SERGEANT BIGGLESWORTH C.I.D.

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIII. EVENTS AT EL ZUFRA (Pages 125 - 134)

Biggles, Algy and Ginger force the door of the hut and find plenty of supplies of food and water. Biggles remembers the remark about the Sansviera. Ginger takes a note out to where Bertie has previously been and it is left for him, fastened to a stick, to tell him that they are waiting at the oasis. When Ginger returns he is closely followed by some Arabs - Touregs. The Arabs appear hostile and Biggles goes to speak to them, firstly in English, which they don't understand, and then in French. The lead Arab is referred to as a sheikh and he is angry and asks why they have done this, indicating the dead Arabs and camels around the oasis. One of the dead Arabs is the sheikh's son. Biggles does his best to explain that they are not responsible but they are trying to catch the men who are. Things are fraught. Biggles fetches water for the Arabs through the safe path he has cleared. Biggles has almost persuaded the Arabs to let them live when one of them accidentally treads on a mine and is blown to pieces. Algy and Ginger draw their pistols as the Arabs close in around them.