down below might wander here, whipping the stream; or any one of
the neighborhood might chance on the spot. The Widow Higgins' heifers
sometimes strayed; the old woman might come hither, seeking them.
Plutina shuddered again, before the terrible vision of the one who was
like a mother to her, caught and mangled by the pointed fangs waiting
amid the grasses below.

The question as to her right conduct in the affair remained with the
girl, as she descended from the cliff, and made her way slowly
homeward. She temporized by a precautionary measure. At the widow's
cabin, she secured the old woman's promise not to go beyond the
clearing in quest of the cattle. But the difficulty as to her course
was not abated. Inclination urged her to advise the authorities
concerning the locations of still and traps, and inclination was
reinforced by justice. Yet, over against this, there were the powerful
influence of her upbringing, the circumstances of her environment, the
tragedy of her father's death, the savage resentment of her
grandfather, already virulent against her lover--all forces to inspire
enmity against the representatives of a law regarded as the violation
of inalienable rights. True, there was growing an insidious change in
the sentiment of the community. Where all had once been of accord, the
better element were now becoming convinced that the illicit
liquor-making cursed the mountains, rather than blessed. Undoubtedly,
some effect of this had touched the girl herself, without her
knowledge, else she had never thought to betray even such a miscreant
as Hodges. There was, however, an abiding hate of the informer here,
as always among decent folk, though along with it went reprobation of
the traffic in moonshine. Plutina felt that she could never justify
her action in the sight of her people, should she bring the revenue
men into the mountain. Her own grandfather would curse her, and drive
her forth. His feeling had been shown clearly in the case of Zeke. So,
in her period of uncertainty and stress, there was none of whom the
girl could take counsel. But, in the end, she decided that she must
give warning to the United States marshal. The task demanded care. On
absolute secrecy depended, in all likelihood, her very life.

The trove of honey had come opportunely, since the sale of a portion
afforded Plutina plausible excuse for her trip to Joines' store.
There, a telephone had been recently installed, and it was the girl's