BIGGLES - CHARTER PILOT

by Captain W. E. Johns

XIV THE ADVENTURE OF THE COUNTERFEIT CRUSADERS (Pages 127 - 138)

The members of 666 Squadron are talking about the progress of the War. Bertie sees in the daily paper that the Germans have taken Rostov. (The Germans captured Rostov on the Don on 21^st November 1941, capturing 10,000 Russian prisoners. The Russians re-took in on 28^th November 1941. It was the first successful major Soviet counter-offensive of the war. This story wasn’t published in ‘Boy’s Own Paper’ until February 1944, which was after the July 1943 publication of the book. I suspect the story was written in late 1941 or early 1942). Bertie says “Well, I mean to say, you know, Rostov is a deuced important place. They call it the doorway, or gateway – or something – to the Caucasus. We don’t want the Nazis there, no fear”. Henry Harcourt says the Germans will never get through the Caucasus “Because it’s nothing but rocks and things, all ups and downs. In fact, nobody knows quite what is there”. (The Caucasus is an area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea consisting of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia). Algy comments that the Germans may know a good deal more about the Caucasus than a lot of people suppose. He says that he has been there with Biggles and Dr. Duck. “Ginger was there, of course. If you ask him nicely perhaps he’ll tell you about it”. Ginger explains that they had been there with Dr. Duck looking for some lost crusaders. “We’ve got a few minutes before dinner; if you like I’ll tell you all about it”. Ginger settled down, and this is the story he told:

“Caucasia, in case you didn’t know, is one of the Russian republics, or rather, a cluster of republics with unpronounceable names. In fact, it’s a queer place altogether, and it’s hard to believe that it’s in Europe”. There had been rumours coming out of Russia of descendants of crusaders who still stuck to the old customs, wore crosses on their tunics, carried swords and worshiped St. George. Dr. Duck wanted to go and track them down and clear up the story. Having got permission off the Russian authorities, our heroes flew to an airport at Baku and from there to the mountains where they landed the Wanderer at a pleasant lake. The lake appears to be deserted, but they meet a Persian. “A wonderful figure, I might say a gorgeous figure, appeared on the hillside. He wore a tall green turban, and a long, yellow silk robe decorated with blue stars, pink moons, and goodness know what else. On his feet were scarlet slippers. Think of pictures you’ve seen of Aladdin or Ali Baba, and you’ll have a rough idea of this magician – for that’s what he turned out to be”. Ginger couldn't remember the man’s name. They are taken to his cave, gloriously decorated with tapestries and carpets. Dr. Duck speaks some Persian and some Arabic and so communication is possible and he finds out that the crusaders do exist. They are in the next valley, but they put to death any civilised people who fall into their hands. Our heroes could only approach by pretending to be holy men from the east and they are lent costumes to disguise them. Another person allowed to travel between the valleys, was the equivalent of a news vendor who would travel shouting the news for anyone who wanted to hear it. They could go anywhere without fear of injury and were provided with food in return for their work. One such man was due at 'Ali Baba's' cave the next day and he could be persuaded to show them the village of the crusaders if he thought they were holy men, sworn to perpetual silence to get over the language problem. "Now Biggles has, and always had, a horror of dressing up, or otherwise making himself look ridiculous" says Ginger, so he refused to be party to such proceedings. He would taxi the aircraft under a rocky bank and keep it out of sight instead. Although not going with them, Biggles told Ginger to drop a scrap of paper at intervals as they walked along so there would be no risk of their losing their way. This Ginger does, every ten yards or so, using an old newspaper. As they enter the next valley, they enter a defile (a narrow pass or gorge) between high rocky walls and when they turn a corner, they come across four tall, fair-haired, blue eyed crusaders. They are “dressed as you see them in pictures” with big swords and the Cross of St. George on the front of their white tunics, only each man produced from under his tunic an automatic pistol. (The Crusaders show themselves in their true colours – is the illustration on page 135). Looking back at their guide, he too produces a pistol and says in English “Keep on walking, spies”. They are told in English that they, the crusaders, would see that our heroes cause no further inconvenience to the Third Reich. “The Professor was the first to spot the truth”. (This line on page 136 of the first edition of the book is an error where Dr. Duck is incorrectly referred to (by Johns) as ‘The Professor’. It is repeated in every edition since, including all paperbacks). "They're Germans", he said, "and I can guess what they're doing here. This is a nest of spies who, taking advantage of local legends, have disguised themselves as crusaders to cloak their real activities”. Ginger says that what shook him most was the fact that their guide was clearly one of the gang. The head crusader is just about to shoot Dr. Duck when Biggles arrives and shoots the head crusader first. Biggles disarms the other Germans and orders them to march off back to their valley. The leave at speed, no doubt to get help. Our heroes have to rush back to their plane to escape. Biggles explains that 'Ali Baba' is really a Hun as well and he had to crack him over the skull. What had happened was that Biggles has seen a length of electric wire in the cave and it made him suspicious. That is why he hadn't gone with the others and he had got Ginger to lay the paper trail allowing him to follow. He had moved the plane and then crept back to the cave and heard Ali Baba talking to someone in German on the telephone. He was no Persian, but a German sentry keeping watch over the lake. Ali Baba had then taken a rifle and gone to shoot Biggles as he returned from the plane by Biggles cracked him over the head with a lump of rock. Even though they set off at the double, by the time they get back to their aircraft they have come under attack. “It was warm work at the finish, for by the time we had the engine started the counterfeit crusaders were pouring down the mountain path. One or two bullets hit the machine, but they did no damage”. As soon as they land, the Soviet authorities at Baku are informed of the presence of the Germans but what happened to them, Ginger says, they never knew. “The Russians don’t talk about these thing – but we could guess. We didn’t go back, so we still don’t know if there are any real crusaders in the Caucasus”. “We don’t know how long the Germans were there, but they may have gathered some useful information; but for our visit they would have learnt a lot more. I doubt if Biggles ever did a more useful job of work – but here he comes now; I’d better dry up”.