Mabel stooped close and made an examination.
“There seems to be a wheel on her foot,” she said, “and she is not strong enough to pull herself from under it.”
Shirley let loose of the tot’s arm, and stooped over the child. Then she rose swiftly, determination written upon her face.
“You pull the child by the arm when I say, ‘Ready!’” she called.
“What are you going to do?” asked Mabel anxiously.
“Never mind,” was the reply. “Just do as I say, and hurry.”
Mabel said no more but, according to Shirley’s instructions, took the little one by the arm and stood ready to pull when Shirley gave the word.
Stooping so that her head was under the edge of the wreck, Shirley poked forth a dainty foot and by burrowing a bit with her toe, at last found the child’s foot beneath the wheel. Then, leaning forward and straining every muscle of arms and limbs, the heavy iron wheel was raised from the ground.
Mabel pulled, and the little girl, still crying and screaming, came from under the wreck.
But the strain upon Shirley had been terrible, and no sooner had the child been dragged to safety, than Shirley’s strength gave out, and the wheel settled down upon her own foot.
She did not cry out, but Mabel’s quick eyes detected her friend’s plight. She uttered an exclamation of dismay and hurried to her aid.
With her foot pinned beneath the wheel, Shirley smiled at her.
“I’m caught,” she said simply. “How is the little girl?”
Mabel bent over, and examined her chum’s predicament. Then she laid hold of the wheel and attempted to lift it.
“I can’t move it,” she said, and continued to tug desperately at the wheel and heavy axle.
“You had better call some one to help you,” said Shirley calmly.
Mabel gave up her attempt to lift the wheel and hurried to the opposite side of the tangled wreckage, where she could hear men at work trying to pull other victims from beneath the heap.
The heat from the flames that now almost enveloped the wreck was becoming more intense. It was almost unbearable, and Shirley, imprisoned as she was, stretched as far as possible from the fire.
At Mabel’s call for aid, one of the men gave up his position with the others and followed her to where Shirley lay. It was but the work of a moment for him to lift the wheel sufficiently for Mabel to help Shirley from beneath it.