BIGGLES FOREIGN LEGIONNAIRE

by Captain W. E. Johns

IV. SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT (Pages 47 – 52)

“The Arabs reached the tree first. Steel flashed. Marcel, who had jumped clear of it, lashed out with the swagger cane he carried. Then Biggles and Ginger arrived on the scene with a rush. Even so, the Arabs were not prepared to abandon their onset, which concentrated on Marcel. Neither Biggles nor Ginger carried a weapon of any sort. Marcel apparently had only his light cane. The Arabs had daggers, ugly curved blades which they knew how to use. Ginger darted in behind the nearer, who was pressing Marcel hard, and slammed home a fist in a vicious kidney punch that brought a gasp to the man’s lips. Marcel lashed him across the face. Biggles tripped the other, and before the man could recover knocked him flat (“Biggles knocked him flat” is the frontispiece illustration of the book. Opposite the frontispiece is a drawn vignette of Biggles punching the Arab) and then stamped on the hand that held the dagger. Deprived of his weapon the Arab scrambled up and bolted. His companion, seeing him go, followed”. No attempt is made to follow them. The purpose of the attack was clearly murder and to follow the men into the honeycomb of the kasbah would have been suicidal. Biggles tells Marcel that Voudron put the two Arabs on to him. They talk about the overheard phone call. Marcel explains that Joudrier rang him from Paris to find out how he was getting on. Marcel confirms that he did not mention Biggles or Ginger. Biggles tells Marcel what they have learned about Voudron. “He’s the monkey in the woodpile here” (Note how in 1954 Johns has modified this expression). Biggles tell Marcel about Voudron’s meeting with Jules Raban, and suggests it is Raban who has put Marcel “on the spot”. Voudron approaches the three of them in the grove and Biggles only has time to whisper to Marcel “Let us know how and where we can report developments”. Voudron arrives and asks if there has been trouble. Biggles explains the commandant was attacked by two Arabs and they were walking past the grove and heard a cry for help and came to his aid. Voudron says he too heard a cry and came to investigate. “Ginger smiled at this glib explanation, which was a palpable lie. Voudron was either looking for Marcel’s body, or had been told by the Arabs that the attack had failed”. Voudron offers to escort Marcel back to camp, but Marcel says that he doesn’t need an escort and leaves. Voudron suggests Biggles and Ginger return to barracks and they do so. Voudron says he is not coming with them as he has “got a date with my girl”. Biggles tells Ginger on the way home that “the whole picture is now pretty plain”. Voudron knows Marcel is a police spy and has told Raban, who has told him to deal with it. Voudron has then hired Arabs from the kasbah where he must be known. “I don’t know any kasbah anywhere that’s really safe for a white man after dark”. Voudron then hung about to see if the Arabs did the job. He has now gone to see them to find out what happened. Biggles is of the opinion that he and Ginger are not suspected as it was natural for them to go to the aid of a comrade. Biggles says Raban will tell Voudron to try again, for which reason Biggles will advise Marcel to pack up and return to Paris. However, the gang will know they have been rumbled and “they’ll be on the watch for others on the same job”.