BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL
Book First Published in August 1935 - 256 pages
This story was first published, in ten parts, as THE MOUNTAIN OF
LIGHT in The Modern Boy,
issues 385 to 394, dated 22nd June 1935 to 24th August
1935
The first issue dust wrapper can be hard to determine as
there are two different types of rear cover – see below for more information
This is a replica of the dust jacket to give you an idea of what
it was like. The first edition was
originally published at 3/6. I
understand there are different versions of this dust jacket.
Look at the design of the box around the wording on the back. I give other examples below. You will see that one is made up of
‘Swastikas’ and it appears, for obvious reasons, they later changed it.
CHAPTERS
Click on any chapter for a summary of the events in that chapter or
see the general story summary below
XIII – WHAT HAPPENED TO GINGER
Whilst
celebrating Ginger's award of his pilot's licence, an SOS on B.B.C. radio asks
for Major James Bigglesworth to contact his Uncle, Professor Richard
Bigglesworth. This is of course, Dickpa, previously seen in the story 'The
Cruise of the Condor'. Visiting Dickpa at his house, they find him and his friend Lord
Roger Maltenham, under attack from mysterious enemies. Both Dickpa and
Maltenham have returned from the heart of Western China on the borders by Tibet
and have a strange tale to tell. Maltenham agrees to finance an expedition back
to the borders of Tibet in search of the so-called 'Mountain of Light'. Buying
a Gannet amphibian and naming it the Explorer, Biggles, Algy, Ginger,
Dickpa and 'Malty' fly to Tibet. On their first night, they are able to see a
shining blue mountain, the effect being caused by the tremendous quantity of
radium in the mountain. Attempts to approach the mountain are initially
thwarted by a strange paralysing effect and giant man-eating centipedes.
However, the rescue of a Scotsman called Angus McAllister gives our heroes
vital information. A strange race of Chinamen called the Chungs has been
holding McAllister captive. The radium in the mountain has given the Chungs
weird powers, including the ability to make themselves invisible! McAllister
was the Chief Engineer on a ship, captured and forced to work for the Chungs.
The Chungs have the ability to use a bizarre blue ray that has a paralysing
effect. However, there is an insulating fluid, which can be used to ward off
its effects. The Chungs plan to invade the world from the Mountain of Light,
which is their power base. The Chungs attack Biggles and the others by blue
rays at their aircraft from a nearby plateau. Biggles and Ginger make a
desperate journey to attack the Chungs and prevent this continuing. The Chungs
then attack the aircraft in force and capture Dickpa, Malty and McAllister.
Algy manages to escape and join Biggles and Ginger. Meanwhile Biggles has taken
a hostage, a Chung called Prince Sing Hi and he is able to exchange the Prince
for Dickpa, Malty and McAllister. An expedition to get some radium from the
Mountain of Light sees Biggles falling into a network of tunnels, which
honeycomb the Mountain. Biggles comes up with an idea to flood the gorge where
the Chungs have their City and he is able to breach their dam resulting in a
deluge of water. Back in England, the small amount of radium they recovered is
found to be worth £250,000 and Malty gives Biggles the Explorer and
agrees to finance his next trip.
Click here to see the story illustrations from the original HARDBACK first edition of this book
Click here to see the story illustrations from the PAPERBACK edition of this book
Biggles Hits the Trail
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
The spine and cover illustration from the original Oxford first
edition
Above are illustrations of the two different back covers of
“Biggles Hits the Trail” – which is the rear of the actual first edition?
I am inclined to the view that the one on the left with the
“swastikas” round the outside and the
name “Humphrey Milford” above Oxford University Press is the first edition
and the one on the right is from the later reprint. This would be logical in removing things
associated with Hitler. Also, a
correspondent had both editions and says they were that way around!
The web site BIGGLES
ONLINE takes the opposite view.
Frontispiece - click on the above to see it in more detail
The “Hampton Library” reprint – click on the above picture to
find out more details