BIGGLES IN THE SOUTH SEAS

by Captain W. E. Johns

On page 252 there is a paragraph break and then the heading “The End of the Trail”

The return of the warriors to Rutuona with Full Moon, and the story of how Castanelli died created a sensation and a feast was held, with the white men as guests of honour. When he has eaten to repletion, Ginger goes to their hut to sleep and awakes to find the others working on mending the machine. By noon they are ready to depart. The natives sing them a moving song of farewell. Full Moon and Shell-Breaker weep and Ginger holds their hands. “Their distress was so affecting that it was all Ginger could do to keep his own tears back”. “Kaoha, my friends,” he whispered huskily. “I shall not forget you. One day I shall come back”. Ginger is called to the machine and the ‘Scud’ takes off. “There is little more to tell”. The ‘Scud’ lands at Tahiti, where Sandy made a full report on the loss of the Avarata and the death of her captain. “The others confirmed his statements, which were accepted without question”. Several leading Parisian pearl-buyers were in Papeete, and to them Sandy sold most of the pearls, retaining only the very largest, for which he thought Biggles would get a better price in Paris. Sandy remained in Tahiti, announcing that he was going to buy a schooner and set up as a trader. By the time they reached Australia, the machine was in need of a complete overhaul, so Biggles sold it and bought three tickets for air travel to England. “It will be a change to sit still and let somebody else do the work,” he remarked with a smile, as they all went aboard”.