BIGGLES 'FAILS TO RETURN'

By Captain W. E. Johns

XIII. PILGRIMAGE TO PEILLE (Pages 147 - 161)

Ginger rides to La Turbie on the donkey as the first stage of his journey to Peille. He then journeys on to Peille and confirms with a small boy where the sanitorium is. Tying Lucille up in the shade, Ginger goes to the sanitorium and speaks with the janitor. He says he has called to make enquiries about Henri Ducoste on behalf of his mother as he is a friend of the family. The janitor goes to enquire if Ginger can see Henri but the answer is no. However, the direction the janitor goes gives Ginger a clue as to where Henri is. The janitor explains that Henri is just about to be taken away by the police - indeed at that very moment, the police arrive. Ginger has minutes to rescue Henri and puts on a doctor's coat and goes to where Henri is. He tell the guarding gendarme that he has come to take Henri away and sends the guard to speak to the doctor in the hall. Having heard the police car pull up, the gendarme co-operates. Henri is injured but not that bad. Ginger opens the window and gets Henri to climb out the back and sends him to find Lucille where she is tied up and tells him to make his way back to Castillon. Ginger then climbs out of the window himself and runs round to the front and steals the police car that has just arrived. Racing away in a mad dash down the dangerous cliff edge roads, Ginger loses control and jumps for his life. The car goes over the cliff and Ginger climbs up to the safety of a higher road. This distracts the police who think that Ginger and Henri have escaped together and gone over the cliff edge. Ginger makes his way to Castillon and catches up with Henri on the way as Henri has seen what has happened from his high vantage point and waited for Ginger. Henri and Ginger exchange stories if how they come to be there. They continue the journey to Castillon.