Part 1 (1/2)

Biggles Fails to Return.

Captain W. E. Johns.

Chapter 1.

Where is Biggles?

Flight Lieutenant Algy Lacey, D.F.C., looked up as Flying Officer 'Ginger' Hebblethwaite entered the squadron office and saluted.

'Hel o, Ginger-sit down,' invited Algy in a dul voice.

Ginger groped for a chair-groped because his eyes were on Algy's face. It was pale, and wore such an expression as he had never before seen on it.

'What's happened?' he asked wonderingly.

Before Algy could answer there was an interruption from the door. It was opened, and the effeminate face of Flight Lieutenant Lord 'Bertie'

Lissie grinned a greeting into the room.

'What cheer, how goes it, and al that?' he murmured.

Algy did not smile. 'Stop fooling. Either come in or push off,' he said curtly.

Bertie threw a glance at Ginger and came in.

'I wasn't going to mention this to you, Bertie, but as you're here you might as wel listen to what I have to say,' resumed Algy.

'Go ahead,' said Ginger impatiently. 'What's on your mind?'

'I'm very much afraid that something serious has happened to Biggles.'

There was silence while the clock on the mantelpiece ticked out ten seconds and threw them into the past.

'Is this-official?' asked Ginger.

'No.'

'Then what put the idea into your head?'

'This,' answered Algy, picking up a flimsy, buff-coloured slip of paper that lay on his desk. 'I'm promoted to Squadron Leader with effect from to-day, and . . . I am now in command of this squadron.'

'Which can only mean that Biggles isn't coming back?' breathed Ginger.

'That's how I figure it.'

'And you had no suspicion, before this order came in, that-'

'Yes and no,' broke in Algy. 'That is to say, I was not consciously alarmed, but as soon as I read that chit I knew that I had been uneasy in my mind for some days. Now, looking back, I can remember several things which make me wonder why I wasn't suspicious before.'

'But here, I say, you know, I thought Biggles was on leave?' put in Bertie, polis.h.i.+ng his eyegla.s.s briskly.

'So did we al ,' returned Algy quietly. 'That, of course, is what we were intended to think.'

Bertie thrust his hands into his pockets. 'Biggles isn't the sort of chap to push off to another unit without letting us know what was in the wind,' he declared.

'Let us,' suggested Algy, 'consider the facts-as Biggles would say. Here they are, as I remember them, starting from the beginning. Last Thursday week Biggles had a phone cal from the Air Ministry.

There was nothing strange about that. I was in the office at the time and I thought nothing of it. When Biggles hung up he said to me-I remember his words distinctly-”Take care of things til I get back.”

I said ”Okay.” Of course, that has happened so many times before that I supposed it was just routine.

Biggles didn't get back that night til after dinner. He seemed sort of preoccupied, and I said to him, ”Is everything al right?” He said, ”Of course-why not?”

' Algy paused to light a cigarette with fingers that were trembling slightly.

'The next morning-that is, on the Friday-he surprised me by saying that he was taking the week-end off. I was surprised because, as you know, he rarely goes away. He has nowhere particular to go, and he has more than once told me that he would as soon be on the station as anywhere.'

'And you think this business starts from that time?'

remarked Ginger.

'I'm sure of it. Biggles can be a pretty good actor when he likes, and there was nothing in his manner to suggest that anything serious was afoot. He tidied up his desk, and said he hoped to be back on Monday-that is, last Monday as ever was. We need have no doubt that when he said that he meant it. He hoped hoped to be back. In other words, he would have been back last Monday if the thing-whatever it was to be back. In other words, he would have been back last Monday if the thing-whatever it was -had gone off al right. When he went away he looked at me with that funny little smile of his and said, ”Take care of things, old boy.” Being rather slow in the uptake, I saw nothing significant about that at the time, but now I can see that it implied he was not sure that he was coming back.'

Ginger nodded. 'That fits in with how he behaved with me. Normal y, he's a most undemonstrative bloke, but he shook hands with me and gave me a spot of fatherly advice. I wondered a bit at the time, but, like you, I didn't attach any particular importance to it.'

'It wasn't until after he'd gone,' continued Algy, 'that I discovered that he'd left the station without leaving an address or telephone number. Knowing what a stickler he is for regulations, it isn't like him to break them himself by going off without leaving word where he could be found in case of emergency. That was the last we've seen of him. I didn't think anything of it until Wednesday, when I had to ring up Forty Squadron. It was their guest night, and Biggles was to be guest of honour. He had accepted the invitation. Biggles doesn't accept invitations and then not turn up. When he accepted that one you can bet your life he intended to be there; and the fact that he didn't turn up, or even ring up, means that he couldn't make it. It must have been something serious to stop him. I began to wonder what he could be up to. Yesterday I was definitely worried, but when be up to. Yesterday I was definitely worried, but when this Group order came in this morning, posting me to the command of the squadron, it hit me like a ton of bricks. To sum up, I suspect the Ministry asked Biggles to do a job, a job from which there was a good chance he wouldn't come back. He went.

Whatever the job was, it came unstuck. He didn't get back. It takes a bit of swal owing, but there it is. It's no use blinking at facts, but the shock has rather knocked me off my pins. I thought you'd better know, but don't say anything to the others-yet.'

Ginger spoke. 'If the Air Ministry has given you the squadron they must know know he isn't coming back.' he isn't coming back.'

Algy nodded. 'I'm afraid you're right.'

Bertie stepped into the conversation. 'But that doesn't make sense-if you see what I mean? If the Ministry knows knows that something has happened to Biggles his name would be in the current casualty list that something has happened to Biggles his name would be in the current casualty list -kil ed, missing, prisoner, or something.'

'That depends on what sort of job it was,' argued Algy. 'The Ministry might know the truth, but it might suit them to say nothing.'

'But that isn't good enough,' protested Ginger hotly. 'We can't let Biggles fade out . . . just like that.'

He snapped his fingers.

'What can we do about it?'

'There's one man who'l know the facts.'

'You mean-Air Commodore Raymond, of Intel igence?'