THE CAMELS ARE COMING

 

by W. E. Johns

 

 

II.                    THE PACKET  (Pages 33 - 47)

 

“Biggles, newly appointed to Captain’s rank since his affair with the White Fokker” is playing cards with Quinan, Mahoney and Batson.  Major Mullen asks to see him and Batson insists that Biggles pays what he owes before Biggles goes.  “Miller went West owing me seventy francs – you cough it up, Biggles”.  In the squadron office, Biggles is introduced by Major Mullen to Colonel Raymond (a character who will appear in the bulk of the Biggles books in future – what is interesting is that in a lot of the future RFC stories written by Johns he is Major Raymond – presumably indicating that those stories are set before this one).  Raymond says “Frankly, I’m going to ask you to undertake a tough proposition”.  An agent has been dropped over the lines a fortnight ago and the officer sent to fly him back was killed and the agent captured.  The agent has since been shot.  Before he was captured the agent was able to release a carrier pigeon setting out the location of some vital plans hidden in a rabbit-hole.  The plans are urgently needed and in three days will be useless.  Only a single-seater fighter can land in the relevant field – if the wind is right – and the wind is blowing in the right direction, now.  Two officers from 287 Squadron have already attempted to get the plans but neither made it to the field.  Biggles agrees to go but asks that MacLaren and Mahoney watch for his return from ‘upstairs’.  He’ll come back flying low and will want air cover.  The Colonel says that if Biggles is caught with the plans, he’ll be shot.  Biggles says “If my engine cuts out while I am over the other side those plans are going overboard before I hit the deck.  I don’t mind dying, but when I die, I’ll die sitting down, like an officer and a gentleman – not standing with my back to a brick wall”.  Biggles flies to the location and manages to land in the correct field.  There are a number of rabbit holes but he manages to find the packet of papers.  German soldiers advance towards him but he manages to take off.  On the journey home he is confronted by six Fokkers, but MacLaren, Mahoney and two other Camel pilots arrive in their machines to help him.  Biggles has to flee the ensuing dog fight in order to get the plans safely back.  “I’ll never take on another job like this as long as I live” he swore.  At thirty feet, Biggles drops the plans to a waiting Major Mullen and Colonel Raymond and then returns to aid his comrades.  He meets three Camels coming back; Mahoney has been shot down but has managed to land and is standing by his aircraft, waving.  Biggles returns to his aerodrome and Mullen passes on Colonel Raymond’s thanks.  Biggles just wants to go and fetch Mahoney and finish his card game.