They ate candles to keep from starving

The expedition found itself running low on supplies by the time they arrived at the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains, despite having a well-stocked starting point. They could not increase their supply by hunting or fishing as it was the dead of winter. The group got so desperate that they had to resort to eating tallow candles at one point. They almost all died as a result of the weather and food shortage. But in reality, that was the least of their concerns. The group was being observed by Nez Perce tribal scouts and warriors who were ready to kill them and grab any property that might be valuable or useful, but they had no means of knowing it.

According to Nez Perce's oral tradition, a woman by the name of Watkuweis convinced the tribe to assist the outsiders instead. Why? She had recently been abducted by a rival tribe, then saved and brought back home by white men. She allegedly demanded that the other people not harm them.