It means that it has stopped moving forward, similar to the action of stopping to swim in the middle of the pool and having to stay afloat. Because he was afraid, Jem abruptly hesitated, but then, after "treading water" for a second or two, he managed to persevere, rushed through the gate, and retrieved the tire. 5. On page 52, Scout states “Jem was a born hero.” Scout thinks so because, in her eyes, Jem's ability to create a complete and true history of the Radley family (based on the scraps of gossip they've pieced together over time, including segments that originate from Jem's imagination ) .) is pretty amazing. He also confronts Atticus and lies to him about Boo Radley's game, to protect Dill and Scout. 6. In the end, Scout says, “Atticus' arrival was the second reason I wanted to leave the game. The first reason happened the day I entered the Radleys' yard... I had heard another sound... Someone in the house was laughing. While the laughter might have been disturbing to Scout, the laughter might have come from Boo Radley. Boo could have simply enjoyed watching the antics of the children outside his door. His laughter was, most likely, pure joy at seeing Scout emerge from the tire, confused and