In the river, Frederic must decide how he will get ashore. The current is strong, but he does not remove his clothes or boots because he knows they will be needed once he reaches the shore. He never doubts he will reach it, until he’s forced to let go of the piece of wood that he’s been holding on to. The boots threaten to bring him down, but he struggles through the water until he finally makes it to shore.

He wrings the water out of his clothes and cuts the stars off of his sleeves. He is cold, so he knows he has to keep moving. He sees some troops on the road. He is limping, and they pay no attention to him. Walking along the Venetian plain, he comes to a railway line and is able to get on to a slow-moving train, choosing an open car that is covered with canvas. When he goes under the canvas, he hits his head hard. Underneath the canvas are guns, which he thinks were sent from the Italian First Army.