On Secret Service

containing a very soft drink, "by no means marked the beginning of the g

e concern in Pittsburgh, I understand, has also noted a tremendous and absolutely abnormal increase in the demand for its hot-water heating plants-the copper coils of which make an ideal substitute for a still-but I doubt very

th Carolina. Moonshine there is not only a recognized article of trade, but its manufacture is looked upon as an inalienable right. It's tough sledding for any revenue officer

lue Book. He's left the bureau now and settled down to a life of comparative ease as assistant district attorney of some middle Western city. I've forgotten

was filed in the official pigeonholes which answer to the names of archives. It was this trait which led Chambers, then Commissioner of Internal Revenue, to send for him, after recei

of the United States. But when they deliberately murder two of my best men and pin a rudely scribbled note to 'Bewair of this country' on the front of their

ary! By Gad! I'll teach 'em!" and the inkwell on the Commissioner's

lways reposed in the upper drawer of the Commissioner's d

usand men in uniform loose in those mountains, and the odds are they wouldn't locate the bunch you're af

deficiency," retorted the Co

olds. "The pronoun was used figuratively and collectively. At that, I wou

ns not far from Maymead. Right there our information ends. Our men have tried all sorts of dodges to land the crowd behind the stills, but the only thing they've been able to learn is that a man named Stiles is

to work on this absolutely alone, and that not a sou

ge that," assented th

y letting one handle it. For the past two years I've had a plan in the back of my head that I've been waiting the right op

ine it?" inqu

rained. I don't mind telling you, though, that for the next six weeks my address will be in c

issioner. "What in Heaven's n

what I trust will be the happy ending of this drama-happy, at least, from the government's point of view. But, while you know that I'm at Mor

. You're handling t

lo

y-if you

ext three months: either you'll have all the evidence you want about the se

a quick handsh

llowed, people repeatedl

olds? Haven't seen him round

k ignorance, mutter something about, "He's out o

orlorn, his face covered with a half-inch of stubble, his cheeks sunken, his clothing torn by brambles and bleached by the sun and rain until it was almost impossible to tell its original

ere marked by horizontal stripes, while his head was covered with hair the same length all over,

vens he glimpsed a cabin tucked away on the side of a mountain spur not far away. At the sight he pressed forward with renewed vigo

r supper in that part of the world-fat bacon and corn bread, mostl

vaders. Old Man Stiles-his wife called him Joe, but to the entire countryside he was just "Old Man Sti

seat when there was a sound as of a heavy bo

opted daughter. None of them spoke for an appreciable time, but

" drawled the master of the cabin,

a revenue officer, he argued to himself, his conscience was clear and his premises could stand the formality of a sea

d whose features were concealed under a week's growth of stubbly beard. Right into the cabin he

ly alive, after all. During that time he had worked over him in the rough mountain fashion, punching and pulling and man

s she was known in that part of the country-understood the movement. Without a word she opened the cupboard and took down a flas

"throw yo' haid back an' drink t

onshine whisky burnt its way down his throat. The man-sized drink, taken on a totally empty stom

stant and, with her father's help,

't know who or what you are, but I do know that yo' look plumb tuckered out. Nobo

tioned to his wife and daughter to resume their places

al. All three of them had noted the almost-obliterated stripes that encircled his clothing and their significance was unmistakable. But Stiles himself wa

themselves, the mountaineer offered his guest a pipeful of tobacco and saw to it that he took a

nquired, "what m

id the other. "

ou come

p for twelve years for manslaughter-railroa

you get

ey took a coupla pot shots at me, but none of them came within a mile. Then I beat it south, travelin' by night an' hidin' by day. Stole what I could t

g from the other side of the room. Once behind Patterson, however, he reached for

springing to his feet and involu

ith a half smile. "Jes' wanted to see for myself ef that beard was

rt of the moonshining district, he added: "That's rich! Me, just out of th' pen an' you think I'm a bull. T

aper, more than a week old, and poi

, read

Stiles's muttered rejoinder. "Ruth! Oh, Ruth! Com

ough and undeveloped, but with more than a trace of real beauty, both in her face and figure. Standing in front of the fire, wit

r the paper and indicated the articl

out of Morgantown. Five hundred dollars for capture. Prisoner scaled wall and escaped in face o

r the headline-the picture they took for the rogues' gallery," and

e to secure a better look, glanced keen

ranger," he admitted. "

tain life, Ruth Stiles wondered if Patterson had not given vent to what sounded suspiciously like a sigh of

ly exhausted by his travels, the latter resting with keen hair trigger consciousness of danger always only a short distance away. Nothing happene

ch passed for coffee, Stiles informed his guest that he "reckoned he'd better stick close to

g a little better acquainted with Ruth Stiles. That night he lay awake for several hours, but nothing broke the stillness

f something almost electrical in the air. He gave no indication of what he had observed, however, and retired to his bunk in the usual manner. After an ho

l the mountaineer's eyes as Stiles made certain that he was asleep. Stifling an impulse to snore or do something to convince his host that he wasn't awake, Patterson lay perfectly still until he heard the door

nversing in whispers outside the cabin, but he could catch nothing beyond his own

ade himself very useful around the cabin, and, almost against his will, foun

n't let myself! It's bad enough to come here and accept the o

s arrival. They were wandering through the woods together, looking for sass

cause he had threatened to tell where a still was hidden. He never did believe in moonshining. Said it was as bad as stealin' fr

moonshining is right?

at Pappy Stiles helps run the big still the rev'nue officers been lookin' for the past three years. Two of 'em were

d replied that he was just watching the antics of a chipmunk a little way off. Bu

e had nothing to fear from his guest, Stiles was not as cautious as formerly. He seldom took the trouble to see that

e nights that he was careless-and, as

feet and, inch by inch, reopened the door. Outside, the moon was shining rather brightly, but, save for the

some fifty feet behind him, crouched the convict, his faded garments blending perfectly with the underbrush. After half a mile or so of fol

ed around and almost stumbled against the key to the entire mystery. There in the side of the mountain was an open

r was an abrupt turn, and, glancing round this, Patterson saw what he had been hoping for-a crowd of at least a dozen mountaineers gathered about a collection o

bearings, the convict returned to the cabin and,

from another county, accompanied by half a dozen revenue officers, rode clattering through Maymead and on in the direction

replied that he had come for a prisoner who had escaped from Morgantown a month or so before. Stiles was on the verge of

e. He held a moment's whispered conversation with one of the revenue officials and the latter slipped him a

onvict. It took them some time to locate the door to the cave, but, once inside, they found all the evidence they wanted-evidence not only directly indicative of moonshining, but the two ba

Chambers reached his office, he fo

gle shot. Direct evidence of complicity in Woods-D

egram was "James Reynold

ame.... Of course. He's the prisoner that broke out of Morgantown a

dirty trick on Reynolds's part-worming himself into the confidence of

ou work next to in the office? It was the same thing in this case. Jimmy knew that if he didn't turn up that gang they'd probab

Ruth declared she never wanted to see a mountain again, and both of them admitted that it wouldn't be healthy to stick around within walking d

early three months to solve, and the answer was the direct result of hard work and ca