BIGGLES DELIVERS THE GOODS

by Captain W. E. Johns

IV. GINGER TAKES A WALK (Pages 33 - 41)

One of Li Chi's men stands out in ugliness and ferociousness of appearance. He has one eye and a scarred face and his names is Ayert, Li Chi's bosun, and he also speaks a fir amount of English. "Ayert is tough. He fears nothing that walks, crawls or swims. Upon his loyalty oyu may depend" says Li Chi. Ayert speaks to Li Chi and tells him that, a Japanese man called Admiral Tamasho, Li Chi's greatest enemy in on the mainland some ten miles away. He has set up his headquarters at Victoria Point, the nearest village across the strait. In fact, Li Chi explains that Tamashoa used to own the biggest pearling fleet in these waters and the two pearls that Li Chi gave to Biggles all those years before were stolen from Tamashoa. Li Chi says Tamashoa tried to buy them back and he send word that he had given them as a present to a Major Bigglesworth for saving his life. "No doubt he will remember the name, so it is to be hoped that he will never be in a position to ask you about the pearls personally" says Li Chi. Biggles and his friends go and dine with Li Chi before Algy and Biggles set off in the Gosling back to India. Ginger goes for a walk in the jungle where a strange thing happens. He sees a man's face staring at him, low down, as if crouching. Ginger draws his gun and the man, in a dirty yellow sarong tied with a blue sash flees into the bushes. On returning to Biggles and Li Chi, Ginger tells what has happened and describes the man. Li Chi knows him as Pamboo, a thief and a murderer previously in his employ. After Li Chi had him flogged he escaped into the jungle. Ginger takes Ayert to where he saw the man and Ayert tracks him down to the sea where they see a canoe being paddled about two miles away. Soon it will be dark so will not be able to catch up with him, even with a boat. Ginger fears Pamboo will sell the information that there are planes and white men on Elephant Island to the Japanese.