Ginger In Australia

Chapter 13

Dirty Tricks

The details of Canton's flight plan were eventually brought over by the same messenger.

"Where is Mount Taylor?" Biggles asked him, unfamiliar with the name.

"Just south of here," was the reply. "It's not very pretty. It's a mining area."

Biggles pricked up his ears. "What sort of mining?" he wanted to know.

"Gold," the lad told him. "There's a lot of small mines round here, out at Ipswich and to the north at Gympie, but the really big deposits are near Cairns."

Biggles thanked him and got ready to depart. They had taken the opportunity to snatch a quick meal and Biggles had laid in some stores in case of emergency. All they needed now was for Canton and von Stalhein to take off so they could see what they were up to.

"It looks as though von Stalhein has a contingency plan," remarked Bertie as they waited for their adversaries to get going.

"I told you not to underestimate him, Bertie," reminded Biggles. "He is nothing if not thorough." There was a stir of activity at the hangar as the German's Auster was pulled out ready for flight. "Here we go at last," murmured Biggles.

"Any more for the skylark?" remarked Bertie brightly as the other machine commenced its take-off roll.

Biggles let them get airborne and steady on their course. With the advantage of knowing their destination, he felt he could take his time. When he thought there was no risk of the other pilot seeing him he took off and headed south. He could not see the other machine but that did not worry him. Conditions were slightly hazy, which would account for failing to make visual contact. When, however, he reached Mount Taylor and flew over the small airfield without seeing the other Auster he began to have misgivings. After he had landed and been told that no other aircraft had flown in that day, he knew he had been sold a pup.

"Well blow me down!" exclaimed Bertie. "We've been suckered!"

"I should be kicked from here to the Gulf of Carpentaria," muttered Biggles viciously. "I kept telling you not to underestimate him and I've done the same thing myself. He must have switched messages somehow or arranged for that lad to bring one of his own."

"He could be anywhere," complained Bertie.

"Perhaps he's not so clever as all that," suggested Biggles. "After all, he's sent us on a wild goose chase to one gold field. Perhaps he's still interested in the gold, but one of the others the lad mentioned. What was the name of the one to the north of here?"

"Gympie," replied Bertie.

"Let's try there, then," suggested Biggles. "We can't be any worse off than we are now."

The Auster covered the hundred or so miles to Gympie in a little over an hour, thanks to a tail wind. Biggles smiled grimly when he saw the other Auster parked at the edge of the strip. "Von Stalhein is going to be sick," he remarked. "He always did think I turned up like a bad penny."

Biggles landed and taxied near the other machine. "I think it might be an idea if they couldn't take off, Bertie, don't you?" he suggested as the propeller swished to a stop. "Just pull the ring of the engine stopping control, will you? That should delay them long enough while they sort out why the engine won't start, if they want to make a speedy getaway."

Bertie chortled as he nipped across and closed the valve that cut off the engine air supply. When he came back, Biggles was locking the doors to his machine.

"I'd look pretty silly if they took this one because theirs wouldn't start," he remarked as he put the key in this pocket. "I've been made to look an idiot once today. I don't want to make a habit of it."

They made their way to the mine. Just as they came in sight of the buildings, they saw Canton come out of one of the huts and walk across to a jeep parked outside. He seemed to be staggering under a heavy load. The suspension of the jeep was already near bottoming under the weight of its cargo.

Biggles ducked out of sight, dragging Bertie with him. "We were just in time," he breathed. "They're still loading the gold on the jeep."

"But how are we going to stop them, old boy?" Bertie wanted to know. "They're both sure to be armed and we don't have a gun between us."

Biggles thought for a moment. "If we can stop them using the jeep, we shall have an advantage. He took a quick peek. "I thought as much, Canton's gone back for more. Greed," he said, shaking his head, "it's always their undoing. Come on!" With that he raced across to the jeep and flung up the bonnet. A quick jerk and the rotor arm was removed. Biggles flung it as far away as he could before he dropped the panel back in place. Seizing Bertie by the arm he drew him back behind the corner of the building to await events.

Canton came out with another load of ingots. Von Stalhein strolled out behind him.

"That is enough now," ordered the Prussian. "Let us get back to the aircraft. I don't think it will take Bigglesworth long to work out that we sent him in the wrong direction."

"He'll have no idea," scoffed Canton. "It was a clever trick giving that lad a false message to take across."

"You don't know him the way I do," stated von Stalhein. "The man has an uncanny knack of turning up when you least expect him."

Canton got behind the wheel and pressed the starter. He looked surprised when there was no response from the engine. He tried again while von Stalhein went white with fury.

"I can't understand it," muttered Canton. "It started before."

"That's because it had its rotor arm before," Biggles told him, stepping out from behind the building. "The game's up, von Stalhein." He dodged back smartly as the German produced an automatic. A bullet smacked against the wall. Biggles crouched down and risked a peep from a different position. Both Canton and von Stalhein had gone.

"Go back to the machines, Bertie," ordered Biggles. "I'll look around here and see if they're still in the mine."

As Bertie hurried off, Biggles risked another look. No missiles came his way. Cautiously he emerged from the shelter of the building and made his way to the office. There were three people in there, tied up with tape over their mouths. Biggles freed the nearest to him and told him to untie the others.

"Who …?" the man started to say, but Biggles had disappeared through the door. He rounded the corner of the building and caught sight of Canton running along the edge of a large tank. Biggles called to him to stop and the man looked round. Biggles ran towards him and was closing when a shot rang out, missing him by inches. Canton teetered on the edge. Whether he lost his balance or whether he had been hit, Biggles was not certain, but the effect was the same. With a scream he fell into the tank and was lost to view.

"He's had it," commented an Australian voice behind him and Biggles looked round to see the man he had freed. "That's cyanide in that agitator tank. We use it to leach the gold out of the pulp."

"He had it coming to him," remarked Biggles dispassionately. "I shan't shed any tears on his account. Have you seen the other man?" he asked.

The Australian shook his head. "The shot seemed to come from over by the transport shed," he remarked.

"Transport shed?" echoed Biggles. "How many vehicles do you keep in there?"

"Two or three trucks, a Ute and a couple of jeeps," was the disturbing answer. As if to settle Biggles' query a jeep came tearing round the corner and screamed through the main gates, heading down the Mary River valley. Biggles glimpsed von Stalhein at the wheel and knew that he had lost him. By the time he had got back to the machine, started up and taken off, von Stalhein could have ditched the jeep and been anywhere, but he knew he had to try. When he had introduced himself he asked his informant if he could use the telephone to contact the local police so as to organise a search.

"The lines are down," the man told him laconically. "I reckon they cut them before the job."

Biggles nodded and lit a cigarette. "Erich is thorough," he remarked. "I'll have to set it in motion when I get back to Archerfield, but after all this time, I don't hold out much hope. At least you got your gold back," he told the man, smiling.

"Yeah," said the miner. "Pretty nippy work, that. I must admit it was a shocker when they just walked in and held us up. Ice cool it was."

Biggles stubbed out his cigarette and left. He was anxious to get back to Archerfield before the light went. He needed to organise a search, although deep down he felt it was pointless. He also wanted to know if Algy had been in touch again. As soon as he was airborne Biggles got in touch with the airfield and gave them the details of the attempted robbery with a request to contact the local police about searching for von Stalhein. Knowing he could do no more, Biggles concentrated on getting back as quickly as he could.

He landed just as the sun was setting and hurried over to the office. There was an envelope with his name on it waiting to be collected.