Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition, December 1955 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

RAT RACE 87 Lewis stared at the ceiling. A shudder passed over his body. Mutated virus ! The door opened and an orderly and nurse entered. “You get a little tube feeding of hot gelatin,” said the nurse. She helped him eat it, then, over his protests, gave him a sedative. ““Doctor’s orders,”’ said the nurse. Through a descending fog, Lewis murmured, “Which doctor?” “Dr. Bellarmine,” she said. The fog came lower, darkened. He drifted into a nightmare peopled by thousands of Johnsons, all of them running around with large metal tanks asking, ““Are you human?” and collecting blood. Sheriff Czernak was beside the bed when Lewis awoke. Lewis could see out the window that dawn was breaking. He turned toward the sheriff. ‘Mornin’, John,’”’ he whispered. His tongue felt thick and dry. ***Bout time you woke up,” said Czernak. “I’ve been waiting here a coupla hours. Something fishy going on.” “Wind my bed up, will you?’’ asked Lewis. ‘““What’s happening?” Czernak arose, moved to the foot of the bed and turned the crank. “The big thing is that Doc Bellarmine has disappeared,’”’ he said. ““We traced him from the lab here to the mortuary. Then he just goes pffft!”’ Lewis’ eyes widened. ‘‘Was there a white rat cage?” ‘There you go again!” barked Czernak. “You tell me you don’t know anything about this, but you sure know all the questions.”” He bent over Lewis. “Sure there was a rat cage! You better tell me how you knew it!” “First tell me what happened,” said Lewis. Czernak straightened, frowning. “All right, Welby, but when I get through telling, then you better tell.’” He wet his lips with his tongue. “I’m told the Doc came in here and talked to you last night. Then he went down to the lab and got one of them white rats with its cage. Then he went over to the mortuary. He had the cage and rat with him. Our night guard let him in. After a while, when the Doc didn’t come out, the guard got worried and went inside. There in the back hall is the Doc’s black bag. And over where this silver wire stuff was he finds—”’ “Was?” Lewis barked the word. “Yeah,” said Czernak wearily. ““That’s the other thing. Sometime last night somebody ripped out all them wires and didn’t leave a single trace.” ‘What else did the guard find?” Czernak ran a hand under his collar, stared at the opposite wall. “Well?” “Welby, look, I—”’ ““What happened?” “Well, the night guard—it was Rasmussen—called me and I went right down. Rasmussen didn’t touch a thing. There was the Doc’s bag, a long wood pole with a tire iron attached to it and the rat cage. The rat was gone.” ““Was there anything in the cage?” Czernak suddenly leaned forward, blurted, “Look, Welby, about the cage. There’s something screwy about it. When I first got there I swear it = B wy b Comichooksscom