Part 12 (1/2)

Sorry about this, sir,' he said.

'So am I,' returned Biggles. 'How are you feeling ?'

'Pretty fair, sir.'

Able to walk ?'

I'll have a shot at it, sir.'

'Good. Then let's get up to the top.'

Briny looked surprised. 'To the top, sir ?' 'That 's what I said. It's no use going down because the place is full of Germans.'

Briny took a pace backward, his face a picture of consternation. 'Blimey he whispered.

Ginger led the way up the cave until they reached the b.u.t.tress of rock that dammed the water in the lake. They helped each other up, and from the top Biggles surveyed the water with a curious expression on his face.

'What do you think of it ?' inquired Ginger.

I think it's going to be very useful,' replied Biggles enigmatically. 'You're wet through already so you might as well come across with me. Briny, you stay here with Roy and keep guard. I'll leave this gun with you. If you hear anyone coming up the cave, let drive.

We shall hear you shoot and come back to help you.'

Biggles took off his clothes, and holding up the bundle with one hand, followed Ginger across to the ledge, where they discovered that it had stopped snowing, although the sky still looked very threatening. A hail brought Algy to the edge of the cliff above them. He lowered the line, and in a few minutes they were reunited at the top, where Biggles told Algy what had happened at the depot. 'How 's your machine ?' he concluded.

'We haven't tested it yet, but it should be all right,' answered Algy. 'The Flight-Sergeant found a piece of solder in the petrol lead; he's taken it out, so if anyone feels like taking off he can have a shot at it.'

Biggles contemplated the prospect without speaking, for it was enough to daunt the stoutest pilot. The maximum run over the smooth part of the rock was not more than a hundred yards; and that was not the worst. At the end of it, fluted columns of weather-worn rock rose vertically some ten or twelve feet in the air, which meant that a machine taking off, failing to get that amount of height, would collide with an obstruction that would smash it to pieces.

It might just be done,' decided Biggles at last.

Algy nodded. 'That's how I figured it. Who's going ?'

'You are.'

'Why me ? Why should I get away ?'

I'm not thinking about you particularly; I'm thinking about the German code-book. Von Stal-hein doesn't know we've got it, and it's worth its weight in gold to the Admiralty.

Whatever happens here that code is going home if it is possible to get it there.'

I doubt if I've enough juice in the tank to get to England,' said Algy dubiously.

Is there enough to get you, flying solo, as far as the North Sea ?'

'Yes, I should think so.'

'Then that's the way it will have to be. If, when you get to the North Sea, you can't spot one of our s.h.i.+ps-well, I'm afraid it's going to be just too bad. But there ought to be plenty of s.h.i.+pping about-destroyers, mine-sweepers, submarine chasers, to say nothing of merchant convoys.'

'Why don't you go yourself ?'

'Because I've got something else to do here. You've got your orders-don't argue.'

As you say. What are you going to do ?'

'First of all I'm going up to the top of that lump of rock and have a look at the cove.' He pointed to the ma.s.sif up which Ginger had climbed. 'By the way,' he continued, 'you took a machine-gun with you last night. Is it still in your machine ? If it is I'll take it. With luck I might get a pop at von Stalhein, if he happens to be standing outside the cave.'

'Yes, it's still in my seat.'

Biggles walked up to the machine, and was lifting the gun out when he gave a cry of triumph. 'By jingo! I'd forgotten that!'

'Forgotten what ?'

From the rear seat Biggles lifted the time-bomb, which Algy had not used. 'This squib is the answer to a question I've been asking myself for the last half-hour,' he announced enthusiastically.

Algy stared. 'What's the big idea ? I'm not clever at riddles.'

'Does your imagination go far enough to give you a picture of what will happen when I blow this charge against the rock that holds all that water in the cave ?'

Algy's jaw dropped. 'You're crazy,' he declared. It would blow the cave to pieces. In fact, it might blow half the island to pieces. The tunnel would probably cave in and you'd be stuck up here with no way of ever getting down.'

Biggles laughed shortly. 'That 's a detail. What is more to the point, a million gallons of water let loose would sweep every man in the depot into the sea-and everything else.'

'But you don't know which way the explosion would expend itself,' put in Ginger aghast.

'You'd bust the dam all right, but you might blow the top clean off the island-or blow the side out of it, causing the whole place to collapse.'

'My orders are to destroy the depot if we have to abandon it,' answered Biggles grimly. '

Whatever else happened, the explosion would release the water, so von Stalhein and his gang would get their ears wet when they weren't expecting it-not that I care two hoots about them. I'm only concerned with flooding the depot before they can s.h.i.+ft the stuff out of it.'

'This ought to be worth watching,' murmured Ginger.

Biggles's manner became brisk. Algy, put the code-books in the machine. I'm going up to the top of the rock. If anything unforeseen happens before I get back, take off and head for England. If you have to come down in enemy waters tie something round the British code-book and sink it. Ginger, you come with me.'

Putting the machine-gun on his shoulder, Biggles set off up the ma.s.sif.

It was not an easy climb when Ginger had attempted it, but now, with snow about, it was even more difficult. However, by strenuous labour, and by helping each other over the worst places, twenty minutes saw them at the top.

Ginger was the first to reach the edge and look down. He gave an exclamation of dismay.

Biggles joined him. 'That's von Stalhein's drifter down there, in the cove,' he said. 'I knew it was there. That looks like von Stalhein himself standing on the bridge, talking to the captain. I think I'll let him know that we're still alive.' He lay down in the snow, and taking careful aim, poured a stream of bullets down on the drifter.

Von Stalhein made a leap for the companionway and disappeared; some other men who were standing about also darted for cover.

'Rotten shooting,' said Biggles disgustedly. 'I couldn't hold the gun still in this snow; it jumped all over the place as soon as I pressed the trigger.'