Biggles Breaks the Silence [Biggles in the Antarctic]

157 Pages·2016·0.94 MB·English

by  Johns Captain W E

I
BIGGLES HAS VISITORS
"As a job, ours is about the dullest ever. What's the use of having Air Police if
there are no air crooks?" Air Constable "Ginger" Hebblethwaite, of the Air
Section, Criminal Investigation Department, New Scotland Yard, considered
with moody impatience two of his colleagues, who were regarding him with
sympathetic toleration from the depths of the arm-chairs in which they had
slumped. One was Algy Lacey, and the other Lord Bertie Lissie, who for the
purpose of his present duties had dropped his title.
Bertie polished his monocle with a screw of paper torn from the journal he had
been reading. "Absolutely, old boy. I couldn't agree with you more," he agreed
sadly.
"In the matter of entertainment it looks as if we shall soon be reduced to feeding
pigeons in Trafalgar Square," observed Algy, yawning.
"For a bunch of disgruntled spivs you'd be hard to beat. Some people would call
you lucky, being paid for doing nothing." The voice came from the other side of
the room, where Sergeant Bigglesworth, head of the Department, was regarding
the street below through the window of his London flat in Mount Street,
Mayfair. "After all," he 5
went on, "there were some air crooks when we started, which is why the air
section was formed."
"I know; but our mistake was we were in too much of a hurry to liquidate them,"
grumbled Ginger.
"We did what we were paid to do," Biggles pointed out. "We left ourselves with
nothing to do."
"What's wrong with that? Can't you rest?"
"I shall have plenty of time to rest when I am drawing the Old Age Pension,"
muttered Ginger.
"At the rate your fretting yourself to death you'll be lucky to see the colour of
that money," asserted Biggles cynically. "But just a minute. Don't get excited,
but fancy we're going to have visitors."
"What gave you that idea?"
"I can see two people coming along the pavement." "What makes you think
they're coming here?" "Deduction, my dear sir, deduction. As detectives our job
is to deduct."
"Then what about deducting a pound or two from the bank and going
somewhere,"
suggested Ginger.
"We may have to do that presently," replied Biggles. "I told you I could see two
men on their way here. At any rate, they're looking at the numbers of the doors,
and I've seen one of them before."
"Where?"
"I don't know. I've seen too many faces in my time to remember them all."
"What does this chap look like?"
"Young, clean-shaven, smart, fair-haired, walks as though he had been in one of
the services."
"That description would fit just about a million fellows in London to-day,"
observed Ginger with mild sarcasm.
Biggles ignored the remark. "The man with him is much older. Looks like a
naval type.
Yes, they're at the door."
6
Biggles turned away from the window smiling faintly. "You can now amuse
yourselves trying to guess where this visit will ultimately land us," he added.
"You'll have noticed that our callers usually want us to go somewhere and do
something."
"The penalty of fame, old boy, the penalty of fame," murmured Bertie softly.
"Well, I'm game for anywhere bar the North Pole," declared Ginger.