BIGGLES IN BORNEO

By Captain W. E. Johns

XI. MONSOON (Page 112 - 123)

Flying to Malaya, the weather gets worse and worse. When they run into a head-wind of 40 mph, Biggles realises that if they carry on, they will not have enough fuel to get back. They carry on. Fee Wong helps Biggles find their destination of Telapur, although it is difficult for him by air. They land upstream of Telapur and float down towards it. Biggles intends to fly home as far as his remaining petrol will take him and then come down somewhere suitable. Fee Wong suddenly mentions that his brother might have petrol and our heroes wait in the plane whilst Fee Wong goes off to find his brother. Suddenly the rain begins to fall - it becomes "a constant downpour as if a million taps had been turned on". Even if they got more petrol now, they wouldn't be able to take off in the rain! Fee Wong returns with his brother and explains that the Japanese barges are already at Telapur, moored just beyond the saw mills and it was only a Japanese military pontoon bridge that has interrupted the progress of the barges. A large Japanese force including guns and tanks is due to cross in the next 24 hours and to make matters worse the Japanese have taken the petrol. "Biggles lit a cigarette and smoked for a moment in silence. "Looks as though we're going to stay here for a bit," he remarked presently. "No stay" declared Fee Wong. "River rise. Break aeroplane in pieces". "Okay, then we don't stay," murmured Biggles. "That means we go". "No go," said Fee Wong. "River smash you all up." Ginger looking out, sees an elephant on the bank. It is Ah Wong's elephant. They use elephants to shift the timber. This gives Biggles an idea. If they can put enough timber in the fast flowing river is will break the bridge and then they can look at how to destroy the barges.