Ordeal by Hunger In Ordeal by Hunger, there are many heroes in the disastrous Donner Party story, but one of the most colorful and heroic members was McCutchen, William. McCutchen had a wife and child who were from Missouri. McCutchen himself was six feet six and was powerful in proportion. I think that McCutchen is a hero because at the Little Sandy River McCutchen and two other men agreed to go forward to Weber canyon, where they will meet Hastings and guide him back to the Donner Party. After McCutchen reached the end of the Weber canyon, instead of going back with Hastings and Reed, he stayed there and waited for Reed to g