corpse and a letter addressed to him, which he used as a wad. Caught, Colhoun tries to escape, but Maurice the mustanger catches him.

Colhoun confesses to the murder, which he committed by mistake: he aimed at the mustanger, not knowing that he had swapped clothes with his cousin. But before hearing the verdict, Colhoun shoots the mustanger, who is saved from death by the medallion donated by Louise. In desperation, Colquhoun shoots himself in the forehead.

It immediately turns out that Maurice Gerald is the owner of a large fortune. He marries Louise and buys Casa del Corvo from the heir Colhoun (it turns out he had a son). With them, the servant Phelim O'Neil and Zeb Stump, who supplies game to the table, live happily. Ten years later, Maurice and Louise already have six children.

Shortly after the wedding of Maurice and Louise, Miguel Diaz kills Isidora out of jealousy, for which he is hanged on the first branch.

The action takes place in the 1850s. Vans are driving across the Texas prairie - the bankrupt planter Woodley Poindexter is moving from Louisiana to Texas. His son Henry, daughter Louise and nephew, retired captain Cassius Colhoun, are traveling with him. Suddenly they lose track - in front of them is a scorched prairie. A young horseman in a Mexican costume shows the way to the caravan. The caravan continues moving, but soon the rider appears again, this time to save the displaced from the hurricane. He says his name is Maurice Gerald, or Maurice the Mustanger, because he is a wild horse hunter. Louise falls in love with him at first sight.

After some time, the commandant of Fort Inge, located near Casa del Corvo, organizes a return reception - a picnic on the prairie, during which it is planned to hunt mustangs. Maurice is the guide. As soon as the picnic participants settle down at a rest stop, a herd of wild mares appears, and a speckled mare, galloping after them, takes Louise to the prairie. Maurice fears that the speckled one, having caught up with her herd, will try to get rid of the rider, and rushes in pursuit. Soon he catches up with the girl, but they face a new danger - a herd of wild stallions, extremely aggressive at this time of year, is galloping towards them. Maurice and Louise have to flee, but they finally get rid of the pursuit only when the mustanger kills the leader with a well-aimed shot.

The heroes are left alone, and Maurice invites Louise to his hut. The girl is pleasantly surprised to see books and other little things there that testify to the owner’s education.

Meanwhile, Cassius Colquhoun, burning with jealousy, follows in the footsteps of Maurice and Louise and eventually meets them. They drive slowly next to each other, and jealousy flares up in him with renewed vigor.

That evening, the men are drinking in the bar of the only hotel in the village, “On Privale,” which is run by the German Franz Oberdofer. Colquhoun proposes a toast that is insulting to the Irishman Maurice Gerald and pushes him in the process. In response, he throws a glass of whiskey in Colhoun's face. It is clear to everyone that the quarrel will end in a shootout.

Indeed, right there, in the bar, a duel takes place. Both participants are wounded, but the mustanger still manages to put a gun to Colhoun's head. He is forced to apologize.

The search party is riding along a forest clearing, when suddenly, against the backdrop of the setting sun, a headless horseman appears to the eyes of those gathered. The squad tries to follow in his footsteps, but the tracks are lost in the “chalk prairie.” It was decided to postpone the search until the morning, and the major, the commandant of the fort, reports on the evidence found by the ranger Spangler that excludes the involvement of the Indians. Suspicion of murder falls on Maurice Gerald, and everyone decides to go to his hut in the morning.

Zeb Stump follows in the footsteps of the drama participants. During his search, he manages to see the headless horseman at close range, and he is convinced that it is Henry Poindexter.

While awaiting trial, Colhoun asks his uncle for Louise's hand - he is his debtor and is unlikely to be able to refuse. But Louise doesn't want to hear about it. Then, at the trial, Colhoun talks about her secret meeting with the mustanger and about the latter’s quarrel with Henry. Louise is forced to admit that this is true.

It immediately turns out that Maurice Gerald is the owner of a large fortune. He marries Louise and buys Casa del Corvo from the heir Colhoun (it turns out he had a son). The servant Phelim O'Neill and Zeb Stump, who supplies game to the table, live happily with them. Ten years later, Maurice and Louise already have six children.

Shortly after the wedding of Maurice and Louise, Miguel Diaz kills Isidora out of jealousy, for which he is hanged on the first branch.

Summary Reed's novel The Headless Horseman

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A retelling of Myne Reid's novel "The Headless Horseman"

Their train of ten wagons crossed the endless plain. It belonged to Woodley Poindexter, a fifty-year-old sugar plantation owner. Due to his extravagance, he went bankrupt and now, along with his family and a handful of slaves, moved to the southwestern part of Texas. Woodley was an aristocrat to the core. He walked proudly through life, condescending towards everything in the world. He was moderately strict with his slaves, and they were happy that, compared to others, they were rarely beaten (only for educational purposes) and were well fed. Woodley led the procession, accompanied by two young men - his son Henry and his nephew Cassius Colquhoun; Behind them was a carriage with their daughter Louise. The remaining wagons carried the luxurious property of the planter and slaves with children. The final element of the procession were male slaves. Moving along the barely marked tracks of the carts that had passed before them, the procession suddenly stopped in front of a black endless strip of scorched grass - there was a fire on the prairie, and now it was impossible to understand where to go? His nephew, a retired officer of about twenty-seven, volunteered to lead the caravan. In the military environment he had a bad reputation: a bully and a braggart, self-righteous and arrogant, he loved to drink and was an avid gambler. Throwing a meaningful glance towards the carriage, Cassius Colhoun spurred his horse and boldly rode forward. After some time, he realized that they were walking in a circle, following in their own footsteps.

Suddenly, the travelers noticed a horseman galloping at full speed straight towards their convoy. He turned out to be a beautifully built young man of about twenty-five, with regular facial features. And although he was not Mexican, he was dressed in the costume of a Mexican cattleman. Seeing such a beautiful caballero, Louise Poindexter first thought that this horseman could become the hero of her dreams! The girl watched with great interest the man who offered his help. The rider accidentally looked towards the carriage and saw the beautiful Louise. Then he showed the travelers the way, taking a lasso and tying one end of the rope to the saddle, and throwing the other on the ground, and he galloped forward. The unexpected appearance of the stranger and his equally unexpected disappearance intrigued the travelers. The planter and his son (a wonderful young man and the only Poindexter who was completely devoid of pride) hoped that they would meet the stranger at Fort Inge (where the horseman went), which is next door to their estate. Louise secretly rejoiced at the thought. And only Cassius, hopelessly in love with his cousin, experienced undisguised hostility towards the stranger. The convoy moved along the trail left by the rider. Suddenly the sky suddenly became overcast with leaden clouds: Hurricane Nord was approaching the travelers with incredible speed. The stranger returned in time and again saved the travelers from the mortal danger approaching them. Having completed his mission, Maurice the mustanger (wild horse hunter), as he was called at the fort, galloped away. Colquhoun grinned contemptuously when he learned who this hated hero was. Planter Poindexter was disappointed with Maurice's humble profession, and only Louise did not care who the man was. Nothing could humiliate him in the girl’s eyes: neither his activities, nor his soot-stained face. Maurice the Mustang won her heart.

End of introductory fragment.

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The action takes place in the 1850s. Vans are driving across the Texas prairie - it is the bankrupt planter Woodley Poindexter who is moving from Louisiana to Texas. His son Henry, daughter Louise and nephew, retired captain Cassius Colhoun, are traveling with him. Suddenly they lose track - in front of them is a scorched prairie. A young horseman in a Mexican costume shows the way to the caravan. The caravan continues moving, but soon the rider appears again, this time to save the displaced from the hurricane. He says his name is Maurice Gerald, or Maurice the Mustanger, because he is a wild horse hunter. Louise falls in love with him at first sight.

After some time, the commandant of Fort Inge, located not far from Casa del Corvo, organizes a return reception - a picnic on the prairie, during which it is planned to hunt mustangs. Maurice is the guide. As soon as the picnic participants settle down at a rest stop, a herd of wild mares appears, and a speckled mare, galloping after them, takes Louise to the prairie. Maurice fears that the speckled one, having caught up with her herd, will try to get rid of the rider, and rushes in pursuit. Soon he catches up with the girl, but they face a new danger - a herd of wild stallions, extremely aggressive at this time of year, is galloping towards them. Maurice and Louise have to flee, but they finally get rid of the pursuit only when the mustanger kills the leader with a well-aimed shot.

The heroes are left alone, and Maurice invites Louise to his hut. The girl is pleasantly surprised to see books and other little things there that testify to the owner’s education.

Indeed, right there, in the bar, a duel takes place. Both participants are wounded, but the mustanger still manages to put a gun to Colhoun's head. He is forced to apologize.

Because of their wounds, Colhoun and Maurice the mustanger must remain in bed, but Colhoun is surrounded by care, and the mustanger languishes in a squalid hotel. But soon baskets of provisions begin to arrive to him - these are gifts from Isidora Covarubio de Los Llanos, whom he once saved from the hands of drunken Indians and who fell in love with him. Louise becomes aware of this, and, tormented by jealousy, she arranges a meeting with the mustanger. During the meeting, a declaration of love occurs between them.

Enraged, Colhoun tries to set a certain Miguel Diaz against Maurice, who has his own scores to settle with the Irishman because of Isidora, but he turns out to be dead drunk. Then Colquhoun himself goes after Maurice and Henry.

Zeb Stump follows in the footsteps of the drama participants. During his search, he manages to see a headless horseman at close range, and he is convinced that it is Henry Poindexter.

At this moment, Zeb Stump appears, leading Colquhoun and the Headless Horseman. He saw how Colhoun tried to catch the horseman to get rid of evidence, and makes it clear at the trial that Colhoun is the killer. The evidence is a bullet with Colhoun's initials removed from the corpse and a letter addressed to him, which he used as a wad. The caught Colquhoun tries to escape, but Maurice the mustanger catches him.

Shortly after the wedding of Maurice and Louise, Miguel Diaz kills Isidora out of jealousy, for which he is hanged on the first branch.

Retold