Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition) — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

THE SCAVENGERS completely sure of himself he went on, “We can still pull it off. If we wait until they’re real close and aim for the rotors, we could disable the fans and—”’ | “No shooting,” the captain in- terrupted harshly, “You’d bring the roof down. And thai’s an order—” A loud, vicious, crack came from the speaker. The sound was unmistak- able. Spence gripped the edge of the panel before him and paled as he saw a few tiny rocks drop from the tunnel roof beside the two men. In a voice that shook with fury he exploded, “Mr. Harrison, I told you not to use your gun down there. If you’ve—” “It wasn’t us,’ Bennett cut in. “One of the Crawlers has a sort of gun. It’s sniping at us. And the fan is speeding up, there’s a small gale blowing in here now. I think they mean to rush us.” Bennett’s tone wasn’t quite so un- ruffied now. Talking rapidly, Harrison took up the troubled tale. “The way I see it they mean to kill us and get out before the roof comes down completely from the gunfire. It’s their mine so I suppose they know better than we do what the tunnel will stand. They’re going to risk the shooting and—Down!” 99 There was another sharp report and simultaneously the screen blanked out. A direct hit on the camera pickup, thought Spence wildly, what a time to go blind. But that wasn’t all. There was a close-spaced series of dull crashes from the speaker and the horrible gasping, choking sound of somebody strangling. ‘Bennett! Bennett!’ Harrison was shouting again. A continuous, racking cough, unbearably amplified, drowned out his words. Spence was reaching hurriedly to 103 turn down the volume when the noise shut off and the gunnery officer’s voice returned, low and urgent, *“Bennett’s helmet cracked—a rock, I think. I’ve shut off his transmitter and slapped cement on the break. He’s partly buried in the fall. I’m trying to get him free now, but the Crawlers are coming up fast.’ Harri- son stopped as another explosion. shook the tunnel. “Will you send a barrow here so’s I can load him aboard. His suit is switched to pure oxygen now, but he looks bad. He’s coughing a lot. And can I use my pistol? That Crawler is getting ready to pick me off.” | “T can’t see down there now. Do what you think is best. You’re on your own.”’ Spence answered. He was beginning to kick himself for sending the men down there in the first place. It looked as if he was going to lose both of them. He thought briefly of cutting his losses and order- ing Harrison back immediately, but he knew it would be no use. Harrison was the altruistic type. Besides, he wasn’t so sure he could bring himself to abandon Bennett like that anyway. Maybe he was going soft, too. Two more reports boomed from the speaker in rapid succession, Harri- son’s voice came again. “That Crawler’s finished. So is the fan, he fell into it when I shot him. It’s... it’s made an awful mess. I’m gassing the others now. There wasn’t much of a fall this time, though our guns make a bigger racket than theirs.” He paused, his breath coming loud over the speaker. Then he said, “I can hear the barrow com- ing for Bennett. Send the other cone in here while I get him onto this one. Maybe we can get a few Crawlers out after all.’’ The captam began talking rapidly. He told the gunnery officer not. to be Qg EComichoo SaCO) im