This was done, and Ned and the giant settled themselves down for the night’s vigil. Several hours passed, and all was quiet at the plant. Ned was dozing when the big man, who had been sitting at a window from which he had a view of the big fence, suddenly arose and whispered: “Somebody come!” “Somebody coming? What do you mean, Koku?” asked Ned. “Man try climb fence,” went on the giant, pointing out of the window. “Koku see him! Koku get him! Bust him all up in slats!” “Wait a minute!” cautioned Ned, as he caught hold of the big man who was about to rush from the room. “No one can get over, through, or under that fence without setting off the alarm. It would ring here as well as in other parts of the plant, Koku, and the bell hasn’t tinkled. You must have fallen asleep and dreamed it.” “Koku saw man on fence!” insisted the giant. “Maybe so him cut alarm wires.” “Even cutting the wires would ring a bell,” insisted Ned. “Maybe Master Tom hisself come and try get away from bad mans by climb fence,” went on the giant, whose English left much to be desired. “Master Tom—he know how climb fence and no ring bell.” “That’s possible,” admitted Ned. “Tom rigged up the burglar alarm on the fence and he might know a way to beat his own game. Maybe you’re right after all, Koku. We’ll go and take a look. Where did you see the man on the fence?” “There,” said the giant, and he pointed out the place to Ned, who stood beside him in the open window. “Look—there him now!” cried the big man. Ned had a glimpse of a figure trying to scale the high fence. In the darkness, illuminated only by a little light from the waning moon, the young financial man could not be sure whether it was a man or an animal. Even then he was wondering how it was possible for any creature to get up on the fence without sounding the alarm. And while Ned was thus wondering the alarm went off with a sudden clang that was startling. “Now we catch ’um!” cried Koku, as he raced from the room, followed by Ned. The alarm, ringing simultaneously in different parts of the plant, summoned a number of watchmen. As the alarm gave the location on the fence where the attempt had been made to scale it, the forces gathered there, Koku and Ned being the first to arrive. But when a search was made with oil lanterns and electric torches no trace of an intruder could be found. The ground was hard and dry near the fence and no footprints were observed. But Ned and the giant were sure an attempt had been made by some man to get into the Swift plant. That this was not Tom went without saying. “They had Tom a captive somewhere,” said Ned later, when he related the incident to Mr. Damon and Mr. Swift. “And thinking that with Tom out of the way it was safe to try to get in, that’s what they did. But they didn’t count on the electric alarm.” “I wish we could have caught that fellow!” murmured Mr. Swift.