The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-03

he was dead, but he was only badly
wounded and recovered months after
ward. 1t made a good Mexican out Of
him. and he gave up brigandage, and in
time became an alcalde in the province
Of Chihuahua.
At this period the subject Of this sketch
concluded he had played cowboy long
enough. and came north. where he mar
ried handsome young lady, who. as sub
sequent events proved, had as much cOur-
age as her husband. OF all places in the
world. he concluded TO go 10 Africa on
his wedding trip. and his wife did not OBJ
ject After weeks of sea travel they start
ed up the Congo river, with what he
termed the Cooper Trading Company. He
had a regular expedition fitted out, with
elephants, Zanibari guards. and pOrters
and a few missionaries, 10 help him buy
ivory. For six or seven months he was
absent from the coast. but when he re-
turned he had secured enough ivory 10
clear $4,000 above all expenses. Mrs.
Cooper was with him every moment. and
carried rifle, which she used effectuafy
on more than one occasion. This was
some years before Mrs French Sheldon
penetrated TO the interior of the Dark con-
tinent.
One Of the petty African chiefs. who
had plenty of ivory stored away, refused
to sell il 10 MIR. Cooper. lie also COM
planned of the loss TO the cattle he had
sustained by the inroads of a big lion.
When the American made a proposition
to the cantankerOus, pessimistic chief to
go out alone to kill the lion. the old saw
age smiled with delight, for he thought
the conditions would be reversed, and
after the beast had enjoyed a savery
meal off the white man, then the expedi-
ton could be looted and bushel of heads
secured. A goat was tied in an open space
in the forest, and the cowboy, with his
elephant rifle, secreted himself near by.
All night long he waited; the goat bleat-
ed and yet the lion came not. Just as
the sun was rising a large male lion, with
a terrific roar, sprang into the open space
and upon the goat. Two quick reports
from the rife were heard, and the king
of beasts rolled over dead, almost at the
feet of the intrepid hunter.
one day while enjoying a swim in q
| tributary stream of the Congo river a
large hippopotamus bobbed up sereuely
between him and the shore. The situation
gave him a goose-flesh feeling, because
he could not argue with the monster. He
began slowly to swim toward the middle
of the stream, with the idea of reaching
| the opposite shore, and to his consterna-
! ton he discovered that the amphibiln
was following and gaining on him. 1t
was trying moment, and Cooper to this
| day asserts that mis- mber-burnt head
U
| kept II under water. II was only a ques-
| ton of a few minutes when the hippo
| potamus would overtake him and con-
| sign him to a watery grave and mince
| meat oblivion. With the instinct of a
| great strateglst he turned and swan d.
| rectly toward the behemoth. When he
| came within five yards of 1t he lifted his
| head and beard out of the water, and
! gave utterance to an ear-piercing Conan
! che yell that echoed far up and down the
| banks of the stream. Quick as a fast
| the monster sank out of sight and the
/ senior swan to the shore. He waited or
| the banks of the stream a week, and fin
| ally killed the hippopotamus which q
resident African chief asserted was the
! disguise of an old enemy of his who had
! been killed year before. This act caus.
ed the chief to sell great deal of ivory
TO the expedition. and present the senoI
with a half dozen wives, which he de.
| clined with thanks