BIGGLES IN THE JUNGLE

by Captain W. E. Johns

VI. DOWN THE UNKNOWN TRAIL (Pages 61 - 72)

“For the first hundred steps Ginger’s head swam to such an extent that he felt sick and dizzy”. “Biggles appeared to be little troubled by the terrifying drop. He strode on, rifle on his shoulder, whistling softly, and stopping only to warn Ginger of bad places”. More than three-quarters of the way down the steps, Biggles and Ginger come across a landslide and climbing over it, they come across a hidden village - which turns out to be the strong-hold of "The Tiger" the man known as "The King of the Forest". Biggles and Ginger leave a note for Algy at the bottom of the steps under a stone by an obvious cairn of stones and then they climb down to the village, which is in a valley, hemmed in by cliffs. There is a narrow pass at the southern end of the track, where two armed men are on guard. Ginger speculates that the Tiger might not know that Dusky’s stairway exists and Biggles thinks he is right. They see – and are seen by – a woman, but she doesn’t seem alarmed. They head for the main house and, after exploring some locked up out-buildings, enter through an exotic garden, with various fruit growing. Ginger goes to eat some plums but is stopped by Biggles. “Don’t be an ass,” he muttered; “we’re on thin ice here. Don’t you realise that we’re in the king’s garden? Stand fast.” Finding an open door, they go inside. Biggles wants to look for evidence and, once inside, they discover a warning note to 'The Tiger'. It reads “Keep watch for three Britishers in airplane. They are government spies sent to get you, acting for Carruthers. Names are Bigglesworth, Lacey and Hebblethwaite. They have been sworn in as police, and have got one of your peons, (a Spanish-American day labourer or unskilled farm worker) the man Bogat shot. They will use him as evidence”. The note is signed "M.C." Biggles concludes that this must be Marcel Chorro and it must have been him who sabotaged their aircraft back in Belize. They realise the note has been sent by pigeon as they had seen a pigeon-cote outside. Suddenly, to their horror, they are confronted by a huge snake emerging from a chest, as thick as a man's thigh and already fifteen feet of its body is stretched across the room, cutting them off from the door and the window.