BIGGLES SEES IT THROUGH

by Captain W. E. Johns

XV. A STAGGERING DISCOVERY (Pages 213 – 229)

“Never had Ginger approached a project with such excessive caution as he now employed; the need for it could hardly be exaggerated, for it seemed highly probable that on his success or failure the lives of all of them depended”. As Ginger gets closer he realises the building is larger than he expected. It could nearly lay claim to the title of castle. It must have been the country seat of some noble family. The garden is overgrown but any advantage given by the undergrowth is offset by its liability to snap when trodden on. Ginger hears a chain rattle and he realises that a dog is present but it is chained up round the back. Ginger therefore approaches the front and tries the massive front door, only to discover it locked. Ginger hears voices and realises that someone is still about. He sees a light from a window furthest from their approach and notes that the curtains don’t quite meet in the middle. The words Ginger hears stun him – for they were spoken in English. Looking in the window, Ginger sees five men seated around a large table finishing a meal. Three are Russian officers, one is von Stalhein and the fifth man is one that Ginger knows slightly. He was a member of the International Squadron fighting for Finland, a Swede named Olsen, who had lived most of his live in Canada – at least, this is what he had said. Ginger hears the Swede describe in detail the Finnish plans for defence; he is clearly a spy. Olsen says he has flown over and left his aircraft in the valley just east of the frontier. He also makes reference to the number of troops and the fact that if he hadn’t have known the password he would have been in a mess. Von Stalhein asks him about “a fellow named Bigglesworth”. Olsen says “Sure I know the skunk. Because he shot down a few of your crack fliers in the last war he acts like he’s running the show”. Von Stalhein explains that Bigglesworth is a British Agent and he might slip through his fingers. “Bring those papers back to me and I’ll pay you a thousand pounds. I’ll pay you another thousand for Bigglesworth, dead or alive, and five hundred for each of the others”. Olsen asks if the heads would be enough and von Stalhein agrees. They all leave the room and Ginger gets in the window to steal the remaining food. Whilst he is doing this he is disturbed by a Russian soldier at the window, obviously a sentry, who also wants food. (He stood just inside, still grinning amiably and pointing at the table – is the illustration on page 225). The soldier thinks Ginger is a servant clearing the table. Ginger gives him half a bottle of wine and gets him to leave. Then, taking the remains of a goose and a chicken and other food in a napkin, he gets out of the room via the window he entered by, just before a real servant comes in to clear the table. Ginger returns to Biggles and Algy with the food and relays the information he has overheard. Biggles says that hanging would be too good for Olsen. “There are moments when I regret that torture has gone out of fashion, and this is one of them”. Biggles concludes there must be a path leading to the house that Olsen will pass down and they can ambush him. They have got to find out the password. They set off to find the track and do so. There, they eat their meal of roast chicken, roast goose, potatoes and bread. Then Biggles takes out his gun and Algy puts the rifle across his knees. The three men sit down to wait.