BIGGLES SEES IT THROUGH

by Captain W. E. Johns

XII. ANOTHER BLOW (Pages 166 – 183)

Before Ginger replies, they hear growls and have to leave fast before another bear approaches. When he has a chance, Ginger explains what has happened to him. Biggles says “I don’t often give way to despair, but by the anti-clockwise propeller of my sainted aunt, I’m getting to the state when I could throw myself down and burst into tears – like a little girl who’s lost her bag of sweets”. Ginger explains that he was on his way to take a wheel off Biggles’ Gladiator to replace his damaged wheel. Biggles concludes they have to go back to the lake anyway, as Algy will fly over looking for them. Biggles reckons it’s a good twelve miles to the lake and they get back there shortly after midday. The Russians appear to have gone, but the Blenheim has been stripped of all useable parts and his Gladiator has been dismantled and taken as well. Biggles decides the Russians could not have been gone long and, from a ridge, they see them in the distance. They wait for Algy and when he flies over, they light a fire. “Biggles raised his arms with his ‘thumbs up’ (a signal that is universally understood to mean that all is well)”. Biggles points west and starts to walk in that direction. Algy drops a note in his cigarette case; “Understand you have both crashed. Am returning home to fetch food; light fire when I come back so I can see you. I will drop grub. If you reach possible landing field, wait, and make signal. I’ll come down. If this is O.K. raise both arms in the air”. Biggles makes the required signal. They watch Algy fly west but he is attacked by three Messerschmitt’s. Algy does his best to fight them off. (The Gladiator swept up in a tight half roll – is the frontispiece illustration taken from a line on page 174). The leading Messerschmitt is forced to glide away from the fight as if his engine has been hit. However, out gunned and outclassed, his machine is forced to crash land in some tree-tops. Biggles and Ginger run to find Algy and thankfully he is alright, with just blood on his chin caused by a branch as he climbed down from the trees. His aircraft is still up in the trees and Ginger has to climb up a tree and shake it in order to get it to crash down. They then remove a wheel. They set off to collect the hidden papers. “How long have we been on this job?” inquired Algy as they set off through the trees. “Oh, about four days, returned Biggles. “That’s what I made it, but it seems more like four months” Algy replies. As they top the last rise that overlooks the valley wherein Ginger’s Gladiator stood, at the near end of which was the clump of trees where the papers are concealed, our heroes are shocked to see that the area is now a Russian camp! Biggles cups his chin in his hand and says “Maybe I can think of something”.