THE CAMELS ARE COMING

by W. E. Johns

VII. THE CARRIER (Pages 99 – 109)

Biggles is flying at 1,000 feet above the allied reserve trenches, when a pigeon hits his propeller and his goggles are smothered in blood. He lands in a large field thinking that either an oil lead has been cut by a piece of shell or he himself has been hit. Finding a mangled mass of blood and feathers on the floor of the cockpit, Biggles finds a tiny tube attached to the birds leg. There is a message in code. Making his way to the nearest field telephone, Biggles gets through to Colonel Raymond and gives him the message letter by letter. The Colonel rings Biggles back once the message is decoded and says that one of their agents is trapped on the north side of Lagnicourt Wood and the Huns are hunting him down. Raymond goes on to say “Well, we can’t help him, he knows that. It will be dark in an hour and we daren’t risk a night landing without looking over the ground. They’ll have got him by to-morrow. Well, thanks for the prompt way you got the message to us. By the way, your M.C. (Military Cross) is through; it will be in orders to-night. Good-bye”. “So they’d leave him there, eh?” he thought. “That’s Intelligence, is it? No, by God,” he ground out aloud through clenched teeth, and slammed the receiver down with a crash. “What’s that, sir?” asked the startled orderly. “Go to hell,” snapped Biggles. “No. I didn’t mean that. Sorry,” and made for the door. Within five minutes, Biggles is in the air and making for Lagnicourt Wood. Biggles bombs and strafes the searching soldiers, then lands. “He knew that he was taking a desperate chance. A bad landing or a single well-aimed shot from a sentry when he was on the ground would settle the matter”. A dishevelled figure runs from the edge of the wood and Biggles gets him to hold onto the left wing. A troop of Uhlans charge at Biggles at full gallop, but Biggles takes off towards them and opens fire with tracer. He flies back at 4,000 feet but his aircraft is hit by anti-aircraft fire and bought down in the German support trenches. “A sudden thought struck him and an icy hand clutched his heart. “By heavens! I’m carrying a professed spy; they’ll shoot us both”. At five feet, Biggles flattens out and crash lands. He is roused from unconsciousness by a Major Mackay of the Royal Scots. They have driven the Germans out that afternoon, luckily for Biggles. “Damn lucky for me,” agreed Biggles emphatically. (We are not told what happens to the spy or whether he survived the crash or not!).