It took some time to fix the irons, to the best advantage, between the planks and the beam.

“Are you both ready?” Francis asked at last.  “Then pull.”

As Francis had anticipated, the levers did their work, and the nails yielded a little.

“It has sprung half an inch,” Francis said, feeling.  “Now you keep your irons as they are, while I thrust mine down farther.  I have got a fresh hold.  Do you shift yours.”

Again the effort was made, and this time the nails drew fully two inches.  Another effort, and the plank was completely free at the lower end.

“Now do you push against it as hard as you can,” Francis said, “while I get my iron in between it and the beam above.”

The upper nails yielded even more easily than those below.

“No farther,” Francis said, when they had fairly started them, “or the plank will be falling with a crash.  We must push from the bottom now, until it gives sufficiently far for you to get an iron down each side, to prevent its closing again.”

“Now,” he said, “push the irons higher up.  That is right.  Now I will loosen a bit farther at the top, and then you will be able to get your hands in at the bottom to steady it, and prevent its falling when the nails are quite drawn.”

Another effort, and the plank was free, and, being drawn in, was laid down.  The delight of those who were standing in the dark, and could only judge how matters were going on from Francis’s low spoken orders, was extreme.

“Can we get through?”

“No,” Francis replied.  “It will be necessary to remove another plank first, but perhaps one of the slighter among you might manage to squeeze through, and hold the plank at the back.  We shall be able to work with more freedom, if we know that there is no danger of its falling.”

In a few minutes, the second plank was laid beside the first.

“What is to be done next?” Matteo asked.

“We must establish a communication with the sailors.  I will take a working party of four.  Paolo Parucchi, with four others, will relieve me.  You, Matteo, will with the rest take the last spell.  When we have entered the next compartment, we will put up the planks again, and press the nails in tightly enough to prevent their falling.  Should, by some chance, anyone descend into the hold while we are working, we shall be hidden from their view.  At the other end there are a number of sacks piled up, and we shall be working behind them.”

Francis, and the men he had chosen, made their way to the pile of arms they had observed through their peephole, moving with great precaution, so as to avoid falling over anything.  Here, with some trouble, they succeeded in finding a dagger among the heap, and they then felt their way on, until they reached the pile of sacks.  These were packed to within a foot of the deck beams, and there was but just room for them to crawl in at the top.