Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 "Row faster, Oscar!" Mr. Morrow shouted. But the flaming boat was too big and moving too quickly for them to get out of the way in time. "Oscar!" Mr. Morrow said. "Can you swim?" "Yes," Oscar said. "Good," he said. "Swim to shore. When you get to the other side, get yourself to the lakeshore." Why was Mr. Morrow telling him this? There was no time to ask. The burning ship was closing in. "Jump!" Mr. Morrow cried. Oscar threw himself over the side. The cold water slapped him and burned his skin. He started swimming as fast as he could, keeping his eyes and mouth closed against the foul water.

Crash! Sparks flew up all around as the flaming ship hit the rowboat, slicing it in half and setting it on fire. Oscar kept swimming. He glanced over his shoulder, expecting to see Mr. Morrow right beside him. But he wasn't. Oscar stopped and turned, churning his legs and arms to stay afloat. Through the smoke, he saw something bobbing in the water. It was Mr. Morrow clinging to a small piece of wood and struggling to keep his head above water. Now Oscar understood why Mr. Morrow didn't think he could make it to the other side of the river. He couldn't swim! Oscar should have known — Papa couldn't swim either, even though he grew up near the ocean. Mama was one of the few people Oscar knew who could swim, and it was she who had taught Oscar. "Keep going, Oscar!" Mr. Morrow cried.

Oscar saw a huge piece of wood floating near him. He grabbed it and kicked as hard as he could to get to Mr. Morrow. "Mr. Morrow! Grab hold." Mr. Morrow looked up in surprise and relief as Oscar thrust the wood toward him. And that's when Oscar noticed that back on the south shore, from where they'd just escaped, the roof of the paint warehouse had caught fire. His heart leaped into his throat. Any minute, there would be a massive explosion. They had to get away now! They both clung to the makeshift raft, kicking frantically. And then — KABOOM! Behind them, the paint factory exploded with a deafening blast. Oscar waited for the crush of burning wood, for flames to reach out and grab them. But instead, the force of the explosion created a wave that came up behind them. It propelled them forward, out of the fire's reach, toward the safety of the north shore.

They landed with a thud on the muddy riverbank. Oscar looked back, amazed to see that the river itself was now on fire. He could barely believe they'd made it. Yet he felt little relief. Oscar stared over the flaming river. The entire south side of the city was in the grip of fire and smoke. And somewhere in the middle of it all were Jennie and Bruno. Oscar told Mr. Morrow all about them as they trudged away from the river. Mr. Morrow listened closely, and Oscar sensed that he was using Oscar's words to paint a picture of Bruno and Jennie in his mind. "We'll find them, Oscar," he kept saying. "I found you, didn't I?" But the search for Jennie and Bruno would have to wait. Because once again Oscar and Mr. Morrow found themselves in a fight for their lives. They kept trying to get back to Mr. Morrow's house, but the wind grew stronger and stronger, sweeping ferocious fires all through the north side

of the river. Entire blocks burned within minutes. Flames chased after Oscar and Mr. Morrow. Each time they thought they were safe, a new fire would erupt, and they were on the run again. Their last hope was Lake Michigan, which stretched out to the east of the city. As the fires closed in behind them, they waded into the freezing water, ready to duck under if the flames attacked. There were hundreds of people all around them, and the crowd grew to the thousands as the night wore on. There were entire families with their horses and with their wagons piled high with furniture, fancy ladies in their ruffled dresses and jewels, children who had been separated from their parents. They all stood gasping in the smoky air, shivering in the freezing water. The hours crept by, the sun came up, and still the fires raged out of control. It would be another endless day before finally the fires began to tire, when the winds lost their fury, when it was finally safe enough to wade out of the freezing water. It took hours more for Oscar and Mr. Morrow to make their way back to his house in the pouring

rain. They were numb with cold and shock, miserable with thirst, and wheezing in the smoky air. But finally they made it to Mr. Morrow's stone house, one of the few houses still standing. And there, on the porch, was Mama. Oscar got the idea that she'd been standing there for days. She sprinted off the porch and into the drenching rain to meet them. Her face was as pale as bone. Oscar ran to her, throwing himself into her arms.