The mountaineer and his daughter are in dire poverty because they cannot collect money which is withheld by their wealthy relatives. The old man determines to visit his cousin again and ask for the money. Admitted to his cousin's presence, he asks for his money and meets with an indignant refusal. Hot words follow, and he is ejected from the house by the butler. On his way home he thinks of other arguments which may influence his cousin, and returns to make a final appeal. Entering the room, this time unannounced, he finds his cousin dead. The butler enters and accuses him of murder, and he is taken to the calaboose. On the same day two revenue officers capture a young moonshiner who has been active for some time, and destroy his still. The mountaineer and the moonshiner meet in the calaboose, and the former confides his woes to the young man. Late that night the daring mountain girl approaches the lock-up and passes a file through the bars to her father, who cuts his way out while the moonshiner sleeps. When his escape is discovered, the guard, in an effort to redeem his negligence, offers to search the bills for him. But the sheriff knows how small is the chance of success, and offers temporary liberty to the moonshiner if he will help hunt the fugitive. The young man, whose mother is critically ill, jumps at the offer. He locates the mountaineer in hiding with his daughter, and for the girl's sake is tempted to go hack on his promise. Temporizing, he goes first to see his mother, finds her worse and rushes to call the doctor. But the doctor is away on a hurry call. Following his trail, the moonshiner reaches a prospector's cabin, where he finds the doctor attending a man who was found that morning in the hills, wildly insane. Dying, the butler confesses the murder for which the mountaineer was arrested. The moonshiner hastens to the mountaineer with the good news. The girl realizes that he has broken his parole for her sake, and as she thanks him the light in her eyes is more than gratitude.