THE BLACK PERIL

by W. E. Johns

XI. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALGY (Pages 149 – 157)

“Algy’s troubles had begun almost immediately after his rush into the air to prevent the Vandal from falling into the hands of those he now classed as “the enemy”. Algy has to take evasive action to avoid enemy planes, hiding in clouds and placing himself between them and the sun. “This must be a pretty big thing if they have to turn out half the machines in Germany, or Russia, to look for us. We are going to have a bad time if we are caught, I can see that”. Algy then nearly collides head on with another machine (Both banked vertically to the right - is the illustration opposite page 150). Threatened by the machine gunner in this plane, Algy follows it, until he makes an escape by pulling up into the sun and then diving into the cloud. “He could not hope to keep the machine on even keel for very long in such conditions without “blind” flying instruments – modern gadgets which Biggles disdained to use”. He lands by the small lake and taxis onto a swampy bank under some “dismal fir trees”. Algy then jumps out and throws armfuls of reeds over his top plane and elevators. Sleeping the night there, Algy finds himself stuck the following morning as the wheels have sunk down into the soft mud. “The fact tht Biggles and the others were waiting for him at that very moment threw him into a frenzy, but it was of no avail”. The day passes and “faint from want of food he crept back into the cabin to wait for morning”. Algy is awakened by noise and his heart sinks as he sees Blackbeard’s plane land, the one described to him as a low-wing monoplane with a biplane tail. He watches in silent misery as it taxis towards him.