When Dora was told of what her mother had said, she felt like crying, and the tears stood in her eyes. "I know it all only too well," she said. "I am glad mamma mill not face him. Why, he would influence her into declaring that he was innocent!" "But you will testify, won't you?" asked Dick earnestly. "If you wish it, Dick. But I hate the publicity." "Crabtree ought to be put where he can do your mother no further harm." "Yes, I feel that, too." "And you must remember how he helped to abduct you." "I haven't forgot that." Vick and Tom remained until it was quite late, and then almost ran back to the Hall, for the captain had told them not to be out after eleven o'clock. For several days matters ran smoothly at the Hall. Then came Josiah Crabtree's trial, and all of the Rover boys went to the county seat, to remain several days. With them went Dora and her uncle, John Laning. The former teacher's trial lasted longer than expected, and the jury were out the best part of a night before arriving at a verdict. In the end, much to the Rover boys' surprise, Crabtree was sentenced to six months in the county jail, instead of to several years in the State's prison. "I can't understand it," muttered Dick, when, they were on the way back to the Hall. "He must have hypnotized the judge who tried the case." The verdict was a disappointing one, yet it was something to know that Crabtree would be out of the way even that long. "Before he gets out you can be on your trip to Buffalo and the Great Lakes," said Dick to Dora. "And perhaps you can hide your whereabouts from him, so that he can't get at your mother, to try on his game again." "I will certainly try to throw him off the track," answered the girl. "I never want to see him again." Captain Putnam was anxious to learn how the trial had ended, and came from the academy on horseback to meet the boys. "Well, it is something," he said, half-smiling. "But you are right, he deserved more." "I knew he was no good," said Tom. "Knew it from the first time I met him, when he was head assistant here, and placed me under arrest for shooting off a fire-cracker at the gate." At this Captain Putnam laughed outright. "You have a good memory, Thomas, I must say! Well, you are square now, as you boys call it." CHAPTER XII WINTER DAYS AT PUTNAM HALL After the trial of Josiah Crabtree the days flew by swiftly at the Hall. Bound to make a good showing, each of the Rover boys applied himself diligently to his studies, and all made rapid progress. Thanksgiving came and went, and a week later there came a fairly heavy fall of snow. "Hurrah! winter is knocking at the door at last!" cried Sam joyfully. "Now for some snowballing, skating, and all the rest of the winter fun."