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1、INAHOLLOWOFTHEHILLSINAHOLLOWOFTHEHILLSBretBretHarte1INAHOLLOWOFTHEHILLSCHAPTERI.Itwasverydark,andthewindwasincreasing.Thelastgusthadbeenprecededbyanominousroaringdownthewholemountain-side,whichcontinuedforsometimeafterthetreesinthelittlevalleyhadlapsedintos
2、ilence.Theairwasfilledwithafaint,cool,soddenodor,asofstirredforestdepths.Inthoseintervalsofsilencethedarknessseemedtoincreaseinproportionandgrowalmostpalpable.Yetoutofthissightlessandsoundlessvoidnowcamethetinkleofaspur'srowels,thedrycracklingofsaddleleathe
3、rs,andthemuffledplungeofahoofinthethickcarpetofdustanddesiccatedleaves.Thenavoice,whichinspiteofitsmatter-of-factrealitytheobscuritylentacertainmysteryto,said:--"Ican'tmakeoutanything!Wherethedevilhavewegotto,anyway?It'sasblackasTophet,hereahead!""Strikeali
4、ghtandmakeaflarewithsomething,"returnedasecondvoice."Lookwhereyou'reshovingto--now--keepyourhorseoff,willye."Therewasmoremuffledplunging,asilence,therustleofpaper,thequickspurtofamatch,andthentheupliftingofaflickeringflame.Butitrevealedonlytheheadsandshould
5、ersofthreehorsemen,framedwithinanebulousringoflight,thatstilllefttheirhorsesandeventheirlowerfiguresinimpenetrableshadow.Thentheflameleapedupanddiedoutwithafewzigzaggingsparksthatwerefallingtotheground,whenathirdvoice,thatwaslowbutsomewhatpleasantinitscaden
6、ce,said:--"Becarefulwhereyouthrowthat.Youwerecarelesslasttime.Withthiswindandtheleavesliketinder,youmightsendafurnaceblastthroughthewoods.""Thenatleastwe'dseewherewewere."Nevertheless,hemovedhishorse,whosetramplinghoofsbeatoutthelastfallenspark.Completedark
7、nessandsilenceagainfollowed.Presentlythefirstspeakercontinued:--"Ireckonwe'llhavetowaitheretillthenextsquallclearsawaythescudfromthesky?Hello!What'sthat?"Outoftheobscuritybeforethemappearedafaintlight,--adimbut2INAHOLLOWOFTHEHILLSperfectlydefinedsquareofrad
8、iance,--which,however,didnotappeartoilluminateanythingaroundit.Suddenlyitdisappeared."That'sahouse--it'salightinawindow,"saidthesecondvoice."Housebed--d!"retortedthefirstspeaker."AhousewithawindowonGal
