Le Cavalier perdu is a comic book by Jean Giraud and Jean-Michel Charlier. The original French version was first published in Pilote magazine in 1965. Then it was published as a comic album in 1968. An English-language comic album was published in 1978 under the title Mission to Mexico. This is the fourth episode of the Blueberry series and the fourth part of the First Indian Wars series.
In Camp Bowie, General Crook is preparing his forces to attack the Apaches, while Blueberry is waiting for the return of Graig, who went to a telegraph station to bring a message to the president of the United States. Blueberry suggested negotiating with the Apaches and General Crook needed the permission of the president to cancel the military operation and to give a last chance for negotiations.
Le Cavalier perdu provides examples of the following tropes:
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: In Salinas, Mac Clure goes to a bar and he drinks a lot. Then he is forced by Finlay to play poker and he loses the horses and the mules.
- Batman Gambit: With him carrying Graig on his horse, and knowing that Lone Eagle and his men will catch up to him soon, Blueberry does a desperate attempt to escape by having his horse run and leave many traces on a same passage to make it look like many US army riders just passed by, hoping that the natives would go back rather than risk a confrontation with many soldiers. It works as while Lone Eagle sees through it, his companions don't and refuse to take risks.
- Big Damn Heroes: When the Apaches bury Graig up to the neck, Blueberry rescues him just when the ants are going to reach his face.
- Blasting It Out of Their Hands: In the bar of Salinas, Blueberry shoots a gun out of Finlay's hand after beating him at poker.
- The Cassandra: Crowe repeatedly tells Blueberry to hurry up and leave instead of wasting time into playing poker with Finlay, feeling that things are going to become dangerous. He's utterly right as governor Armendariz, Lone Eagle and many Mexican soldiers arrive after having been warned by the barman.
- The Cavalry: The Confederate soldiers and Crowe show up just is time to save Blueberry when the Mexicans are going to hang him.
- Conveniently Timed Distraction: When Graig is questioned by the Apaches, a cougar attacks the Apaches' horses, which gives Blueberry an opportunity to free Graig.
- Gambling Brawl: After Blueberry beats him at poker, Finlay draws his gun, but Blueberry shoots it out of his hand.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: When Blueberry is caught by the Mexicans who are going to hang him, Crowe seeks help from the Confederate soldiers, who despise Blueberry because he is a Yankee. Finally they accept to help because the fate of Texas is at stake.
- Guile Hero: Crowe is able of saving Bluberry and Mac Clure twice with his quick-thinking and negociating skills, the first time when he convinces the Apache chieftain Charibba to spare them by reminding him of Blueberry having opposed Bascom's imprisonment of him and several other chieftains and of his debt toward him, the second time when he manages to unhorse Lone Eagle and take his horse and to rally the Jayhawkers into helping save Blueberry by appealing to their Texan patriotism, telling them of how Armendariz will reconquer Texas for Mexico by using the natives if they don't help.
- Out-Gambitted: Jim Mac Clure reveals to general Crook that he's been fooled by Cochise, with Cochise having ordered his scouts to deceive Crook and his men into believing that the natives were concentrated in sierra Mongollon and so to plan an attack here, while most of them in truth had crossed the border and could attack the army at any unexpected spot. This forces Crook to cancel his campaign plans.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Charriba the Apache chieftain, who is convinced by Crowe to let Blueberry and Mac Clure go after Crowe reminds him of his debt toward him and Blueberry.
- Sand Necktie: When Graig is caught by the Apaches, he undergoes this in the desert. The Apaches also draws ants toward his head with cactus juice. Fortunately, Blueberry rescues him just before the ants reach him.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Armendariz uses his authority as governor to do whatever he wants, planning to give weapons to the Apaches and Navajos to have them defeat the US Army and reconquer Texas for Mexico despite his government being neutral and at peace with the US government, and ordering Blueberry and Mac Clure to be hanged for being spies without even a trial.
- Slipping a Mickey: Mac Clure and Blueberry offer the Apaches alcohol laced with narcotic. Mac Clure is forced to drink some to counter the mistrust of the Apaches.
- The Starscream: Governor Armendariz dreams of becoming the president of Mexico, and to achieve his goal he's ready to give weapons to the Apaches and uses them to defeat the US army and reconquer Texas for Mexico, believing that the popularity he would get from it would ensure his election as president.
- You Owe Me: Crowe uses the debt that Charriba, an Apache chieftain who hosted him, owes to him for saving his life at Fort-Navajo and the fact that Blueberry objected to Bascom's imprisonment of him and other chieftains, to convince him to release Blueberry and Mac Clure despite Lone Eagle's objections.
