BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL

by Captain W. E. Johns

IX. A GRIM JOURNEY (Pages 149 – 161)

“They crept along the foot of the cliff in single file until they neared the point where the gorge cut through the rock, and the cave of centipedes yawned menacingly. “Keep your eyes skinned now: they’re about,” breathed Biggles, as a faint monkey-like chatter came from the cave”. “Neither of them ever forgot that walk in the deep sombre canyon, with the silent but potent rays above, and every shadow a menace”. Alarmed by a statue, or idol with a bestial face, they find the path by it, no more than a crack in the rock. The path is treacherous and there is a bridge “of such breath-taking horror that Biggles, accustomed to looking down from great altitudes, hung back and broke into a perspiration. It was not more than eighteen inches wide, with no parapet; on either side stretched an inky void”. They “crawled across it with more haste than elegance”. On the far side “the path became nothing more than a narrow cornice cut in the side of the living rock”. Biggles and Ginger can see Algy taxying to and fro in the Explorer. Biggles and Ginger continue up the path until they come upon the operators of the rays. “I’m afraid it’s going to be war, Ginger,” he said quietly. “I can’t warn the blighters to clear out because I don’t know the lingo, but we’ll give them a chance. If they try any funny stuff, though, they’ll go down the hill faster than they came up”. However, they are seen and Biggles is caught on the knee by a blue ray “with the dull force of a mallet blow” and nearly goes down. Ginger opens fire. Biggles recovers his balance and fights with two Chungs, one goes over the edge and the other is shot by Ginger. The other Chungs rush them and Biggles opens fire with the machine gun. “Several of the Chungs fell, and the foremost started back in a frantic attempt to get out of the hail of bullets”. Biggles and Ginger get further up the path, past the ledge where the Chungs were and the Chungs retreat. “Biggles fired a few rounds over their heads to speed them on their way”. “These are the people who are going to rule the world,” he muttered, as they ran on. “If they do, it won’t be by courage, but by a weapon which nature has placed in their hands”. Ginger fires a green Very light as a signal to Algy that they have reached the top. “A few more steps and they were on the summit, with what appeared to be the whole world at their feet. The scene was so indescribably beautiful that even Biggles held his breath”. Everything is illuminated by the Mountain of Light. “Before them lay the lake, a vast, motionless pool of liquid fire”. “It was as motionless as a sheet of ice, and looked as cold”. Biggles shivers. “My word! isn’t it perishing cold! I’d feel like lighting a fire if there was anything to burn”. “Side by side they sat and waited for the dawn”.