BIGGLES IN THE SOUTH SEAS

by Captain W. E. Johns

XVII. FULL MOON SPRINGS A SURPRISE (Pages 245 – 255)

Sitting in their ruined camp, Biggles tells Ginger why they had to take the flying-boat to Rutuona, and their subsequent adventures. Ginger then tells his tale from when they were trapped in the grotto by the shark. Biggles plans to taxi the machine back to Rutuona and do the repairs to the machine there. Biggles says “Of course, if any one feels like starting the whole thing afresh, and making another raid on the pearl-bed, I’m willing to fall in line. But that’s really up to Sandy; he has the dangerous work to do”. Sandy says it has to up to Biggles as he provided the cash. Algy laments the lost pearls. Biggles says they need to have a word with Roaring Wave about the casualties, “so that when we tell our story his version of it will agree with ours”. They also need to buy handsome presents for Shell-Breaker and Full Moon. “If it hadn’t been for Full Moon, I shouldn’t be here at all,” declared Ginger, looking over to where Full Moon and Shell-Breaker were recounting their adventures to an ejaculating circle of warriors”. Biggles waited until they had finished, then called them over. He tells Full Moon and Shell-Breaker they can have whatever they like from the store on Rutuona. “We lost the pearls,” he said finally, “but that wasn’t your fault”. Full Moon frowns and says “No lost pearls”. Sandy confirms with Ginger that he is sure the pearls were on the schooner. Biggles then asks why did Castanelli come back? “Atanelli, he come back for pearls, I reckon” says Full Moon. She explains that she was on the ship and saw Castanelli take the pearls down to his cabin threw the window in the deck. When he went, she climbed through the window and took the tin of pearls then threw them in the lagoon. When Ginger was thrown over the side, she forgot about the pearls. Sandy gets Roaring Wave to man the canoe and take Full Moon to the site of the sunk schooner. Full Moon dives down and retrieves the tin of pearls. They taxi back to Rutuona. “Full Moon was permitted to sit next to Biggles in the control cabin and work the throttle”. The war canoe is taken in tow. Ginger watches the island disappear into the distance. “I’m coming back here again one day” he told Sandy confidently. Sandy chuckled. “That’s what we all say,” he grinned, “The islands get you that way”.