Part 3 (1/2)

From a distance of a quarter of a mile he could see the gun-crew feverishly loading their weapon, and more in the hope of delaying them than hitting anybody, he brought his nose in line and fired a series of short bursts from his machine-guns. Whether it was due to this or an order from the commander he did not know, but the men sud-denly abandoned their weapon and bundled into the conning-tower. The top closed and the U-boat began to submerge.

But by this time Biggles was over it. His bomb hurtled down. He zoomed away swiftly, banking steeply on the turn so that he could see what happened. What he saw brought a grim smile to his lips. As quick as he had been, the others were not far behind him. The Didgeree-du and the Dingo, in line, swept over the patch of swirling water. Two great columns of smoke and spray shot upwards. The stem of the U-boat rose high out of the water, the propellers racing ; higher and higher it rose until it was almost vertical ; then it plunged downwards and disappeared from sight.

For a little while Biggles continued to circle, the other machines following him, in case there should be any survivors ; but there were none, and in his heart he was relieved, for they were in no condition to take care of prisoners. A final glance at the wide patch of oil that marked the last resting-place of the U-boat and he turned back towards the islet.

Without waiting for the others to land, he raced straight on into the cave, and, jumping out, ran on to the radio room.

'Did that submarine manage to get out a signal ?' he asked Roy sharply.

'Yes, sir. It was very short though-not more than three or four words, I should say, although as they were in code I don't know what they mean. I've got a record of the letters though.'

see,' said Biggles slowly, and returned to the catwalk where the others were just corning ash.o.r.e.

'What you might call short and sweet,' remarked Algy.

'Short, but not very sweet,' answered Biggles.

Ah, well, that 's war. If it hadn't been them it would have been us. That 's what they've been handing out to unarmed s.h.i.+ps so they could hardly complain. The Admiralty will be glad to know that one raider is out of the way. It seems to be a case where we might risk transmitting a signal. But come on, we'd better get ready for this show to-night.'

CHAPTER VI.

A DANGEROUS MISSION.

THE plan for the blowing up of the Albeck tunnel, as finally decided by Biggles and accepted without demur by the others, was completed, and as the weather remained favourable it was agreed to put it into operation that night. Two machines would go over, the first to be the Willie-Willie converted into a two-seater, with Biggles and Ginger in it. This was actually the operative aircraft. It would carry the explosive charge-a time bomb-with which they hoped to destroy the tunnel, and fly at its maximum ceiling, which Biggles thought could not be less than 25,000 feet. This would, of course, involve the use of oxygen apparatus, which had not been overlooked by the Admiralty in fitting out the base. Algy, in the Didgeree-du, also converted into a two-seater, was to take off twenty minutes after the others and fly at 10,000 feet with a dual role to play. Primarily, his purpose was to act as a decoy to distract attention from the operative machine by drowning the noise of its engine with its own. Secondly, it could act as a reserve plane to pick up the occupants of the first machine if by any chance it should be damaged in landing. If its services were required Biggles would signal to it by means of a red light ; otherwise, it was to return home independently.

Biggles saw clearly that the greatest difficulty to be overcome was to reach the landing-field un-detected, for it was too far inland to be reached in a glide after the manner adopted in the attack on the ammunition dump. He knew that if once the machine was picked up by the ever-questing searchlights it would not only be futile to land, but suicidal ; so, after giving the matter consider-able thought, he had decided on the scheme just outlined as the most likely way of escaping obser-vation. Algy was to fly straight towards the land-ing-field, drawing both the searchlights and the anti-aircraft gunfire. In this way it was hoped that the other machine, flying 15,000 feet above it, would, by cutting its engine some distance away, be able to reach the field more or less silently.

Once the Willie-Willie was on the ground matters would have to take their course.

Biggles would have to open his engine in order to get off again, but this he did not mind, trusting to his ability to get back in the face of anything the enemy might do to prevent it.

To start with, the watches of both machines would be synchronized; both aircraft were to rendezvous over the islet at a prearranged time, at their respective alt.i.tudes, and fly on the same com-pa.s.s course at the same speed. This should (as Biggles explained) keep them together, for they would not be able to see each other. He, having to climb to a greater height, would take off first. The scheme was not entirely satisfactory, but he was convinced that it was the best they could do in the circ.u.mstances.

'We'll start as soon as it 's dark,' he concluded. 'It may take us some time to get into the tunnel, and it wouldn't do to be caught out in daylight.'

Accordingly, the machines were made ready, and at nine p.m. the Willie-Willie, with Biggles in the pilot's seat and Ginger crouching over a gun behind him, taxied out to the cove. Another minute and they were in the air, spiralling steadily upwards.

For twenty minutes the steel airscrew of the Willie-Willie clawed its way into the starlit heavens, by which time the altimeter needle registered 22,000 feet, and the airmen adjusted their oxygen apparatus ; then, still climbing slightly, Biggles struck off to the south-west at a steady speed of 28o miles an hour. Half an hour later the German mainland appeared ahead, black, sinister, as mysterious as another world. A finger of gleaming silver stabbed the darkness, and soon the air was cut into sections by the ever-alert searchlights.

Biggles's voice reached Ginger over the tele-phone. 'Look down,' he said. 'Poor old Algy seems to be copping it.'

Ginger looked over the side. Far below, so far that they appeared to be on the ground, a hundred flickering points of light danced in the darkness, and he knew it was the archie barrage throwing a curtain of fire round Algy's machine. It was hard to believe that the bursting sh.e.l.ls were 0,000 feet above the earth. For a time he watched the barrage moving along below them, and from it was able to judge roughly the position of the Didgeree-du. Algy was getting the worst of it now, he reflected, but their turn would come later.

Once a probing beam swept perilously close to the Willie-Willie, but Biggles side-slipped away, sacrificing a little height in the slip, but keeping on his course.

The minutes pa.s.sed ; one by one the searchlights went out and the barrage thinned, as the coastal batteries were left behind. Below, the earth was wrapped in profound darkness, but the roads showed dimly, like pale threads snaking across the vast panorama. Woods and forests showed as inky stains on the vague background of the earth. Occasional flashes still followed the course of Algy's machine, and the cunning of Biggles's plan became apparent, for so far not a single sh.e.l.l had come near the Willie-Willie, and it seemed fairly certain that its presence had not been suspected by the watchers on the ground. Shortly afterwards the archie trail swung away to the left, and Ginger knew that Algy had begun to circle away in accordance with their plan. That Biggles had noticed it, too, was made apparent when the Willie-Willie's engine died, leaving the machine to glide silently along its lonely course.

Standing up to look immediately below them, Ginger saw what he expected to find-the railway ; a long straight line that began in the indistinct distance behind them and vanished into the black horizon ahead. He considered it seriously, know-ing that Biggles'

s skill in pilotage would now be severely tested, for to bring a machine down from such a height on a given landing-ground, at night, without touching the throttle, required more skill than the average pilot possessed.

Once a curious, nebulous ball of fire rolled along the line, and he knew that it must be a train ; the lights in the carriages were out, but the fireman could not prevent the glow from reflecting on the smoke as he stoked his furnace.

Ginger thought the glide would never end. It seemed interminable, the more so because, owing to their great height, they did not appear to be moving ; nor did they seem to get any lower, although he knew that this was not the case, for the altimeter told a true story and the needle was swing-ing back all the time.

Staring fixedly ahead, he saw the thin line of the railway end abruptly, as if it were cut off short in open country, and he knew they had at last reached the tunnel. A moment later the machine began a wide, flat spiral, and the details on the ground soon showed up more clearly. The moon had risen, and in its cold blue light he could even see the farm-building at the northern end of the tunnel which he knew must be the guard-house.

Quickly now the greys became less dim, and the outlines of woods and hedges stood out more sharply. A wide river, which he knew must be the Elbe, meandered across a deserted landscape to the north-west, for villages were few and far between.

A current of air on his left cheek interrupted his survey as the machine went into a steep side-slip, and he realized that Biggles must have arrived over the objective with plenty of height to spare ; he noted it with satisfaction, for had they undershot they could only have reached the landing-ground by opening the engine. Looking ahead he could see it, a large field roughly triangular in shape, with a group of trees at the apex. He glanced at Biggles, and saw that he was leaning forward as he operated the gear that lowered the undercarriage wheels.

The field was under them now. Almost imper-ceptibly the nose of the machine came up as Biggles flattened out. The tail sank a little, but still the machine glided on towards the trees, its wheels about two feet above the gra.s.s.

Ginger held his breath and waited, praying that there were no unseen obstacles, for on the floor of his c.o.c.kpit rested a small, square wooden case con-taining enough high explosive to blow the machine to atoms. He breathed again as the wheels touched, b.u.mped gently once or twice, and trundled on to-wards the trees. He felt the machine strain slightly as the left wheel brake was applied, causing the air-craft to swing slightly so that it finished its run a dozen yards from the trees, facing the open field ready for an instant take-off should danger threaten. Silence fell.

'Well, here we are,' remarked Biggles quietly.

'Nice work, chief,' acknowledged Ginger.

They both got out of the machine, Ginger taking the explosive charge with him, and stood still, listening, peering with straining eyes into the dim moonlight, for there was just sufficient light for it to be deceptive.

'Everything seems to be quiet ; I don't think we were spotted,' said Biggles at last. 'Give me a hand.'

Slowly, and not without effort, they dragged the machine back into the dense gloom under the trees, leaving it with its nose still pointing to the open field. There was no movement of air, so the question of the direction of the wind did not arise.

'Good! She'll do nicely there. We'll get along,'

muttered Biggles softly, and picking up the time-bomb, set off down a hedge that led in the direction of the tunnel.

They came to a gap, and crawling through it, came out in a lane, which they followed for some distance ; then Biggles cut across country, keeping as close as possible to the hedges, until they came to a slight embankment. 'We're about over the tunnel,' whispered Biggles. 'If we turn right here it should bring us to the entrance.'

In a quarter of an hour, now moving slowly and with infinite caution, they came within sight of the railway line. Lying flat, Biggles surveyed the scene. There was no one in sight. The guard-house, a square black barn, stood about a hundred yards away, but of the sentries there was no sign. He crept forward for a short distance and again lay still, straining his eyes to find the men who he knew must be there.

He was still staring into the tricky half-light when the door of the barn was suddenly thrown open ; a shaft of yellow light fell athwart the gra.s.s, and a peremptory voice, in German, called, 'Keep your eyes open there ; there 's been an air-raid warning.'

'Jawohl,' was grunted in answer, so close to where he lay that Biggles instinctively stiffened.

The door was closed and the light disappeared. Silence returned. But it did not last long. '

Did you hear that, Fritz ?' said the voice that had last spoken.

'Ja,' came the reply, heavy with boredom, some distance away. 'Anybody would think that the Englanders were coming here. The corporal 's nervous. He ought to go into the trenches for a bit ; that'd cure him.'

Biggles smiled grimly and felt for Ginger. shall have to knock this fellow on the skull,' he breathed. 'If he makes one sound we're sunk. Keep close to me.' He drew his revolver, and hold-ing it by the barrel, began to creep forward. He had not far to go. A round forage-cap appeared silhouetted against the sky. Beside it, at an angle, was the black outline of a bayonet.

For several minutes Biggles lay still, trying to work out the best way of approach, for there seemed to be a low growth of brambles between him and the sentry, and to cross these without making a sound was manifestly impossible. He was still lying there when, from far away, came the drone of an aero-engine, its steady purr punctuated by the dull whoof, whoof , whoof, of archie. He knew that it was Algy, still cruising about watching for a possible signal.