BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL

by Captain W. E. Johns

XI. COUNCIL OF WAR (Pages 179 – 188)

In less than half an hour, they see Malty go to the amphibian aircraft and reappear with his medicine case and then hurry back towards the cave. “They’ve got a hole through that door apparently; that’s how the blighters got up,” observed Biggles. Eventually, Malty crosses the narrow bridge and comes up with two Chungs carrying a bamboo bed. They see Dickpa and McAllister go to the Explorer where Algy awaits and he then takes off and flies up to the lake. Malty works on the wounded Chung. “He’ll be all right in a week or two if they keep the wound clean”. When McAllister gets out the plane, Biggles says “Tell ‘em they can take young Burlington Bertie (a reference to an old music hall song) back to his daddy”. The Chungs leave. “And now what? asked Ginger. “Don’t ask fool questions; you keep your eye on that path and tell me if you see any ray-throwers or anything moving about”. Ginger asks Biggles if he has a plan. He doesn’t. “First we were on the plain. Then we were on the plateau. Now we’re up here. We can’t get any higher, so the next move, if any, will be downwards” says Biggles. “Pretty good,” sneered Algy. “That must have taken a bit of working out”. “Come, come,” put in Dickpa quickly, “I’m afraid we’re all a bit upset, and after what has happened it can’t be wondered at; but it’s no good sitting here and bickering”. Biggles says “If I remember rightly, the idea of this expedition was to get a packet of radium to save the lives of half a million people who are on beds of sickness – that’s right, Malty, isn’t it? I mean, that’s why you financed the show”. “Perfectly correct” says Malty. Biggles decides to go and get some radium. They are separated from the Mountain of Light by a series of razor-edged ridges. Biggles goes to look at the dam with McAllister and finds himself gazing down a sheer drop of some three to four hundred feet. “Who was responsible for that not inconsiderable feat of engineering?” he asked. “If we built it we should call it one of the wonders of the world,” he added. “Nobody knows,” replied McAllister. “The thing dates back to pre-Chung days, although the Chungs have added to it”. McAllister points out where the power station is. They make their way back to join the others.