“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.