The first edition of this book is dated 1862. The edition used is dated 1890. The publisher was George Routledge and Sons, Limited, London, Manchester, NY The number of pages is 363.
General information
Strictly speaking this book is a free translation by Reid (1818-1883) of an earlier (1851) book by the Frenchman Luis de Bellemare (pseudonym of Gabriel Ferry, 1809-1852), “Costal l’Indien.” The subject is the 1811-1812 Mexican War of Independence from Spain. Reid, having fought in the Mexican-American War of the 1850s, and having written books about the subject, would have wanted to make this excellent book available to an English-speaking readership, and his translation was published in 1861 with the title “A Hero In Spite Of Himself.” The edition used was published by Routledge in 1890, some years after the author’s death, with the title “The Tiger Hunter,” which is what Costal was, though the tigers referred to were actually jaguars.
The type-setting in this book was not very good, and it seems likely that Routledge used the type from an earlier edition. To make matters worse practically every page of the copy used had been defaced by a rubber stamp of a previous owner, which made a day’s work for the transcriber to clean up. Nevertheless the result is excellent, the book is very readable, and it makes a good audiobook.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter I.
The Grito of Hidalgo.
Chapter II.
An Irksome Journey.
Chapter III.
An Enigma.
Chapter IV.
The Hungry Travellers.
Chapter V.
Black and Red.
Chapter VI.
The Tiger-Hunter.
Chapter VII.
The Chase of the Jaguar.
Chapter VIII.
A Grand Spectacle.
Chapter IX.
The Cascade.
Chapter X.
Strayed from the Track.
Chapter XI.
A Ludicrous Spectacle.
Chapter XII.
The Diadem.
Chapter XIII.
Who goes there?
Chapter XIV.
Precious Moments.
Chapter XV.
A Friend in Need.
Chapter XVI.
Las Palmas and its People.
Chapter XVII.
A Creole Toilette.
Chapter XVIII.
The Inundation.
Chapter XIX.
The Last of the Zapoteques.
Chapter XX.
A Canopy of Jaguars.
Chapter XXI.
The Student Rescued.
Chapter XXII.
Rafael and Gertrudis.
Chapter XXIII.
The Honest Muleteer.
Chapter XXIV.
The Lovers alone.
Chapter XXV.
A Mexican Major-Domo.
Chapter XXVI.
The Vow Performed.
Chapter XXVII.
Duty versus Love.
Chapter XXVIII.
The Illustrious Morelos.
Chapter XXIX.
A Course of Study Interrupted.
Chapter XXX.
A Soldier against his Will.
Chapter XXXI.
Pepe Gago.
Chapter XXXII.
The Secret Signal.
Chapter XXXIII.
The Isle of Roqueta.
Chapter XXXIV.
An Enterprise by Night.
Chapter XXXV.
Fearful Fellow-Swimmers.
Chapter XXXVI.
Unpleasant Swimming Companions.
Chapter XXXVII.
A Deed à la Cortez.
Chapter XXXVIII.
The Capture of La Roqueta.
Chapter XXXIX.
The Plain of Huajapam.
Chapter XL.
Fatal Misunderstandings.
Chapter XLI.
A Rude Reception.
Chapter XLII.
Bearding a Brigand.
Chapter XLIII.
Roncador Restored.
Chapter XLIV.
The Council of War.
Chapter XLV.
Valerio Trujano.
Chapter XLVI.
A Walking Corpse.
Chapter XLVII.
A Decoy Sentry.
Chapter XLVIII.
The Morn of the Battle.
Chapter XLIX.
Between Two Fires.
Chapter L.
A Splendid Stroke.
Chapter LI.
A Generous Enemy.
Chapter LII.
Rude Guests.
Chapter LIII.
Love’s Malady.
Chapter LIV.
Topographical Details.
Chapter LV.
Sunrise in the Tropics.
Chapter LVI.
The Bandit Camp.
Chapter LVII.
A Real Virago.
Chapter LVIII.
An Unexpected Reception.
Chapter LIX.
A Careless Search.
Chapter LX.
El Zapote and Gaspar.
Chapter LXI.
The Fugitives in Danger.
Chapter LXII.
Escaping the Toils.
Chapter LXIII.
An Unwilling Ambassador.
Chapter LXIV.
The Talisman Transmitted.
Chapter LXV.
Lantejas Beheaded.
Chapter LXVI.
Don Cornelio a Captive.
Chapter LXVII.
The Colonel of Colonels.
Chapter LXVIII.
The Commission Executed.
Chapter LXIX.
The Catalan Lieutenant.
Chapter LXX.
News Sweet and Sad.
Chapter LXXI.
The Capture of San Carlos.
Chapter LXXII.
The Enchanted Lake.
Chapter LXXIII.
The Invalid.
Chapter LXXIV.
An Aerial Couch.
Chapter LXXV.
The Goddess of the Waters.
Chapter LXXVI.
Tolling the Summons.
Chapter LXXVII.
The Pursuit.
Chapter LXXVIII.
Vengeance Forborne.
Chapter LXXIX.
A Brace of Crafty Couriers.
Chapter LXXX.
Matlacuezc a Mortal.
Chapter LXXXI.
Two Happy Hearts.
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