NO REST FOR BIGGLES

by Captain W. E. Johns

XII. BENIGHTED (Pages 122 – 131)

“With Biggles leading the way, gun in hand ready for trouble, they pushed on for about half a mile, when the open country appeared ahead. This, as they realized, was more dangerous ground, for anyone or anything moving across it would, unless an obstacle intervened, be in view of scouts on the edge of the forest. Even as they halted they saw a body of half a dozen blacks moving towards the forest, but on a line that would take them well to one side”. When the coast is clear, Bertie suggests that he presses on before “the sun gets really cracking”. Biggles says they will see him out of the danger zone and gives him instructions to tell Algy to stand fast. “You keep an eye behind us, Ginger,” ordered Biggles as the march was resumed. “Bertie, you watch the flanks. I’ll watch ahead”. They went on for a mile before Bertie sets off on his own, marching north. Biggles says to Ginger “Water may be a more pressing problem”. They return to the edge of the forest. “I’d have expected rather more activity than this,” observed Biggles, surveying the shimmering landscape. “It begins to look as if Christophe thinks we all went off in the Hastings. Von Stalhein, as I said before, would know better, but he may not have told Christophe”. (Johns appears to be failing to remember that he had Biggles overhear von Stalhein tell Christophe “If you knew the man as well as I do you’d realize the most likely place for him to be at this moment is outside this hut listening to what you’re saying” back in Chapter ten). Biggles and Ginger sit down and finish the remains of the food in Ginger’s bag. They wait and “the sun toiled across the heavens”. “Ginger, who was getting really thirsty, voiced the opinion that they wouldn’t last the day without a drink”. Biggles says if the worst comes to the worst they can head for the crocodile river. “The day wore on wearily to its close. The heat was intense. The flies, of one sort or another, were merciless. Ginger suffered from thirst; and so, no doubt, did Biggles, although he didn’t mention it. Occasional parties of hunting natives revealed the danger of looking for water”. Biggles says “Von Stalhein should have been back before this – if he's coming back. He got here quickly enough when Christophe told him I was here”. They hear a murmur of voices, speaking loudly and sometimes raised as it in triumph. Biggles and Ginger push through the tamarisks and the source of the noise is instantly revealed. “At a distance of rather more than a hundred yards, striding through the gathering gloom, was a group of perhaps a dozen blacks, waving their spears. Sometimes one would break into a dance. The reason for this jubilation was evident. In the middle of the group walked a man who seemed to be on the point of exhaustion. He was a white man, and it needed no second look to identify him. It was Bertie. Even as they watched a native prodded him in the back with his spear”. (“Even as they watched a native prodded him in the back with his spear” – see page 125 – is the illustration opposite page 137). “For a moment Ginger was speechless, shocked with consternation, for it seemed futile to tackle such a mob even though the blacks were armed only with spears. “How on earth –” he began. Biggles cut his short. “Never mind wondering. They’ve got him. We’ve got to get him, or with Christophe in his present mood he’ll kill him, if nothing worse”. Biggles says they will tackle them when they’re behind the next patch of scrub. “Don’t forget these devils killed Vic Roberts and young Laxton. We can’t leave Bertie in their hands”. Biggles and Ginger sprint through the forest and, gasping for breath and half blind with perspiration they reach the forest. They tear on, dodging obstacles and ducking under branches. “To Ginger the thing began to take on some form of madness. He thought his heart would burst, but the plight of Bertie kept him going. That and the fact that Biggles seemed indefatigable. In an emergency he always did. His endurance, when circumstances demanded it, was still to Ginger a thing to wonder at. From his physical appearance one would not have suspected it. It could only be, thought Ginger vaguely, a matter of brain over brawn”. Reaching the edge of the airstrip, they go up a barely perceptible path and prepare their ambush. Biggles tells Ginger to fire two shots over the heads of the advancing party. If they bolt, okay, if not he tells him to shoot to kill. “Then, out of the forest came the blacks, still laughing, one still prodding Bertie”. They fire four shots and “most of the blacks broke at once”. Bertie turns around, tears the spear from the man who had been tormenting him and flung it at him, saying “Now hold that, you blighter”. “Biggles dropped a native who looked like showing fight and Ginger shot another who was in the act of throwing a spear at him. The two survivors fled”. Bertie is in a bad way. His face is chalk white and there were ugly stains on his jacket. Biggles gets an arm around him and tells Ginger to cover the rear. They move into the forest as figures from the landing ground run towards the shooting. In the forest Bertie shook himself free. “I’m all right, old boy,” he protested. “Absolutely top-hole. You press on. I’ll follow”. Biggles tells him to lean on him and for the next half an hour they make slow and difficult progress. Eventually they reach the stream. Bertie sinks down. “A stinker jabbed me in the back with his beastly skewer – nothing serious – but I’ve lost a spot of the old red juice, I’m afraid. Bit groggy at the knees, that’s all. Shall be all right when I’ve had a breather”. Biggles throws things into the water to scare away crocodiles and then soaks his shirt. He can then wring some water into Bertie’s mouth and mop his face. Biggles and Ginger then go to the scream and throw pieces of wood into the stream whilst the other drinks. Much refreshed, although the water is warm and brackish, they return to Bertie. Biggles asks Bertie what happened and he says he reached the landing ground but was charged by the rhino, “probably the one you had a poop (not pop) at, Ginger, to get him to move on”. “He squealed like a stuck porker and came for me flat out in a cloud of dust and small pebbles. I ran like a lamplighter into the bushes, and stuff me with a suet pudding if I didn’t barge right into the middle of the Kentucky Minstrels having a picnic. Couldn’t do a thing about it. We had a lovely scrum for half a minute, and then, there I was, up the creek without a paddle, with the stinkers sitting on me. And by Jove! did they stink. I thinks to meself, Bertie, me lad, this is where you’re the board in a dark game; instead of which the silly asses decided to take me home to show the kids what they’d caught”. Berties apologises for giving Biggles and Ginger so much trouble. Biggles says “The only trouble is, there will be nobody on the spot to meet Algy when he rolls up. He’ll get in a flap”. Ginger says Algy will wait and Biggles hopes he does. Biggles wonders why von Stalhein still hasn’t come back. Biggles ask Bertie if he is able to move a bit. “I wouldn’t guarantee to beat Bannister (Roger Bannister famously ran a mile in under 4 minutes on 6^th May 1954, the first man ever recorded to do so) over a mile but I’ll be able to hobble along when you say the word”. Silence fell. Far away a lion roared. In the forest drums muttered sullenly. Ginger rested his chin in his hand and dozed fitfully.