Astounding Science Fiction, August 1955 (British Edition) — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE TEST STAND 73 and ignited—I wanted to yell to them to run. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t even walk. I just stood in my tracks. Jerry went a few steps ahead of me, then turned to look back. ““Come on, Pete,”’ he urged. I was on a crate of mental eggs as we got to the base of the stand and started up the ladder. I was shaking a little, but I rationalized that I was right in the middle of things now; I had to take whatever came. We climbed up to the electrical control box, and Jerry plugged in his tele- phone headset. *““O.K., Dan,”’ he told the crew chief inside the control room, ‘I’m disarming the igniter circuit.” “Careful,” T warned him unnecessarily. ““Don’t jar that box, or the relay is liable to function.” He nodded and gingerly started to remove the cover. If he had been shaking in the control room because of fear, it wasn’t obvious now; his hands were steady and his movements careful as he lifted off the cover and set it on the steel grating of the walkway. Carefully, he took one of the wid wires from his pocket and connected one end. There were lines in his face I had never seen before, and sweat was standing out on his forehead. I think I detected a split-second of hesitation before he connected the other end of the clip wire. But he looked carefully at the maze of wires and connections, then slowly reached in, the clip opened between two fingers. He came out of there in a hurry, so fast that I thought something was wrong. I was all ready to hit the deck, useless as it might have been. “Got it!’’ he snapped. “Igniter disarmed! Hold everything for a minute!’ Working rapidly now, he clipped on seyeral more jumpers and removed some that were already there. I felt partially relieved. Half the job was done. He stepped back and said to Dan on the phones, “O.K., the unit is electrically safe. No, no! Don’t try the cut-off switch! That regulator’s still hung-up!”” Then he turned to me. [continued overleaf ———— BACK ISSUES OF ASTGUNDIKG — Here is a chance for you to secure those missing copies from your collection. Unfortunately, none is held prior to 1952, but the following are available — 1952—Feb., April and all subsequent issues to Sept. 1953 price 1/- each, post free (64 pp. edition) 1953—November and all subsequent issues to the present day price 1/9 each, post free (128 pp. edition) Atlas Publishing & Distributing Co. Ltd., 18 Bride Lane, London, E.C.4 soOmMmiGhooksEeom