Francis Bret Harte (1836 –1902) was an American short story writer and poet, best remembered for his short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. Devil's Ford displays Harte's enthralling storytelling style at full strength ― crisply observant, rich in ironic humor, and offering an engaging mix of sentiment and wit. Harte's wiritng style exercised a deep influence on the American short story genre.