The interest was far reaching, and a powerful body of men were
comprised, and within twenty-four hours of the public
knowledge of the arrests, fully twenty ruffians were on the
lookout for Spencer Vance.
The capitalists had many friends, and they possessed money,
and besides some had previously borne excellent characters,
and all their safety depended upon the silencing of the
detective.
Our hero understood his peril, and although, as our readers
know, he was a brave, fearless man, still he had requested a
speedy trial of the guilty, as, after he had sworn to his
evidence in open court, there would remain no such great
incentive for getting him out of the way.
Millions in money, and dozens of reputations depended upon his
testimony, and one of the most powerful and wealthy
organizations in the United States was arrayed against him;
not arrayed in open warfare, but secretly arrayed, and their
purpose was to get rid of him.
As stated, our hero knew his peril and knew when he started in
just what he would have to face, but he went straight ahead,
and when the storm broke he was prepared.
We have stated that twenty ruffians were upon his track, and
the statement was no exaggeration.
Spencer Vance went under cover--immediately assumed a role
different from any under which he had appeared during any time
that he was trailing down the smugglers.
Our hero was, "when unadorned," or rather when not under any
sort of disguise, a really handsome and delicate-featured man,
and although a man of extraordinary strength, he was not an
over-sized man, but on the contrary a little under the average
height; but he was a full-blooded, resolute, athletic fellow
all the same, and well equal to the duties of his perilous
profession.
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