ne day at a sitting I wrote a short story called
'Antoine and Angelique', and sent it to him almost before the ink was
dry. The reply came by return of post: "It is almost, or quite, as good
as can be. Send me another." So forthwith I sent him 'God's Garrison',
and it was quickly followed by 'The Three Outlaws', 'The Tall Master',
'The Flood', 'The Cipher', 'A Prairie Vagabond', and several others. At
length came 'The Stone', which brought a telegram of congratulation, and
finally 'The Crimson Flag'. The acknowledgment of that was a postcard
containing these all too-flattering words: "Bravo, Balzac!" Henley would
print what no other editor would print; he gave a man his chance to do
the boldest thing that was in him, and I can truthfully say that
the doors which he threw open gave freedom to an imagination and an
individuality of conception, for which I can never be sufficiently
grateful.

These stories and others which appeared in 'The National Observer', in
'Macmillan's', in 'The English Illustrated Magazine' and others made
many friends; so that when the book at length came out it was received
with generous praise, though not without some criticism. It made its
place, however, at once, and later appeared another series, called 'An
Adventurer of the North', or, as it is called in this edition, 'A Romany
of the Snows'. Through all the twenty stories of this second volume the
character of Pierre moved; and by the time the last was written there
was scarcely an important magazine in the English-speaking world which
had not printed one or more of them. Whatever may be thought of the
stories themselves, or of the manner in which the life of the Far North
was portrayed, of one thing I am sure: Pierre was true to the life--to
his race, to his environment, to the conditions of pioneer life through
which he moved. When the book first came out there was some criticism
from Canada itself, but that criticism has long since died away, and it
never was determined.

Plays have been founded on the 'Pierre' series, and one in particular,
'Pierre of the Plains', had a considerable success, with Mr. Edgar
Selwyn, the adapter, in the main part. I do not know whether, if I were
to begin again, I should have written all the Pierre stories in quite
the same way. Perhaps it is just as well that I am not able to begin
again. The stories made their own place in their own way, and that there
is still a steady demand for 'Pierre and His People'