BIGGLES HITS THE TRAIL

by Captain W. E. Johns

XV. REFLECTIONS (Pages 252 – 256)

“A fortnight later they sat in the library at Brendenhall Manor, sipping their after-dinner coffee. They had gone down by train after spending a day in London, during which time Malty had taken the pieces of stalagmite to an unknown destination and Biggles had reported to the Foreign Office in answer to a curt invitation handed to him on landing. The Explorer had been left at Brooklands Aerodrome to be re-conditioned”. Biggles has told them the whole story. Biggles is sure that Li Chen was the man funding the Chungs out of the Chinese Treasury. Malty says he has answered a telephone call earlier from the Royal Institute telling him that “the stalagmites contain a high content of a hitherto unknown form of radium”. It is estimated that the limestone contains three ounces. “It is beyond price”. “If you are thinking in terms of L. s. d. (read as pounds, shillings and pence) the valuation figure could not be less than two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, although that is purely problematical, because as radium has never existed in such quantities, nobody is qualified to name a price”. Malty says he won’t sell it. After letting the Radium Institute take what they require for research purposes, he will distribute the rest between leading hospitals in the country”. Malty tells Mac that he has instructed his agent to buy a cottage on the banks of the Clyde for him. Malty says to Biggles “Would it satisfy you and your two loyal comrades – er – that is – would you consider yourselves recompensed if I handed the Explorer over to you, with sufficient funds to finance another trip to anywhere you care to go?” “For my part, Malty, I call that really handsome; nothing would suit me better,” declared Biggles. He turned to Algy. “How about you laddie?” he asked. “I’m with you; I think it’s great”. “And you, Ginger?” “O.K. by me, Chief,” grinned Ginger”.