The San Francisco call., 1904-08-17
Hon G1.Aathor FORKS.
special Correspondence OF The Can.


especially as the conyersat ton was
mostly. about his work and his ideas
On literary tories The young author /
ef Miranda OF the Balcony" and The /
-Four Feathers" is comparatively sell
dom in London. de iE almost as con-
stant a traveller as Cutcliffe Hyne, /
Captain Kettles" creator. who makes .
a point OF covering 10000 miles OF new
ground every year. on getting back
from q trip. too. Mason generally has
q new book 10 write. For this purpose /
he goes away 20 the country. where ne
fnds ideas come best and the result is
that his friends here see little OF him.
However, since his recent return from
Morocco Mason has been taking il easy
L0r a fen weeks in his nat in Queen
Annes mansions. which is the scene or
che opening chapters OF THE Four
Feathers" and he consented ~ see the
interviewer there day or two ago.
Mason really is 80 years old. but never
would be taken for more than So He
is of about the average height. 1.-the
and active Of frame. with dark hair.
broad. forehead and unusually refined
features.
After telling OF his rather discourag-
ing early attempts al writing, the au-
.tnQr gave an especially interesting ao-
count Of how The COurtship of Nor
r.ce Backler" which.wa his irst novel.
came 10 be written
.tFirst OF all" ne said 1T started
with sort Of picture in my mind.
There is a scene where two men are
lighting together in room, and a
-soman walking in her sleep comes be-
tween them. Well this was the picture
that presented itself 70 me, and from
IL / worked backward. asking myself
why they should be fighting. what were
their relations 10 each other and to the
woman. and so on, gradually weaving
pIot around the incident But. OF course.
ones methods change. 1 do not work
from detached pictures now, but start
flom a central idea and a group OF
people. and let The scenes and incidents
develop out Of that conjunction. 1t
takes me about a year to write a book.
and / DO not begin until 1 have the
whole scheme absolutely fixed in my
rnind-beginniag, middle and end. 1 am
r somewhat laborious writer, and write
gut each chapter two or three times
over"
.srs." with its acute study Of how It's
hero's original timorousness developed
into bravery. Is too well known at
home 10 need any description. Cues
toned about il Mason said: Il have al
ways been attracted by the idea OF a
man with a great deal OF imagination
weighed down with the idea that he
Gas going 70 shirk his duty, and since
corroborated my view. mean to say
that I have had letters from distin-
euished soldiers. some Of whom person
ally don't know. men who have won
the Victoria cross and have a great
reputation for bravery, and those let
ters have All been sympathetic- Nova
Gays there are many men With highly
developed imaginstions who have to so
through much more than the merely
stupid people who do not realize the
dangers. and I was very glad to hno
my idea confirmed. as II is one I have
always been rather keen on"
Mason's travels must have made
him 70 some extent an authority on
the emotions OF courage and fear. for
there has been plenty OF excitement
. mixed up with them He has had sew
ersl close calls while mountaineering
IN the Alps not 10 mention some
rough experiences with the North Sea
hshing feet. especially once when, on
fish cutter. the main neet missed the
appointed place or meeting-the Dog
ger bsnk-by lee miles
His last trip through the Soudan,
taken 70 gather material for The
-Four Feathers" was no picnic. either,
for his only companions were Arabs
as ignorant Of English as he was OF
their language. The course taken,
TOO. was from Suakin 70 Bsrber. 50
that the friendly Nile, with its fertile
banksf was left far behind and the
Journey made through the heart OF
the waste.
And when I went through Moroc-
co al the time Of the revolution" Ma
son said, Il nearly got killed. The
sultan was very good 70 US and al
lowed us 10 travel under the protec-
zion Of a body Of soldiers who were
going along the route which we want
ed 70 take and which was closed TO
tourists then.
One day the soldiers ana the cara
van. except one man who STAYED with
nhk. had gone on little way in front
while I stopped at the bank of the
river 70 give my horse a drink. saw
mag behind the prickly pear hedge
with a gun and AS I rode up the ford
said good morning to him and he
returned the salutation. 1 was going
along al walk when / heard a shout
and turning round saw this man on
his knee with his gun leveied at the
small Of ny back. The man who was
With me shouted and the fellow took
70 his heels and ran. I did not think
II worth while 10 have him pursued
80 he escaped punishment"
To return to writing" was said