BIGGLES’ CHINESE PUZZLE

AND OTHER BIGGLES’ ADVENTURES

by Captain W. E. Johns

First published May 1955

CONTENTS – Page 3 – Setting out eight story titles

ILLUSTRATIONS – Page 5 – (six illustrations by Stead, including the frontispiece, and then facing pages 16, 81, 96, 145 and 160)

I. BIGGLES’ CHINESE PUZZLE (Pages 7 – 57)

This story was originally published in the BOY’S OWN PAPER, Volume 77, issue 1, dated October 1954.

Biggles asks Ginger to get Marcel Brissac on the line at the Paris Surete as he promised to let him have some Interpol* (a footnote tells us *International Police Commission) figures weeks ago and Biggles has heard nothing. Ginger gets Inspector Joudrier on the telephone and Joudrier tells Biggles that Marcel has been gone for six weeks and is now missing. He went on a mission to Saigon in French “Indo-China” (Comprising modern day Cambodia, Laos and parts of Vietnam) to investigate big-scale currency smuggling between France and Indo-China. Locally, they will pay forty piastres for an American dollar. That is six hundred and eighty francs. The dollar in Paris is worth about four hundred francs, so dollars from France can be sold at a vast profit in Indo-China. Biggles discusses with his team, Algy, Bertie and Ginger how they can help. It is difficult as it is a French domestic problem and they have no jurisdiction. Biggles goes to see Air Commodore Raymond who agrees they can go, but only as civilians on a “trade mission”, in a civilian aircraft on charter. Biggles decides to fly over the Paris firstly, to have a word with Joudrier. Three hours later, Biggles is in Joudrier’s office. He discovers that Marcel flew in his Morane aircraft and that has disappeared as well. Searching Marcel’s desk for clues, Biggles finds the impressions of a page from his note pad which, when dusted with black carbon powder, gives five names and addresses. Only one is a Chinese concern called Ching Loo and Co, who own a lot of property in Saigon, including the Pagoda Palace Hotel. Joudrier wonders if Marcel intended to stay there. Biggles returns to London.

There is then a new chapter following an asterix *.

“Ten days later the old but still serviceable Air Police Halifax was making its approach to the airport of Saigon”. (French Indochina, officially known after 1947 as the Indochinese Federation, had Saigon as the capital from 1887 to 1902 and from 1945 to 1954. By the time this book was published in 1955, the capital had reverted back to Hanoi). In the aircraft with Biggles, Algy, Bertie and Ginger, are ‘samples’ of textiles as part of the set-up of the trade organization, which is their cover. Algy and Bertie are sent to book into the Pagoda Palace. Ginger is sent to report their arrival to the British Legation as a matter of courtesy. Biggles says “I’m going to have a mooch round the hangars just to make sure Marcel’s Morane isn’t here …. It’s a bit hard to know where to start”. “Biggles knew, when he had said it was a bit hard to know where to start, that this was an understatement. Although he had been turning the matter over in his mind during the long hours in the air on the way out, he still had no definite plan. To make inquiries openly about the missing aircraft would, if there had been foul play, not only defeat their object but put them in a position of some danger”. As he goes towards the exit, Biggles is drawn into friendly conversation by an American who explains that he is a delivery pilot under the American Aid Plan. He says his job is to “Bring new kites out and take the old ones back for reconditioning”. “These hamfisted Orientals break the stuff up as fast as they get it” he adds. The American is also staying at the Pagoda Palace. Biggles spends two hours looking around the hangars but does not find Marcel’s Morane aircraft. Meeting with the American again, the man says he is leaving in the morning for Marseilles. Biggles takes a cab to the Pagoda Palace and meets up with his comrades. From the hotel visitors’ book, he learns that the name of the American ferry pilot is Bollard. He finds where Marcel has booked in, but then booked out again three days later. That entry was not in Marcel’s handwriting and in a slightly different colour ink from that in the ink-well. The American arrives and it’s clear he has been drinking. He invites Biggles (and presumably his comrades?) for a drink and “Rather than risk hurting the man’s feelings Biggles accepted”. They talk and Bollard says he has a diplomatic pass to do his job. During the conversation, Bollard says with a wink that “Naturally, a guy can always make a dollar or two on the side”. “Naturally,” agreed Biggles dryly. Bollard says the hotel is run by the Ching Loo outfit and he wants to keep in with them as “there’s a whisper they’re going to start their own air line”. Bollard knows Estere, the Swiss hotel manager, and says when he gets back, he’ll give Biggles an introduction. Bollard is called away and Algy, Bertie and Ginger talk with Biggles about the conversation (so they were obviously present, if not part of it). In the morning, Biggles, taking Ginger with him, plans to see Bollard take off. Algy and Bertie have to make a pretence of showing their samples, in case they are all being watched. As Biggles goes to bed, he sees Bollard come out of Estere’s office with “a well-filled portfolio”. Biggles sits on his bed smoking for half an hour thinking things over. He wonders if Bollard is being used as a tool in the currency smuggling racket.

There is then a new chapter following an asterix *.

“The following morning Biggles and Ginger set off early for the airport”. They see blockhouses made of concrete. “Reminders that the country was at war and had been for several years. Some of them were thinly manned by coloured troops drawn from one or other of the French dominions. Ginger smiled reminiscently as occasionally he picked out the familiar white kepi of a Foreign Legionnaire* (an asterix refers us to the bottom of the page where a note says * see Biggles, Foreign Legionnaire). Arriving at the airfield they keep watch on a Douglas D.C.3 standing on the concrete apron in front of Number Two hanger. Bollard boards without any checks. Bollard joins another man, “presumably his partner on the flight” and they wait for a suspiciously long time with their aircraft ticking over. The men keep glancing at the scrub, behind which a road skirts this part of the airfield. Suddenly, “a white man in dirty green denims, burst out of the scrub, and crouching low close to the hangar raced towards the aircraft”. (“A white man in dirty green denims raced towards the aircraft” - is the illustration opposite page 16). The man jumps in the aircraft and it then takes off. Gingers says now we know that Bollard’s a crook. Biggles says “I’m still reluctant to change my first opinion of Bollard. If he’s a downright crook I’ll never trust my judgment again”. Biggles thinks he may just be helping a fellow national leave the country, such as a deserter from the Legion. Biggles says he has “Learned not to judge people without being sure of my facts”. Biggles and Ginger go and check on their Halifax and find everything as they left it. In another hangar they find a Douglas D.C.4 and behind it a Morane aircraft! It is painted in war-time camouflage style and carries a Chinese hieroglyph for its registration mark. Biggles knows that Marcel’s Morane was painted blue and he notes that you can see blue where the top coat has been scratched. Two men in overalls run up and ask them to leave in “vehement French”. Biggles and Ginger leave, Biggles tells Ginger he was sure that plane was not there yesterday. Biggles says finding the plane is good news. It tells them that Marcel’s wasn’t killed in the plane, either being crashed by accident or design. In the main hall, Biggles asks a porter about the Morane and asks if it is for sale or hire. He is just told “no”. Even the assistance manager is not willing to talk to them about the plane. They decide to go back to the hotel for lunch “and give the others the gen”.

There is then a new chapter following an asterix *.

After lunch, Biggles and Ginger return to the airport to watch it generally and “the shed housing the Morane in particular” whilst Algy and Bertie continue to play their part as salesmen. With the coming of darkness, all return to the hotel. Biggles is told that Monsieur Estere, the manager, would like to see him. Biggles is asked by the manager if he was at the airport and if an aeroplane excited his curiosity. Biggles says he was wondering how a plane of that type got there, is there anything wrong with that? He is told “Nothing. But the fact remains, you were asking questions, and at Saigon at the present time that can be a dangerous occupation. As you are staying in my hotel I thought it my duty to warn you”. Biggles is asked how long he will be staying and he says they shall leave when the business that bought them there is concluded. Biggles decides to give the manager something to think about and he says that he wanted to see the manager on the advice of the American named Bollard, who had told him he could make a few dollars on the side. The conversation continues with veiled threats from Estere until a Chinese man, “dressed in European clothes” comes in and shows Estere a newspaper called the “Saigon-Soir”. Biggles leaves the room. Biggles tells his comrades that “Estere as good as gave me orders to get out”. Biggles adds “From now on we’re marked men; which means that we shall have to step warily or we shall end up like Marcel – however that may be”. Ginger is sent out to get a copy of the Saigon-Soir and on the front page, in heavy type the paper says “Dangerous Murderer Wanted By The Police” and there is a photograph of Marcel Brissac. Biggles asks his comrades where would Marcel make for if he was on the run and they all agree he would make for the airport and try and grab either his machine or any machine. Biggles says they need to split up and patrol the boundary road by the hangars. If they call Marcel’s name or sing snatches of R.A.F. songs, they might be able to locate him. They leave the hotel in the pouring rain, telling Estere they are going to “make a round of these famous Saigon night clubs we’ve heard about” but when some distance away from the hotel, they get a taxi to the airport.

There is then a new chapter following an asterix *.

The rain falls in a steady downpour. For Ginger, “It was one of the longest nights he could remember. The darkness did, in fact, last for nearly twelve hours. He thought it would never end”. All four of the friends take a beat and walk up and down looking for Marcel. When Ginger is approached by military police, he pretends to be drunk and with a laugh, the men leave him alone. “Throughout the whole miserable ordeal he was fortified by his anxiety, and pity, for Marcel, whose plight must be much worse than his own”. Dawn arrives and they all gather behind the hangar that houses their aircraft. Biggles tells his team that they will stay there all day and again the next night if necessary. Biggles decides to get their Halifax out in case they need to leave in a hurry. Ginger returns to his beat and thinks if only they could inform Marcel there were there. He then has a brilliant idea and runs to Biggles in the Halifax. If Biggles was to fly around, Marcel would see it and realise that they were there, as “no one but us would be likely to bring a Halifax”. “Great work. Full marks,” snapped Biggles. “Why didn’t we think of it before?”. Biggles says he will fly around the perimeter and then around the town and then low over Ginger. “If you want me to come in hold your arms out level”. Ginger hurries back and tells Algy and Bertie the new plan. They return to their beat. “Presently a jeep came along. There were two uniformed men in it. Their caps were red. From time to time the man next to the driver stood up and looked around, and Ginger did not need to be told the purpose of this procedure”. One of the men asks him “Have you seen a villainous-looking fellow who walks with a limp?” Ginger concludes that Marcel must have suffered some injury. Ginger’s attention is drawn to the Morane aircraft starting up. Ginger hopes Marcel is in it and is getting away, but the aircraft merely taxies to the front of the booking hall and stops. Ginger realises it was a precaution to stop the aircraft being taken. Ginger sees Estere at the entrance to the airport. Ginger climbs on top of an unmanned gun emplacement and a movement catches his eye. He climbs down and runs to the area and finds Marcel in a dreadful state. “He was in rags, mired from head to foot. There were jungle sores on his face and a blood-soaked bandage showing through a long rent in his trouser leg. He was breathing heavily and was obviously as his last gasp”. Ginger goes to get the others and sees they are already on their way having realised that something was up. Biggles has already chosen to land. The two men with the red caps in the jeep return and accost Ginger but Algy and Bertie leap on them and, with Ginger’s help, tie them up. They take their pistols and load Marcel onto the jeep. Wearing the two red kepis, they drive into the airport and shot through the gates, stopping for no one. “Some shots were fired but none touched them”. Biggles is descending from the Halifax and he recognises his friends as they throw their red hats away. “We’ve got him” yells Ginger. They all board the aircraft as a number of men advance on them but they manage to take off. Algy and Bertie get the first aid chest out and work on Marcel. Algy says “Nothing serious, I think. Exposure and exhaustion mostly, I imagine. He hung on till he saw us and then collapsed”. Biggles, in the cockpit, says they will make for Rangoon, then Marseilles. “I’m hoping to beat Bollard to it. He said he didn’t hurry”. Ginger is sent to man the tail gun, just in case they are followed. “Five days later the Halifax touched down at “Marginane” (this is a typo in the book as the actual name is “Marignane”), the big airport of Marseilles. Bollard had not arrived, but Captain Joudrier of the Surete was there, in response to a signal sent by Biggles from Rome”. Marcel is on his feet and his story is that from the start he had suspected the Ching Loo organisation, because their profits were out of all proportion to their legitimate business. He was seized at the Pagoda Palace and taken to Ching Loo’s country house for questioning under torture. By pretending to be unconscious, he had managed to escape and had fled into the jungle. While seeking food, he had been captured by rebels, and by pretending to be in sympathy with them, had lived with them for a while. Captured by the French Government, he had then revealed his identity but been thrown into a punishment compound to await trail. He again escaped, but this time was wounded in the thigh by a bullet. In due course he saw the Halifax and reached the airport. Of Bollard he knew nothing. Bollard arrives at the aerodrome the following day and is astonished to be met by Biggles. Bollard thinks the locked portfolio he has contains business papers for Estere but when Joudrier opens it, it contains bank notes. Bollard has been paid “fifty bucks” to carry it. Bollard says the passenger at Saigon was a “Yank who wanted to get home”. He didn’t pay anything for the lift and was dropped off in Rome. The French police clean up the Ching Loo organisation and Estere gets a long prison sentence. Bollard sides with the police and gets a “nominal fine”. “He lost his job, as was inevitable, but that didn’t worry him overmuch. There were, he told Marcel, other ‘planes, and better places than Saigon”.