"Whack his fingers, Andy!" yelled Pete Bailey. "Get a long stick and whack Ned's fingers! That will make him drop off!"
Tom Swift heard, and labored desperately to raise the ladder to enable Ned to get down, for his chum seemed to be afraid to drop.
CHAPTER III
ABE IS DECEIVED
Raising a ladder alone is rather an awkward job. Tom found this so when he tried to aid his friend Ned. But, being a muscular lad, the young inventor did finally succeed in getting the ladder up against the fence where the bank clerk could reach it.
Whack! Down upon the top board came a stick wielded by Andy Foger from the rear window of his shop.
"Wow!" cried Ned, for the blow had been close to his fingers. "Hurry up with that ladder, Tom."
"There it is! But why don't you drop?"
"Too far. I can't reach the ladder now!"