BIGGLES IN THE JUNGLE

by Captain W. E. Johns

XI. THE SNAKE (Pages 111 - 127)

“As it transpired, Biggles had just enough petrol to reach the coast. He at once sought Carruthers, who was not a little surprised to see him, and made him acquainted with all that had happened. Carruthers was furious when he heard of the fate of the emergency petrol canoe; but when the real character of Chorro was revealed he was aghast, for he had always regarded him as a trustworthy servant. Unfortunately, nothing could be done about him at the moment, for by a coincidence Chorro had just applied for, and had been granted, three weeks’ leave of absence”. Biggles thinks he may have gone to report on the situation to the Tiger. Carruthers says “I’ll deal with the scoundrel when he comes back”. “If he does come back,” put in Biggles smoothly. “Carruthers gave him an odd look, but made no further comment on the subject”. Biggles plans to “have a bath, a square meal, fill up with petrol and take off again”. Returning to find the flood has subsided, Biggles lands and finds the camp empty but Dusky is waiting to tell him what has happened. Dusky had been up a tree and heard the native attack on the camp and seen Algy and Ginger led away. Dusky says they probably were taken to the native village and Biggles and Dusky set off along the trial. They reach the village and hear a commotion as it is attacked. “Dusky went up a tree like a squirrel” and reports back that it is Bogat and he has about twenty men with him. When Algy and Ginger and an unknown white man are taken away, Biggles and Dusky follow at a safe distance. Dusky thinks they are going to the steps in the jungle that lead up to the Tiger’s village. Biggles needs time to think and they hide until it gets dark. They see a panther and Dusky talks about how they can put a spell on you. “Forget it, Dusky. Devil or no devil, I warrant that he’d find an expanding bullet from this rifle a nasty pill to take” says Biggles. “He put a spell on yo, den you can’t shoot.” “He won’t put any spell on me, I’ll promise you,” returned Biggles lightly. “I reckon you don’t believe in spells, massa?” “No, I don’t,” answered Biggles shortly. “Den you watch out dem big snakes dey call anaconda don’t get you. Why, everyone knows dey bewitch folks” says Dusky. Dusky goes off to explore and find out what is going on. An hour passes and Biggles becomes concerned for him. Biggles becomes aware of an eerie blue glow, but it is only moonlight shimmering on a thin mist in an open glade. He then sees movement and sees Dusky apparently entranced by, and going towards, a huge snake - an anaconda. (“Dusky!” he shouted. “Stop!” – is the illustration on page 121). Biggles shoots the snake in the head and its body thrashes around. Dusky is dragged to safety. Dusky says he didn’t see no snake, but just knew it was there. “I told you dem ole snakes bewitch folks”. “Well, that one won’t do any more bewitching,” replied Biggles crisply. Dusky says he had been to foot of the steps and the diggings there have been abandoned. He has found an old watchman he is friendly with and he takes Biggles to him. Giving Biggles blue pantaloons and staining his skin brown with berries, they help disguise Biggles as a native Indian so he can go up the perilous steps and try to rescue his colleagues. Biggles and Dusky then set off on their long climb up Jacob’s Ladder. When they are just below the summit, they turn off into the ravine. Biggles is exhausted and takes a short sleep. Dusky offers to keep watch and Biggles tell him to wake him at dawn. When he is woken, Biggles leaves Dusky behind, with the rifle and their biscuits, and instructions to get back to the coast and tell Mr. Carruthers what has happened if he is not back within forty-eight hours. Biggles then goes up the final steps towards the plateau. At the top there is a guard with a rifle and so Biggles scales the cliff to get to the plateau where he finds a gang of about forty men working with picks and shovels. “Biggles had no difficulty in picking out Algy and Ginger”. Watching the gang are six guards, standing in pairs, all with rifles. “Another man, an enormous Indian, walked amongst the labourers swishing a vicious-looking whip”. The Tiger is also there with his two white companions and two bodyguards. Biggles sees that he can hide behind a big patch of “grotesque prickly pear” and he can use it as cover to get right up to the gang of workmen. He begins working his way toward the prickly pear.