Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

102 ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION aliens aboard. Dead easy, thought Spence. Nothing to it. Routine. Up to now, that is, the captain thought bitterly. He was dragged out of his deepening mood of self-pity by the sight of Bennett and Harrison throwing them- selves flat on the ground. Simultane- ously the pickup showed the Crawlers moving their machine into the tunnel mouth. Muffled plops came from the speaker. The range was still too great, but the men were using their gas guns. A dirty brown fog grew in the tunnel as the gas combined with the alien atmosphere, blurring the view, but not before Spence saw that the enigmatic machine had started working. Strangely enough, nothing much seemed to be happening. The machine was being pushed slowly down the passage towards the crouching men, with the aliens sheltering behind it as it crept along. The gas still obscured everything. Suddenly Harrison’s voice crashed out from the wall speaker as he shouted, “It’s a fan. We’re sunk. They’re blowing our gas back at us.” “Stop shouting, Mr. Harrison,” Spence said sharply, “I can hear you.” The suit mikes were capable of picking up the lowest whisper. When Harrison had raised his voice it had been like sounding the heart of a voicano with a stethescope. So now the aliens had a fan. That meant his men were powerless to use gas, and using anything else would be too risky, now that they knew of the shaky construction of the tunnel roof. He’d had about enough of this, Spence decided, it was time to get out. “Pull out, you two. Back to the ship.” “Captain, [ve got an idea.” It was Bennett’s voice. Low, unhurried, EComichooksnco me