The Count of Monte Cristo

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prisoners immediately beneath the gallery where the sentry kept watch;
once there, a large excavation would be made, and one of the flag-stones
with which the gallery was paved be so completely loosened that at the
desired moment it would give way beneath the feet of the soldier, who,
stunned by his fall, would be immediately bound and gagged by Dantes
before he had power to offer any resistance. The prisoners were then to
make their way through one of the gallery windows, and to let themselves
down from the outer walls by means of the abbe's ladder of cords.
Dantes' eyes sparkled with joy, and he rubbed his hands with delight at
the idea of a plan so simple, yet apparently so certain to succeed.

That very day the miners began their labors, with a vigor and alacrity
proportionate to their long rest from fatigue and their hopes of
ultimate success. Nothing interrupted the progress of the work
except the necessity that each was under of returning to his cell in
anticipation of the turnkey's visits. They had learned to distinguish
the almost imperceptible sound of his footsteps as he descended towards