BIGGLES ON THE HOME FRONT

by Captain W. E. Johns

VIII. BERTIE CLIMBS A TREE (Pages 99 – 108)

“Bertie did not expect to have any serious trouble in carrying out Biggles’ instructions regarding a ground-level survey of the establishment know as Gortons, the house and the land around it. After all, this was England, where trespassing on other people’s property, whiel (typo here, it should read ‘while’) not excusable, can usually be explained, with an apology, provided no damage has been done”. Bertie strolls up the lane and finds the gate closed, so he continues until he reaches a spot that suits his purpose and forces passage through the hedge. Here he can now see the house. “The gravel drive, curving towards it from the lane, described a circle round the buildings, so that they formed, so to speak, a little island in a sea of shrubs that had once been gardens, but were now much overgrown. From this it was evident that the owner or occupier was not interested in horticulture. A large black car, which Bertie took to be the Daimler, was standing by the front door”. Bertie sees only one person, holding something, by his clothes a gardener, with two Alsatian dogs at his heels, he paced the drive in the manner of a sentry. The house appeared to be Victorian with perhaps five or six bedrooms. “One thing he did notice was the wireless aerial, which struck him as being a good deal taller than was necessary for a normal house of that size”. He could not see beyond the house as it was hemmed in by woods. Bertie entered the nearest wood as it offered plenty of cover but he disturbs a cock pheasant and it rises with a whirr of wings and a cackle of protest. “The Alsatians, now out of sight, give tongue”. Behind the house, Bertie sees a grass field of considerable size with two structures, one an open barn for hay or straw and the other, clearly a new one. “The trouble was, the building had no windows; only large skylights”. Bertie hears two sounds. The first was the barking of dogs. They seemed to be nearer. The second was the tinkle of metal, as if someone had dropped a tool on a concrete floor. Bertie’s attention is on the building and he wonders how he might look inside. He could make no excuse for being on the roof, to look through the skylights, so it would have to be the door. Now he hears the swift patter of galloping feet accompanied by an occasional vicious snarl. Bertie carried a small automatic “but obviously he couldn’t use it against two animals which, after all, were only doing what they had been trained to do. He fled, although he knew before he had taken a dozen steps that he would not save himself by running”. The only answer was a tree and Bertie has just enough time to choose one with low branches that would enable him to climb. “He went up it faster than he had ever climbed a tree in his life”. (“Bertie went up faster than he had ever climbed a tree in his life – see page 104” is the illustration opposite page 96). “Even so, he was only just in time. He had not realized that the dogs were so close. The leader leapt at him as he swung his legs clear, and actually got him by the slack turn-up of his trousers. It nearly pulled him down. For a moment or two the animal hung; then the material parted and it fell, with several inches of Bertie’s trousers in its mouth”. The gardener arrives, carrying a twelve bore gun. He was followed by two others, in blue overalls, possibly the mechanics who had been working in the hangar. “What are you doing up there?” said the man with the gun. “What do you think I’m doing, you fool – birdsnesting?” demanded Bertie caustically, shaken by his narrow escape. The man tells Bertie to come down, but he won’t until the dogs are called off. “Look what they’ve done to my trousers. I shall sue you for damages”. Two more men now joined the party. Bertie recognises Swell Noble, the cat-burglary jewel thief from his photograph. The other man was nearer sixty years of age, pale, thin-faced, bald in front and with a short, well-trimmed greying beard. He now spoke. He had a cultured voice, but Bertie thought he detected a slight accent, as if he was a foreigner long resident in England. “What is all this?” he asked, quietly. Bertie wonders if this is Carlton. Bertie explains he was taking a stroll in the woods and didn’t know they belonged to the man. “Why don’t you put up a notice to let people know that if they stop on to your land they’re liable to be to torn to pieces?” There is then the drone of a light aeroplane and all watch as Biggles’ Auster flies over. The bearded man, who had obviously taken command of the situation said something to the man with the gun. He patted the dogs and Bertie noticed the little finger of his right hand was missing. The dog handler went off with the dogs. Bertie drops to the ground. The man asks Bertie which way he wants to go and he says “To the nearest road”. The man takes him to the road and says “Don’t come back”. “I’d be a fool to do that, wouldn’t I?” laughed Bertie. “You would indeed,” was the smooth reply. “Bertie strode on towards his rendezvous with Algy, not quite sure whether his morning’s work had been successful or otherwise. On the whole he decided that he hadn’t done too badly”.