He was in haste to get over the
first obstacle, which he believed to be by far the most difficult, and
he was not the kind of man to sit idly watching another at work
without trying to help him.
On the third day they made an attempt to use a crowbar. They had two
very heavy ones, but they did not try to use both, and united their
strength upon one only. They might as well have tried to move the
whole palace, and it looked as if they would be obliged to cut the
block itself away with hammer and chisel, a labour of a fortnight,
perhaps, considering the awkward position in which they had to work.
"One dynamite cartridge would do it!" laughed Malipieri, as he looked
at the huge stone.
"Thank you, sir," answered Masin, taking the suggestion seriously. "I
have been in the galleys seven years, and that is enough for a
lifetime. We must try and split it with wedges."
"There is no other way."
They had all the tools necessary for the old-fashioned operation;
three drilling irons, of different sizes, and a small sledge-hammer,
and they went to work without delay. Malipieri held the iron
horizontally against the stone with both hands, turning it a little
after Masin had struck it with the sledge. It was very exhausting
after a time, as the whole weight of the tool was at first carried by
Malipieri's uplifted hands.
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