Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

— MISTAKE ON MARS other winners and you don’t pass out the tips until they’ve come across. The trouble with that system is it requires time and an_ inexhaustible supply of new customers. With a ten-rocket race, for example, you lose ninety per cent. of your original list because, of course, you’ve got to tip each entry as a winner in order to cover the field. The second way is to open a book. “I don’t like it, Dusty,” protested Slim. ‘““What if we lose ?”’ “We won’t lose,” I prom- ised. ““Leave that to me. You go out to the field and find out all you can. I'll set up and begin to take in the bets.” I noticed his worried ex- pression. ““Look, you want to get your money back, don’t you ? The De-Fumer’s a wash- out and we’ve got to do some- thing in order to stay solvent.” I said “‘we” but I really meant “‘I.’”’ Slim was a native of Mars, and the worst that could happen to him would be that they’d put him to work at forced labour. They would do that to me, too, but Slim was used to it, I wasn’t. Anyway, the education would be good for him. I set up business and began to take in the bets. All bets. Every bet offered—and there were quite a lot of them. The main reason for that, I think, was that my odds were twice that of any other bookmaker. The punters must have thought that I was crazy, but I knew better. The only crazy people on Mars were the ones who were trusting me with their money. Not that they lost every time. The preliminaries, the nursery races they were called, started two days before the main event and, by careful juggling, information from Slim, and the offer to let any winnings ride on a double-or- quits basis until the main event, I managed to stay in business. I even managed to pay off my fine and recover my passport. And just as a precaution, I found a man who was willing to let me ride as passenger in his sand- car on a trip to Shyller, the second main city of Mars. I had a long talk with Slim ‘the night before the main 17 event. “I'd say that Samuals will win,” said Slim thoughtfully. *“Thorne’s not bad, and Quesco is good, but I’d give Samuals the place as favourite.’ He looked at me. “Better lay off the bets on those three, Dusty. conmmicloooks.comn