BIGGLES FLIES AGAIN

by W. E. Johns

First published August 1934

CONTENTS – Page 5

List of illustrations – Page 7 (Frontispiece and four plates - either by Howard Leigh or W. E. Johns. The plates are facing pages 42, 108, 124 and 216. The plate opposite page 124 certainly appears to be signed ‘Johns’. All the rest are unsigned. I suspect they are all by W. E. Johns as Leigh usually signed his work).

I. THE GOLD RUSH (Pages 9 – 32)

The book opens with Biggles old Flight-Sergeant Smyth hunting alligators and Biggles is introduced as “Major James Bigglesworth, late R.F.C. and R.A.F.” They and “Algernon Montgomery Lacey, Biggles’ war-time comrade-at-arms” are waiting for a boat that is due to be sent by the Oil Investment Company of British Guiana. “Actually, the plight of the three airmen was serious. Following some months of unemployment after demobilization, during which time his gratuity had shrunk with alarming rapidity, Biggles had followed up an advertisement which led to his employment by the Oil Investment Company of British Guiana as a pilot, with the task of photographing from the air likely oil-bearing terrain in the hinterland of north-east tropical America. The company had allowed him to choose his own equipment and crew, with the result that he had sought out Algy Montgomery Lacey, formerly of his squadron, as second pilot, and Smyth, his late flight-sergeant-fitter, as general mechanic. After the vicissitudes of civil life they had jumped at the opportunity thus presented, and so it came about that six months later found them pursuing their task in a Vickers “Vandal” Amphibian, which they were able to land on the rivers and lagoons among the mangrove swamps near the coast”. They were being supplied by boat from Georgetown with stores, oil and petrol and handed over their reports and exposed plates. For six months things had gone well and then there was a long delay in which they were reduced to starvation rations before the boat came up with considerably less provisions and without their pay cheques. That was more than two months ago. The following evening they flew down to Georgetown only to be told that the Company went into liquidation more than three months ago. Biggles argues with the Companies Agent, a “little pock-marked mulatto”. “How are we going to get home?” asks Biggles. “I guess that’s your own affair,” replied the Agent brusquely, turning to some papers on his desk as if the interview was closed. “Then you’re a darn bad guesser,” snarled Biggles, taking off his jacket. “What are you going to do? cried the Agent in alarm, turning pale under his yellow skin”. Biggles gets him to sign over the amphibian aircraft to them in lieu of pay. “Get busy and date the deed the day before the Company filed its petition; your clerk can witness it. If you don’t,” went on the pilot, clenching his fists, “I’m going to give myself the satisfaction of tearing your dirty little gizzard out of your neck and throwing it outside to the dogs”. Returning to Algy and Smyth, Biggles suggests they might be able to work their way up the coast to New Orleans or across to Jamaica by giving joy-rides – then selling the plane to pay for their passage home. “Jungle Airways Limited, Joy Rides for N****rs, Flip-Flaps for Cannibals,” grinned Algy. (This is the second Biggles book to feature the use of the very offensive “N” word by W. E. Johns. The word first appeared four times in the second Biggles book “The Cruise of the Condor” (1933). In this fourth Biggles book the word is used three times in the first edition only, once in this chapter and twice in the chapter entitled “Savages and Wings”. Of course, in its day, the word was in regular use and not considered offensive at all, otherwise it would not have appeared in a children’s book, where even mild expletives are watered down. Strangely, the word remained in this first chapter in all editions of this book up until, and including, the 1985 last Dean & Son edition. But only in this first chapter. The two uses were cut from “Savages and Wings” in every single Thames and Dean edition. In the 1938 Boys’ Friend Publication edition of the book the word is used twice, once in the first chapter “The Gold Rush” and only once, rather than twice in “Savages and Wings”. The editing being due to the swearing rather than the N word). Our three heroes are then approached by a man who wants to hire them and their aircraft to fly to a wrecked ship where there is gold. The deal on offer is a fifty/fifty split. Half for the man and half for the three airmen. This man, who “spoke English like an American, but with the halting lisp peculiar to the Oriental” will pay the expenses. The next morning, they fly this unnamed person to a location in a backwater of the delta of the Orinoco, where they find the bones of an old ship. They start digging away the sand. Algy finds a 1621 silver coin worth eight reales (‘a piece of eight’) but that is all they find. An uncomfortable night ends with a rude awakening at gunpoint. A man in sailor’s uniform is pointing a gun at Biggles but Biggles manages to overpower him. A yacht called the ‘Sea Dream’ has arrived and a party has come ashore including an American and his beautiful daughter, Isobel. “My name is Hollinger, Cyrus P. Hollinger, of Tonville, Illinois, U.S.A.,” replied the man, looking rather uncomfortable. “Mine’s Bigglesworth – James C. Bigglesworth, of nowhere in particular,” replied Biggles lightly. “Meet my young and irresponsible friend, the Honourable Algernon Montgomery Lacey, of Merioneth Towers, Merioneth, Merionethshire”. Mr. Hollinger is looking for his steward, who is the man who has hired Biggles to fly here. The steward has heard Hollinger discussing the wreck with his daughter. “But isn’t there some gold here?” asked Biggles quickly. “There should be, but I’ve made a hobby of hunting these things out all my life and I’ve never found any yet”, says Hollinger. They get talking and Biggles explains how he and his colleagues come to be where they are. Both parties explore the wreck and clear away the sand but they find nothing in addition to Algy’s solitary coin. Hollinger explains that he is going to miss an important meeting in Lima and Biggles is commissioned to fly him the 3,500 miles there, with his yacht following on. When Hollinger gets out, he gives Biggles the thousand dollars promised and also some pay cheques from the Oil Company. “Pay cheques!” exclaimed Biggles in surprise. “What’s that got to do with you?” “I’m the managing director,” grinned Hollinger, backing away. “I suspected our Agent in Georgetown was crooked, so I ran down to see. That’s really why I was there. See you later!”