BIGGLES IN THE ORIENT

 

By Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

III.                   BIGGLES BRIEFS HIMSELF  (Pages 28 - 34)

 

Biggles goes to his officer's mess and asks the Indian steward, Lal Din, to leave.  He then briefs his men on the situation.  Biggles says their task will mean casualties.  "I've never yet asked a man to do a show I wouldn't do myself, so I shall make a start.  After that it will be a job for volunteers.  If anyone would like to fall out, he may.  Now's the time".  Nobody moved.  Biggles says he plans to fly from Jangpur in India to Chungking in China.  Algy mentions that he has spoken to a pilot called Johnny Crisp and he says some fellows and their machines are extra-ordinarily lucky.  Either they, or their machines are unaffected by any new weapon.  Johnny has made eleven sorties since the trouble started and never seen or heard anything to alarm him.  Biggles sums the situation up.  "It seems that the man who finds the thing, dies.  Our problem is to find it and live - or live long enough to pass back the secret".  The men are told to give all the planes a thorough overhaul and Algy is asked to get a list of all non Air Force personnel who work on or visit the airfield.