It had been many weeks since the Seneca hunting party had seen the friendly smoke of their own village and as they lay among the pines, resting now, they were thinking of how it would be in their village when they returned the following day to speak of their success on the hunt. Their catch was large and there would be much dancing and celebration when they did return. Black Cloud, leader of the hunting party, lay stretched out beneath the boughs of a large pine and gazed up through the branches at the clear sky lighted this evening by a bright full moon. The heavens were filled with stars, and this would mean a good clear day for travel when dawn finally broke upon the forest. The party had traveled far in search of food but their labors were not in vain for they were returning loaded down with good fresh meat for their tribe. The trip had been an exciting one from the standpoint of the hunt, but now the excitement was over and the warriors were tired. A half day’s journey lay between them and their homes, and they were eager to start the next morning. The canoes had been pulled up the side of the lake and rigged for shelter in case of rain but all the party were sleeping in the open. As Black Cloud lay gazing at the stars he remembered back to his days as a boy when he had made his first hunting trip with his father. “Come, father, hurry, we must get started!” Little Black Cloud had called as he waited at the beach for his father to join him. His father finally arrived and, approving of the canoe which his son had chosen, he turned it upright and pushed it into the lake. They loaded their packs and hunting weapons and soon Black Cloud was seated in the middle of the canoe as his father pushed from shore. “Where are we going to hunt, father?” asked Little Black Cloud. “Well, my son, I thought that we would try Bear Lake; for many of our warriors have reported fine deer around Bear Lake, and you saw the two beauties that were brought to the camp last week.” “Yes, father, they were beautiful bucks, and I hope we are as fortunate.” “We have a hard long journey ahead, my son, and so pull hard upon the paddle; for we must reach the upper end of the lake before nightfall. There we will make camp and tomorrow we shall carry our canoe to the upper lake known as Bear Lake. It is quite a distance and though it may seem close it will take us some time to reach our destination.” Father and son pulled upon the paddles, and soon the canoe was moving steadily forward toward the upper end of the lake. As the craft skimmed through the water, Little Black Cloud’s father pointed out the many signs of wild game that could be seen along the shore. Here was evidence of where brother beaver had been at work cutting logs or here was a grey muddy hole near the lake’s edge to which the forest animals came to drink. Always the canoe was kept near the shoreline, for this made the trip more interesting since there was much to see.