BIGGLES – SECRET AGENT

by Captain W. E. Johns

XV. REUNION (Pages 243 – 253)

When Biggles is two minutes late, Ginger’s heart begins to sink. The Professor thinks they better surrender themselves but Algy is having none of it. Ginger’s heart leaps when he hears the sound of an aeroplane; “He’s coming!” Algy gets the Professor to shout a fair warning in German that they are armed and will fight. They all lie on the ground and a volley of shots are fired at them. Algy fires back at the flashes. Biggles lands the plane and Algy holds the enemy at bay whilst Ginger gets the Professor and his son on board. An unknown man is standing at the cabin door. “Get in!” shouted the stranger, who seemed to be beside himself with excitement. “Your boss is at the stick. I shall get fired for this when I get back – ”. “You’ll be lucky to get back” Ginger tells him. Algy gets on board and Biggles takes off. The wireless operator is wounded in the hand. Ginger goes and tells Biggles that he has got Algy and Biggles looks incredulous. “Masterly work” he says. Ahead of them, a line of searchlights mark the frontier. To their right are lights that are fighter plans after them. As soon as the wireless operator (whom Biggles refers to as “sparks”) has had his hand bandaged, Biggles turns out the lights on the plane, leaving just the instrument panel illuminated. “I wish we had a gun,” said Ginger wistfully. “The trouble about wishing is, it doesn’t get you anywhere,” murmured Biggles dryly. Biggles takes evasive action as the fighters close in. With no time to climb, Biggles flies over the searchlights at two thousand feet as anti-aircraft fire is directed at them. (The machine banked vertically to the right and began gliding parallel with the line of the lights - is the frontispiece illustration taken from a line on page 250). “This is like old times,” says Biggles cheerfully. Ginger marvels “at the way Biggles threw such a big machine about, for it was never on the same course for more than a moment”. They fly through a mountain pass and over France as Biggles makes for Croydon. “I’m not landing anywhere this side of Dover if I can prevent it. When I step out of this machine I want to feel good English soil under my feet”. Biggles has a message sent via the wireless operator to X.I.I. at Whitehall. “All’s well. Meet us at Croydon about three,” “Sign it Bigglesworth”. Ginger asks who X.I.I. is and is told Colonel Raymond.