As the ice finally clears the river, Charlie, a boy of the Indian reserve of Tache in northern British Columbia, joins his grandparents for the annual spring beaver hunt. They travel by boat to their hunting camp, and Charlie and his grandfather, Za, set their traps. But they’re not at the camp long when Za becomes ill and Charlie must go alone to get help. This is a simple, realistic story of how a native people continues traditional ways, and a touching story of a young boy’s growing maturity and responsibility.