BIGGLES
IN AFRICA
by Captain W.
E. Johns
VI. SARDA
STRIKES (Pages
101 – 110)
Biggles soon concludes that it must
have been Leroux who started the aeroplane up.
Ginger wouldn’t have done it himself and the chances of another pilot
being in the district are remote.
Biggles concludes Leroux must have struck Ginger down and taken away his
body. “Without transport our hands are
absolutely tied. It would be out of the
question for us to start walking about looking for him; we might spend the rest
of our lives searching in a country of this size, even if it were possible to
get about without supplies, which it isn’t.
It seems to me that the only thing left for us is to get to Malakal and
cable home for another machine”. Biggles
and Algy discuss their options, including seizing Sarda and using his
telephone. “When in doubt, sleep on it,”
is a very sound axiom, concludes Biggles.
(An axiom is a statement that is taken to be true). The next morning, Sarda appears with some
goat milk for their coffee and is cheerfully friendly. Biggles tells him that Ginger went out on a
joy-ride last night and hasn’t come back.
Sarda says he heard him go. When
Biggles suggests, Mr. Leroux, the pilot might help them find him, Sarda
suggests they ring him on his telephone.
“Telephone!” exclaimed Biggles.
“You didn’t tell us you had a telephone”. “You never asked me,” returned Sarda
simply. “That’s true enough,” Biggles
had to admit. Sarda says the phone goes
to Karuli, the tobacco plantation where his boss lives. Biggles and Algy drink their coffee. They then start to feel ill. “You like my milk?” sneers Sarda. “You swine!” Biggles ground the words out
through his teeth. As Biggles and Algy
collapse helplessly, Sarda removes they guns.
“I’ll be back” he says (predating
Arnold Schwarzenegger by nearly 50 years).
“Algy – old son – I’m afraid – we’re sunk,” whispered Biggles
weakly. “That skunk – has – poisoned –
us”. Sarda returns with a can of petrol
and splashes it all over the walls of their hut as Biggles and Algy lie
helpless within it. “Now I go outside
and hark at your frizzling”. “With that
he struck the match and tossed it against the petrol-soaked wall. With a dull, terrifying roar a sheet of flame
leapt upwards”.