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Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid ,
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Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

VladimirNabokovandCaptainMayneReid
D.BartonJohnson
UniversityofCalifornia,SantaBarbara

ChapterTenofSpeakMemoryexploresthethemeofNabokovssexualawakeningbetween
thesummersof1909or1910and1915.1Oddly,NabokovchoosesMayneReids1865Wild
Westadventurenovel, TheHeadlessHorseman, asthespringboardforhisinvestigationof
this and a number of other themes. We shall see that the AngloIrish novelist plays a
surprisingroleinNabokovslifeandwork.
ThechapteropenswithNabokovsfondrecollectionsofTheHeadlessHorsemanandofhis
friendship with his first cousin, Yuri Rausch von Traubenberg. Yuri, eighteen months
Nabokovs senior, introduced him to the Mayne Reid books as the basis for Wild West
scenariosplayedoutbythetwoboys.OneofthecentralplotwhorlsofReidsnovelisthe
mistakenmurderoftheherosfriendafterthetwomenhaveswappedclothes.DuringWorld
WarI,Yuri,nowayoungofficercandidate,tradesoutfitswithNabokovasalark.Afterthe
Revolution,YuriwillbekilledinaheroiclonecavalrychargeonaRedmachinegunnestin
the Crimea. Nabokov sums up his cousin as a man whose sense of honor was morally
equivalenttoperfectpitch.
Thechapterssecondsectionturnstoafulleraccountof TheHeadlessHorseman andthe
boysreenactmentsofaroughandreadyTexasbarroomduel.Nabokovrecalls,however,that
hisattentionwouldoftenwandertothosesenoritasofquestionablecallingclusteredoutside
thebarand,later,tothecharmsoftheheroine,thefairLouisePoindexterwhomMauricethe
MustangerwillsavefromtheevildesignsofhercousinCassiusCalhoun.
Bythewinterof191011Nabokovhasfoundhisdamselindistresswhomhe,likeMaurice
theMustanger,willrescue,ifonlyinhisfantasies.InBerlinfordentalwork,hespotsa
beauteousAmericangirlattherollerskatingrinkwheresheisbeingharassedbyaskating
instructor,evidentlyherboyfriend.TheyoungNabokovmentallyassignsthemthenamesand
rolesofLouiseandCalhoun,buthisfantasiesfindadisillusioningdenouementwhenshe
turnsouttobeamemberofTheGalaGirlswhodanceattheWintergarten.Nonetheless,the
mysteriousphysicalconditionthatheexperienceswhenthinkingofhersoonreassertsitselfin
connectionwithanyfemaleform.
TheeventsoftheHeadlessHorsemantakeplaceinsouthwesternTexasin1850.2 Woodley
Poindexter, former Louisiana sugar plantation owner and father of beautiful, headstrong
Louise,hasdecidedtotryhisfortunesinTexas.Withthehelpofhiswealthynephew,Cassius
Calhoun,hehaspurchasedahaciendanearFt.Inge.Calhoun,whoholdsthemortgage,isnot
aboveusinghis financial leverage topress his suitwithLouise.Asthenovel opens,the
Poindexterwagontrainislost.Astormapproachesandthecompanyissavedonlythrough
thefortuitousappearanceofMauriceGerald,alowlymustangerwhocatcheswildhorsesfor
thefort.Mauricecutsadashingfigureinhisblack,bullionringedsombreroandcolorful
serape. Having assured their safety, he moves on, but not before Louise is smitten. Her
brother,Henry,inhiselegantwhitePanamahatandcloak,isalsomuchtakenwithMaurice.
Severalnightslateratthelocalhotelbar,thedrunkandjealousCalhounprecipitatesaduel
1

TheearliestversionofwhatwastobecomeChapterTenofSpeak,MemoryappearedinTheNewYorker,1Jan.
1949,pp.1821undertitle"CurtainRaiser."TheessaywaswrittenduringJune1948accordingtoBrianBoyd,
Vladimir Nabokov: TheAmerican Years (Princeton: PrincetonU.P.,1991),p.128.Henceforth, "BoydII".
ReferencestoBoyd'sVladimirNabokov:TheRussianYears(Princeton:PrincetonU.P.,1990)shallbeinthe
form"BoydI".Unlessotherwiseindicated,commentsandquotesfromNabokov'sautobiographiesshallbefrom
Speak,Memory(NewYork:Putnam,1966).
2
MayneReid,TheHeadlessHorseman.AStrangeTaleofTexas(London:GeorgeRoutledge&Sons,1866).

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

withthemustanger.BothmenarewoundedbutMauricemagnaminouslyspareshisopponent.
Humiliated,Calhoundeterminestomurderhisrival.
Several weeks later, from the hacienda azotea Louise sees the beautiful Dona Isidora
CovarubiasdelosLlanos,who,shelearns,hasbeensendingfoodbasketstotheconvalescent
mustanger.HerjealousyflaresuntiltherecoveringMauricenaivelyexplainsthatIsidorais
gratefultohimforaslightservicesavingherfromdrunkenIndians.Louiseproclaims
thatshewouldlovesuchasaviour.Anocturnaltrystbytheloversinthehaciendagardenis
observedbyCalhounwhorousesLouisesbrotherHenrytosavehissistershonor.Violence
isforestalledwhenLouiseexplainsMauriceshonorableintentionsandhisclaimtothefamily
estateandtitleinIreland.DistressedthathehassomisjudgedMaurice,Henrysetsoutafter
himtomakeamends.TheenragedCalhounfollows.Anartfullymurkychapter(36)follows
inwhichthreenamelessfiguresmovethroughthenocturnalTexaswilderness.Ashotrings
out.ThenextmorningHenrysbloodspatteredhorsereturnstothePoindexterranch.Aposse
followingthetrailencountersonlyapoolofblood.Overthenextseveraldaysthemysterious
figureoftheHeadlessHorsemanbeginstoappearinthedistance.
The scene shifts to a badly injured young man in a white Panama hat who regains
consciousnesstoseevulturescircling.Dazed,crippled,hishorsegone,heisrescuedbyhis
oldfriend,thebackwoodsmanandtrackerZebStump,whotakestheunconsciousMaurice
backtothemustangersshackwhereheissoonfoundbytheposse.ThankstoCalhouns
incitement,theposseisnowlittlebetterthanalynchmob.Deliriousandunabletospeakin
hisowndefense,Mauriceis(threetimes)onthepointofbeingstrungupuntilsavedbythe
intercessionofZebandLouise.
OntheeveofMauricestrial,CalhounonceagainpressuresLouisesfatherforherhand.
Whensherefuses,Calhountriestoruinherreputationbyexposinghernocturnaltrystwith
MauriceandtellingthecourtofHenrysintendedvengeance,thussupplyingamotiveforthe
murder.MauricenowbeginshistestimonytellinghowHenryovertookhimonthetrail.In
tokenoftheirrenewedfriendship(andfuturerelationshipasinlaws)theyexchangehatsand
cloaks before Henry starts back to the hacienda. At this point Maurices testimony is
interruptedwhentheHeadlessHorsemanisseenonthedistantprairie.Apursuitensueswith
Calhoun in the lead. When Zeb catches up, he finds Calhoun preparing to perform an
operationontheheadlesscorpsewithhisbowieknife.Backatthetrial,Mauricehasresumed
histestimony,recountinghisdiscoveryofHenrysheadlessbodyandhisattempttobringit
backlashedastridehisownhorsewhileheridesHenrys.WhenHenryshorselooksbackand
seesthebizarresight,hebolts.Mauriceissmashedintoatreeandlosesconsciousness.Asthe
mustangerconcludeshistestimony,ZebarriveswiththeheadlesshorsemanandCalhoun.
Aninstantautopsyisconductedandthebulletextractedfromtheheadlessmummifiedbody
bearsthetelltaleinitialsC.C.AsMauriceisfreed,Calhounfleesonhorseback.Ledby
Maurice,thecrowdsetsoutinpursuit.Thelassoedvillainisreturnedtothecourtsceneand
chargedwiththemurderofhiscousin,HenryPoindexter.Allisclearbutthemotive.After
sentencing,Calhounconfesses:Ikilledhimbymistake.Cuttingoffthevictimsheadinthe
deadofnight(presumablytothrowtheblameonIndians),hehasfailedtonoticethatitisnot
Maurice,butHenrydressedinMauricesclothing.Ashespeaks,Calhounwhipsoutahidden
revolver,firesatMaurice,andthenkillshimself.Unscathed,themustangersurvivestomarry
Louise,reclaimhisbaronetcy,andtakeoverthePoindexterranch.
Speak,MemorydrawsononlysmallportionsofTheHeadlessHorsemanthosethatfitin
with certain themes. Most of these are connected, directly or indirectly, to Yuri Rausch.
Althoughverydifferentinmanyways(Yuriobsessedwiththingsmilitary;Vladimirwith
butterflies),thepairsharedaloveofboisterousplay.Vladimir,whoafterYurisdeathwasto

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

callhimhisbestfriend,3 admiredhisoldercousinwhowastobehisearlymodel,ifnot
mentor,inthreeareas:manlyvalor,amatorymatters,andpoetry.
NabokovopenshisaccountofthefirsttwoofthesethemeswithparticularscenesfromThe
HeadlessHorseman.GunsappeareverywhereinNabokovsmemoriesofYuri.Themotif
markstheirfirstmeetingin1904,whenYuri,whohasjustboughtatoypistol,stumblesand
fallsasherunstoshowittohiscousin(197).TheMayneReidWildWestgamesbeginin
1909or1910withtheweaponsescalatingfrompopgunsto1912srealpistolwhichwas
dischargedatahandheldshoeboxlid.ThebarroomduelbetweenMauricetheMustanger
andCassiusCalhounisreenactedcountlesstimes.OnlyafewyearslaterYuriwilldieina
hailofmachinegunbulletsthatwillwellnighbeheadhim.
Althoughtheboysfavoritescenewasthebarroomgunfight,anotheraspectofTheHeadless
HorsemanledNabokovtouseitasaframeforhisaccountofYuri.Theswitchofapparelin
whichNabokovdonsYurisuniformdirectlyechoesthefatalexchangeofclothesbyMaurice
theMustangerandHenryPoindexter.JustweeksbeforeYurisfinalcharge,Nabokovhad
decidedtojoinYurisunitandhadeventriedonhisboots.4 HowNabokovfeltabouthis
failure to enlist in thehopeless White cause is moot, butthecarefully drawntransposed
parallelbetweenthedashingMauriceandtheunfortunateHenryPoindexter,ontheonehand,
andYuriandhimself,ontheother,suggestsanawarenessthatthere,butforthegraceof
God,...Intheoriginal NewYorker versionNabokovwritesthatYurineverreallyawoke
fromthatbellicoseandromanticMayneReiddaydreamsharedbythecousins.Nabokovalso
prefaceshisaccountofhisfathersdeathanothercaseofthewrongmanbeingshotwith
afleetingreferencetoReidsnovel(188193).
IfNabokovsaccountofhisawakeningsenseofmanlyvalorisprefiguredbyTheHeadless
Horsemanssmokingguns,thedawningsexualitythemeisalsointroducedbyascenefrom
Mayne Reids horse opera (155156). Maurice the Mustanger, recovering from his duel
wounds,encountersLouisePoindexteronhorseback.Uptothistimetheirrelationshavebeen
entirelyformal,althoughLouiseisjealousofDonaIsidora.WhentheproudCreolesaysthat
shewouldbenotmerelygratefulbutwouldloveherrescuer,thegallantMauricerisestothe
occasion.Hewould,hesays,givehalfmylifetoseeyouinthehandsofWildCatandhis
drunken companions [and] the other half to deliver you from the danger (155). The
remainderofthepassagedeservesquotinginfull:Doyoumeanthis,MauriceGerald?Do
nottriflewithme:Iamnotachild.Speakthetruth!Doyoumeanit?Ido!Asheavenisabove
me,Ido!Reidsownvoiceintrudeshere:ThesweetestkissIeverhadinmylife,waswhen
awomanafaircreature,inthehuntingfieldleantoverinhersaddleandkissedmeasI
sateinmine.Nowthefictionalnarratorsvoicereturns:Thefondestembraceeverreceived
byMauriceGerald,wasthatgivenbyLouisePoindexter;whenstandingupinherstirrup,and
layingherhandonhisshoulder,shecriedinanagonyofpassionDowithmeasthouwilt:
Iloveyou!Iloveyou!(156).Nabokovusesthisscenetoprefaceadiscussionofgirlsby
Yuri and his elevenyearold self. It also introduces the following section in which the
lithesomeAmericanskaterLouiseinducesthatawkwardphysicalconditionthatNabokov
consultshisfatherabout.
MayneReidandhisHeadlessHorsemanplayedanevenmoreprominentroleinNabokovs
lifeandworkthanissuggestedbySpeak,Memory.Inaletterof1921Nabokovspeaksofhis
earliest writing efforts: I am twentytwo and my muse is twelve. At ten, I remember
translating Mayne Reids Headless Horseman from English into improbable French
3

BoydII,p.158
BoydI,pp.157158.

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

alexandrines.5 TenoddyearslaterNabokovwastoagaininvokeMayneReidinapoem
dedicatedtohischildhoodfriend,Yuri.6
In that coppice where berries a thousand
glowed

crimson

like

fine

points

of

fire,
the two of us played; a year older
hewas,butasingleyearolderthanI.
Our

games

were

inspired

by

visions
from

colorful

books

about

war,
the

pines

made

fairytale

rustle,
theworldwasperfumedandimmense.
We

grew

up

Then

came

years
of

struggle

and

shame

and

torments.
One

day

was

quietly

told,
Hesbeenkilled,yourfunlovingfriend.
Though things were more simple, more grim,
the game
he had

played
was

unchanged.
I remember them, crimson as blood drops,
whortleberriesamidthepinegrove.
(Poemandtranslation(c)CopyrightDmitriNabokov)

Podvig or Glory, writtenin1930,wasoriginallyentitled Romanticheskiivek orRomantic

Times.7Thehero,dreamyMartinEdelweiss,undertakesahighdeed,afeat,solelytosatisfy
thevagueyearningsofhissoul.HissecretjourneyacrosstheSovietborderisundertakenfor
nopracticalpurposebutinemulationofachildhoodfantasyaboutenteringthefairytale
worldofthepicturehangingabovehisbed.Initsdetails,Gloryisthemostautobiographical
ofNabokovnovelsand,notsurprisingly,tracesofMayneReids HeadlessHorseman and
Yuriflickerinandoutofitspages.Martin,whoisasineptinhisloveaffairsasheisinlifein
general,reflectsonhiserotichistory.ForMartin,thetrulyeroticissymbolizedbyMayne
Reidshero,MauriceGerald,whohavingstoppedhissteedsidebysidewiththatofLouise
Poindexter,puthisarmaroundtheblondCreoleslimberwaist,andheretheauthorexclaimed
inapersonalaside:Whatcancomparewithsuchakiss?Thingslikethatprovidedafar
greater erotic thrill. What fired him as a rule was the remote, the forbidden, the vague
anythingsufficientlyindistincttomakehisfantasyworkatestablishingdetails... 8There
arealsohintsofNabokovsrelationshipwithYuriinMartinsruminationsthathadhefought
intheCivilWar,perhapshewouldhavegotridonceforalloftheattractiondangerhasfor
youngboys(100).MartinsgratuitouscrossingoftheSovietborderishisattempttorecreate
thevalorousactionsofNabokovscousinYuriandtheirMayneReidheros.
TheHeadlessHorsemanalsoreceivespassingmentioninAda.In1880whenVanisten,he
spendsayearintheWildWest.InoneofthosecrossculturalmacedoinescommoninAda,
Nabokov interweaves the Rockies and the Caucauses, those outposts of the Romantic
imaginationintheirtwocultures.AtthesameagethatNabokovwasreadingTheHeadless
Horseman and translating it into French alexandrines, Van is memorizing Pushkins
Headless Horseman. Pushkins Bronze Horseman has merged with Mayne Reids
5

BoydI,p.81,andVladimirNabokov,lettertoS.V.Potresov,28Sept.1921,BakhmeteffArchive,Columbia
UniversityLibraries.InhisletterNabokovcuriouslycallsReidbythesingleappellation"Mainrid."Apparently
inRussianpopularusage,MayneReid,wastakentobeacompoundfamilyname.Thereisanechoofthisinthe
indexofSpeak,MemorywhereReidislistedunder"M."
6
Sirin(VladimirNabokov),Gorniiput'(Berlin:Grani,1923),p.71.Mytranslation.
7
VladimirNabokov,Glory(NewYork:McGrawHill,1971),p.x.
8
Glory,p.34.Onemightremarkanotherpossibleprototypeforthe"kissonhorseback"scenethatsostirredthe
youngNabokovandhisheroMartin.LongbeforereadingMayneReid,bothVladimirandYurimusthave
savoredthehorsebackkissexchangedbetweenPechorinandPrincessMaryinLermontov'sHeroofOurTime.

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

Headless Horseman.9 Lessdirecttraces ofMayneReidmaybefoundin TheGift where

NabokovassignsMayneReidsdatesandpartsofhisandMauriceGeraldsbiographiesto
Fyodorsgrandfather.10NabokovskeenestfictionalevocationsoftheAmericanWestare,of
course,foundinthetravels ofLolitaandHumbert.Perhapsbecauseofthehundredyear
interval,littleofMayneReidsWestisevident,althoughLospenchantforwesternmovies
withtheirbarroombrawlsmayreflectNabokovsMayneReidianchildhood,asmaythefinal
(onesided)duelbetweenHumbertandQuilty.
MayneReid,bornin1818,droppedoutofhisBelfastcollegeandmadehiswaytotheUnited
States and Mexico where he spent an adventurous decade as teacher, trader, explorer,
naturalist, soldier,andjournalist. Returning toEnglandin1849afterbeingwoundedand
decoratedintheMexicanWar,CaptainMayneReidbecameaprolificwriterofadventure
tales.11 Aprodigaldandy,ifnotafop,heremainedamanofdemocraticprinciples:anti
slavery, antiroyalty,andanticommunist untilhis deathin1883.Hewas,foratime, an
extremelysuccessfulwriter.Hewasalsoaverybadwriter.Nonetheless,therewerethings
Nabokov might haveadmired about his writing. Reidwas extremely goodatthe precise
descriptionoflandscape,flora,andfauna.Somuchsothatsomereadersandreviewerstook
exceptiontohiscustomofgivingLatinaswellascommonnamesofplantsandanimalsand
tohispenchantforfootnotesonmattersecologicalandethnographic.Oneoverenthusiastic
authorityontheAmericanWestwentsofarastoassertnoonehaseverbeenabletopicka
seriousflawinMayneReidshistory,geography,ethnology,orZoology,infacthislocal
color.12 NabokovmightalsohaveenjoyedReidsgiftforintricateplottingandfastaction
features notably rare in Russian writing. Reid was good at creating and maintaining
suspense,forwhichnoRussianwordexists.Hewasalsogoodatplantingsubtlecluesfor
thereaderwhomustkeeptrackofjustwhateachcharacteriswearing,thecolorofhisorher
horse,andsoon.True,itwillallcomeoutinthewash,butthegoodreadergetshisreward
earlier.TheolderNabokovmusthavefoundacertaincharminReidsfascinationwiththe
enchanting moustachesofMexicanmaidens andinthegoodCaptains penchantforvery
youngheroines.Reid,authorofTheChildWife(1868),proposedtohisfuturebridewhenshe
wasthirteenandmarriedhertwoyearslater.Hewas,bytheway,afriendofEdgarAllenPoe
andVirginia.13
InowturntoafinalaspectofMayneReidsroleinNabokovslife.Nabokovwasproudof
hismemoryandwithgoodreason.Whenhecametowriteabout TheHeadlessHorseman,
nearlyfortyyearsyearshadpassedsincehehadfirstreadit.Butthecopyhelocatedina
universitylibrary,didnot,alas,resemblethepuffybookboundinredcloth(195)thathe
remembered from childhood. Nor did it contain the tissuepaper covered, watery grey
illustrations he remembered. He conjectured, however, that the absent frontispiece had
depictedLouisePoindextersunfortunatebrother(andperhapsacoyoteortwo,unlessIam
thinkingofTheDeathShot,anotherMayneReidtale)(195).IntheLondoneditionof1866
thewaterygreyfrontispiecebyF.C.TilneydoesindeeddepicttheHeadlessHorsemanriding
acrosstheTexasplainflankedbyapairofcoyotes.
NabokovmakestwoleapsoutofthetimeframeofSpeak,Memorystenthchapter.Thefirst
immediately follows his recollection of the missing frontispiece. To the remark that the
9

VladimirNabokov,Ada(NewYork:McGrawHill,1969),p.191.Nabokovconfirmstheblendinhisendnote
forp.136inthePenguineditionofAda,p.468.Harmondsworth,1970.
10
VladimirNabokov,TheGift(NewYork:Putnam,1963),pp.110114.
11
InformationonReid'slifeisdrawnfromthe"Chronology"andthefirstchapterofJoanSteel,CaptainMayne
Reid(Boston:Twayne,1978).
12
CharlesF.Lummis,Mesa,CanonandPueblo(NewYork,1924)quotedinSteel,p.140.
13
Steel,pp.24and20.

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

picturehassolongbeenexposedtotheblazeofmyimaginationthatitisnowcompletely
bleached,headds(butmiraculouslyreplacedbytherealthing,asInotedwhentranslating
thischapterintoRussianinthespringof1953,andnamely,bytheviewfromtheranchyou
andIrentedthatyear:acactusandyuccawastewhencecamethatmorningtheplaintivecall
ofaquailGambelsQuail,Ibelieveoverwhelmingmewithasenseofundeserved
attainmentsandrewards(195196).Areexaminationofthatfrontispiecedoesindeedshow
yuccaandwhatappeartobecactus.ThesecondleapintimeistriggeredbyadetailinReids
descriptionoftheTexassaloonwhereMauriceandCalhounshootitoutintheyearofour
Lordeighteenhundredandfifty(115).Afterpickingoutseveralstylistichighlightsfrom
Reids description (qualities he calls Gogolian in the Russian edition), Nabokov
approvinglyquotesReidsbrownasterisks,i.e.,globsofspatouttobaccojuice,illuminated
onthewhitesandofthebarroomfloorbytheglareofcamphinelamps.Theselampsserveas
alinktothefollowingsentence:InanotheryearofourLordnamely1941Icaught
someverygoodmothsattheneonlightsofagasstationbetweenDallasandFortWorth
(201). It was on this same trip that Nabokov captured his firstnew species ofbutterfly,
Neonymphadorothea,thusfulfillinghisboyhooddream.14
ThesetwodeparturesfromthetimeboundariesandmoreobviousthemesofChapterTenare
significantindefiningReidsimportforNabokov.Unquestionably,MayneReidsgreatest
accomplishmentwasintroducingseveralgenerationsofyoungEuropeanstotheAmerican
West,evennowacentralcomponentinthenationalmyth.Forthem,ReidsWildWestwas
America,theexoticsceneofendlessadventures.TheAmericanWestbecamethelocaleof
thosebutterflyexpeditionstoexoticplacesthattheyoungNabokovhadplanneduntilthey
weremadeimpossiblebytheRussianRevolution.ThisisoneofthehiddenthemesinSpeak,
Memory. Like most, it is revealed in the Index. Under the entry America, one finds
119139 passim. These pages, Chapter Six, describe Nabokovs growing passion for
butterflies, mostlybetween1906and1910.Americaispresentinthechapteronlytwice.
Nabokovsfirstbutterfly,thatswallowtailof1906,escapesthemothballedwardrobeandsets
offonitswestwardjourneytoberecapturedafterafortyyearpursuitinBoulder,Colorado.
Evenmoretellingisthesecondreference.By1910,thesameyeartheyounglepidopterist
discoversMayneReidsAmericain TheHeadlessHorseman, hebeginstoventurefurther
afieldinhispursuitofnewbutterflies.HecrossesovertheOredezhintoapeatbogcalled
Americabecauseofitsremotenessandmystery.15Astheexplorerpressesforward,theflora
andfaunaofnorthernRussiagraduallygivewaytothatofalpineColorado.HereintheWest,
NabokovrediscoveredtheAmericaofhisyouth,MayneReidsAmerica.Ina1943letterto
EdmundWilsonfromAltaLodgeinUtah,Nabokovpraisedthebutterflycollectingandthe
scenery,andwentontospeakofthedelapidatedlittletownwhereonecouldimaginetwenty
years beforea Roaring Gulch withgolddiggers pluggingeach other insaloons.16 More
specifically,Nabokovwrotetohisoldfriend,themigrwriterMarkAldanov,describingthe
settingandaddingthatyearsbeforetheplacehadbeenfilledwithminesandminers,gun
fightsintaverns,andalltheotherthingsthatwelearnedinchildhoodfromacertaincaptain. 17
ItwasalsoinAltathatNabokovcaughtthenewspeciesofpugmoththatwaslaternamedfor
14

BoydII,pp.2829.
BoydI,p.81&BoydII,p.157,and.Speak,Memory,pp.137139.
16
TheNabokovWilsonLetters.CorrespondencebetweenVladimirNabokovandEdmundWilson19401971.
Edited,AnnotatedandwithanIntroductoryEssaybySimonKarlinsky.(NewYork:Harper&Row,1979),p.
107.
17
VladimirNabokov,lettertoMarkAldanov,6Aug.1943,BakhmeteffArchive,ColumbiaUniversityLibraries.
MythankstoBrianBoydforcallingthistomyattention.
15

Vladimir Nabokov and Captain Mayne Reid

himEupithecianabokovi.18 Thehuntforbutterflies,apastimeinwhichNabokovfound
transcendence,iscloselyidentifiedwiththethemeofAmerica,especiallytheAmericanWest.
ItwastheintrepidCaptainMayneReidwhofirstbuiltthebridgebetweenNabokovsRussia
andAmerica.

18

BoydII,p64.