Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 43 — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

ERRAND OF MERCY set: “Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea... If I hadn’t seen that this one did, from up aloft, I’d never have believed it. What are you two doing back there? Emptying the third bottle, [Pll bet. Save some for me.” Raikes grinned apprecia- tively. ‘‘He’s a lad, that one. Wish I could get back at him. Oh, well, I’m back to my sentry go. When Hacking returns, we'll pack up here— go back aloft and report.’’ He rubbed his bruised chin gently. “Tell you something, Lewes. I’m not too happy about the take off. We may only just make it. -We used a helluva lot of fuel on that braking gambit and we hadn’t many drops to donate to charity. Still, I think it’ll be okay.” He went out. Presently: “‘Down in the forest something stirred,”’ said Hacking. “I’m going.a bit lower for a good look... No, it’s not moving... Gosh!” “What is it?’ asked Lewes, forgetting, under tension, that he couldn’t be heard. He had to wait several minutes to learn. “It’s the complete skeleton of a mon- ster—a sea monster, I’d say— lying in the plant-trees. Not so much in them, as on them. It’s taller than they are—must be nearly four hundred feet high. And the length ...! It’s flattened the forest for a quarter of a mile. Looks like the bones of a really gigantic whale—makes the ones we saw look like tiddlers. It’s been picked clean. Guess the worms or the ants—or both—had a real square meal. It’s quite near the bank. Seems to me it either crawled or jumped out of the river. What a size, though! St. Paul’s Cath- edral would tuck just nicely inside those ribs. I’m leaving it now, continuing along the river.” Later: ““Twenty miles fur- ther on—and here’s another skellington. Just like the other. I’m beginning to won- der about these things. They 77 comiclooks.conn