Free Acts of Courage by Connie Brummel Crook Page A

returning to the inn for meals, they had worked for three days putting everything in order in their two canvas houses. They were pitched side by side on a green stretch of land at the edge of town, just below the Heights.
    “Well, if a canvas house is good enough for the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, it should be good enough for us,” Father said with some satisfaction. James had told them about Governor Simcoe bringing Captain Cook’s canvas house from England. When the Simcoes found it too crowded in Navy Hall, the Government House at Newark, his wife had insisted he have it set up immediately for their private use.
    Laura sat on a stump beside the front door to the big tent and looked out with wonder at the beauty of the steep, wide escarpment just to the south of them. The local people called it the Heights.
    Laura turned toward the roadway when she heard the sounds of an approaching team of horses. Charles rushed out past her, for he, too, had heard, and they both knew that James Secord was going to be delivering the fresh supplies that their father had ordered from his store in St. David’s.
    James drove his team right up beside the tent and, when he jumped down from the wagon, he grabbed the excited Charles and sat him on the back of one of the horses. “Giddy up,” shouted Charles, digging his feet into the mare’s side.
    The team lunged forward, but James had been watching, and he pulled the reins back tight. The now-petrified Charles grabbed the horse’s mane and clung to its neck to keep his balance. After he had settled his team, James lifted Charles down and smiled at Laura, who had walked over to take the squirming boy.
    “You’ll make a good rider some day,” said James as he put the boy on the ground beside his sister.
    “I’d like to ride him now !” Charles shouted back.
    “Charles, go in the house,” said Father who had come out just in time to see the boy being put down. “Thanks for delivering these supplies, James. I’m hoping to buy a team and wagon today, and then we can pick up our own supplies.”
    “I’m glad to have your business, Thomas. St. David’s is not on the main mercantile route, and it’s overlooked sometimes. Queenston stores have an advantage.”
    “Well, we’ll be going to St. David’s to buy our supplies,” Father promised. “It’s not that far away.”
    James started to hand down the bags of flour, salt, and other household items to Father and, when they had finished stacking them, Father pulled out his money to pay James.
    “Are you sure you want to pay in cash?”
    “How else?” Thomas asked.
    “Trading at the Landing is mostly in produce or labour.”
    “Well, I’ve nothing to exchange, and I’m not free to work yet,” Father explained.
    Laura sat down on the stump again as she watched her father and James shake hands at the front door of the tent. James saw her there and came over but stood in silence.
    Laura looked up shyly. “Do come again, and thank you for all your help, Mr. Secord.”
    “It was nothing,” he replied, somewhat embarrassed as he continued to stare at her. Then he shifted his cap to his other hand and said, “Please, call me James, Miss Ingersoll.”
    “And I’m Laura,” she said, looking up into his deep blue eyes.
    Just then the horse made a snorting sound and wrenched its bridle. James turned and saw the reins had become tangled in the branches of the tree where he had tied them.
    “Laura…” The horses pounded their feet more. “They’re hungry. I have to get them home. Good night, Laura!”
    “Good night, James.”
    Then James jumped into the wagon and snapped the lines lightly on the horses’ backs. They needed no urging to pull the empty wagon and were off at a great speed.

NINE
    Thomas, I can’t believe you are going to do this!” Sally exclaimed.
    The family were comfortably settled into their canvas house and were sitting on benches around the table after breakfast. On the left side of the room