LOUIS L'AMOUR
AMERICA'S STORYTELLER

Dear Reader,

I've derived a lot of pleasure in the past decade in personally preparing collections of my short stories for my publisher, Bantam Books, to issue in paperback.

Now, without my permission, a publisher I do not approve of is trying to publish some of my stories that appear in this collection in a book bearing this same title.  I am outraged by their completely unauthorized edition of my stories, and I have put together this collection so my fans will not be shortchanged.

The only authorized edition of Dutchman's Flat is this one, published by Bantam.  There are more of my personally selected and edited stories in this authorized edition than in any unauthorized version.  And, as I've done for Bowdrie's Law, Buckskin Run, and my other books of short stories, I've also added new introductory notes of interest and written a special forward that puts these stories in an historical and personal context.

BANTAM BOOKS IS THE ONLY PUBLISHER AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE MY SHORT STORIES IN BOOK FORM.  ONLY ACCEPT MY SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS PUBLISHED BY BANTAM.

I am confident that my loyal fans will want to read only the authorized Bantam editions of my stories.

Sincerely,

Louis L'Amour