He attacked this wall, cemented by the hand of time, with his pickaxe.

After ten minutes' labor the wall gave way, and a hole large enough to insert the arm was opened.

Dantes went and cut the strongest olive-tree he could find, stripped off its branches, inserted it in the hole, and used it as a lever.

But the rock was too heavy, and too firmly wedged, to be moved by any one man, were he Hercules himself.

Dantes saw that he must attack the wedge.