Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION exposed its pink gullet as if to scream its defiance. Williams fired directly into the gaping orifice, jerked the loading lever, and sent another rocket projectile after the first before the mouth could close. The twin explosions sounded as one, and with a convulsive shudder, the huge creature relaxed against the sand, half in and half out of the water which was its home. Even then the commander wasn’t satisfied, and not until he had blown off the two tentacles from the thing’s head did he lower the pro- jector and descend to the beach. Gerald met him, grin- ning in relief and admiration at the other’s marksmanship. *‘Good shooting, comman- der. Lucky that you used a low-charge projectile at first or we'd all have been deaf or dead by now.” “Call the people together. All of them.” “What ?” “You heard what I said.” Williams stared bleakly at the strange monster until the 38 party had assembled. He frowned at the sobbing woman. “What’s the matter with you? Are you hurt?” “No.” She took a deep breath and seemed to re- cover her composure. “I was swimming out in the lake and that thing came up beneath me. I was never so scared in all my life. I screamed and swam back to the others, but it was just like one of those nightmares. You know the one I mean. I just swam as hard as I could but I didn’t seem to be able to get away from it. It was as if I wasn’t moving at all, and those horrible arms .. .” “That will do!’? Williams glanced towards the other women. “Take her back to the settlement. All of you. The men will stay where they are.” He waited until the near-hysterical girl had been conducted away, then turned to the men. “Who was on guard here?” They didn’t answer. Watch- ing them, Gerald could guess what had happened. The day, comicloooks.conm