rom his body, and his shirt followed.

"Give me the brush. I want to give him the first dose," sang out Si
Peters.

The old whitewash brush was handed to the leader. Si dipped it deeply into
the pot of hot tar, and approached the young oarsman.

"Now, Jerry Upton, we'll tar and feather you in spite of your threats," he
said.

CHAPTER X.

WHAT TOWSER DID.

"Well, by creation! what does this mean?"

The speaker was Mr. Upton, Jerry's father. He was gazing at the hay-rick,
which was coming down the road to the barn at a lively gait.

As the boys who had captured Jerry had thought, the horses had found their
way home alone.

Anxiously, Mr. Upton looked around for Jerry, and then he stopped the team
and put them up in the barn.

Running into the house he told his wife of the state of affairs. Instantly
Mrs. Upton grew alarmed.

"Perhaps they ran away and threw Jerry out!" she cried.

"It ain't likely they could get away with Jerry," replied Mr. Upton. "But
I allow it is curious."

A half hour went by, and the farmer determined to start on a hunt for his
son. He went off on horseback, and took with him Towser, the farm dog.

Towser was an old and faithful animal, a prime favorite with Jerry, and he
trotted along beside the horse as if he knew something was wrong.

"We want to find Jerry, Towser," said Mr. Upton. "Jerry, Towser, Jerry!"

And the dog wagged his tail as if to say that he understood perfectly.

It was now quite dark. The farmer had brought along a lantern, and this he
lit and swung around first on one side of the road and then on the other.
As he journeyed along he remembered Jerry's troubles with the Rockpoint
boys.

"Maybe he has had another fight," he thought. "It was foolish to let him
go over there."

Inside of an hour the other side of the lake was reached, and they struck
the lonely road leading into Rockpoint.

As the farmer went on he became more and more sober in mind. He seemed to
feel in his mind that something was wrong.

Towser let out a mournful howl.

"Jerry, Towser, Jerry!"

Again the dog howled. Then he came to an unexpected halt and although
Farmer Upton went on, the dog refused to budge.

"What is it, Towser?"

For reply the dog started into the bushes, and this at first made the old
farmer angry, for he did not understand the dog.

"Come, Towser!" he cried. "We are not after game just now!"

But the dog would not come. He wanted to enter the brush.