The House Is on Fire

Sally makes it to the ground relatively uninjured. She sees Margaret nearby and rushes over. Margaret is alive but is struggling to breathe and not responding to Sally’s questions. Margaret’s shin bone has snapped and pierced through the skin. Sally enlists two nearby men to help her carry Margaret somewhere to get help, and they take her to the home of Mrs. Mary Cowley, an Indigenous woman. At the house, Mrs. Cowley asks Sally to tell her what’s wrong with Margaret and helps her remove Margaret’s clothes and lay her down. When Mrs. Cowley leaves to deal with some people at the door, Margaret becomes cognizant enough to ask Sally if Mr. Scott survived. Sally races outside to check.

Gilbert carries Dr. McCaw to the Baptist meeting house, which has become a makeshift hospital. Mrs. Johnston, Dr. McCaw’s sister, has come with him. Gilbert manages to place McCaw on a pew. Around him, he begins to hear people praising his actions that evening and becomes nervous about how white men will react to him being praised as a hero. He tells Mrs. Johnston that he did what anyone would have done, and she says she isn’t sure that’s true.