This is the back cover text (transcribed from a scan of the cover) as written by Jack Bechdoldt for the Prime Press edition of The Torch published in 1948:

"Reading over THE TORCH after twenty years I have impressed by the frequency with which I mention the bitter cold of the ruined metropolis. Believe me, cold was on my mind when I wrote this story! I had been a newspaper man attached to the Seattle Post-Intellengcer 1906-1916 B. H. (Before Hearst!). I came to New York to be an author. After working a year for Bob Davis at Munsey's in the capacity of a reader I launched headlong into free lancing. THE TORCH was my first adventure in a serial length and it was written for Bob Simpson who edited The Argosy. With Bob's encouragement to hearten me I rented an 8 by 10 room at No. 9 West Fourteenth Street. The rent was $8 per month. There was no heat but there was plenty of dirt. I solved the heat problem by buying a kerosene heater. I found if I placed this under my typewriter table and straddled it with my long legs I could just keep from freezing. I never did try to solve the problem of dirt. Life was too wonderful to bother about a little grime. Was I not a real author?"

"There were days when it was a toss-up whether Art or the Artic would win, but much as I hate cold, I stuck it out and THE TORCH was published in Argosy."

"I had not seen my story since the proud day that Installment One was published until Mr. Oswald Train of Prime Press suggested making a book of it. I still think it is a good yarn and I am glad to see it published before pulp paper pages of old Argosy dissolve into dust."

"Since THE TORCH was written, men have found ways to kill each other a million times more horrible and fantastic than the author dreamed of. I any present day reader is reminded by this story of civilization in ruins, of the more fantastical (not sure of the word) and dangerous world we are now living in, I hope it will make him do a little serious thinking."

Ed. Note: THE TORCH was originally serialized in Argosy from January 24 to February 21 of 1920.

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