"Back! Back! Big channel by log!"
At the same time, a grinding crack went directly under the boys' feet and Don shot back toward Mike, screaming for Meredith and Paul to come back.
Meredith saw the danger and tried to help Paul up and away, but Paul's skate was still loose and it made him stumble. As he fell down again, the ice, now all ready to yawn for its victim, slowly sunk down with the weight placed upon it, and Paul was almost submerged before Meredith could drag him over to the piece upon which he clung.
At the same time, Mike ran the birch tree over the ice and advised the boys to cling to it for all they were worth.
Paul had all he could do to cling fast to the trunk, for the suction of the channel waters under his stomach and legs was awful!
After some struggling, however, Mike and Don dragged on their end until the boys were pulled over out of the danger zone of the channel.
During this interval, Lavinia sat spell-bound with fear, but Babs was too busy poking twigs in the embers to notice her sister's white face.
As Mike drew the two boys over the ice, Lavinia heaved a mighty sigh and started to cry softly.
"Him big hole! Mike know river oop and down. Mike lil' Injun, so big, Mike take canoe oop and down," explained the trapper, holding his hand down to his knees to show the boys how long he had been acquainted with the treacherous channel.
Paul was soaked and Meredith partially wet, so the boys ran over to the raft where a hot fire was soon blazing to dry off their outer clothing. Mike made the older children sit close together facing the fire, while he took the dry coats of Don, Lavinia and Dot, and spread them over the backs of the five, then he hung the wet coats upon a sapling near the heat to dry.