er a blow on the jaw that sent him
staggering against the wall. At the same time Dick attacked Josiah
Crabtree.

"That for abducting Dora Stanhope and her mother!" he exclaimed, and his
fist landed on Crabtree's nose with such force that the former teacher
was sent spinning across the room. He let out a yell of agony, and
another yell when Dick hit him in the left eye.

"Don't! don't! I beg of you Rover!" he whined.

While this was going on, Koswell tried to dodge behind Larkspur and go
out by a side door. But Sam put out his foot and tripped the rascal up,
and then sat on him.

The noise downstairs reached the ears of those above, and in a few
seconds Mrs. Sobber appeared at the head of the stairs, with a lighted
candle.

"What is going on down there?" she asked.

"Madam, you keep where you are!" shouted the sheriff. "This house is
surrounded by officers of the law. Don't you dare to come down."

"Oh dear me!" shrieked the woman.

"Sam, go up and see if the girls are safe!" cried Dick. "We can take
care of things down here. Don't let that woman get away."

"I'll take care of that woman, never fear!" answered the youngest Rover.

The sheriff had brought along all the handcuffs necessary, and in a few
seconds he had handcuffed Koswell. He threw a pair of the steel
bracelets to Dick and another pair to Tom, and the Rovers had the
satisfaction of handcuffing Josiah Crabtree and Tad Sobber. Then the
sheriff made prisoners of the rest of the crowd, and called in the two
men from the outside, at the same time shouting loudly: "You other
fellows remain where you are!" as if the force of a dozen or more were
still there.

"Can we go upstairs now?" asked Dick.

"Sure you can," said the sheriff, with a little grin. "But I'll have to
go along--to get the evidence, you know."

Up the stairs bounded Dick and Tom. They found Mrs. Sobber in a corner
of the hallway, the lighted candle on a dusty stand. At a nearby door
Sam was inserting a key in the lock.

"Just got the key from the woman," he explained. "Can we come in?" he
called out.

"Yes! yes!" came eagerly from Dora and Nellie.

The youngest Rover opened the door, and like a flash Dick and Tom sped
past him and into the room. Dora and Nellie rushed to meet them,
laughing and crying hysterically.

"Oh, Dick! Dick!" burst out poor Dora, and then sank into his arms, too
weak to stand.

"Dora!" he murmured. "Oh, this is awful! Well, it shall never happen
agai