Tiuri and Piak Attempt to Cross Rainbow River Illegally in a Leaking Boat

Tiuri and Piak’s attempt to cross the Rainbow River illegally turns a quiet nighttime plan into a fight for survival. With Ferman’s secret loan of a small boat, they set out under cover of darkness, only to find that the river’s current, submerged rocks, and a leak are more dangerous than the crossing’s secrecy. The boat sinks, and Tiuri must leave it behind to pull Piak through the water to an island. They reach land alive, but not the opposite bank.

The Boat and Its Conditions

Ferman reveals that he has a boat lying farther along the river, but lending it could land him in trouble because the crossing is forbidden. Tiuri and Piak have no gold to offer. Ferman flips Piak’s coin to decide what he will do; when it lands on the side he takes as permission to help, he returns the coin and agrees to let them use the boat. The decision is presented as chance rather than a bargain, but it does not remove the risk. Ferman makes clear that the boys must accept responsibility themselves and must not identify him as the owner if they are caught. He has already been imprisoned twice and will not help them if the attempt goes wrong.

The boat cannot be used until it is dark. After going to a farm, where they are promised work for the next morning, Tiuri and Piak receive bread and milk and are given a place to sleep in an empty barn. They wait until a clock strikes twelve before slipping out. Ferman’s prediction of a dark night proves accurate: neither moon nor stars offer much light, and the cold adds to their unease as they reach the river and follow its narrow shore downstream. The bridge is difficult to distinguish, although lights still burn in some windows of the castle.

Ferman leads them to the boat, which lies half-drawn up on the strand. Its oars are inside. Piak is alarmed by how small it is and wonders whether it might capsize, but the immediate danger Ferman identifies is the river itself. After roughly thirty strokes, they will approach an island where the current twists in several directions. Rocks below the surface could strand them there. Ferman explains that the stretch nearer the toll post, like the area closer to the bridge, is more likely to expose them to the guards. The less watched route is therefore also a hazardous one.

Into the Current

Tiuri agrees to row. He has rowed before on the Blue River, but the crossing begins with the boat turning and rocking beneath him. Ferman pushes it away from shore and urges him to row firmly and keep it steady. At first Tiuri’s strokes are awkward; after a few, he finds a better rhythm. The current proves strong, and the shore and Ferman’s watching figure soon disappear into the darkness behind them.

The loss of the shore makes the river difficult to read. For a moment Tiuri rests the oars, and the boat immediately swings off course, forcing him to pull again. He sees a distant light on the bank they have left and wonders whether it is the watch post Ferman warned them about. Meanwhile, Piak notices that his feet are wet. Tiuri discovers water across the bottom of the boat and cannot tell whether it was already there or whether the hull is leaking. Piak fears that they may sink. Tiuri sees the light too and tells him to keep quiet in case the watchers can hear them.

As the water rises, Piak finds a small bowl and begins bailing while Tiuri rows. The boat is plainly leaking, but Tiuri judges that they may still reach the other side if Piak keeps scooping out the water. The task divides their attention: Tiuri must keep the boat moving and watch their position, while Piak bails and searches the darkness for the island. A sudden wave swings the boat halfway around. Distant voices can be heard, but Tiuri decides there is nothing to be done about them; they cannot stop to investigate without worsening their position.

The Island and the Wreck

Piak finally makes out the island close ahead and urges Tiuri to row toward it. Tiuri pulls with all his strength. His hands hurt, and the wound that had been healing begins to trouble him again. The current seems to tug the boat from every direction, confirming Ferman’s warning that this part of the river is treacherous. Piak divides his effort between watching for land and bailing, and for a moment both boys believe they are going to make it.

Then the boat strikes a submerged rock with a jolt and a crack. Tiuri manages to get it free, but it soon collides with something else and rocks violently. The hull is still taking on water and appears close to sinking. Piak is thrown overboard. Tiuri lets the oars sink and freezes for an instant at the thought that Piak could drown; then he jumps into the river and calls for him, no longer concerned that someone on shore might hear.

In the dark, rough water, Tiuri swims, dives, and feels around for Piak. When he finds him, Piak is struggling. Tiuri tells him to keep afloat and not to grab him, since that would make swimming difficult, then holds him securely. The boat is no longer a way forward: it has probably sunk. The island is their only chance to reach solid ground without being swept against the rocks. Tiuri tells Piak to lie on his back so that he can tow him. Piak stops thrashing, and Tiuri swims toward the island with him in tow.

Survival Without a Crossing

The swim is frightening and exhausting, but Tiuri eventually feels ground beneath his feet. The boys have reached the island, not the far bank. Tiuri is battered and gasping for breath; Piak lies very still beside him, prompting Tiuri to bend over and shake him. When Piak sits up, his first question is about the boat. Tiuri says that he fears it has sunk. Piak calls it a worthless boat, shivering, and Tiuri answers that at least they have not drowned before asking how Piak is feeling.

The attempt therefore ends in a narrow survival rather than a successful illegal crossing. Ferman’s warnings about the current and submerged rocks prove exact, while the leak turns a difficult passage into a race to keep the boat afloat long enough to reach land. The change from an unseen shoreline to open darkness, and then from rowing to swimming, steadily strips away the boys’ control. At the decisive moment Tiuri gives up the oars and risks the water to save Piak. Their arrival on the island preserves their lives, but the sunk boat leaves the crossing unfinished.