Then she sank down gently, at full length, face downward on the ice, and squirmed slowly, spread out so as to distribute her weight over as wide a surface as possible, toward the hole.

Half a minute's cautious squirming brought her hands to the edge of it; and with a sob of relief she grasped his wrists.
The ice bent under her weight, but it did not break.

The icy water, welling out over it, began to drench her arms and chest.
Very gently she tried to draw Wiggins out over the ice; but she could not.

She could get no grip on it with her toes to drag from.
Wiggins' little face, two feet from her own, was very white; and his teeth chattered.
She set her teeth and strove to find a hold for her slipping toes.

She could not.
"C-c-can't you p-p-pull m-m-me out ?" chattered Wiggins.
"No, not yet," she said hoarsely.