The Headless Horseman - A Strange Tale of Texas


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.2 stars; 16 reviews)

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! (Excerpt from the Prologue)
The Headless Horseman is a novel by Mayne Reid written in 1865 or 1866 and is based on the author's adventures in the United States. The Headless Horseman or a Strange Tale of Texas was set in Texas and based on a South Texas folk tale.
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." At 11, Nabokov even translated The Headless Horseman into French alexandrines.(Summary from Wikipedia) (22 hr 34 min)

Chapters

000 - Prologue. 5:32 Read by Barry Eads
001 - The Burnt Prairie. 15:48 Read by Barry Eads
002 - The Trail of the Lazo. 16:25 Read by Barry Eads
003 - The Prairie Finger-Post. 11:34 Read by Barry Eads
004 - The Black Norther. 14:54 Read by Barry Eads
005 - The Home of the Horse-Hunter. 18:38 Read by Chris Caron
006 - The Spotted Mustang. 21:17 Read by Chris Caron
007 - Nocturnal Annoyances. 15:52 Read by Chris Caron
008 - The Crawl of the Alacran. 13:36 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
009 - The Frontier Fort. 18:37 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
010 - Casa Del Corvo. 18:13 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
011 - An Unexpected Arrival. 18:26 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
012 - Taming a Wild Mare. 26:34 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
013 - A Prairie Pic-Nic. 13:55 Read by Richard Kilmer (1942 - 2022)
014 - The Manada. 12:44 Read by Chris Caron
015 - The Runaway Overtaken. 12:20 Read by Ric Cornwall
016 - Chased by Wild Stallions. 14:07 Read by Ric Cornwall
017 - The Mustang Trap. 14:04 Read by Ric Cornwall
018 - Jealousy upon the Trail. 23:55 Read by Ric Cornwall
019 - Whisky and Water. 18:57 Read by Ric Cornwall
020 - An Unsafe Position. 11:42 Read by Ric Cornwall
021 - A Duel within Doors. 11:51 Read by Chelsea S.
022 - An Unknown Donor. 15:33 Read by Chris Caron
023 - Vows of Vengeance. 11:57 Read by Jules Hawryluk
024 - On the Azotea. 13:01 Read by Jules Hawryluk
025 - A Gift Ungiven. 17:42 Read by Jules Hawryluk
026 - Still on the Azotea. 11:02 Read by Jules Hawryluk
027 - I Love You!—I Love You! 9:56 Read by Ric Cornwall
028 - A Pleasure Forbidden. 10:49 Read by Ric Cornwall
029 - El Coyote at Home. 7:05 Read by Ric Cornwall
030 - A Sagittary Correspondence. 10:17 Read by Ric Cornwall
031 - A Stream Cleverly Crossed. 9:49 Read by Hilara
032 - Light and Shade. 7:54 Read by Ric Cornwall
033 - A Torturing Discovery. 11:14 Read by Ric Cornwall
034 - A Chivalrous Dictation. 9:34 Read by Chris Caron
035 - An Uncourteous Host. 11:08 Read by Chelsea S.
036 - Three Travellers on the same Track. 14:18 Read by Chris Caron
037 - A Man Missing. 10:09 Read by Gen Jones
038 - The Avengers. 8:09 Read by Gen Jones
039 - The Pool of Blood. 11:44 Read by Gen Jones
040 - The Marked Bullet. 16:03 Read by Bill Mosley
041 - Cuatro Cavalleros. 13:17 Read by Ric Cornwall
042 - Vultures on the Wing. 17:05 Read by Ric Cornwall
043 - The Cup and the Jar. 16:04 Read by Kamna
044 - A Quartette of Comanches. 20:47 Read by Chris Caron
045 - A Trail gone Blind. 23:19 Read by Jules Hawryluk
046 - A Secret Confided. 17:52 Read by Chris Caron
047 - An Intercepted Epistle. 11:34 Read by Chris Caron
048 - Isidora. 23:51 Read by Chris Caron
049 - The Lazo Unloosed. 16:00 Read by Chris Caron
050 - A Conflict with Coyotes. 11:33 Read by Chris Caron
051 - Twice Intoxicated. 11:41 Read by Chris Caron
052 - An Awakener. 15:36 Read by Chris Caron
053 - Just in Time. 15:12 Read by Chris Caron
054 - A Prairie Palanquin. 11:54 Read by Chris Caron
055 - Un Dia de Novedades. 23:36 Read by Chris Caron
056 - A Shot at the Devil. 21:09 Read by Chris Caron
057 - Sounding the Signal. 14:33 Read by Chris Caron
058 - Recoiling from a Kiss. 15:36 Read by Chris Caron
059 - Another who cannot rest. 13:00 Read by Chris Caron
060 - A Fair Informer. 14:40 Read by Chris Caron
061 - Angels on Earth. 12:24 Read by Chris Caron
062 - Waiting for the Cue. 12:55 Read by Chris Caron
063 - A Jury of Regulators. 14:45 Read by Chris Caron
064 - A Series of Interludes. 14:41 Read by Chris Caron
065 - Still another Interlude. 14:37 Read by Chris Caron
066 - Chased by Comanches. 12:27 Read by Chris Caron
067 - Los Indios! 11:37 Read by Kristin G.
068 - The Disappointed Campaigners. 17:51 Read by Kristin G.
069 - Mystery and Mourning. 13:23 Read by Kristin G.
070 - Go, Zeb, and God Speed You! 9:56 Read by Chris Caron
071 - The Sorell Horse. 15:14 Read by Chris Caron
072 - Zeb Stump on the Trail. 12:03 Read by Chris Caron
073 - The Prairie Island. 8:29 Read by Michelle Day
074 - A Solitary Stalker. 6:50 Read by Michelle Day
075 - On the Trail. 7:19 Read by Michelle Day
076 - Lost in the Chalk. 11:08 Read by Michelle Day
077 - Another Link. 7:41 Read by Michelle Day
078 - A Horse-Swop. 12:46 Read by Chris Caron
079 - An Untiring Tracker. 7:09 Read by Chris Caron
080 - A Doorway Well Watched. 11:35 Read by Chris Caron
081 - Heads Down—Heels Up! 11:41 Read by Chris Caron
082 - A Queer Parcel. 8:36 Read by Chris Caron
083 - Limbs of the Law. 6:24 Read by Diana Majlinger
084 - An Affectionate Nephew. 13:44 Read by Chris Caron
085 - A Kind Cousin. 13:10 Read by Chris Caron
086 - A Texan Court. 15:04 Read by Chris Caron
087 - A False Witness. 12:25 Read by Chris Caron
088 - An Unwilling Witness. 12:47 Read by Chris Caron
089 - The Confession of the Accused. 9:49 Read by Chris Caron
090 - A Court Quickly Cleared. 7:22 Read by Chris Caron
091 - A Chase through a Thicket. 7:34 Read by Chris Caron
092 - A Reluctant Return. 9:04 Read by Chris Caron
093 - A Body Beheaded. 10:39 Read by Chris Caron
094 - The Mystery Made Clear. 14:47 Read by Chris Caron
095 - The Last Witness. 18:47 Read by Chris Caron
096 - Stole Away! 11:16 Read by Chris Caron
097 - The Chase of the Assassin. 8:47 Read by Chris Caron
098 - Not Dead yet. 8:10 Read by ddemers78
099 - Attempted Murder and Suicide. 12:06 Read by John
100 - Joy. 13:11 Read by John

Reviews


(3 stars)

the story is great it's the kid who reads most of the story that's the problem he can't pronounce words correctly every other sentence I'm going to have to give it three stars if it would have been the other people that read the whole thing I give it five

headless horseman of Texas


(3 stars)

the book was quite enjoyable, using great vocabulary to provide exacting descriptions. But what good does that do when the reader can't pronounce any of the exquisite words? some were simply laughable. mr. caron should occupy himself with childrens books or another occupation altogether.