, and though most of them were wasted
occasionally a bullet went home. The bear fought with the most savage
courage, champing its bloody jaws, roaring with rage, and looking the
very incarnation of evil fury. For some minutes it made no effort to
flee, either charging or standing at bay. 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. They surrounded the thicket, firing
and throwing stones into the bushes. Finally, as nothing moved, they
ventured in and found the indomitable grisly warrior lying dead.

Cowboys delight in nothing so much as the chance to show their skill as
riders and ropers; and they always try to ride down and rope any wild
animal they come across in favorable ground and close enough up. If
a party of them meets a bear in the open they have great fun; and the
struggle between the shouting, galloping, rough-riders and their shaggy
quarry is full of wild excitement and not unaccompanied by danger.
The bear often throws the noose from his head so rapidly that it is
a difficult matter to catch him; and his frequent charges scatter his
tormentors in every direction while the horses become wild with fright
over the roaring, bristling beast--for horses seem to dread a bear more
than any other animal. If the bear cannot reach cover, however, his
fate is sealed. Sooner or later, the noose tightens over one leg, or
perchance over the neck and fore-paw, and as the rope straightens with a
"plunk," the horse braces itself desperately and the bear tumbles over.
Whether he regains his feet or not the cowboy keeps the rope taut; soon
another noose tightens over a leg, and the bear is speedily rendered
helpless.

I have known of these feats being