"But what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to fix it so that I can turn a current of
electricity into that barbed wire chicken fence at night that
will shock any thief that touches the wires. Not kill 'em--though
they ought to be killed!" declared the eccentric man. "But shock
'em aplenty. Can't you do it for me, Tom Swift?"

"Of course it can be done," said the young fellow. "You use
electricity in your house. There is a feed cable in the street.
We will have to change your lighting switch for another. Fix it
with the Electric Supply Company. It will cost you more--"

"Bless my pocketbook! I don't care how much it costs. It will
be ample satisfaction to see just one low-down chicken thief
squirming on those wires.

Tom laughed again. He meant to help his friend; but he did not
propose to rig the wires so that anybody, even a chicken thief,
would be seriously injured by the electric current passing
through the strands.

"I'll come down to Waterfield tomorrow in the electric runabout
and fix things up for you. Get a permit from the Electric Supply
Company early in the morning. Tell them I will rig the thing
myself. They can send their inspector afterward."

"That's fine, Tom! What--Ugh! what's this? Another footpad?"

Out of the darkness beside the fence a bulky figure started.