ame," said Bob.

"This settlement must be unique," said John.

"No. I know of two not very far from here, and I've heard of others.
The more fortunate people consider themselves as closely allied to the
country as do the mountaineers. We are integral parts, and we insist on
being so considered."

"We aren't a wholly bad lot, we mountaineers," said Bob. "I speak as of
the soil, you see. Too much whisky and tobacco and hog-meat have
deprived us of physical beauty, and we are sadly lacking in moral
strength, but the life of freedom and lawlessness developed good
traits, too. We don't lie,--that is, about important things," he added,
hastily, putting his hand under his coat; "and we don't steal, and we
are loyal to our friends."

"Especially when the minions of the law are after them," grinned
Patton.

"Ah, you've betrayed yourselves," cried Sydney. "I know it was you two
boys who hid Pink Pressley when the revenue men were chasing him the
last time."

"The last time?" John asked the question.

"Oh, Pink used to be a chronic moonshiner. He seems to be a reformed
pirate now," said Patton. "He must be in love."

"Whisky is the curse of this country," said Mrs. Carroll, vehemently,
while Bob gazed into the fire and Sydney played with the sugar-tongs.
"You can't deny lying, Bob, when the moonshiners are lying to the
revenue men every day, and their friends are lying in their behalf; and
you can't say they don't steal, when they are defrauding the government
with every quart of blockade they sell. The mountaineers may be loyal
to their friends, but it is to conceal crime."

"Illicit stilling seems to be regarded like smuggling," said John. "The
government is fair game."

"Whisky stunts the growth of children, and blunts the morals of youth,
and makes murderers of men," went on the old lady, disregarding John's
interruption, and sitting with expressive straightness. A silence fell
upon the group that John and Katrina felt to be painful without
understanding why. Patton and Sydney were burning with sympathy for
Bob. It was Patton who broke the quiet.

"And they drink it from a dipper!"

The ensuing laughter snapped the strain of embarrassment.

"We have another class of people that we haven't described to Katrina,"
said Sidney. "The resident foreigners."

"Like Baron von Rittenheim," said Bob, absently, staring at the fire.

"Another title! How in the world did he come here?" asked Katrina.

"Oh, he's one of t