about noon
That bear must have been fed on the choicest of wild nuts , topped off with wild honey , to have been so juicy and tender , and the thought of nuts caused him to look under the big hickory trees , where he found many of them , large and ripe . They made a most welcome addition to their bill of fare , taking the place of bread . Then , they were so well pleased with themselves that they concluded to spend another day and night in the valley . Tayoga about noon climbed the enclosing ridge to the north , and , when he returned , Willet noticed a sparkle in his eyes . But the hunter said nothing , knowing that the Onondaga would speak in his own good time . `` There is another valley beyond the ridge , '' said Tayoga , `` and a war party is encamped in it . They sit by their fire and eat prodigiously of deer they have killed . ''