Gene Romaine lives in the solitude of Tall Pine Mountain with her father fire warden for the Stanton Lumber Company They live alone but her mothers grave is in the little clearing and the father has promised never to leave it To them comes McDaniels the logging boss who is attracted by Jean and offers her father to discard his Indian wife for the young girl Romaine indignantly refuses and is threatened with dismissal Gene knowing he cannot bear to leave his wifes grave assents to the marriage in spite of her fathers protests Stanton chief owner of the lumber company maroons his worthless son in the woods in the hope of reforming him Gene takes care of him when he sprains his ankle and he protects her from McDaniels and is blamed for the murder of the boss when his vengeful Indian wife stabs him in the back