BIGGLES
SEES IT THROUGH
by Captain W.
E. Johns
VIII. A BITTER BLOW (Pages 116 – 127)
“Algy breathed a sigh of relief when they
roared across the frontier” but when they are within a hundred miles of home they are attacked by a Gladiator aircraft with Finnish
markings. Algy sees the number 13
painted on the nose of the attacking plane and recognises it as Eddie Hardwell, an American volunteer from their own airdrome
“and perhaps one of the most deadly fighter pilots on
the front. He had already shot down five
Russian bombers”. Ginger climbs out on a
wing, scrambles onto the back of the great fuselage and raises his hands in the
air in an attitude of surrender. The
fighter pilot indicates they are to land and Algy does so, landing on a frozen
lake. They all get out, except Biggles,
and put their hands up. The Gladiator
lands and Eddie gets out and recognises them.
Algy explains how they crashed and then borrowed this “kite”. Eddie says he was looking for them as a guy
has come out from England called Raymond.
Algy asks Eddie to return to get Raymond because they have got what they
went for, and to send someone out in a Blenheim to fetch them home. Eddie takes off to do just that. Some peasants come to them, seeing their
Finnish uniforms and a doctor is called for Biggles. The doctor says Biggles is only suffering
from shock. The blow on the head had
been severe “and had it not been for the fact that Biggles’s skull was
exceptionally hard, it would certainly have been fractured”. Over a couple of hours, Biggles’ condition
improves and except for a splitting headache, he says he is all right. Eddie returns in his Gladiator, followed by a
Blenheim, which contains Colonel Raymond.
Biggles tells Raymond von Stalhein is there, but they have the
papers. Biggles asks for his jacket, but
nobody has it. It is soon realised that
Biggles was carrying it when the avalanche hit. The jacket must still be buried under the
snow. Biggles laughs, seeing the funny
side after all their efforts. Biggles
says he will go back alone in Eddie’s Gladiator to get the papers. Biggles tells his friends to return to
Oskar. If Biggles fails, then they can
toss up for who goes next and try one at a time to recover the papers. Raymond says “The only thing that worries me,
Bigglesworth, is this; are you fit to fly with your head in that state?” “While
I’m conscious I can fly,” declared Biggles grimly. Eddie offers to go, but Biggles tells him
“this is our pigeon”. Biggles says he
will take his gun, a couple of biscuits and a spade borrowed from one of the
peasants. The others watch Biggles take
off and fly away in the Gladiator.
Raymond says he expects the Finns will take care of the Russian machine
and suggests they all return to Oskar in his Blenheim.