After twelve years as news writer he returned to Norway, where he married Helen M. Faunce, and devoted his entire time to fiction writing.

[3] Pendexter's main body of fiction consisted of historical novels and Westerns for such publications as Adventure and Argosy.

[6] For the same publication Pendexter created deliberately comical Western stories about Hiram Polk, The Shorthorn Kid.

[6] Pendexter's Red Trails and The Shadow of the Tomahawk revolve around the struggle between frontiersmen and Native Americans during Dunmore's War.

[6] Pendexter's novel, Kings of the Missouri about fur trading and the founding of St. Louis, is regarded by some critics as his best work.