BIGGLES IN THE JUNGLE

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIV. BIGGLES MAKES A CAPTURE (Pages 148 - 159)

When Biggles leaves the underground chamber, he initially hides from the dark shadows he sees flitting around, aware that they are the Tiger’s men and they are up to something. Then there is a huge explosion as the King of the Forest and his men dynamite the house where they had previously been hiding. The enemy sentries leave their posts and join their companions at the scene of their supposed triumph, laughing and joking at the shattered remnants. Biggles “was not particularly concerned about the others, although he guessed that the explosion must have given them a nasty shock. Being underground, they would be safe”. A number of figures remain near the ruins and this prevents Biggles from returning to his companions. Biggles decides to go to make contact with Dusky, otherwise he would be leaving in accordance with his instructions. Biggles can also recover his rifle and the biscuits and the journey is not far. He manages to get down to the ravine where Dusky is. Dusky thinks he has seen the King of the Forest pass by and Biggles decides to go and capture him. “The stairway was, as far as could be ascertained, deserted, and Biggles hurried down, for time was an important factor”. Dusky goes with him. On going to the King's house and knocking out the guard, Biggles finds Bogat and Chorro sitting and talking. Bogat is saying that “the king is busy up top” and Biggles realises that Dusky has made a mistake, it wasn’t the Tiger that came down, it was Bogat. “However, he felt that by securing Bogat and Chorro and taking them to the coast he would have achieved the first step forward in his declared intention of breaking up the Tiger’s gang”. Biggles strolls into the room and takes them both away at gun point. Biggles plans to take them to his aircraft, but his captives don’t know that. “They hoped, no doubt, that camp would presently be made, in which case an opportunity for making a dash into the jungle might present itself”. As they walked to the aircraft and it came into view, Biggles did not relax his vigilance. Suddenly, there is a sharp phut and Bogat starts convulsively. He has been hit by a poisoned dart. Chorro rushes into the forest and “there was a fierce crashing in the undergrowth, a crashing above which rose shrieks of terror. They ended abruptly”. It was not hard to guess his fate. Bogat is writhing on the ground. Dusky flees and Biggles follows him. Dusky makes for a tree. “Flinging aside his rifle, he went up it like a monkey”. Biggles loops his rifle over his shoulder and climbs up after him. Having made their escape, they hide out in an unusual second layer of jungle high up in the trees. This is where branches have fallen and been caught by the branches below. As other twigs and leaves fall, they form a substantial carpet in the trees and over centuries this mat becomes as firm as the solid earth far below and supports a flora and fauna of its own. Biggles begins to regret leaving the others and wonders what they are doing.