Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON 1S HEAVEN 97 during which poor Leeson nearly ran the point of the drill through his toe, and they were set to get going in earnest. _ Atah supplied them with geodesic data that he’d got on his surveys, and off they went. The first few drillings didn’t come to anything, apparently. Showing that geodesic diagnosis is not entirely infallible. When they’d got down to the theoretical depth they’d packed up and moved. on. Gradually, they had got more and more depressed. It seemed as though there were no reservoirs on the Moon at all. Then they struck—no, not oil. Hydrogen. The drill suddenly went soft and slid down several inches. A strong current shot from the central bore, a current that was quickly shut off while both Clavier and Leeson rushed back to the dome with the great news. ““'We have found it!’’ Clavier cried. ‘‘ It is there, out among the rocks on the other side of the plain. A—what you call?—a gusher, yes!’’ “* He’s right, too,’’ Leeson had beamed, thrilled like a- schoolboy to have accomplished something at last. ‘‘ There ought to be enough for half a dozen trips to Earth.’’ “* Let’s hope there is,’’ Atah had replied. ‘‘ That'll be fine for the next chaps who come along. Now how about getting it to the ship?’’ There had been quite a silence after that. In the rush of joy at finding the gusher, no one’d thought of the difficulty of getting the gas right across the plain and up into the fuel tank. At the beginning it had been hoped that a reservoir would be found much nearer than this one. However, the problem had to be solved. ‘* We will find a way,’’ Clavier had said confidently. ‘‘ We have the source, we must find a way! Come, Leeson, let us attack this problem.”’ And they had both gone off into a huddle in the corner of the dome, while Reina made them some food in reward for their good work. Where Reina’s concerned, you reckon there isn’t one of you who isn’t pleased that she’s up here. True, there are comicbooks.com