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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.4


                        CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS


   
We consent to the reference to our firm under the caption "Experts" in Amendment
No. 1 to the Registration Statement (Form S-4 No. 333-58855) and related Joint
Proxy Statement/Prospectus of Dan River Inc. for the registration of 4,800,000
shares of its common stock and to the incorporation by reference therein of our
report dated October 18, 1996 (except for Notes 8 and 19, as to which the dates
are October 31, 1996 and November 20, 1996, respectively), with respect to the
financial statements of The New Cherokee Corporation for the three years in the
period ended September 28, 1996 included in the Current Report on Form 8-K/A
Amendment No. 1 dated April 18, 1997 incorporated herein by reference.
    


                                             /s/ Pugh & Company, P.C.

   
                                             Pugh & Company, P.C.
                                             Knoxville, Tennessee
                                             August 18, 1998