At last they stopped suddenly. What was the noise they heard a short distance ahead of them? It was made by a fine, large animal, that jumped up frightened and started to run as the hunters drew near. It ran to the top of a small hill, and there it stood looking back at Nephi and his brethren. Nephi quickly drew an arrow and placed it in his bow. He took good aim, and was just going to send the arrow through the air when his beautiful, steel bow broke in two. At the same moment the animal started to run again and was soon lost to sight. Poor Nephi! How sorry he felt as he looked down at his broken bow. Then he cast a glance at Laman, and saw that his face was pale with anger. He wished he had let one of the others shoot, but it was now too late to mend matters. Laman turned to Nephi and began to scold him. He was quickly stopped by Sam, who said sharply: "It is unkind of you to speak that way to Nephi. He did not break his bow wilfully. It was an accident. And he feels bad enough over it without you hurting his feelings more by abusing him. Let us say no more about the matter, but go on our way." All day long they hunted without killing a single animal. When evening came the party, with the exception of Nephi and Sam, started back for their tents. "I do not care to go home yet," Nephi said. "I will follow you later." "I am going to stay with Nephi," said Sam. "Tell father and mother we will be home before midnight." After Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael had left, Nephi turned to Sam and said: "Sam, I tell you what we will do; we will kneel down and pray to our Heavenly Father to help us get some food. I am sure He will do so." "So am I," said Sam. "He has helped us many times before." The two young men went over and knelt down under a large tree, where they prayed earnestly to God to help them get food for the company. I will tell you presently how their prayer was answered. The other members of the hunting party returned to camp and told what had happened. Their story cast a gloom over the whole company. "What a terrible state to be in!" exclaimed one of the daughters of Ishmael. "There is barely enough food for another meal. When that is gone, starvation will stare us in the face." Lehi and his wife Sariah were sitting together with bowed heads a short distance away. Tears were running down the poor mother's cheeks. She was not crying because the food supply had almost run out. No, she was thinking of her boys, Nephi and Sam, out in the mountains alone, in danger of being killed by wild beasts, and the darkness of night fast coming on. Lehi took her hand in his and in a comforting voice said: "Fear not, Sariah, the Lord will watch over and protect our boys. I believe they will soon return, and that they will bring food with them." On hearing that, Nephi's mother dried her tears, and turning to her husband, said: "Thank you, Lehi, for those words. I will trust in God to bring our sons back safely."