SERGEANT BIGGLESWORTH C.I.D.

by Captain W. E. Johns

XV. THE SANSEVIERA (Pages 144 - 155)

The following morning a cable is received from Air Commodore Raymond saying "go where you like and do what you like as long as you get crooks". Biggles makes a five hour recognisance over Abyssinia in a Tiger Moth that morning and again in the afternoon and does the same the next morning. Algy and Bertie also go out to look in the same Tiger Moth but nobody finds anything. After Biggles makes yet another trip the following day, a cable is received from Raymond saying the B.B.C., who had been asked to listen for signals, had picked up transmissions from an unknown source in Africa. By cross referencing the direction of the transmissions and the line of flight of the Renkells, Biggles identifies a point right in the middle of the Abyssinian sanseviera which he is certain is the enemy base. Biggles takes two Tiger Moths, one with himself and Ginger, and one with Algy and Sergeant Mahmud (to act as translator) and they land at a suitable area within a few miles of the enemy base. Meeting by chance a local native, a Danakil called Burradidi, they are told that white men are there, but he won't go to near due to the "air that killed". Biggles realises this must be poison gas. They are taken to a good path that leads in the right direction and make a difficult journey through the heat and vegetation. Eventually, Burradidi will go no further and Biggles advances. "No more talking" he says.