THE RESCUE FLIGHT

by Captain W. E. Johns

VI. THE GREAT ADVENTURE (Pages 73 – 85)

“Two days after the events narrated in the previous chapter Thirty and Rip picked up their flying kit and made their way towards the hangars”. They are on their way, with Biggles and Algy, to get Thirty’s brother. Thirty would be flying a Bristol Fighter, with Rip as his gunner, the plan being for them to land and, if Forty is there, he can share Rip’s cockpit. “Thirty has a shrewd suspicion that the real reason for this arrangement was the doubt in Biggles’s mind as to the likelihood of there being a passenger to bring back. And in this he was right”. Biggles has asked permission from the C.O. to go out on a special mission, but he hasn’t told him the details. “I’ve taken Mahoney into my confidence; he’ll explain to the C.O. what we tried to do – if we don’t come back”. Thirty shakes hands with Rip and says “thick or thin”. The four comrades fly through the night to their destination and land in a field. The see no one “for, apart from the very early hour, the district was a lonely one, because the hills made it unsuitable for agricultural purposes”. They manually move all three aircraft as far under the trees as possible but pointing out ready for take-off. Rip is to wait by the machines, to be ready to start them if he hears shots and to fire three shots himself if the machines are discovered. “Right,” said Biggles. “Let’s go. Lead the way, Thirty”.