he was buried standing-up in snow , solidly to the knees and thinning to a solid icy crust over his face and shoulders ; with a great desperate heave he broke his arms free , and scraped at his mouth and nostrils with clumsy , benumbed hands , lungs burning until he could drag in the first raw , painful breaths ; next to him temeraire was looking more white than black , like a pane of glass after a frost , and sputtering as he shook himself off .