VIII. WOMEN AND CHILDREN AMONG THE PIONEERS 140 IX. FRIENDSHIP AMONG THE PIONEERS 157 X. GAMBLING IN PIONEER TIMES 168 XI. OTHER FORMS OF BUSINESS 181 XII. LITERATURE, JOURNALISM AND RELIGION 192 XIII. BRET HARTE'S DEPARTURE FROM CALIFORNIA 214 XIV. BRET HARTE IN THE EAST 220 XV. BRET HARTE AT CREFELD 251 XVI. BRET HARTE AT GLASGOW 266 XVII. BRET HARTE IN LONDON 274 XVIII. BRET HARTE AS A WRITER OF FICTION 293 XIX. BRET HARTE AS A POET 308 XX. BRET HARTE'S PIONEER DIALECT 321 XXI. BRET HARTE'S STYLE 330 INDEX 347 ILLUSTRATIONS BRET HARTE (PHOTOGRAVURE) _Frontispiece._ From a photograph by Hollyer taken in 1896. BERNARD HART, BRET HARTE'S GRANDFATHER 6 From a painting in the possession of Messrs. Arthur Lipper & Co., New York. SAN FRANCISCO, NOVEMBER, 1844 24 After a sketch by J. C. Ward. BRET HARTE IN 1861 32 The facsimile of Bret Harte's handwriting is taken from the back of the photograph in the possession of Miss Elizabeth Benton Frémont. STORESHIP APOLLO, USED AS A SALOON 40 After a drawing by W. Taber. GRAND PLAZA, SAN FRANCISCO, 1852 60 From an old print. THE FIRST HOTEL AT SAN FRANCISCO 86 After a drawing by W. Taber. MINERS' BALL 94 After a drawing by A. Castaigne. THE TWO OPPONENTS CAME NEARER 114 After a drawing by Frederic Remington illustrating "The Iliad of Sandy Bar." SACRAMENTO CITY IN 1852 120 From an old print. THE POST-OFFICE, SAN FRANCISCO, 1849-50 144 After a drawing by A. Castaigne. HE LOOKED CURIOUSLY AT HIS REFLECTION 166 After a drawing by E. Boyd Smith, illustrating "Left Out on Lone Star Mountain." DENNISON'S EXCHANGE, AND PARKER HOUSE, DECEMBER, 1849, BEFORE THE FIRE 178 After a drawing by W. Taber. MAIN STREET, NEVADA CITY, 1852 196 From a photograph in the possession of Colonel Thomas L. Livermore. THE BELLS, SAN GABRIEL MISSION 212 From a photograph. I THOUGHT YOU WERE THAT HORSE-THIEF 248 After a drawing by Denman Fink, illustrating "Lanty Foster's Mistake."