They showed him no mercy. Si Peters was particularly brutal and kicked Jerry heavily in the side half a dozen times.
“I’ll teach you to crawl away, you sneak!” he cried. “You can’t fool us in this fashion.”
The kicks stunned Jerry and deprived him of his wind. He fought as best he could, but he was no match for six strong boys.
Again he was overpowered. Then the gang dragged him to the side of the roaring camp fire and threw off their masks.
“Now we’ll strip him,” said Wash Crosby. “The tar is all ready and so are the feathers.”
Jerry’s struggles availed him nothing. His coat and vest were literally ripped from 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.
