BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIII. WHAT HAPPENED TO GINGER (Pages 215 – 228)

“For some time the Explorer was hidden from sight owing to the saucer-like depression through which they were compelled to pass, but when they finally ran up on to the far lip, which was only a short distance from the edge of the lake, Biggles pulled up with a cry of consternation. The reason was instantly apparent to the others. There was no doubt about it: the Explorer was sinking. Her hull was low in the water, and he wing-floats were half submerged”. Biggles realises there is nothing they can do because the water is too cold to swim out to the plane. They can only sit and watch. Suddenly one of the aircraft’s engines roars into life and then the other. The amphibian slowly makes its way back to them and Ginger’s head appears, his face ghastly and smeared with blood. Ginger tells them to urgently start bailing the aircraft out. The plane has a bad leak. Biggles goes into inside and sees the naked body of a Chung in the flooded cabin. “With scant ceremony he heaved it overboard, where it sank in the deep water”. They all bail the plane out and see a hole the size of a tea-cup, which Ginger has hastily stuffed up with a rag. Ginger rivets some duralumin over the hole and explains that he was on board getting the Primus stove ready when the plane bumped and jerked. At least two invisible Chungs had got on board. Ginger fired his revolver at where he thought a Chung was and there “was a terrific splash as if a sack of bricks had fallen into the water”. Ginger bolted through the hatch and bumped into an invisible Chung dropping his gun. Ginger sees the Chung has dropped a black tube and knowing it must be a ray gun they fought for it and Ginger is hit over the head. He fell on his revolver and managed to shoot the Chung before passing out. The cold water bought him round. It was pouring in from where the active ray was playing on the side of the hull and had made a hole. Ginger then started the engines and came back to find Biggles and the others. Malty asks Biggles if he got the radium and Biggles produced his long pale-grey piece of stalagmite. “Is that any use?” he asked. “If so, I’ve some more pieces in my pocket”. Biggles is all for going home now. “The only thing that worries me is what Mac has told us. If what he says is true, then it’s up to us to try to put a spoke in the Chungs’ wheel before we go back and report the matter to the Government, or the League of Nations, or whoever will have to deal with it – not that they’ll be likely to believe us”. Biggles says he has a plan – to flood the power station. Biggles says they have nothing to burst the dam but they can get it to overflow. “It will flood the depression behind us, and pour down the hole like the waste-pipe of a sink”. Biggles points to the great spur of rock and says a squib would bring that down. If they break down their ammunition they can produce a fair pile of cordite and fire it off with petrol. “Any one else any observation to make?” asked Biggles. There was no reply”. They set about the plan.