Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

THE LAVA SEAS TUNNEL ““We’re jammed, dad,” he said. Martel reversed the machin- ery, flinging the mighty borer up and down as he strove to release it. It trembled, clawing upwards on the sprocket slots, then stuck. He flung it down again, then up. Down once more—and abruptly the floor lurched. Martel felt fear run along his spine. The bottom seemed to have fallen out of the shaft, and they were plumetting downwards... He switched off. The floor sloped more and more steeply, then, with a grating thud, they were still. Through the window near them, which sloped sharply, red light streamed. Martel went slowly to it and gazed down, appalled at what he saw. Below stretched a great sea of leaping flame and incandescent gas, glaring behind fumes which rose thickly. Here, he realised, was the very cauldron they had come to seek. From it, heat could be taken through great pipes to the surface, 145 there to provide power for enormous industrial machines. He looked upwards. Glow- ing debris was plunging past the window. Masses of rock were breaking away from the tunnel above. The hull of the borer shuddered, slipping gradually downwards. He clawed up the sloping floor and flung the sprockets into reverse. They grated on the rock; the machine heaved, then settled down a little lower. He switched to neutral hastily, wondering how long the machine would continue to cling to the slots in the crumbling tunnel walls. This was like the first time, he thought, but worse. Abruptly the panic which he had held at bay so long re- turned. The task was ac- complished—but he was trapped. Trapped, again. He sank his face into his hands, hiding the glare beyond the mica window. This time they were too deep for a rescue party to reach them, even if there was time ... And comiclbooks.corn