El Merton is the evil spirit of a man known only as Vidal. In the old west, Vidal road the untamable area known as No Mans Land, an area between the two rivers claimed to be the borders between Mexico and the United States. As this land became lawless due to the border dispute, crooks and thieves and rustlers headed there for sanctuary.



Vidal was the worst cattle rustler in No Man’s Land. The Texas Rangers were eventually sent in to dispatch the criminal. A ranger by the name of Willian ”Big Foot” Wallace with the help of two ranchers in the area snuck into Vidal’s gang’s camp. They killed all the men including Vidal.



Satisfied, the two ranchers set to home, content that their animals would be safe. Wallace, being a ranger, knew this would just attract more gang’s now that the territory was open for claim. So, the man decided to send a truly haunting message.



Wallace strapped Vidal’s headless corpse upright to his black stallion and turned the horse loose. El Muerto road the wastes and soon every gang, rancher, and cowboy knew the demons name. Many cowboys would fill the body with bullets, trying to bring the evil down, but the El Muerto never stumbled. The black horse rode on and soon many blamed El Muerto for death and misfortune.



After many years, a band of ranchers gathered and finally put an end to El Muerto. They tracked the horse to a large pond where they rustled the beast, removed the body, and set the horse free. The posse then buried Vidal in an unmarked grave near the pond.



Year’s passed and the legend of El Muerto faded the way of the lawless west. But, eventually another rode. People began seeing El Muerto once again and this time when seen, the spirit would bring bad luck. People reported failing crops, disease, famine, and even death after seeing the headless monster.



A couple moving to San Diego, Texas decided to stop their wagon on the way and camp. As the two sat near the fire, the moon lit the distant, flat, nothing less land.



The couple claimed to have heard the winnying of a horse for some time until off in the distant moon hue, the pair saw a rider. As the rider drew closer, they saw the red eyes of the black horse. The rider screamed, “mine, it’s all mine!” The couple climbed on their horse and headed to town. As the rider neared the campsite, by the light of the fire they saw that the man was headless.



The next day upon returning, the couple found everything they had left, but the ground was scorched by hoof prints. From then on the legend spread through south Texas once again and to this day people claim to see the evil that is El Muerto.