BIGGLES GETS HIS MEN

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

XIII.                         BIGGLES PLAYS FOR TIME  (Pages 153 - 166)

 

Von Stalhein has been unperturbed by Biggles entrance.  "You know, Bigglesworth, you'll do this sort of thing once too often" he says.  Petroffsky lets out a howl of greeting and invites Biggles to have a drink.  "You'd be well advised to sit still and keep quite" Biggles tells him.  Biggles and von Stalhein have a barbed conversation for a while.  Von Stalhein says he is only here for the money.  Biggles persuades Petroffsky to go home and so he leaves.  Shortly after they hear shots fired in the camp.  Suddenly a European man rushes into the room, talking in German and saying "The prisoners have escaped!  The hut is empty.  Luntz is shot - dying".  Then the man sees Biggles.  Biggles holds him at gunpoint then makes his escape, looking both von Stalhein and the new arrival in the room.  Outside, things are fairly chaotic with Korean prisoners running about "like frightened sheep".  This would make recognition of Ginger, who was also dressed like a Korean, difficult, except for at close quarters.  Biggles goes to the prison hut to confirm that the prisoners have got away.  He is surprised to see that the bars are still in place.  They must have gone out the front door.  He runs to the end of the workshop where he sees a group of Mongolians and a group of Europeans.  He turns towards the trees and then a huge explosion takes place.  Stunned by the blast, Biggles recovers slowly and finds the workshop gone and the prison hut flattened.  Biggles has also lost his pistol.  Ming, the Mongolian leader appears on the scene and Biggles runs for it.  He trips and fall and rough hands are laid on him.  "For a moment or two he was afraid that he was going to be severely manhandled, for the men were in an ugly mood; and not having a weapon of any sort there was little he could do to prevent it".  Von Stalhein comes on the scene and seeing Biggles says "This is a pleasure".  "If it is", replied Biggles evenly, "it's all yours".