followed.

As soon as the surf-boat touched the beach, the big man jumped out, two
other members of the corps threw the unconscious figure across his
shoulders for the "fireman's carry," and while the keel of the boat was
still grinding on the beach, the rescued man was well on the way toward
the house.

The doctor was waiting. The victim of the drowning accident, apparently
dead, was put into hot blankets. His arms and legs were stiff. The lips
were quite blue and the whole of the face discolored. At the sight of
him, and the little slimy ooze from his lips, the doctor looked grave.
The big life-saver who had carried the sufferer in was already at work
in an attempt at resuscitation.

A moment or two later, the first man who had been rescued and who was
feeling a little stronger, turned over on the stretcher. He saw the
swollen and discolored face of his friend and sent up a piercing cry,

"He's dead!"

Then, after a pause and a silence broken only by the rhythmic beat of
the regular motions of the process of causing artificial respiration,
came the cry again,

"I've drowned him! I've drowned him! I had to kick him free to save
myself!"

Although the house was kept empty save for the four men, the doctor
beckoned to one of the officers standing outside--so that there should
be as much air as possible in the station--to come in and try to quiet
the frenzied man.

"Bromides, Doctor?" queried the lieutenant, who had come in.

"Yes. Give him just one of the triple. No, that won't hurt him," he
continued in answer to a look; "it's excessive stimulation that a man
with smokers' heart can't stand."

The life-saver gave the required dose and succeeded in soothing the poor
fellow, who was still terribly weak. The men sat on the steps outside,
talking in low tones. Every one of them was keenly conscious of the
strain. For twenty minutes there was no sound from within the station
except the hard breathing of the man who was putting in all his strength
to give the recumbent figure the motions of respiration.

"Ryan!" the doctor called suddenly.

A strapping young fellow jumped up like a shot and darted into the
station to take the place of the exhausted worker. Wiping his forehead
and breathing hard, the latter came out to his companions.

"Do you think there's any change, Jim?" one of them asked.

"Not so far as I can see," the other answered, shaking his head.

"How long do you suppose he was under?" queried a