Belle of Batoche by Jacqueline Guest Page B

… I don’t know,” Sarah cried, “maybe in the shed at the back.”
    Belle ran to the shed, but the wooden ladder was too heavy for her to move by herself. She hurried back to Sarah.
    â€œI’m going to get my parents,” she shouted. “Hang on!” Belle raced for her house. Please let Mama and Papa be there, she prayed as bullets whined around her and cannon balls exploded. Behind her, soldiers were coming up the road. She ran even faster.
    Belle slammed through the back door and gasped with relief. Her mother was right there in the kitchen, packing supplies into an old carpetbag.
    â€œBelle! Thank God!” Her mother rushed to her and gathered Belle in her arms. “Hurry, we must go to the church and hide. Where were you? I looked everywhere!”
    â€œWe can’t hide, Mama. Sarah’s house is on fire. Sarah and Samuel are trapped on the roof. We have to help them.” Belle looked into her mother’s worried face. “Are Papa and Patrice here?” she asked, but she knew the answer.
    â€œNon, child. They are with the men in the rifle pits.” Her mother shook her head, tears in her eyes. “All the men have gone to fight.”
    Belle paused for only a moment to take in what her mother had told her. Then she grabbed her mother’s hand and pulled her toward the door.
    â€œBut, Belle, where are their parents? It’s not safe!”
    â€œI don’t know, Mama!” Belle cried. “We must go.” Belle tugged harder at her moth-er’s hand, and at last her mother followed.
    When they reached the Johnson’s, the air was filled with smoke. Belle and her mother dragged the big wooden ladder from theshed and managed to place it against the side of the burning building.
    â€œClimb down, child!” Belle’s mother called up to Sarah, coughing as a gush of smoke billowed out of a downstairs window. Flames licked the edges of the roof, eating through the wooden shingles.
    Sarah looked at the ladder, then at her unconscious brother lying beside her on the roof. “I can’t leave Samuel!” she shouted. “And he’s too big for me to carry!” She started wailing again. Belle wished she would stop.
    â€œCome down and I will get your brother!” Belle’s mother said, bracing the bottom of the ladder. She looked up at the flames. “Hurry, Sarah! There’s not much time.”
    Rung by rung, her legs shaking, Sarah climbed down. When she reached the bottom, she stared at Belle. Her eyes looked strange, like someone dreaming. Sarah didn’t seem like herself at all.
    â€œHold the ladder,” Belle’s mother said as she started up.
    Belle grabbed the ladder, but Sarah just stood, looking around blankly until Belle repeated her mother’s instructions.

    Sarah obeyed her without a word.
    Please let Mama reach Samuel in time, Belle prayed as she watched her mother climb through the smoke. She was nearly at the top when a sudden blast of hot air and searing flames exploded out of the two upstairs windows.
    Belle sucked in her breath and Sarah screamed as Belle’s mother seemed to be caught in the explosion. The ladder swayed, but did not fall. Belle’s mother had reached the roof.
    Through the thick choking smoke, Belle saw her mother dragging Samuel across the roof then holding him against her shoulder as she started back down past the wall of flames.
    She had just reached the bottom when, with a loud roar the roof collapsed, sending a shower of sparks and cinders high into the air.
    â€œWe must get to shelter, quickly!” Belle’s mother said, still holding the unmoving Samuel. Her arms and hands were black with soot and the sleeves of her dress were in scorched tatters.
    Through the gunfire and constant shelling, they started back to Belle’s house, but before they could reach it, they saw soldiers riding toward them.
    Belle looked around. There were troops closing in