"There it is! But why don't you drop?"

"Too far. I can't reach the ladder now!"

"Yes, you can. Stretch a bit!"

"Whack!" Once more the stick descended on the fence, this time still
closer to Ned's clinging hands.

"Hit him good, Andy!" cried Sam Snedecker, "Give me a shot at him!"

"I will not. I want to attend to him myself. You go tell my father,
and he'll have Tom Swift arrested for trying to sneak in and get
some of my airship ideas!"

By this time Ned's wiggling feet had found the topmost rung of the
ladder. The next moment he was rapidly descending it, and, when on
the ground, he and Tom carried it away, to prevent its use by the
enemy.

"Whew!" exclaimed the young inventor. "I had no idea they would kick
up such a row!"

"Me either. Did you hurt yourself when you jumped, as the ladder
fell?"

"No. Did they hit your hands?"

"Came mighty near it. Well, I s'pose it serves us right, yet if I
can't look over my own back fence it's a pity!"