ritish lines quickly. This thought spurred her on.

Exhausted, bleeding and hungry, she continued her journey, praying to
God to give her strength to reach her destination.

Hours passed, and at length she became so exhausted that her hope of
reaching the British grew faint. She felt that if she fell again she
would not have the strength to rise. Then suddenly the air was filled
with the war-whoop of the Red Indians, and a score of the dreaded
savages sprang from their hiding-places and surrounded her.

Indians were fighting for the Americans as well as for the British, and
the atrocities which they perpetrated made the war of 1812 one of the
most bitter, most unchivalrous, that had been waged between civilized
nations for many years. Believing her captors to be allies of the
Americans, Laura Secord felt that her last hour had come, but imagine
her joy when, a few moments later she discovered that they were scouts
of the British force.

Quickly she was carried to the British lines, and at her own request
was taken at once to the officer in command, whom she told of the
impending attack. After praising Laura Secord for her bravery, and
ordering that her wants should be attended to immediately, the officer
proceeded to make use of the information she had brought him; and so
well did he lay his plans, and so quickly were they carried out, that
the Americans, instead of surprising the British, were themselves
surprised, and every man in the force captured.

LADY BANKES AND THE SIEGE OF CORFE CASTLE.

During the Great Rebellion many brave deeds were performed by women.
Royalists and Parliamentarians each had their heroines, and we can
honour them all, irrespective of party, for their devotion to the cause
which they had espoused, and rejoice in the fact that they were British
women.

Lady Bankes was a woman whom Roundheads as well as Cavaliers admitted
to be a noble specimen of an English lady. She was the wife of the
Right Honourable Sir John Bankes, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and
a member of His Majesty's Privy Council.

When it began to appear that the differences between King Charles and
his Parliament would be settled by arms, Lady Bankes retired with her
children to Corfe Castle, in Dorsetshire. Sir John was on circuit at
the time, but it was soon discovered that he had supplied the king with
money to carry on war against his Parliament, and for this reason he
became a marked man. He was n