“BIGGLES” OF THE CAMEL SQUADRON

by Capt. W. E. Johns

VIII. THE THOUGHT READER (Pages 138 – 156)

Biggles is lying flat on his back “in a patch of deep, sweet-scented grass in a quiet corner of the aerodrome” staring at the sky. When Algy and Colonel Raymond come over to speak to him, Biggles predicts that, in a minute, a German Rumpler will come up from the south-east at about ten thousand feet and when he gets over a “clump of poplars” (trees) he will turn and streak for home. This duly happens. Biggles says he has seen this happen for the last two days at this time. Raymond says the “Huns seem to be seeing quite a lot of this sector, too, of late” and explains how various camouflaged things have been shelled out of existence. Biggles goes up in his aircraft to look and see what can be seen from the Rumpler’s viewpoint. He sees some camps where British battalions from the trenches are resting. “One or two small shell-torn villages came within his range of vision, and a farm labourer harvesting his corn, piling the sheaves into shocks, regardless of the nearness of the firing-line”. Other than this, there is little else to see. The next day, Biggles goes up again, before the Rumpler is due to come over and sees the same lonely farm labourer still harvesting his corn. “They only seemed to have moved their positions, and they now formed a curious pattern, quite different from the usual orderly rows”. Biggles realises that the long line of sheaves point in the direction of the concealed infantry and a number of isolated shocks probably indicated the distance they were away – disclosing their position to the German aerial observer! Biggles decides to land and destroy the signal before it is seen. He lands and advances towards the peasant farmer and they exchange friendly greetings and then – to Biggles’ astonishment – the peasant pulls out a gun and shoots him! Biggles comes round with a minor head wound and realises that the bullet has only just grazed him. The peasant has set fire to his farm house and is now escaping by car. Worse still, there has been ample time for the German Rumpler to read the message and set off on the return journey. Biggles makes it to his plane and chases after the peasant in his car, shooting it up until it crashes and burns. Biggles then flies to the infantry encampment and spends some time trying to convince them to move before an enemy bombardment opens up on them. Biggles has to ring Colonel Raymond at Wing Headquarters and then have him speak to the Brigadier. The infantry pull out and ten minutes later the shells start falling as Biggles takes off. Back at Maranique, Biggles gets a message from Colonel Raymond saying “Good work, Sherlock!”