At the same time, gigantic bats began to trace their vast, silent circles around the intruders, whilst the light of the torch made their shadows tremble on the high stone walls.

Monk concluded there could be no man in the convent, since wild beasts and birds were there still, and fled away at his approach.
After having passed the rubbish, and torn away more than one branch of ivy that had made itself a guardian of the solitude, Athos arrived at the vaults situated beneath the great hall, but the entrance of which was from the chapel.

There he stopped.

"Here we are, general," said he.
"This, then, is the slab ?" "Yes." "Ay, and here is the ring--but the ring is sealed into the stone." "We must have a lever." "That's a thing very easy to find." Whilst looking round them, Athos and Monk perceived a little ash of about three inches in diameter, which had shot up in an angle of the wall, reaching a window, concealed by its branches.
"Have you a knife ?" said Monk to the fisherman.
"Yes, monsieur." "Cut down this tree; then." The fisherman obeyed, but not without notching his cutlass.

When the ash was cut and fashioned into the shape of a lever, the three men penetrated into the vault.
"Stop where you are," said Monk to the fisherman.