He disconnected one of the engines, for he sneeringly said to himself that the other one was more than sufficient to lower and raise the car.

He charged and arranged all the batteries and put in perfect working order the mechanism by which Clewe had established a connection between the car and the engines, using one of the chains as a conductor, so that he could himself check or start the engines if an emergency should render it necessary.
Then Rovinski, bounding around like a wild animal in a cage, took out a key he had brought with him, opened the trap-door, lifted it back, and gazed down.

He could see a beautifully cut well, but that was all.

But no matter how deep it was, he intended to go down to the bottom of it.
He started the engine and lowered the car to the ground.

Then he looked up at a grating which hung above it and determined to make use of this protection.