Heading Back To Shore
Mallory realized that it was crucial to keep the fox warm to save its life and steered the boat back to shore. The fact that they were quite far from the shore was an impending concern as it would take them a great deal of time to get the fox back to land.
No Time To Waste
It was clear that the fox was running out of time and even though Cliff and Allen were patiently waiting for a chance to warm the freezing animal, there was hardly any chance the fox would allow it. All they could do was consider other options while waiting and hoping for the best.