BIGGLES IN THE GOBI

by Captain W. E. Johns

XI. COUNTING THE HOURS (Pages 123 – 138)

“At the oasis, the bombshell effect of Biggles’ message soon wore off, and while Ming resumed his post as sentry, and the others rested, Algy and Ginger discussed the implications of the message from all angles”. Would the Kirghiz who fled come back? If not, what was to be done with their wounded comrade? They talked of using the radio, but dismissed it as too dangerous and they may not even be able to reach Biggles when he was on the ground. The important thing was to get the airstrip finished. Biggles was due the dawn after tomorrow but Algy decided they had better ration the food in case he was unable to come. There were ten mouths to feed, not counting the wounded Kirghiz. Work is done on the airstrip and towards the evening, Ritzen comments on the weather. He is afraid there is a wind coming. Ming appears at speed and reports that four Kirghiz are coming. “Coming to collect their horses and their sick pal, I suppose,” opined Algy. The Kirghiz arrive and “said something to Ritzen in a manner that was brusque, to say the least of it”. They demand food and Algy says they have none to spare. They increase their demands as they are on the run from the soldiers and have to leave the district, so they have a long journey before them. The argument takes a nasty turn and Ritzen advises giving them a fair quantity of food otherwise they might all be murdered. “These men don’t make idle threats. They mean what they say. We’re in no state to oppose them. It’s more than likely that if we hadn’t taken care of their wounded companion they would have killed and robbed us anyway”. Algy agrees to give them food. “It went against the grain to have to submit to force, but he could see there was nothing else for it”. A quantity of rice, biscuits and cheese is hand over and the Kirghiz take their wounded comrade and leave. Half an hour later, seven more Kirghiz turn up, also demanding food. Algy has them told they have no food and they are called liars as the Kirghiz have met friends who say they have. “That’s what we get for giving way to that other bunch,” muttered Algy savagely. “I wish I had a machine gun. I’d teach these confounded thieves a lesson”. Ritzen says “You haven’t got one so you’ll have to give in. If you refuse they’ll take the lot and our lives as well”. “Nearly choking with anger and mortification Algy saw that he would have to submit”. “Ginger, tight-lipped, remembered the wretched king, Ethelred the Unready, who, in buying off his enemies, only encourage further demands”. (Ethelred the Unready was King from 978 to 1013 and then from 1014 to 1016. He was considered an ineffectual ruler who failed to prevent the Danish (Viking) attacks on England, even after paying tribute, or protection money, to the King of the Danes, what is known as ‘Danegeld’. “Unready” meant “badly advised” in old English and was a pun as the King’s name meant “well advised”. In 1013, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invaded England, as a result of which Ethelred fled to Normandy. In 1013, he was replaced by Sweyn who died in 1014, after which Ethelred returned to the throne but died just two years later). Practically all the remaining food is set before the brigands who, shouting, said it was not enough. Ritzen said if they could find any more they were welcome to it. “This was as near the truth as made no difference”. The Kirghiz are persuaded to take the food and go. Algy knows they are sunk if the aircraft doesn’t turn up tomorrow. They barely have enough food left for one day. They sleep and awake next morning knowing they only have one more day to go. The wind is blowing but not enough to cause serious alarm. The landing-strip has to be cleared of dead shrubs that have blown onto it, and this is done. “Nothing is more tiresome than to have nothing to do when one is in a state of suspense or anxiety”. Lunch sees the end of the food. “Ginger could feel for the missionaries. He realised how awful it must be for them, after months of misery, to see the possibility of having the cup of salvation dashed from their lips at the last moment. He admired their courage and fortitude, for not a word of complaint did they say”. Feng comes running from sentry duty with news about as bad as it could be. Horsemen are converging on the oasis, two separate groups and Feng thinks one party are at least a dozen Kirghiz and one are Chinese, far outnumbering them. Algy thinks the Kirghiz are probably the ones who took their food and they are making their way to the oasis as the one bit of cover where they can fight it out. Algy orders everyone into the caves. Algy and Ginger watch from the cave entrance and see the Kirghiz take cover in the trees and stream bed. The wounded Kirghiz they tendered, limping badly, holds their sweating horses. Ginger feels like he would like to help them but the reality of having only two pistols would make no difference in this situation. “Very soon a bitter battle was being fought out on the oasis. For some time neither side seemed to gain any appreciable advantage. The bandits, who must have known they were doomed, were obviously determined to sell their lives dearly. There were casualties on both sides. Men could be seen lying about”. “No mercy was shown on either side. Wounded men were killed out of hand whenever opportunity offered”. Ginger wonders why the Kirghiz have not tried to seek refuge in the caves and can only conclude they didn’t want to be trapped or abandon their horses on which their lives had always depended. They watch as the Kirghiz are slowly killed off. “I’m afraid the wretched Kirghiz have had the chop. It was bound to end that way. Nothing we could have done would have made the slightest difference” says Algy. Something causes some excitement amongst the Chinese. Ginger had been watching. “They’ve been looting the dead Kirghiz and must have found the cartons of food we gave them last night. Yes, that’s it. That’s a packet of English cigarettes Ma Chang is looking at”. (“That’s a packet of English cigarettes Ma Chang is looking at” is the illustration between pages 136 and 137). “Below, yellow faces were now upturned towards the caves”. Ginger wonders what Biggles has been up to. “Perhaps it was as well that they couldn’t see Biggles at that moment”.