BIGGLES AND THE NOBLE LORD

by Captain W. E. Johns

10. TRAPPED (Pages 85 – 93)

“Biggles was right when he had said Bertie and Ginger were in trouble. They were. They were in serious trouble. It came about like this”. They were both doing sundry odd jobs in the office when the intercom telephone jangled. Bertie answered and the caller was Inspector Gaskin with a report of a big-scale robbery. “There was no discussion about what they should do. Their orders should such an event occur were explicit. In five minutes they were on their way to the Air Police hangar and within the hour they were airborne in the Auster making flat out for Sussex”. A few miles north of Brindon, they see a helicopter. “There was of course no proof that this was the machine they were seeking; but at least it offered that possibility”. They follow the helicopter but there are no signs of it going to Brindon Park. In due course, the English Channel creeps up on the southern horizon. They follow the helicopter out to sea heading “slightly west of south”. Bertie says anyone seeing the helicopter would just think it was a navy type on some sort of rescue job. Soon they are flying over the sandy beaches of the Normandy coast and then inland to France. The helicopter eventually lands in a meadow flanked by a wood that was almost large enough to be called a forest. Bertie and Ginger have no idea where in France they are and Biggles will want to know. They decide to land for the purpose of asking some local. Bertie “chose a large meadow on the near side of the wood already noted, and without any difficulty made a perfect landing”. Taxing further on, they hit a strand of wire that had been staked out. Bertie says “An aeroplane trap. It must have been laid by someone with wartime experience” (* and a footnote then tells us “During both wars it was a common practice of both sides to stretch stands of wire across fields that might be used by planes putting down or picking up spies”). From the wood, comes a covered jeep and three men jump out. “Ginger was startled to see each of them carried an automatic pistol”. One of the men is Clarence, “whom Lord Malboise has said was his ‘young brother’” and Clarence speaks to them. “So it’s you,” he said in a soft, cultured voice. “I thought it might be”. “My dear fellow, do you suppose I’m so blind that I couldn’t see an Auster dodging about on my tail all the way from Sussex?” Bertie and Ginger are forced to accept Clarence’s hospitality. “So under the guns of their captors they got into the jeep, which at once set off up the track through the wood. It had not far to go. A mere five minutes’ drive. When they emerged from the wood, where they saw the mansion house facing them. It was an imposing greystone building obviously of some age. And, as if to confirm this, as they crossed a bridge, it was protected by a moat. “Welcome to my family home,” said Clarence as he got out. “It’s a bit old-fashioned, but for me it has certain advantages, as presently no doubt you will perceive. Remember that, and don’t I implore you, for your own sakes try anything foolish. Come along. This way”.