Bret Harte's collection of short stories display the author's enthralling storytelling style at full strength ― crisply observant, rich in ironic humor, and offering an engaging mix of sentiment and wit. Bret Harte's humour is of the indescribable kind ; the only thing definable about it is its irresistible quality. Harte's wiritng style exercised a deep influence on the American short story genre.