Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

REPLY DEFERRED “Hurry down, Katey. Uncle Chester will help you.” Without another word, the child obeyed and was lifted up onto the bank. Sommers eyed the shining metallic tube lying in the sand and then the great enigmatic sphere, debating whether he dare pick it up. He cast about for a stick to hook it nearer, but the cove was bare. He was still making up his mind when Katey pelted around the point and launched her- self upon it. With both metal tubes clutched in her hands, it was not difficult to lead her away onto the next beach. Schultz looked exhausted and pale from shock. Despite that, he went ahead of them, calling back that he had to “‘tell some men something.” Sommers got the little girl into the comparative safety of the trees at the foot of Schultz’s lot and sat down. His legs would no longer support him. It was there the police found them. At first the patrolman was officious and rated Sommers 147 the lowest kind of fool. Phrases such as “not carrying out instructions,” and “‘ex- posing the kid to danger,” kept cropping up. Sommers rose in weariness and strode off with Katey by his side toward the other end of the beach. From there they had an uninterrupted view of the subsequent operations. In- credibly he forgot all about the silver tubes Katey had so smartly concealed inside her frock when the policeman approached. The area was cordoned off by the mobile police and the firemen ran out hundreds of yards of hose toward the scene of action. The authori- ties must be taking things very seriously, thought Som- mers, when a small convoy of military trucks arrived. The ensuing bustle and prepara- tion intrigued Katey even more. He had to restrain her from jumping up from their vantage point behind the dune to see what was going on at the other side of the cove. Stretched out in the soft sand, he was beginning to enjoy himself immensely. If they kept quiet and lay commicloooks.com