Chapter 15

⁠​​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌⁠A few minutes later Tom was in the shoal water of the bar, wading toward the Illinois shore. Before the depth reached his middle he was halfway over; the current would permit no more wading, now, so he struck out confidently to swim the remaining hundred yards. He swam quartering upstream, but still was swept downward rather faster than he had expected. However, he reached the shore finally, and d