“‘Ho, ho!’ cried the crowd, who at once divined his intention.
“And it made way for them more eagerly even than before.
“Pitou looked about him, and saw that the gate was not more than thirty paces distant from them.
“‘I can reach it,’ said he, with the brevity of a Pythagorean.
“The labour was so much the easier to Pitou from five or six of the strongest of the crowd taking their share of the burden.
“The result of this was a very notable acceleration in their progress.
“In five minutes they had reached the iron gates.
“‘Come, now,’ cried Billot, ‘clap your shoulders to it, and all push together.’
“‘Good!’ said Pitou. ‘I understand now. We have just made a warlike engine; the Romans used to call it a ram.’
“‘Now, my boys,’ cried Billot, ‘once, twice, thrice,’ and the joist, directed with a furious impetus, struck the lock of the gate with resounding violence.