BIGGLES IN THE BLUE

by Captain W. E. Johns

VI. CLOSE RECONNAISSANCE (Pages 89 – 102)

“The situation that had developed was discussed until bedtime and resumed early the following morning. The result, in a word, was a decision to try and locate the missing yacht”. Biggles wonders how much von Stalhein knows. He must know something otherwise he would not have left Jamaica. Algy wonders why von Stalhein pinched the Vega. “What else could he do?” asked Biggles. “He wanted to go somewhere, and to go anywhere from an island you need a craft of some sort. To hire a vessel would not only have been costly; the owner or his crew would have been on board; they might have asked questions – or seen too much. Don’t forget that these islands once bristled with pirates, and rumours of treasure are common. Almost everyone is on the look-out for anything smelling of a secret hoard. Von Stalhein didn’t want any tittle-tattle of that sort about his movements”. They go out in their aircraft again, in two sorties, lasting all day looking for two things, the yacht Vega, and the secondary colony of flamingos. Neither is found. They try again the next morning, after heavy rain, with the same result. After lunch Biggles asks if anyone has some suggestions. Ginger says something occurred to him that morning. The big lagoon on Inagua had changed shape. Biggles said he noticed that as well, no doubt the result of all the rain. Ginger wonders if lagoons can change shape, one may take on the shape they seek, depending on rainfall. Ginger then has a brain-wave. He asks to look at Hagen’s last letter. Biggles shows him a photo of it. The last word is “in” and that might be the first syllable of Inagua! Biggles says “By jingo! I believe you’re right! From the way Hagen wrote the letter ‘i’ it might well be a capital. And it would make sense. He says: ‘The papers, etc, are safe, and in …’ He might have been going to say ‘and Inague is the island in question … or the place I told you about …’ or something like that”. Biggles says it’s a bit late to do anything now but they will give the place a really close examination tomorrow. “Meanwhile, let’s fix ourselves up in marching order”. The rest of the afternoon was so employed. The next day they fly to Inagua, and although the big lagoon does not resemble what they seek, a small lagoon next to it does. Ginger also notes that he can see something else, at the extreme end, just where the mark appears on the sketch, there’s a sort of lump, but he can’t make out what it is at height. They spend an hour circumnavigating the island but see nothing of the Vega. Biggles says the only place the craft could be hidden is in some mangroves and then it could only be seen from ground level. They decide to land roughly midway between the mangroves and the small lagoon. Biggles plan is this. Someone has to stay with the machine in case von Stalhein was there and found it unattended and burnt it out. Someone has to go to the small lagoon to investigate there and someone has to go to the mangroves where the Vega may be hidden, to see if it is there or not. That needs to be a party of two in case von Stalhein is there and causes trouble. It is decided that Biggles will stay with the aircraft, Algy and Bertie will go to investigate the mangroves and Ginger will go to the small lagoon. Three hours ought to see both parties back. If anyone is away for more than five hours it will be assumed something has gone wrong. Biggles says “Take your guns. I don’t think you’re likely to need them but you never know”.