BIGGLES & CO.
First Published in April 1936 - 248 pages
Biggles
is approached by Paul Cronfelt from a firm of Bullion
Brokers called 'Cronfelt & Carstairs'
with a proposition. Cronfelt wants him to set up an
airline, a private venture with the primary object of carrying his companies'
freight, namely gold and jewellery. Biggles is initially reluctant but decides
to accept after receiving a threatening phone call from Germany, warning him
not to. Setting up business with Algy, Ginger and Smyth as mechanic, the
company is called Biggles & Co. The first load of gold Biggles carries is
stolen, but Biggles has replaced the gold with lead. Biggles then reverses his
first ruse to fool the criminals a second time when they try to steal his
second load of gold. Biggles also delivers the third load of gold safely but by
now, Algy has disappeared. Algy has followed the villains in an aeroplane to
Germany and been captured. Biggles is telephoned and told that he must hand
over his next shipment, diamonds due to be delivered to Amsterdam, if he wants
Algy back. Agreeing to meet at Aix-la-Chapelle, Biggles flies over and is
captured. His plane is burnt out with a dead body in and when Ginger, who has
been following him, arrives, he thinks Biggles is dead. Biggles is imprisoned
in the turret of a German castle. Staring out of the window, he is amazed to
see Ginger. Ginger has managed to follow the plane from the field where
Biggles' plane was burnt out. Communicating with Ginger by pretending to sing
'God Save the King', Ginger is able to climb up and organise Biggles' escape.
Taking the opportunity of looking through a lighted window, Biggles sees the
jewels in an empty room. However, when he climbs in, he finds himself trapped
by sudden arrivals. One of whom is a certain Erich von Stalhein,
the efficient German Agent that Biggles had last seen in Biggles Flies East. Biggles manages to escape and find Algy
but Ginger is captured. Biggles next sees Ginger in front of a firing squad.
Von Stalhein is going to have him shot! Biggles
surrenders himself to save Ginger. Biggles and Ginger are left alone with von Stalhein and this allows Algy to climb down a chimney is
order to attack the German from behind. Reaching a car and driving to where
Ginger left his plane, the three comrades manage to escape back to England. At
their aerodrome they find Cronfelt waiting. He is
desperate to be flown out of the country. Biggles is suspicious and the police
are called. Cronfelt, who has stolen his firm's
money, runs for it and is shot dead by a certain German who has just arrived by
aeroplane to do the job and who departs by the same plane just as swiftly.
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Biggles & Co.
Publication Details - published by Oxford University Press
Frontispiece
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