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1、DEVIL'SFORDDEVIL'SFORDbyBretHarte1DEVIL'SFORDCHAPTERIItwasaseasonofunequalledprosperityinDevil'sFord.ThehalfadozencabinsscatteredalongthebanksoftheNorthFork,asifbysomeoverflowofthatcapriciousriver,hadbecomeaugmentedduringaweekoffierceexcitementbytwentyorthirtyoth
2、ers,thatwerehuddledtogetheronthenarrowgorgeofDevil'sSpur,orcastuponitssteepsides.Sosuddenandviolenthadbeenthechangeoffortune,thatthedwellersintheoldercabinshadnothadtimetochangewithit,butstillkepttheiroldhabits,customs,andeventheiroldclothes.Theflourpaninwhichthe
3、irdailybreadwasmixedstoodontherudetablesidebysidewiththe"prospectingpans,"halffullofgoldwashedupfromtheirmorning'swork;thefrontwindowsofthenewertenementslookedupontheonesinglethoroughfare,butthebackdooropenedupontheunclearedwilderness,stillhauntedbythemisshapenbu
4、lkofbearorthenightlyglidingofcatamount.Neitherhadsuccessasyetaffectedtheirboyishsimplicityandthefranknessofoldfrontierhabits;theyplayedwiththeirnew-foundricheswiththenaivedelightofchildren,andrehearsedtheirglowingfuturewiththeimportanceandtrivialityofschool-boys.
5、"I'vebinkalklatin',"saidDickMattingly,leaningonhislong-handledshovelwithlazygravity,"thatwhenIgotoRomethiswinter,I'llgetoneo'themmarblesharpstochiselmeastatooo'somekindtosetuponthespotwherewemadeourbigstrike.Suthin'torememberitby,youknow.""Whatkindo'statoo--Washi
6、ngtonorWebster?"askedoneoftheKearneybrothers,withoutlookingupfromhiswork."No--Ireckononeo'themfancygroups--oneo'themLatingoddessesthatFairfaxisalwaysgassin'about,sorterleadin',directin'andbossin'uswheretodig.""You'dmakeahealthy-lookin'figgerinagroup,"respondedKea
7、rney,criticallyregardinganenormouspatchinMattingly'strousers."Whydon'tyouhaveafountaininstead?""Where'llyougetthewater?"demandedthefirstspeaker,inreturn."Youknowthereain'tenoughintheNorthForktodoaweek'swashingforthecamp--tosaynothin'ofitscolor."2DEVIL'SFORD"Leave
8、thattome,"saidKearney,withself-possession."WhenI'vebuiltthattherereservoironDevil'sSpur,andbringthewaterovertheridgefromUnionDitch,there'llbeenoughtospareforth
