NO REST FOR BIGGLES

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIV. VON STALHEIN COMES BACK (Pages 140 – 149)

“Dawn came with a clear sky to find them stiff, wary and hungry, with Bertie running a mild fever”. At the hangar, Christophe arrives on the scene with the jeep and issues a stream of orders. Biggles says “He’s expecting someone to arrive by air, I can only imagine it will be von Stalhein in the Hastings, with some mechanics. It’s quite certain Christophe won’t be able to do anything about the damaged machine without professional help”. “Well, let’s hope it comes soon, so that we can get this business settled one way or the other,” said Ginger despondently. “I was never so browned off in my life. This doing nothing is slow death”. “That’s better than sudden death,” stated Biggles cheerfully. “We’re still on our feet. That’s something”. “Ginger looked at Biggles. Never had he seen him in such a state. His hair was matted on his head. His face was streaked with mud and drawn with strain. His eyes were bloodshot from need of rest and his shirtless torso marked with scratches and mosquito bites. Ginger realized that his own appearance must be much the same. He also realized that they were near the end of their physical resources”. A monkey sees them and starts a staccato chatter that was obviously a stream of abuse. Biggles glanced anxiously in the direction of the hangar. “If that bad-tempered little rascal goes on like that we’ve had it,” he told the others. Other monkey’s join in; then birds and the din rose to a crescendo. “The blacks may think they’re mobbing a lion or something,” suggested Bertie hopefully. “Biggles moved to the edge of the forest and took a peep. “Some have walked out into the open and are looking this way,” he reported. “I’m afraid this is where –” He broke off as the distant drone of an aircraft approaching took his eyes to the sky. “Now we shall soon know the worst,” observed Ginger lugubriously. “As things at the moment are about as dim as they could be, anything that happens should be an improvement,” returned Biggles, optimistically. The monkeys were forgotten”. The machine turns out to be the Hastings and comes in to land. “There’s a white man flying that aircraft – I can just see his face,” said Biggles suddenly. “I wonder what’s happened to Dessalines”. No one answered. Von Stalhein jumps out followed by six or seven men all armed with an automatic rifles. They fanned out advancing slowly. “For Pete’s sake!” exclaimed Biggles, in a strangled sort of voice. ("For Pete's sake" is a mild, socially acceptable expletive to express frustration or annoyance, substituting the name "Pete" for stronger words like "God" or "Christ" to avoid blasphemy. This is called a minced oath and likely originated around 1903, which is the first recorded use of the phrase, as an alternative to phrases like "For God's sake" or "For Christ's sake".  While the exact origin is not definitive, theories suggest "Pete" may have been chosen because it sounds similar to "pity" as in "for pity's sake" or it could be a reference to Saint Peter).  “They can’t be thinking –” He got no further. “At a word of command every man of the newcomers opened fire. The hangar and its immediate surroundings were raked with bullets. There was no challenge. No warning. Death streamed from the muzzles of the guns. Never was a surprise attack more devasting, or more successful. Christophe fell at the first burst. His wretched troops, overwhelmed from the start, and knowing it, hardly fired a shot. Some fell. The rest fled. Ginger, stunned, bewildered, horrified, could only stare aghast”. Biggles, his eyes blazing could only rasp “The murdering hounds”. Telling Ginger to stay with Bertie, Biggles runs for the hangar, approaching from the rear through the foliage. The shooting had stopped, presumably because there was no one left to shoot at. There is no one in the hangar and Biggles drops to his knees, keeping the stack of petrol drums between him and the entrance. The reek of petrol is everywhere as some drums have been struck by bullets and are leaking petrol everywhere. One drum has been riddled by bullets and is gushing petrol. Biggles kicks it under the aircraft, it rolls, spilling its contents everywhere. “Von Stalhein must have seen it. At all events he rushed forward, and, of course, saw Biggles. He let out a shout. Biggles yelled back, “Look out!” and holding the muzzle of his gun close against the ground where the petrol had been spilled, pulled trigger, at the same time leaping back, for he knew what was likely to happen. Nor was he mistaken. There was a terrific whoof as the petrol exploded”. (“There was a terrific whoof as the petrol exploded” – see page 144 – is the illustration opposite page 152). “Biggles just caught sight of von Stalhein taking aim at him when a sheet of flame leapt between them. Some shots were fired. Biggles didn’t know where the bullets went”. (This is the scene of the cover of the reprinted 1969 paperback version of the book). Biggles then runs for his life. “For two hundred yards or so he plunged on, and then fell from sheer exhaustion”. “There was a lot of shouting and he thought it might be von Stalhein urging his men to try to save the machine. He didn’t worry about that. He had stood too many times by a burning aircraft not to know the fearful heat produced. He imagined that the last thing Christophe would have provided himself with was fire-fighting equipment”. Biggles went on a little way and rested again, “although strangely enough, under the influence of excitement or success he felt less tired than he had been. The relief at knowing the secret plane was destroyed was a wonderful restorative”. He made his way back to the others via a circuitous route. Ginger greeted Biggles with a weak grin. “You pulled it off?” “Yes,” Biggles’s face cracked in a smile. “There’ll be a nice old row about this when the news gets out,” opined Biggles, who doesn’t think von Stalhein would look for them. “What hope would he have of finding us in miles of jungle? Besides, after what’s happened, to go into the forest would be asking to be bumped off by the blacks. I’d say it’s more likely that von Stalhein will be anxious to remove himself as quickly as possible from the horrible mess he’s made here”. They watch as von Stalhein and his private army get in the Hastings. “The door of the aircraft was closed. The engines revved up. The machine taxied to the end of the runway, turned and took off”. “Good-bye and good riddance,” said Ginger. He looked at Biggles. “Now what’s the drill?” Biggles says he will go and meet Algy and bring him here. Before he sets off, he will look at the secret plane, to see what sort of job he has made of it; Ginger goes with him. Ginger suggests they try to contact Algy on the radio but Biggles says you might sit here fiddling for hours, and then not get him if he happened to be already on the ground. They look at the hangar which is completely burnt out. Of the aircraft, only the metal skeleton remained. The whole area was a black, smouldering mass. Biggles sees Christophe moving and realises he isn’t dead. “I wouldn’t go near him,” warned Ginger. “If he’s got a gun he’s likely to shoot you”. “We can’t leave the wretched fellow lying there wounded,” protested Biggles. “Have a heart. Poor old Christophe! His empire didn’t get far”. Biggles walks over to Christophe who greets him without malice with “So you’se still aroun’”. “Of course,” answered Biggles. “Are you badly hurt?” “I got one in the shoulder and one in de leg,” explained the negro. “I’d a’ got more if I’d stood up. Dem sneaking rats”. “I see you’ve changed your mind about your pals,” said Biggles. “You should have known better”. “Don rub it in, mister. I guess I had it a’comin’,” said Christophe philosophically. Christophe asks about Dessalines and then says “Guess they must ‘ave bumped him off. Dem cheap skates. Mebbe even now dey ain’t as smart as dey tink”. Biggles asks what he means and Christophe says he still has a card to play. Biggles looked at the man curiously. “Then if you take my advice you’ll play it now”. Christophe considered Biggles thoughtfully. “I guess you must be one o’dese straight guys you hear about but never meet. If I come clean will you take me some place where I can get dese holes in me filled up?” “I’d no intention of leaving you for the hyenas anyway,” Biggles told him curtly. “There’s nothing I can do here, except get you over to some friends of mine who’ll fix you up as best they can while I fetch a plane with some first aid kit. Then I’ll take you to the nearest British hospital”. “Dat’s mighty kind o’ you, mister. Now I’ll tell you sommat. You’re a friend o’ General Mander?” Biggles confirms he is. Christophe says he has the General’s bag. When he sold the bag for forty thousand dollars, he only gave them the General’s Lieutenant’s bags. The General’s bag is hidden under the floor-boards in his office. Biggles helps Christophe to join Bertie and Ginger, the latter of whom is watching this strange scene in open-eyed amazement. Biggles tells them that he is going to meet Algy and asks them to do what that can for Christophe. “He says he’s still got some teeth but I don’t think he’ll bite you. See you later”. With a curious expression on his face Biggles set off on his journey.