Reed now built a house on the Snake River, for their winter quarters; which being completed, the party set about trapping.  Rezner, Le Clerc, and Pierre Dorion went about five days’ journey from the wintering house, to a part of the country well stocked with beaver.  Here they put up a hut, and proceeded to trap with great success.  While the men were out hunting, Pierre Dorion’s wife remained at home to dress the skins and prepare the meals.  She was thus employed one evening about the beginning of January, cooking the supper of the hunters, when she heard footsteps, and Le Clerc staggered, pale and bleeding, into the hut.  He informed her that a party of savages had surprised them, while at their traps, and had killed Rezner and her husband.  He had barely strength left to give this information, when he sank upon the ground.

The poor woman saw that the only chance for life was instant flight, but, in this exigency, showed that presence of mind and force of character for which she had frequently been noted.  With great difficulty, she caught two of the horses belonging to the party.  Then collecting her clothes and a small quantity of beaver meat and dried salmon, she packed them upon one of the horses, and helped the wounded man to mount upon it.  On the other horse she mounted with her two children, and hurried away from this dangerous neighborhood, directing her flight to Mr. Reed’s establishment.  On the third day, she descried a number of Indians on horseback proceeding in an easterly direction.  She immediately dismounted with her children, and helped Le Clerc likewise to dismount, and all concealed themselves.  Fortunately they escaped the sharp eyes of the savages, but had to proceed with the utmost caution.  That night they slept without fire or water; she managed to keep her children warm in her arms; but before morning, poor Le Clerc died.

With the dawn of day the resolute woman resumed her course, and, on the fourth day, reached the house of Mr. Reed.  It was deserted, and all round were marks of blood and signs of a furious massacre.  Not doubting that Mr. Reed and his party had all fallen victims, she turned in fresh horror from the spot.  For two days she continued hurrying forward, ready to sink for want of food, but more solicitous about her children than herself.  At length she reached a range of the Rocky Mountains, near the upper part of the Wallah-Wallah River.  Here she chose a wild lonely ravine, as her place of winter refuge.

She had fortunately a buffalo robe and three deer-skins; of these, and of pine bark and cedar branches, she constructed a rude wigwam, which she pitched beside a mountain spring.  Having no other food, she killed the two horses, and smoked their flesh.  The skins aided to cover her hut.  Here she dragged out the winter, with no other company than her two children.  Towards the middle of March her provisions were nearly exhausted.  She therefore packed up the remainder, slung it on her back, and, with her helpless little ones, set out again on her wanderings.  Crossing the ridge of mountains, she descended to the banks of the Wallah-Wallah, and kept along them until she arrived where that river throws itself into the Columbia.  She was hospitably received and entertained by the Wallah-Wallahs, and had been nearly two weeks among them when the two canoes passed.