Then it began to move slowly towards a patch of ash and wild plums in the head of a coulie, some distance off.

Its pursuer rode after it, and when close enough would push by it and fire, while the bear would spin quickly round and charge as fiercely as ever, though evidently beginning to grow weak.

At last, when still a couple of hundred yards from cover the man found he had used up all his cartridges, and then merely followed at a safe distance.
The bear no longer paid heed to him, but walked slowly forwards, swaying its great head from side to side, while the blood streamed from between its half-opened jaws.

On reaching the cover he could tell by the waving of the bushes that it walked to the middle and then halted.

A few minutes afterwards some of the other cowboys rode up, having been attracted by the incessant firing.