The woman caught her breath, wondering what would happen next.
Patricia drew him up, until he seized the plank with his hands.

Then the girl crept back a little, and as the boy swung his feet upward she caught them and twined his legs over the plank.
And now came the supreme struggle.

The girl could do little more to help him.

He must manage to clamber upon the top of the plank himself.
Ordinarily Kenneth might have done this easily; but now his nerves were all unstrung, and he was half exhausted by the strain of the past few minutes.

Almost he did it; but not quite.