BIGGLES FLIES EAST

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

XXII.       BIGGLES EXPLAINS  (Pages 247 – 254)

 

That evening, Biggles and Algy dine with Major Raymond, the General and his Aide-de-Camp.  Biggles says that he felt from the beginning that von Stalhein was more than he appeared to be on the surface because he was so suspicious of any stranger that came to the camp.  He was never dressed as an Arab in daylight and he didn’t want people to know what he was doing, hence using the far side of the aerodrome and slipping out after dark.  Biggles said the Count was secretly jealous of von Stalhein and enjoyed it when he was taken down a peg or two.  Von Stalhein sent Leffens out to watch Biggles as Leffens was the one man he really trusted and Biggles was sure von Stalhein tipped him off to kill Biggles.  Biggles began to suspect that von Stalhein was Sterne after Biggles was helped to escape from the British lines.  “That’s why I went to von Stalhein’s room”. “I was hoping to find a British uniform”.  Then there was the British hat in Mayer’s machine.  Biggles said that when he went to speak to Sheikh Haroun Ibn Said, the Arab arrested as El Shereef, he got nothing out of him.  “He closed up like an oyster at the bare thought of the British suspecting him to be a traitor”.  The ring the Sheikh had was the one that belonged to Leffens.  “They knew that one of those rings found on the Sheikh would be sufficient evidence to hang him”.  “Those rings are few and far between.  They daren’t leave spare ones lying about: it would be too dangerous”.  Biggles said of von Stalhein “he never trusted me; he was no fool; he was the only one of the lot of them who spotted that things started going wrong from the moment I arrived.  It might have been coincidence, but von Stalhein didn’t think so”.  When Biggles came over to confirm the capture of El Shereef, von Stalhein followed in the Sopwith Pup dressed as Major Sterne and told the flight-sergeant to change Biggles’ plane so it had no distinguishing mark on top.  Biggles has since checked with the flight-sergeant.  Von Stalhein then sent out the Pfalz crowd to intercept him.  The General asks Biggles what he is going to do now and he is disappointed to hear that Biggles will submit an application to the General to post him back to his old unit, number 266 Squadron, in France.  The General agrees and thanks Biggles for what he has done.  “The success of the British Army in Palestine may have rested on you alone”.  Biggles says his goodbyes and leaves.  The General turns to his Aide-de-Camp and says “if we had a few more officers of that type the war would have been over long ago”.

 

GLOSSARY OF R.F.C. TERMS AND EXPRESSIONS USED IN THIS BOOK WITH WHICH READER MAY, OR MAY NOT, BE FAMILIAR  (Pages 255 – 256)

 

The glossary defines the following words:-

 

Archie

Tarmac

Very Light

Delivery Pilot

Constantinesco

Bump

Wing-Skids

Wady

Box

Jagdstaffel

Dihedral

Deflexion

The Pfalz Scout

Bracket

Dictaphone

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