BIGGLES IN THE UNDERWORLD

by Captain W. E. Johns

13. MORE MYSTERY (Pages 155 – 144)

“For what must have been getting on for twenty minutes nothing happened”. Biggles notes that Lazor must be running out of fuel. Algy telephones and informs Biggles that Ginger has reported, via radio, that the Moth flew south as if making for France, but then changed course to the north-east. Ginger is following. Biggles says to Thompson “No doubt Ginger will stick in the blind spot under his tail. Lazor will want to keep within sight of the ground, I imagine. With no artificial horizon or other blind flying-instruments he’s probably wise to do that, particularly if he hasn’t had much experience of night flying”. Biggles says if Lazor is flying north-east, he’ll be over Hampshire and there a landing field at Twotrees Farm in Hampshire. Algy rings with more information. “Ginger says the Sheikh is trying to get down at Caine’s farm”. He gives a running commentary about what is happening. The Gipsy Moth overshoots the field and piles up in the trees. Ginger says he is going to land to see if Lazor is hurt. Minutes pass and there is no further word from Ginger. Biggles tells Algy he is going to go to the farm and Algy is to send Bertie to meet him there. Biggles tells Thompson what has happened as says he will have to borrow Thompson’s car. Thompson suggests that he, Biggles, flies down instead, in one of their Aiglets. (The Auster Aiglet was a British single-engined four-seat high-wing training and touring monoplane built by the Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby in Leicestershire. 77 of them were produced between 1951 and 1958). Thompson asks to go with him in the spare seat, suggesting he could fly the machine back. Biggles hesitated for a moment. “Very well,” he said slowly. “But no tricks, or it’ll be the worse for you,” he added sternly. “You’re sure I can trust you not to change your mind and take sides with Lazor if we should find him?” “You needn’t worry about that,” answered Thompson trenchantly. “Knowing what I know now, I’ve finished with him. He’s got me into enough trouble already”. Biggles rings his office to tell them what he is going to do. They go to the plane and in half an hour, Biggles is circling over the region of Twotrees Farm. There are no lights on in the house. It takes Biggles a few minutes to spot Ginger’s Auster, where it has taxied up to the crashed Gipsy Moth. Biggles lands and confirms that Ginger is not in the Auster. Calling “Ginger!”, there is no answer. They go to look at the crashed Moth. Biggles says “From what I can see of it from here it won’t be doing any more flying”. “Damn the fellow,” muttered Thompson angrily. “I’d become quite attached to that old kite”. They look at the crash and see the Moth went between trees, sheering the wings off and therefore taking most of the shock of impact. “It looks to me as if Lazor might have been lucky and got away with it,” observed Biggles, again speaking from experience. He had seen this sort of crash before. Biggles returns to Ginger’s Auster to collect the torch they keep in it, but it’s not there. Biggles wonders if Ginger has gone for help to the farm. Thompson says the phone’s out of action at the farm because the wires are down. “The Moth must have taken the wires with it as it overshot the field. Pulled over one of the posts at the same time”. Biggles says that leaves them out of touch with anyone, unless he uses the radio in the Auster and to do that, he would have to take off and get it into the air. Biggles calls Ginger’s name a couple of times but there is still no answer. Biggles asks Thompson to check the house, whilst Biggles waits by the Auster in case Ginger comes back. Within a few minutes Biggles hears three gunshots. One, and a moment later, two more. “Who was shooting? Lazor, he knew, carried a gun. Had Ginger put one in his pocket? He couldn’t remember. He thought not”. “He did not move. There were reasons against it. Lazor was on the loose. He might make off in the plane if he left it. Then there was Thompson. He had told him he would wait. He might run into trouble at the farmhouse. So all he could do was stand there, feeling worried and frustrated”.