For a long time all their efforts seemed to be useless.  Max, indeed, had little or no hope from the first.  He still worked on, however, perseveringly, but with despair in his heart, until he heard a sharp sound, like a deep sigh, from Carrie’s lips.

She had detected a movement, the slightest in the world, but still a movement, in the senseless body.  With straining eyes she now watched, that her own movements might coincide with the natural ones which Dudley had begun to make, and that real breathing might gradually take the place of the artificial.

“Let me do it.  Let me help you,” cried Max, who saw the strained look of utter fatigue which Carrie wore in spite of her excitement.

“No, no; I dare not.  I must go on!” cried the girl, without lifting her eyes.

And presently another cry escaped her lips, a cry of joy.

“He is alive!”

“Thank God!”

The tears sprang to the eyes of Max.  It was more than he had hoped.

“A doctor!  Shall I fetch a doctor?” said he.

Carrie shook her head.

“A doctor could do no more than we’ve done,” said she.  “He’ll be all right now—­well enough to be got away, at all events.  And the wound on his head isn’t much, I think.”

“Wound on his head!”

“Yes.  It saved his life, most likely.  Prevented his getting so much water into his lungs.  Stunned him, you see.”

Something like a sigh from the patient stopped her and directed the attention of them all to him.  Bob, who had been standing in the background, almost as much excited as the others, came a few steps nearer.  There was a moment of intense, eager expectancy, and then Dudley half opened his eyes.

Max uttered a deep sob and glanced at Carrie.  She was deadly pale, and the tears were standing in her eyes.

“You’ve saved him!” said Max, hoarsely.

The sound of his voice seemed to rouse Dudley, who looked at him with a vacant stare, and then let his eyelids drop again.

“So glad, old chap—­so glad to—­to see you yourself again!” whispered Max, huskily.

But Dudley was not himself.  He looked up again, then tried to smile, and at last turned his head abruptly and seemed to be listening.

Carrie beckoned to Max and spoke low in his ear.

“You’d better take him away from here as quickly as you can, for half a dozen reasons.”

Max nodded, but looked doubtful.

“He’s ill,” said he.  “How shall I get him away?  And where shall I take him to?”

“Down to your father’s house” answered she at once.

Max looked rather startled.

“But—­you know—­the police!” muttered he, almost inaudibly.  “Won’t that be the very first place they’d come to—­my home?”

“Never mind that.  You must risk it.  He’s going to be ill, I think, and he can’t be left here.  Surely you know that.”

She gave a glance round which made Max shiver.