Avon Fantasy Reader No. 7 — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

THE GUN | Voge : 111 _ Miss Beardsley shivered, and plucked at my sleeve: “In the village they tell - queer tales. They say—they say that you killed Ishtar!” . a 3 My guide’s small eyes narrowed. “Yes,” he said. “And we are grateful. _ Your courage has delivered us from Ishtar—the were-snake!” : ~ Below the balcony our camels eyed us with tolerant, disillusioned eyes, << ae Ne ; | by rank Gruber Frank Gruber is the well known author of many outstanding mystery novels such as The French Key Mystery, Simon Lash, and other best-sellers. In the course of his career he may have written many dozens of detective and western stories, but he has written only two weird yarns which, in his own words, “represent my complete and total contribution to the art of scaring the hell out of people.” A regular reader of the Avon Fantasy Reader, Gruber was pleased to have one of these two tales, The Gun, represented here. : ITH ONE EYE on the big clock John Parker shrunk down under the level of his high bookkeeper’s desk and began to peel off his black sleeve guards. The task concluded he folded them together and surreptitiously slid open the desk drawer a few inches, He dropped the sleeve guards inside and took out a small whisk: broom. Stooping again, he carefully brushed his trousers and finally got a piece of thick flannel from the drawer and rubbed the light film of dust from his shoes, x He timed the work very nicely, so that when he straightened and again looked at the clock it was exactly one-half minute to twelve. It took thirty Eomicbooks;com