Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION low nobody would drive them away and spoil the fun. It was growing dusk and the figures flitting to and fro across the beach suddenly thinned out and vanished, leaving the beach vacant. Sommers grabbed the child and dragged her down the side of the dune. He was only just in time. From beyond the far point a gout of flame shot up in a violent explosion. Sand stung his face and hands, ‘and for some moments they huddled in a steady rain of debris. Oddly enough Katey was not frightened—in fact, other- wise. ‘“What a lovely bang,”’ she cried and sneezed. “Can I look now?” He waited a bit longer, then they both stood up. There was just enough light to see that the far point had disappeared. All that remained was a large sperical object leaning against a narrow wedge of sand sloping halfway up its side. “Oooo . . . it’s still there. My ball-ball,’” cried Katey excitedly. ““Goodey.”’ A sudden burst of firing from among the trees in Schultz’s lot reminded Som- mers of their danger. He flopped back into the sand, cradling the child in his arms. It was small-arms fire only for a couple of minutes with single shots. Then an automatic opened up. He crawled alone to the top of the dune and took a quick look. Sparks and flashes coy- ered the sides of the sphere like a halo, but were not making much impression he decided. Quite suddenly the firing stopped. He was so interested in the half-seen action that he did not notice Katey crawl up further along the ridge and peer over. It was the throaty cough of a mortar and the whine of the bomb which made him duck back under cover. Almost at once a gun barked—a sharp vicious crack, the sound of an anti-tank gun. Something went wee-ee-fut and ended in a flash somewhere in the trees. The gun fired again, rapidly, the shells exploding in quick succession. Amid the shots, he could hear shouting and an unmistakable scream. Then two pine trees exploded into 148 comiclooks.conn