MR. FRANK COOPER. 183 



account of his strong sporting proclivities, which his school- 

 master thought more suitable to the Etonian than the 

 private school age. They led him into no end of scrapes 

 at this first school, but they developed later in life into 

 that passion for sport, the trophies of which are justly 

 considered the finest private collection in England. 



EQs elder brother, Percy, afterwards Master of the 

 South Notts, with Mr. Rolleston, was already at Eton, 

 where the younger brother (at Snow's) chiefly distinguished 

 himself as an athlete. The number of cups which he won 

 go far to disprove the theory that a "cobby" build is 

 incompatible with speed and jumping power. 



He was for two years in the " twenty-two," though he 

 never attained the dignity of being in the " eleven." From 

 Eton, at the age of nineteen, he went straight out to the 

 Red River and Winnipeg for the first of such hunting 

 expeditions as fall to the lot only of the fortunate few who 

 have the means and capacity to enjoy them, and this at 

 an age when they have no cares to mitigate the delights 

 of sport. 



The expedition started from Pembina to the Rockies 

 on the old Boundary Commission Trail in Red River carts, 

 and back by Winnipeg, at this time merely a tented settle- 

 ment. It was the year following the Custer massacre, and 

 consequently their attendant halfbreeds and boys were 

 panic-stricken at the news that Sitting Bull and his 

 warriors were again active, and deserted en masse, leaving 

 Mr. Cooper and one English friend to finish the trip alone. 

 From this time onwards began his connection with the 

 Meynell, which continued unbroken — excepting for five 

 years when he lived in Wiltshire — until the present time, 

 when he has just undertaken the duties of Secretary to 

 the Hunt. 



1880, 1881, and 1882 were all hunting years, divided 

 between the Rocky Mountains — with his ranch at Larramie 

 as the base of operations — and visits to his home at 

 Bullwell (Notts.) for the cream of the hunting. 



In 1881 he secured the "record" bear, roughly 



