THE RESCUE FLIGHT

by Captain W. E. Johns

V. A DISCUSSION IN CONFIDENCE (Pages 64 – 72)

The paper is a newspaper clipping. “Mystery of Two Schoolboys” – “Lord Fortymore Disappears With Friend from Well-known Public School.” Once Thirty has read it, Biggles tears it up. He says “The paper was sent to me from England because it happened to contain an account of a raid I took part in. Turning over the pages last night before throwing it away, I was not a little surprised – as you may imagine – to see your photograph”. Thirty tells Biggles the events that led him and Rip to be there. Biggles says “Am I to understand that your real purpose in rushing out here is in the hope that you might, by some crazy scheme, rescue your brother – assuming that he is still alive?” “That was the idea,” admitted Thirty firmly” and he tells Biggles more about his brother’s idea. Biggles said he should call the guard and have them arrested but he is not going to do that. Biggles turns to Algy “I can’t help feeling that there may be something in this rescue idea,” he said seriously. “I am not necessarily thinking about Thirty’s brother; if the thing were properly organised there seems to be no reason why we shouldn’t get quite a lot of fellows back”. Biggles establishes that the place where Thirty thinks his brother may be is just over a hundred miles over the Lines as Biggles says “That’s a deuce of a long way. Few people, even old hands, care to go more than ten or twelve miles into enemy country”. Biggles says Thirty would need a two-seater and an escort. If they took off an hour before dawn they would be able to land just as it got light. Biggles says “You’ve put up such a good show getting out here as you did that I should be the last one to send you back to school. I’ll help you find your brother, if he is still alive”.