Mr.Rover wrote that he felt certain the shyster lawyer Sobber had on the case was going to present a great mass of "evidence," no doubt manufactured for the occasion.
"It's a shame!" cried Tom after hearing this.

"Such a lawyer ought to be in prison!" "The thing of it is to prove he is doing something wrong," answered Dick.

"It is one thing to know the truth and quite another to prove it in court." "If the case should be lost the Lanings will be poorer than ever," said Sam.
"That is true, Sam.

I wish we could do something, but I am afraid we can't." Fate seemed bound to make matters worse for the Rover boys.

On a clear, cold Saturday afternoon in December the three brothers and Songbird went out to look for nuts in the woods near Ashton.