He was wildly excited, and could hardly repress wild shouts of joy. Indeed, he executed a savage dance of exultation.
“At last!” he panted. “Now I am able to obtain revenge for every injury Merriwell has done me! Oh, but my revenge will be a sweet one!”
The rascal was so excited and interested that he again read the wonderful message from beginning to end.
“Now,” he said, “to fool Mescal first. He must pay me the five hundred, for I need it.”
There was some writing-paper on a table near. He took several sheets, folded them, and thrust them into the envelope from which the message had been removed. Then he stuck down the flap with care and brought out his sealing-wax and the ring he had purchased.
Removing the chimney from the lamp, he heated the wax in the flame and dropped it on exactly the spot where the original seal had been. At the proper time he pressed the ring on the wax, and an exact reproduction of the first seal was made.
Packard surveyed his work with pride, examining it closely to see if a casual observer could detect that the envelope had been tampered with.
“It’s all right,” he decided. “I’ll defy anybody to tell that it has been opened. Oh, I’m a clever devil! Mr. Merriwell is in the midst of his glory now, but he shall go out from Yale a beggar! If he only knew! Some time he shall know. When it is too late, I’ll tell him all, and that shall be my triumph.”
Then he set about fixing the other envelope, into which he placed the message, sticking down the flap and putting on the seal.
“All that is necessary is to soil it a little,” he said. “Then it will be exactly like the original. No—by George, no!”