BIGGLES FLIES NORTH

by Captain W. E. Johns

XVI. GINGER ACTS (Pages 173 – 181)

Ginger had gone to make the coffee and on returning is able to listen to what was going on via a small window between the rooms in the Arctic Airways office. He was just in time to hear Delaney accuse Biggles of the murder of the old prospector. Ginger realises that if all four of them are put behind bars, anything could happen and he needs to avoid arrest. On the spur of the moment, he thinks of getting away in the machine. There is no time to warm up the engines. The whirl of the self-starter followed by the choking back-fire of the engines causes Delaney to come racing out and Ginger is then under fire. Ginger takes off and is able to see Biggles wave at him from the ground. He derives some comfort from the gesture because he was by no means sure that he had done the right thing. Ginger wonders where to go. Could he go and get Angus to come down as a witness? He realises that if he lands that far north in the bad conditions, he may never get off again. Ginger remembers the log cabin that McBain stopped at and decides to fly there – if he can find it again, he may find some evidence to help their situation. Finding the relevant lake, he is able to find the cabin but also notices a wolf. Landing, Ginger doesn’t bother to taxi up to the log cabin, but as there is no sign of life whatsoever; he just calmly walks up to it. Suddenly, a window opens and a rifle barrel emerges from the cabin and a shot rings out. Ginger crashes forward onto to his face and lies still. The cabin door opens and out comes the Indian from McBain’s party. The Indian draws his knife and bends over Ginger, as if to scalp him.