BIGGLES FLIES SOUTH

by Captain W. E. Johns

XX. FAREWELL TO THE DESERT (Pages 252 – 255)

Two hours later, having bathed, shaved and changed their clothes, our heroes sit in a shady tent and tell Kadar’s father their story. It took three weeks for an ample supply of petrol to arrive. One long day’s flying then sees the airmen back at Cairo. The jewels they had found were uncut gems of great value and these are handed over to the authorities for disposal. “Their sale realized a large sum, part of which was handed over to the explorers, and more than repaid them for the risks they had taken”. Kadar is appointed an honorary curator of a well-known Egyptian museum. They return to the hotel where they first met Kadar and discuss the reunion dinner in South Africa. “If we started to-morrow morning we might still get there in time” says Biggles. (This is rather surprising because the whole of this adventure has taken many weeks, with all the delays they had – they must have set out months earlier than the date of reunion dinner!). Ginger has had enough of sand and Algy feels that a nice green field or two would do their eyes no harm. “Then if you’ll be ready at the crack of dawn we’ll tootle along southward,” Biggles told them, as he reached for the jug of iced lemon-squash that stood on the table.