BIGGLES AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

by Captain W. E. Johns

9. HEAVY WEATHER AHEAD (Pages 97 – 107)

“The night passed without incident, so the situation remained unchanged. Dawn broke over the Indian Ocean with the promise of another fine day; but there was a curious crimson tint in the sky which Biggles regarded with suspicion”. Biggles says “I don’t like to think of what could happen to the island if a typhoon struck it, lying low in the water as it does with practically no natural protection”. Biggles still intends to cut down the growing hemp. “He’s going to be more than somewhat peeved when he see what you’ve done” warns Algy, referring to Collingwood. “That’s the idea. If he flies off the handle it will be as good as saying he planted the stuff, and that will be an admission that he’s involved in a drug racket”. Firstly, they go and recover the anchor. They start the engines on the aircraft and go to where the lifebelt floats in the lagoon. Seeing no shark around, Biggles dives down and frees the anchor. (This is the presumably the “illustration” on the book cover. I say illustration, but it is in fact a photograph of a free diver underwater, holding a rope. There is also a picture of an Arab dhow on the cover and an illustration of the ‘Gadfly’ aircraft). Algy then takes the aircraft back to the beach. Biggles sets off to cut down the hemp with a knife they keep in the aircraft. He tells Algy he should be no more than three hours. Biggles makes his way to the hemp plantation and he has concerns about the weather. He hears breakers thundering on the exposed beach on the other side of the island and it is evident the weather conditions are deteriorating. When Biggles reaches the hemp plantation he finds Ali working there. Biggles watches him as Ali walks about pulling plants up by the roots and leaving them to die in the sun. Biggles wonders what he is doing. Is he trying to dispose of the forbidden plants? Is he thinning the crop out as it is too thick? Have some plants been stricken by a disease? Remaining hidden, Biggles watches Ali finish his labour and then leave. Biggles then sets to work. “With his knife he slashed off close to the ground the plants the Arab had not touched. No effort was required. The plants were green and lush, and one swipe was usually enough. The whole business did not occupy more than twenty minutes, and by the time he had finished the entire plantation had been laid low. The place looked like an autumn harvest field”. Biggles then sets off to return to Algy at speed as the weather is now getting rapidly worse. As he passes the hollow, the Arab suddenly appears out of it. Seeing the knife Biggles carries he asks him what he had been doing at the end of the island. Was it coconuts he wanted? “Seeing no reason to prevaricate, Biggles told him the truth, and what he thought about hemp, in a few curt words”. “The result startled him. For a moment Ali stared at him in dumb surprise, lower jaw sagging, and in his eyes that glazed, faraway look, which in some natives can come with shock or lack of comprehension. When he did understand what had happened his expression flashed to one of fierce hostility. His hand went to the dagger that hung in a scabbard from his waist in such a way that Biggles took a quick step back thinking he was about to be attacked. Instead, with a cry like that of a stricken animal he threw his hands towards heaven and rushed off towards the plantation, screaming about Allah and forgiveness”. Biggles shrugged. Biggles continues the return journey. “The sea was in a turmoil with great waves not only breaking on the reef but flooding into the lagoon with clouds of flying spray. There was no longer any doubt about it. A violent storm, if not a hurricane, was blowing up, and it looked as if the island lay directly in its path, in which case it would feel the full force of it. Far out to sea, through mist and flying spray, he noticed a ship, an Arab dhow, dropping its huge lateen sail and making heavy weather of it as it ran before the storm. When Biggles gets to the aircraft, he can see Algy working on it in feverish haste, driving in pegs to which cords could be attached to hold it down. To his amazement he can see Collingwood helping Algy. Collingwood asks Biggles “Where the devil have you been?” and Biggles tells him “I’ve been to cut down that field of hemp”. “You fool. You idiot. You damned imbecile,” snarled Collingwood. “You interfering lunatic. That’s done it. Now they will kill you. I don’t care about that, but I shall probably get my throat cut at the same time”. Biggles asks what he is talking about. Collingwood points at the Arab dhow in the distance. “That hemp was theirs”. Biggles says “I assumed it was yours”. Collingwood replies “Mine! What would I want with hashish? Do you think I’m crazy?” Algy calls both men to assist him. Collingwood says they are in for a typhoon and that the Arab dhow won’t risk trying to get into the lagoon in these conditions. “They’ll be back, and when they see what you’ve done you’ll be for it. They’re an ugly lot”. Collingwood says Biggles and Algy should have gone when told and the conditions are such that they can’t take off now. He adds “I’ll see you have a Christian funeral”. Collingwood says the storm “is only on half throttle yet” but if they get hail, it’ll be lumps of ice the size of hen’s eggs, driven by a hundred and fifty mile an hour wind. “They’ll go through you like bullets”. Collingwood offers them shelter in his hut. Algy and Biggles agree and they set off for the hut.