BIGGLES SEES TOO MUCH

by Captain W. E. Johns

11. ALGY REPORTS (Pages 96 – 104)

Biggles and Bertie meet downstairs in the dining-room for lunch as arranged. However, there is something wrong with their soup. It has been laced with castor oil. “There’s one aroma I shall never forget as long as I live. One whiff of it and I’m back in the old days when they were flying Pups and Camels” says Biggles (referring to the Sopwith Pup Aircraft, used from Autumn 1916 and the Sopwith Camel Aircraft used from June/July 1917, in the First World War. Biggles had, of course, been a pilot in that war). Biggles asks the waitress who made the soup and is told it was Mr. Brunner. Biggles calls for him and tells him “If I had the time I’d pour this lot down your throat. See that it doesn’t happen again or I’ll fetch the police to have a look at things here. That’s all. Now let’s have something to eat that hasn’t been decorated”. “They continued their meal, cold roast beef and boiled potatoes, in silence. As far as it was possible to judge there was nothing wrong”. They then go out to the car, where Bertie gets on the radio and finds an anxious Ginger ready to report over the airwaves. They had picked up the boat and know where it landed the two passengers. It’s on its way home and should be back in about an hour. Biggles and Bertie drive to the aerodrome to meet Algy and Ginger. “Where the devil have you been?” demanded Algy irritably. “We’ve been trying to get you all morning. This is urgent”. “Then get on with it and don’t waste time grousing. We’ve been busy, too,” retorted Biggles. Algy says the boat landed the passengers in the Channel Islands. Biggles thinks there are only four, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, but it turns out there are dozens. (A lengthy footnote tells us all about them and how they came into British possession when William the Conqueror bought them with him, so to speak, as they were part of the Duchy of Normandy). Algy says the crook’s boat is no ordinary craft. It is very fast, going up to something like forty knots. Algy has noted where the island is. It is very small “only about three hundred yards long and less than half that wide”. Biggles says he will return with Bertie to Polcarron and Algy and Ginger can refuel and “get topsides” and direct them to where the boat is going to come in. As soon as they have done that, Algy and Ginger are to go straight to London and tell the Air Commodore what they know and how things stand. “Ask him what he wants us to do”. Biggles says that when they get back from London, he and Bertie can be found at the pub at Polcarron.