NO REST FOR BIGGLES

by Captain W. E. Johns

VIII. DARK WORK (Pages 79 – 89)

“The first step taken by Ginger and Bertie was the obvious one. They investigated the fence; and it did not take them long to perceive that without wire cutters there was no hope of getting to the far side of it. With strands stretched taut only a few inches apart it was not less than eight feet high, with loops or festoons of barbed wire along the top to entangle anyone who tried to climb over it. But then, as Ginger pointed out, had the fence not been manproof there would have been no point in it”. “This is no temporary base, that’s certain,” said Ginger. Ginger expected the jungle to have grown into the fence, but the trees and bushes have been cut back leaving a narrow gap. Bertie says this must mean that sentries stroll round occasionally. Ginger thinks they would in daylight but not in darkness as any wild beast coming to the fence would follow it, looking for a way round. “That’s a cheerful thought,” remarked Bertie as they set off along the narrow track by the wire. They can make out dim silhouettes of buildings and they see “two men, white men by their clothes, leave a large building and walk slowly to a smaller one”. Some distance away an engine was started and continued running. Bertie guesses that is for electricity. “They’re bound to have a radio”. “The wire seemed to go on interminably, although Ginger had a feeling that they were travelling in a big oval, or rectangle. The stars brightened and confirmed it. A second fence, running into the compound at right angles, brought them to a halt. “Now what?” muttered Ginger. “Don’t say there are two camps”. Bertie suggests they wait there until the moon comes up. “This blundering about in the dark is no use, no use at all. Next thing we shall bump into somebody – or something”. Ginger agrees. They can just make out the shape of a hut in the second compound and hear the faint murmuring of voices. “I wonder could Biggles be in that lot?” whispered Ginger. Time passes and then Ginger sees a dark form creeping slowly towards them. It is a man dressed in European fashion and he is inside the wire. He comes right to the corner where the two fences meet, within two or three yards of where Ginger and Bertie sit, as stiff as statues. “The next development was the appearance of a second dark figure, striding with a limp along the wire from the opposite direction, obviously the person for whom the first man was waiting. Coming up, without preamble, the newcomer, in a low but curt voice said: “Hollweg”. “Ja,” replied the man who had waited”. The limp has already touched a chord in Ginger’s memory, but the voice confirmed to Ginger that the newcomer was von Stalhein. (We are not told in this book, but von Stalhein has been a consistent enemy of Biggles since he first appeared in the 1935 book, BIGGLES FLIES EAST. This is his fourteenth appearance in the Biggles books, out of twenty appearances). “Ginger was startled rather than surprised, for as the Air-Commodore had said, these encounters with a man who was almost Biggles’s opposite number, working for the enemy, were inevitable. Now they were literally, a well as figuratively, on each side of the fence. Bertie nudged him gently to let him know that he was keeping pace with the situation”. Von Stalhein asks “What are they doing?” and he is told that they are talking about war flying and not escape. “Have you heard Bigglesworth mention any friends of his who might be about?” “No. But they are suspicious of me now and stop talking when I’m near. Bigglesworth has spent much time talking to the General and the pilot Wragg”. Von Stalhein asks Hollweg to go and tell Bigglesworth that he, von Stalhein, wants to speak to him here, alone, adding “Don’t let the others hear”. “Presently Biggles came”. “Good evening, von Stalhein,” he began. “Hollweg tells me you want to see me. How are you off for cigarettes? With the boys running short mine are almost finished”. “You probably have enough to last you for the short time you’ll be needing them – unless you’re prepared to behave like the sensible man I know you to be,” answered von Stalhein coldly. “Have you thought over my proposition?” “No. There was nothing to think about”. “You know they’re going to shoot you in the morning. I can’t hold them off any longer”. Von Stalhein tells Biggles, “If Christophe knew I was here he’d shoot me as well as you”. “It would at least be in the true tradition of drama for us both to go out together” Biggles tells him. Von Stalhein says that Christophe is a fanatic as well as a scoundrel and he would never have got the plane “without our help”. Von Stalhein says “In the morning, you’ll be shot. I have here a pair of wire cutters. With them you can get out and save your life. All I ask in return is that you fly us to the spot which I shall name, where a pilot is waiting, and there hand the machine over to me”. (This seems strange as von Stalhein is a pilot. He certainly was in ‘Biggles Flies East’. Why doesn’t he fly himself? Possibly he is unable to fly modern planes, such as the presumably hi-tech secret weapon aircraft). Biggles replies “And promptly be bumped off, or flown to the salt mines in Siberia until my lungs rot. Nothing doing”. Biggles asks if Zorotov knows about this proposition and von Stalhein says of course he doesn’t, he will be left behind as “He’s playing his own hand to get the machine from Christophe”. Biggles asks “What about Christophe’s pilot. Have you tried him?” “Dessalines? Yes. He won’t play. I fancy he aims to be the Emperor of Africa”. “By bumping off Christophe” states Biggles. “That, too, would be in accord with tradition. If you know your history, it was the original Christophe who murdered the original Dessalines. The modern Dessalines won’t have forgotten that, you may be sure. He can afford to play a waiting game. But that’s enough. I daren’t wait here any longer. Will you stay here to be shot, or can I hand you these?” Von Stalhien showed a pair of wire cutters. Biggles didn’t answer at once. He seemed to be doing something to the leg of his trousers. Suddenly he stood erect, and there was a gun in his hand. “Give me those cutters, von Stalhein, or I’ll drop you where you stand,” he said crisply. “If I knew you less well I might think you’d turned the tables on me,” sneered von Stalhein. “But knowing you as I do I feel safe in calling your bluff. It just isn’t in you to shoot an unarmed man at a range of two yards. I shall give you one last chance. Go and speak to Mander. I’ll return in half an hour for your last word on the matter”. With that he calmly turned his back on Biggles and walked away. Biggles watched him go. Von Stalhein has called his bluff and it had worked”. Ginger attracts Biggles attention and tells him that he and Bertie are there. “Suffering Jupiter! Have you been there all the time?” Biggles’s voice was thin with amazement. “We have. With von Stalhein on the wrong side of the wire we could do no more than you. What was it all about. I couldn’t quite get the hang of it”. “Perfectly simple. Iron Curtain agents in America bribed a negro pilot in the U.S. Air Force to pinch a plane designed to carry a secret weapon – the one that cut our engines. This bloke, Dessalines, and a pal named Christophe who was in with him, got away with the plane, but instead of handing it over went into business on their own account. They’re forcing down planes carrying V.I.P.’s and selling state secrets to enemy agents. These agents want the plane, of course, but with all the blacks around here on Christophe’s pay-roll they can’t get to it. Christophe is in touch with them by radio. He reported that I’d arrived here and that was enough to bring von Stalhein along. He’s still working for the other side. That skunk Zorotov, whom we met in the West Indies, is with him. They trust each other so little that they’re not allowed to work single-handed. I don’t wonder at that. Look at the game von Stalhein’s playing now. He’s prepared to get me out, double-crossing everyone else, If I’ll fly this aircraft away and hand it over to him. He first made the proposition yesterday, after the official interview at which everyone was present. He came tonight for the answer”. Biggles asks where Algy is and Ginger tells him he has gone home to “tell the Chief what’s cooking and bring back an Auster. He’s leaving the Halifax at Accra”. Bertie says they need to get the wire cutters off von Stalhein in order to get Biggles out. Ginger suggests that if Biggles was to stand right in the corner by the wire and ask von Stalhein to show him the wire cutters to prove he has got them on him (actually von Stalhein has just shown Biggles the wire cutters once), Ginger could grab his wrist through the wire. Biggles agrees that is worth trying but he can’t leave alone, he must take the other prisoners. They discuss a plan and decide that Tony Wragg can take the other prisoners to the Hastings and see if it will fly. If not, he can push on and meet Algy at the rendezvous in a few days. Biggles and his two comrades will have a go at getting the other machine with the secret weapon. Ginger warns Biggles to watch out for Hollweg as he goes off to speak with the other prisoners. “Ginger and Bertie resumed their position under the black fringe of the jungle”.