BIGGLES AND THE LEOPARDS OF ZINN
Book First Published on 11th April 1960 - 184 pages
I believe this Biggles book was never serialised elsewhere. If anybody knows differently then please E-MAIL ME
First edition dust jacket showing the original price of 8
shillings and 6 pence (strangely, the cover illustration features a lion rather
than a leopard!)
Biggles is sent to British
territory in Central Africa, near to the Belgian Congo to investigate two
deaths that appear to have been the work of a leopard. Taking Algy, Bertie and
Ginger with him, Biggles flies to Lake Jumu to stay at a Government rest house.
On arrival, he makes the grim discovery of another victim, torn to shreds by
what appear to be claws. Investigations reveal the village of the nearby Zinn
tribesmen to be deserted apart from an old man who joins their party and they
nickname 'grandpa'. Bertie is left to guard the rest house and has visitors who
want to take 'grandpa' away. The timely arrival of Ginger saves what could have
been an ugly situation. Biggles flies out and meets a local guide called
Charlie who agrees to act as interpreter for the group. During a night watch
duty, Ginger shoots a man dressed up as a leopard, complete with real paws and
claws who was sneaking up on them. Biggles goes to confront the baddies who
have now been located. They are lead by two men called Ducard and Batoun. With
them they have a witch doctor who is stirring up unrest amongst the natives.
The Zinn villagers are all scared of him and are being used as manual labour to
dig in various places. Biggles tells them to leave and takes the Zinn people
back to their village. Whilst hunting for food to feed the villagers, Biggles
has a showdown with a lion and this is the picture on the dust cover of the
book. A further leopard man attack on the Zinn village leads to Charlie being
wounded and Bertie killing his assailant. Biggles discovers that the area is
rich in bauxite, which is aluminium oxide. However, Ducard and Batoun are
searching for diamonds, convinced by the story of a dying prospector who told
them about the riches of the area - but died before he said what it was. Batoun
kills Ducard when he wants to leave and goes to get native reinforcements from
the Belgian Congo. Assisted by Capitaine Bourgon of the Belgian Colonial
Service, Biggles withstands an attack at the rest house in which both Batoun
and the witch doctor are killed. The arrival of the King's African Rifles saves
the day.
Click here to see the story illustrations from this book
Biggles and the Leopards of Zinn
Subtitle - In Central Africa Biggles & Co. free a primitive
race from sinister influences and expose a plot
Publication Details - published by Brockhampton Press
Frontispiece
Click on the above to see it in more detail
The “Children’s Book Club” edition reprint – click on the above
picture to find out more details