It's been raining on the Darkwood forest for weeks. To ward off boredom, Zagor asks Cico to tell him about his past. We thus discover that the paunchy Mexican was born in Veracruz and faced an endless series of different jobs, before becoming the faithful pard of the Spirit with the Hatchet: he was a shoe shiner, a musician and even a bullfighter. Following a military plot, he then had to flee to Texas, where other funny and incredible adventures awaited him...