Ernie had hardly got into bed, when his head began to swim and he transformed into the black wolf.

The black wolf leapt out through the bedroom window and started off into the forest.   He set off in no particular direction, however, after an hour or so be realised that he was heading toward Lenoak — two towns away from Glen Hartwell.   He had already slowed intending to start for home, when he was startled by the sound of gunfire.

At first the wolf panicked, thinking that the shots were aimed at him.   But after a moment he realised that the shots were away in the distance.   Although his first instinct was for self-preservation, the black wolf forced himself to head off at a steady pace to investigate the shots.

*      *      *

Three more shots sounded, allowing Bear to zero in on the gunfire.   He almost ran out into an open clearing where the shots were coming from, when he heard a call of, “Bear, stay back!”

Looking round he saw Con Rodriguez (sergeant of LePage) crouching behind a great blue gum with one of the cops from Melbourne.

Ducking behind a large ghost gum, Bear looked out into the clearing.   The gunfire was emanating from a small log cabin in the clearing.

Knowing that Bear was still learning the names of the local inhabitants, Con called across, “That’s Jacinta Blakey’s cabin.”

“Is she in there with him?” asked Bear.

Con shrugged, and then realising Bear couldn’t see the gesture in the dark, “We don’t know.   Pavolich is in there all right, but we haven’t seen anyone else.”

Hearing rushing footsteps behind him, Bear looked round to see the tall, fair figure of Terry Blewett, and the equally tall, but heavier built figure of Mel Forbes arriving on the scene, along with two more Melbourne cops.   He was dismayed to see that two Melbourne reporters had also turned up.

Though loath to shoot another human being, Bear aimed his service revolver toward the four-paned window of the cabin.   As Pavolich fired toward them again, Bear also opened fire, only hoping that he would not hit any innocent bystanders in the cabin.