Sidney found it was not easy to put an edge on a knife with only a piece of rock for a whetstone. The beast’s hide, too, was extremely tough. He finally, however, succeeded in laying the skin back enough to cut two or three fine steaks. The rain had ceased in the night, and morning had come clear and cold. While Sidney was struggling with the meat, Raymond gathered wood and built a fire. By the time the steaks were ready there was a fine bed of coals to broil them, and the boys were soon eating a savory breakfast. “It’s a shame to leave that fine pelt here,” said Raymond, looking from the steak he was consuming over to its source. “Yes, it is,” assented Sidney, “but, of course, we can’t do anything with it. If we had it in El Paso, though, it would pay a passage home for both of us.” “I guess it would,” sighed Raymond; “and to think we’ve got to let it lie here! It’s the first bear I ever shot, too.” “And you shot him blindfolded. I don’t see how you managed to do it.” “Well, I aimed just a little below his eyes. I intended to shoot him in the head, but I’d forgotten a bear’s snout is so pointed. If the bullet hadn’t struck him in the mouth, just by a chance, it wouldn’t have killed him.” “I wish father was here to have some of this meat,” said Sidney; “you know he’s awfully fond of bear steak.” “Gee!” exclaimed Raymond, “I wish we knew where he is; it makes me homesick to think about him.” “I guess mother will never let us go away from home again,” said Sidney, “after we get back this time.” “_If_ we get back this time, you mean.” “Oh, we’ll get back all right, Ray, and don’t you forget it.” “I certainly shan’t, if we get there.” It had taken the boys a good while to prepare the steaks and cook them, so by the time they had finished their breakfast it was later than they usually took the road. They hurried off, therefore, with a last regretful look at the fine skin which they were obliged to leave behind. The elevation had been rapidly increasing and the mountains had become rockier and more precipitous. The sleet which fell the night they were in the cave was the first frozen rain they had encountered, but the snow-covered heights had even before that sometimes seemed very near. The night after the boys’ adventure with the bear was very cold and they searched for another cave, but unsuccessfully. They found, however, a crevice in the rocks that was large enough for them to crawl into. They could not lie down, but they huddled up close together in their blankets and were warmer than they would have been outside.