“Certainly,” replied Mr. Gollan. “Come with me.”
Together they stepped before the official who had just condemned Hal to Morro Castle.
“Do you mind my looking at the letter on which this young man’s arrest was ordered?” asked Mr. Gollan.
“Certainly not,” answered the official, at the same time raising the paper from his desk and handing it over.
“Thank you.”
As Gollan ran his eyes over the paper, Hal stood looking on at the spectacle that meant the turning point for his life or death.
Suddenly our hero started, uttered an exclamation of astonishment, and snatched the paper from Mr. Gollan’s hands.
“I beg your pardon, sir,” came impetuously from the boy, “but do you see this other side of the sheet? It is one of Vasquez’s own business letter heads! He has blundered by not looking at the other side of the sheet on which he wrote! It bears out my charge that he trumped up this letter, for, bear in mind, sir, it was he who pretended to find it in my trunk!”
“Car-r-r-r-ramba!” exploded Vasquez, first turning white, next purpling with wrath.
Back went the paper into the police official’s hands.