Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 47 — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

THE BRIDGE a hundred yards, he was in brilliant sunshine again. He settled down to a steady fifty-five. The road was good. Mountain and storm were be- hind him. He still had two or three more calls, but at least he was heading for home. For five minutes he relaxed. Comfortable. Enjoying the run. Then, rounding a bend, he jerked upright, pop-eyed with terror. A hundred yards ahead, up a slight incline, was—the bridge! This time there was no mistaking it—the black shiny ironwork, the eerie sunlight spilled slantwise on the broken bridge through a ragged hole in the fugitive cloud-wrack. Gripped by paralysis fear, musclebound, he kept the accelerator down. The car surged forward. Then the engine cut out. Dead weight dragged against momentum. Speed slumped. The spell broke then. He shut his eyes. Jammed the brake hard down. Skidded to a stop scant inches from disaster. Sweat-drenched, trembling, he got down and went to the ragged edge. Far below, turbid 127 water sucked and snarled at twisted ironwork. Turning suddenly, he was violently sick. At the same time, he couldn’t help won- dering why his tank was petrol-less. Mr. Trinter drove gingerly back on borrowed petrol. Mentally and physically he felt jaded. Beaten. For the time being he had no further interest in Freud or Dunne. Tomorrow, maybe; but now he just wanted to get home and go to bed. He pulled up at the one- man petrol station. This was the place where you bought five gallons—and ran out of juice a mile further on! He sat seething till the old man ap- peared; then, red-faced, let fly with verbal vitriol. The old man listened in deepening perplexity, and at length boiled over. “Are you crazy?” he shouted back. ‘““You paid me with a fiver, didn’t you? Why didn’t you count your change? Four pounds nine- teen and six for you, and six- pence for me—for checking the tyres, Mister. You never said a word about petrol!”’ connicloooks.comhn)