Biggles Makes Some Discoveries
As members of Tom's team vanished silently into the tropical forest, Biggles looked at Algy in something approaching desperation.
"I'm beginning to feel like a dog chasing its tail," he said bitterly.
"What do you want to do?"
"What I want to do is get a machine gun and shoot up von Stalhein's camp," responded Biggles savagely.
"I'm all for that. Let's do it," agreed Algy moving towards the Beaufighter.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To shoot up the enemy camp – like you just suggested."
"I said it was what I wanted to do, not what we're going to do. You'd just as likely kill Ginger and Tom's people!"
"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Algy reasonably.
"I'm not going to do anything until Tom's people return. If they've got Ginger with them, we'll head for home, if they haven't, I'll have to think of something else. You, however, are going back to base right now."
"What! And leave you here alone?" Algy made no effort to hide his concern. "Biggles, in case you hadn't noticed, you're not exactly flying on full power at the moment."
"And you are?" Biggles raised his eyebrows and looked at his cousin steadily.
"I'm not still suffering from fever..."
"No, you've just been knocked unconscious and been belted around by enemy soldiers," retorted Biggles with heavy sarcasm. "I'm not making a suggestion here, Algy. You are flying back to Handy Cay right now to stop anyone else from coming here. Go back, get the doc to look at you and have a rest. If we're not back, say three hours after you, then you can mount a rescue job. But not until then. Is that clear?"
Algy glared back and then shrugged fatalistically.
"Clear enough," Algy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "The only reason I question your orders, old boy, is that you need to rest. I'm quite okay, you know."
"And so am I. Now get going while you can."
Biggles stood and watched as the Beaufighter headed eastwards, then he turned and joined Tom and his party in the shelter of the trees. He knew the noise of the departing machine would be heard in von Stalhein's camp and it wouldn't be long before enemy soldiers would be along to investigate.
"How long before your uncle is likely to return, Tom?" he asked quietly.
Tom shrugged and shook his head. "Dunno. Not long, maybe. We'll move further in, away from the beach and wait."
Biggles awoke with a start as Tom gently shook his shoulder. He had not intended sleeping when he had sunk wearily to the ground and leant against the tree trunk, but his body had dictated otherwise.
"Sorry, Tom," he murmured. "Didn't mean to drop off. What's happening?"
"Be dawn soon, Squadron Leader," replied Tom. "We need to move. Uncle says the German officer took Ginger back where we rescued you."
"I said before I felt like I was chasing my tail," muttered Biggles in disgust. "I'll bet they'll be on the lookout for any second rescue attempt."
"They won't stop us," smiled Tom confidently. "Uncle's team are back. They've got some better guns for us," he chuckled softly. "Reckon those Germans will be missing some ammo, too."
"Tom, I'm very glad you're on our side," said Biggles sincerely.
"And I could say, I'm glad you're on our side, too," responded the younger man lightly. "Uncle says you probably want to see the submarine he found on the other side of the island, too."
"The submarine?" Biggles looked up quickly from checking the machine gun Tom had held out to him. "Of course, it'd be here. Von Stalhein practically told me."
"Uncle will take us to look at it before we go to their camp. Maybe you can really blow it up this time," Tom added with a sly grin.
"Let's have a look at it first, before we think about blowing it up."
"Uncle says maybe you could drop a bomb on it from one of your aeroplanes," grinned Tom.
"Maybe," smiled Biggles. 'Well, let's have a look at it, and then rescue Ginger."
Biggles didn't make this decision lightly. He wanted to rescue Ginger, but he also knew he could not pass up the unexpected opportunity to check out the U-Boat's new base. Knowing von Stalhein, he knew the man would be irate at his own and Algy's escape and Biggles was concerned that his long-time enemy would vent his spleen on Ginger now that he had fallen into his hands. Still, he reasoned, he would be able to accomplish both tasks before Algy turned up again. In fact, he was depending upon Algy turning up with a Beaufighter in order to provide sufficient transport for them. Tom's party, he knew, would depart as quietly and as undetected as they had arrived. Reflecting upon the tasks at hand, Biggles followed Tom and his now silent uncle into the deep recesses of the jungle whilst his remaining companions seemed to quietly disappear into the gloom. As the walked, he was aware of the water, never too far distant on his right.
He was surprised at the short distance they had covered before Tom halted and turned back to him.
"It's just through the trees here. Two men guard it."
In the early pre-dawn which was now lighting the eastern sky, Biggles peered cautiously through the dense foliage of the jungle undergrowth and drew a sharp breath. The German U-Boat sat quietly moored to a rough timber dock its gangway guarded, as Tom had said, by two uniformed enemy soldiers.
"Damn nerve," muttered Biggles under his breath. "These are Australian waters and they're sitting there as if they owned the place!"
His quick, but attentive survey soon revealed why the submarine had been secure, for it sat in a small, but natural bay which had been created by a long arm of a long extinct volcano eruption thrusting out to sea, almost parallel with the coast and nearly meeting the island shoreline opposite, providing a narrow but obviously navigable entrance. Biggles suspected that a ship could sail past without suspecting the inlet existed.
"We'd better start moving before it gets too light."
Slinging his gun over his shoulder Biggles followed his guide, aware of the others who silently slipped through the jungle both behind and alongside of him. When Tom finally signalled for them to halt, the dawn light was creeping across the sky from the east and Biggles could dimly discern the enemy camp in a clearing through the dense foliage. As they watched, Ginger emerged from one of the huts with von Stalhein behind him. When Biggles saw the armed soldiers lined up on the far side of the camp, he clutched Tom's arm.
"Von Stalhein's going to execute him!" he breathed in alarm.
"We're here just in time then," murmured Tom imperturbably. "You can rescue him. Tell us what you want to do."
"Keep your people down," ordered Biggles. "I'm going to get Ginger and then we need to run."
"Okay." Tom spoke quickly and quietly to his uncle and Biggles' escort seemed to vanish before his eyes. But he scarcely had time to ponder on his new friends' remarkable bush skills as his attention was focused solely on the drama unfolding before him.
"Cover me, Tom," he grated, never doubting for a moment that the young man beside him would do so. Raising the machine gun, Biggles walked out of the jungle into the clearing.
"Let him go, von Stalhein," he called coldly, "or you and your men won't see another day."
Several events followed almost simultaneously - all faster than the pen can tell. Taking advantage of the distraction Biggles' caused, Ginger immediately bent double and, like a startled snipe, shot towards the fringe of jungle nearest to him. Von Stalhein spun on his heel, raised his gun and fired off a rather wild shot towards Biggles; one of the firing party raised his rifle and let fire in the general direction of Ginger's rapidly vanishing person; Tom gave vent to an unrecognizable yell and immediately the surrounding jungle was alive with gunfire. Biggles saw several members of the firing squad fall as he himself dropped to the ground and began working his way back under cover. His immediate concern was with Ginger's safety and the current mayhem was not conducive to any peace of mind on that score.
As Biggles reached the cover of the jungle undergrowth he felt, rather than saw, Tom arrive by his side again.
"Okay, we got Ginger," he breathed in Biggles' ear. "We can go now."
"What about your people, Tom? Von Stalhein will take his temper out on anyone unlucky enough to fall into his hands right now."
"Don't you worry about my people, Squadron Leader. Just stick with me and we'll get back to the aeroplanes."
...
"Are you all right, laddie?" Biggles took in Ginger's extremely dishevelled and mud-streaked appearance as they emerged from the thick jungle bordering the beach where the lone Spitfire stood. "Do you feel fit enough to fly?"
"I'm all right. I probably look a lot worse than I feel," grinned the younger man as he, in turn glanced down at himself. "I wouldn't mind a good bath."
"Wouldn't we all!" agreed Biggles ruefully. He scrutinised Ginger more carefully and apparently satisfied, continued with his orders.
"You're to fly the Spit back at once. Tell Algy I've located the U-Boat base and he and Tug are to bring the Beaus back with a full load of bombs. Everyone else can fly cover in the Spits and get some strafing runs in after Algy and Tug have dropped their eggs..."
"You found it!" interjected Ginger. "It's on this island then? How will Algy know..."
"If you'll let me finish, I'll tell you everything you need to know."
"Sorry, sir," grinned Ginger completely unabashed.
Biggles shot him a sharp glance before continuing and Ginger hastily recomposed his face.
"Tell Algy I'll light a signal fire due east of the U-boat harbour. He's to take a westerly bearing on that and drop his eggs on the inlet below. There's a wooden jetty with the sub moored to it so he shouldn't miss it. Now get moving before von Stalhein's lot reach us."
"What about you...?"
"Don't you worry about me," growled Biggles impatiently. "Just do what you're told. Now!"
"Right sir," muttered Ginger obediently running for the Spitfire.
Biggles watched from the fringe of trees with no small apprehension as the younger pilot prepared for his hasty take off and only breathed easily again as it lifted off and roared eastwards. He turned to Tom.
"Your people have done a great job, Tom. I just hope no one's been hurt. Von Stalhein's lot don't play very nicely I'm afraid."
"We're at war, sir," smiled Tom wryly. "This is our country, you know, and we'll defend it, too. We can play just as hard as that lot. And don't worry about us, we're more at home on this island than they are. What do you want to do next?"
"Put as much distance between us and this beach as we can. I want to position myself in a line due east of that U-Boat base and I need to be able to set a signal fire for Algy and the boys when they come over in a couple of hours."
Nodding his understanding, Tom led the way slightly inland and then headed north through what seemed to Biggles to be impenetrable jungle, but again, he appreciated Tom's superb bush skills as, without the help of a compass, they emerged from the dense vegetation at the base of a tree studded, rocky outcrop.
"From up top you can see the submarine and you can look back across the water to watch your aeroplanes come. No one will see us climb up if we stay behind the rocks and trees."
From his vantage point at the hill's summit Biggles appreciated the accuracy of Tom's words. Below him to the west, lay the inlet where the enemy U-Boat rode secured to its wooden jetty and directly behind he could look eastward across the sea towards Torres Strait. Tom and his companions had gathered a respectable amount of reasonably dry timber which they piled in a rocky hollow ready for Biggles to light. His initial concern about whether he would be able to get the fire started quickly enough was put to rest by Tom's assurance that these particular tree branches would catch fire very quickly. Biggles looked forlornly at his three remaining matches and his one cigarette. He sighed as he returned the cigarette packet to his shirt pocket, realising that he couldn't risk wasting any of his precious matches. He cautiously resumed his watch on the cove below, knowing that he had some time to wait before he could reasonably expect Algy to arrive. What he saw caused his brow to crease in considerable consternation.