At last Ginger tapped Biggles on the shoulder. `Come on,' he said. 'There 's no sense in sitting here getting smothered with snow. If we don't soon get back to the cave we may not be able to find it.'
Biggles got up. 'I was trying to work out a way of getting that code-book back, but it 's got me stumped,' he said despondently. 'However, as you remark, it's no use sitting up here in the snow, unable to see a blessed thing; we may as well have a look at the cave—
if it 's still there. If it isn't—well, it'll be interesting to see how they propose to get us off this rock. They won't just sail off and leave us here, that 's certain.'
`The only thing they could do would be to shoot us up from the air with machine-guns.'
Biggles reached for their own gun. 'Two can play at that game,' he said grimly. 'Poor old Algy ; if only he could have got away with those books I shouldn't have minded so much what happened here. Ah well! I suppose it was bound to come to this sooner or later. Let'
s get back to the cave.'
They all made their way through the drifting snow to the edge of the cliff.
`The ledge is still there, anyway,' observed Biggles, looking over the top as he tied the rope round his waist. 'Let me down first.'
With the gun in his hands he was lowered to the ledge. The others followed, Ginger, who came last, scrambling down at the end of a running line, with the rope looped round a projecting piece of rock at the top of the cliff.
Entering the cave, they saw at once that the lake was no longer there. Where the water had been yawned a wide black crater, but the passage across it offered no great difficulty. At the far side they found that the rock that had dammed the water had been shattered by the explosion ; beyond it, the fissure was almost choked with debris, and Biggles looked at it dubiously before he advanced.
`Take it quietly everybody, or we may have the whole place down on our heads,' he warned the others.
Moving with extreme caution, taking care not to disturb loose rocks, they went on, noting the results of the escaping flood.
It was Ginger who saw the new exit first. Biggles had just pulled up with a cry of warning—or it may have been dismay—for they had reached a place where the fissure was almost completely blocked with pieces of loose rock, jammed together by the colossal weight of the water. All their torches were on, and it was no doubt due to this that the grey light which entered the cave from the left at first passed unnoticed.
Ginger, happening to look that way, let out a shout. 'Here, what's this ?' he cried. 'It looks like a hole. It must be the place where the water burst through the side of the cliff.'
As quickly as they dared they made their way to the spot, and soon saw that what Ginger had surmised was indeed the case. A large portion of the side of the cliff had been forced out by the sudden weight of the released water, leaving an enormous cavity into which the snow now drifted.
Biggles made his way cautiously to the edge and looked down. 'I can just see the cove,'
he announced. 'I should say it 's about eighty feet below us.'
Ìs there anybody about ?' inquired Ginger. Ì can't see anybody.'
`Then they must be back in the cave, trying to get up to us.'
Ì don't think they'll get past that mass of rock —the place where we were held up.'
Ìf they can't get up, it also means that we can't get down.'
Ì'm by no means anxious to get down—just yet, anyway,' said Biggles slowly. 'I think the snow is getting thinner. Let's sit here for a bit until it clears. We'd better see what's happening below before we do anything else.'
Resting the gun against a boulder, Biggles sat down to wait. Ginger squatted beside him, and the others leaned against the rock. As Biggles had remarked, the snowstorm was passing, and presently it was possible to see most of the cove.
`Where the dickens has everybody gone ?' muttered Ginger, scanning the scene below in search of the Germans whom he fully expected to see there.
`Don't ask me,' replied Biggles. 'I can only think that the second destroyer must have picked them up.'
`But it was making for Algy's machine. Surely it wouldn't have tried to get back into the cove through all that snow. Visibility must have been zero.'
`There's the destroyer, and the drifter, at any rate,' observed Biggles, as visibility improved and it became possible to see the two vessels, still locked together against the spit. The destroyer had sunk by the stern, with her bows still in the drifter's hull. Both appeared to be deserted.
`This has got me whacked,' went on Biggles, with a puzzled expression on his face. '
Where the dickens have the crews gone?'
`The lifeboats aren't there,' the Flight-Sergeant pointed out. 'They must have taken to the boats when the destroyer started to founder.'
`But where could they go? Why can't we see them ? You'd have thought they'd have come ashore.'
Briny stepped forward. 'Excuse me, sir, I didn't like to mention it before, but when you was a'sittin' on the top there, just after Mr. Lacey flopped down in the ditch, I thought I '
eard a motor-boat. I've got a pretty good ear for engines, and I said to myself, I said, if that ain't the blooming motor-boat wot let me down, then I never 'eard it.'
Biggles stared, trying to grasp the significance of what Briny had said.
`Just a minute,' put in Ginger sharply, turning to Biggles. 'Didn't you say that the drifter had picked up the motor-boat? If so, it might have brought it here.'
`That's right,' conceded Biggles.
`Then they might have cleared off in the motorboat—or taken the lifeboats in tow.'
Èven so, that doesn't explain why they should suddenly rush off, knowing that we were on the island.'
`They may have gone to the other destroyer.'
`Yes, but where is the other destroyer ?' cried Biggles, indicating the open sea, for the snow had now practically stopped, and it was possible to see for two or three miles.
`Great Scott! Look! There's Algy's machine,' shouted Ginger suddenly.
Biggles stared as if he could not believe his eyes; but there was no possibility of mistake.
The Platypus had drifted into sight, close to the rocks below them. It seemed to be in an undamaged condition, but of Algy there was no sign.
`He must be in the water—unless he managed to get ashore,' ventured Roy.
`Hark!' said Biggles suddenly.
Over the water came a hail. 'Ahoy there!' `What the dickens! That wasn't Algy's voice,'
swore Biggles.
Ìt certainly wasn't,' agreed Ginger emphatically.
Then to their ears came the muffled beat of an engine, and they all stared at the shoulder of rock from beyond which the sound seemed to come. And as they stared, moving very slowly, a long, sleek body came into sight, just above the surface of the water.
`Look out! It's a U-boat,' snapped Biggles, grabbing the gun. Then he stopped, staring incredulously as the rest of the steel deck came into sight. On the deck was a gun, and behind it stood a crew of British bluejackets. Nobody spoke as the conning-tower came into view, and then Ginger let out a yell, for standing talking to two British officers was Algy. The submarine forged on, its white ensign fluttering.
Àhoy there!' yelled Ginger, nearly going over the cliff in his excitement.
They saw Algy look up and point, and in a moment a dozen faces were staring at the hole in the rock.
`Talk about fairy godmothers, they aren't in it,' declared Biggles, a flush on his pale face.
'Where have you sprung from ?' he shouted.
`We've come for that code-book!' shouted the submarine commander.
Biggles remembered his signal to Colonel Raymond and understood what had happened.
The Admiralty had sent for the valuable document. `Watch out!' he roared. 'There 's a Boche destroyer about somewhere.'
Ìt won't worry us,' answered the naval officer. Ìt's ' He jabbed his thumb downwards.
`That must have been the bang we heard,' said Ginger. 'I
t wasn't Algy's tank; it was a mouldy hitting the destroyer.'
`Come down—I've got to get back. I daren't hang about here!' shouted the submarine commander. 'Where are the people off that other destroyer ?'
`They must have seen you and pushed off in their lifeboats. They had a motor-boat with them.' Ì see. Come on down.'
`Stand fast. We're not sure that we can get down.'
Biggles made his way quickly to the cave, but it did not take him long to ascertain that any idea of
getting down that way was out of the question. How far the blockage extended it was impossible to say. At some risk he dragged a few small pieces of rock aside, only to reveal more rock, apart from which he nearly brought the roof down on his head. 'It would take weeks to clear a way through here,' he told Ginger, who had followed him.
`But that means that we can't get down at all.'
Ìt begins to look like that,' admitted Biggles. `Maddening, isn't it, with the submarine so close.'
`Perhaps they can get a line up to us 2' suggested Ginger.
`We'll ask them.'
They hurried back to the opening and informed the naval officer of the position. 'Can you get a line up to us ?' concluded Biggles.
The submarine commander conferred with his officers. 'No!' he shouted up. 'We haven't a line long enough. Even if we had we couldn't get it up to you.'
`That means we're stuck here,' declared Biggles, looking round the horizon which, now that the snow had cleared, could be seen. His eyes fell on a line of lifeboats heading southward, and the mystery of the abandoned ships was explained. He realized that von Stalhein must have seen the destroyer torpedoed, and had promptly fled in the motorboat. Biggles's roving eyes picked out
something else, a smudge of smoke far beyond the boats. 'What's this coming!' he shouted, pointing towards it.
The submarine commander studied the distant hull with his binoculars. 'It's a German cruiser,' he announced. 'If you're coming with me you'll have to buck up. I daren't risk my ship by staying here.'
Biggles thought desperately, but he could find no way out of their quandary. 'All right skipper,' he shouted at last, 'you get off and take the code-books. We shall have to take our luck.'
`Sorry—but you can see how it is.'
Biggles waved good-bye.
Suddenly Algy cried, 'Can you get back to the top ?'
`Yes,' Biggles told him, whereupon Algy spoke rapidly to the naval officer, at the same time pointing towards the German flying-boat, which was still drifting about half a mile away. Then he looked up.
`Get back to the top of the rock,' he bellowed. `You'll have to buck up.'
Ì don't know what he's thinking of doing, but we'd better do as he says,' declared Biggles. 'It's no use staying here, anyway.'
A parting wave and they were on their way back to the summit of the island. Panting with exertion, they made their way across the empty reservoir to the ledge, and then, by means of the rope, to the top.
Ì've got it,' said Ginger, as they ran across to a position from which they could look down on the submarine. 'He 's going to fetch the flying-boat.'
`But he can't land a boat up here,' protested Biggles, as they reached their immediate objective and scanned the sea for the submarine. But it had gone. The German cruiser was still coming at full speed, and was now not more than five or six miles away. The Platypus was a smouldering wreck, burnt to water-level. The big flying-boat was racing over the sea towards the island.
`He must have set fire to the Platypus to prevent it from falling into the enemy's hands, so he must be pretty confident of getting away,' declared Biggles.
A moment later the aircraft left the water and roared up towards the top of the rock. Five pairs of eyes watched it anxiously as it climbed rather higher than the island, and then swept round with the obvious intention of flying straight over them. As it passed over the level area a bulky object fell from it and plunged downward. Another followed, and another. There was no time for more, for by this time the machine had overshot the island; but it banked steeply and retraced its course. Two more objects detached themselves to bounce on the rock.
Ì've got it!' yelled Biggles. 'They're brollies.'
Ginger stared aghast. 'Does he think we're going to jump off the top of this place ?' he gasped.
`That's it. There's no other way.' Biggles ran forward to retrieve the parachutes, the others following him.
By the time they had each picked one up the flying-boat had cut its engines and was gliding down. It landed, and taxied nearly—but not quite—under the overhanging ledge, which, fortunately, happened to be on the side farthest from the cruiser.
Algy's voice floated up. 'Come on!' he shouted. Ì'll pick you up. Get a move on. It's that or nothing.'
`Where's the submarine ?' called Biggles. `Gone.'
`Has it got the code-books?'
`Yes.'
Biggles gave a sigh of relief and started getting into his harness. Ginger and the Flight-Sergeant were doing the same thing. Afterwards they helped Briny and Roy, neither of whom had ever made a parachute jump.
Biggles looked down, and judged the distance to be a little over four hundred feet. 'We shall have to pull the ring as we jump,' he announced. 'Jump out as far as possible to get clear of the rocks.'
'Don't forget to pull the ring!' he screamed as Briny tottered into space
Briny's face was ashen. 'You don't mean to say, sir, that I've got to go over there ?' he whispered plaintively.
`That's just what I do mean,' answered Biggles firmly.
Ì daren't do it, sir, s'welp me, I daren't.'
`Be a man, Briny. Think what a tale you'll have to tell when you get home. Think of how you'll be able to start your stories : "I remember the day I jumped off the top of Bergen Ait " '
Briny's eyes opened wide. 'Why, yes, that's right, sir,' he gulped.
Ànd I'll tell you something else,' declared Biggles. 'When we get back I'll let you tell a yarn right through without interrupting you '
`You will, sir ?'
`Honest. Only buck up about it. If you hang about much longer you'll find yourself landing down the funnel of that perishing cruiser.'
Briny advanced to the edge of the cliff. He looked down and shuddered. Ìt's no use, sir,'
he moaned. 'I daren't
Òver you go or I'll throw you over,' snarled Biggles, pretending to fly into a fury. 'Don't forget to pull the ring!' he screamed as Briny tottered into space.
Ginger put his hands over his eyes. He couldn't bear to watch. He held his breath, waiting for the splash.
`Phew! He's all right,' said Biggles, drawing a deep breath. 'The brolley 's open, so he can't take any harm now. Algy will attend to him. Your turn next, Roy. Don't forget to slip your release gear as soon as you touch the water.'
`Very good, sir.' Roy stepped forward, and waited until Algy had dragged the dripping Briny into the flying-boat. Then he jumped clear.
His father gasped his relief as the parachute mushroomed out.
`You go next, Flight-Sergeant,' ordered Biggles. The N.C.O. jumped without a word.
`You'd better wait a minute before you go, to give Algy time to pick them up,' Biggles told Ginger.
Ginger grimaced. He had made many jumps, but never one like this. However, he clutched the rip-ring with his right hand and launched himself into the void, head first, in the professional manner.
A shell screamed over the island; it burst in the air, spraying the rock with shrapnel.
Biggles ignored it. He jumped out as far as he could, and slipped the quick-release gear the instant his legs dragged in the water. Slipping off the harness, he swam to the door of the flying-boat just as Algy was dragging Ginger in.
`Get a move on,' he told Algy. 'That cruiser's coming up fast. Keep low for a bit when you take
off, then she won't be able to see us on account of the island being in the way.' He pulled himself on board and sank into the spare pilot's seat, wiping the water
from his face. '
Lucky thing those chaps carried brollies,' he told Algy seriously.
`Lucky thing I remembered seeing them, too,' snorted Algy. 'You might give me credit for something once in a while.'
`Good work, old lad,' agreed Biggles, 'but we'll talk about that when we get home. Just see about getting us there.' He turned to Briny, and noticed that there was something different about him, although he could not make out what it was. His expression was disconsolate. 'What are you looking so miserable about ?' he inquired.
Ì've lorst me 'at at last,' answered Briny in a broken voice. 'It fell orf as I was comin'
down. You don't know what that 'at 's been through, sir. I remember once—'
He stopped as if from force of habit.
Biggles nodded encouragement. 'Go on,' he prompted. 'What did you and your old shipmate Charlie do ?'
`Well, would you believe that,' muttered Briny, scratching his head in confusion.
`Believe what ?'
Ì've forgotten what I was going to say.'
His confession was greeted with a yell of laughter.
`Tough luck, Briny,' said Biggles sympathetically. Then he turned back to Algy. 'You'll have to watch your step when we get over the North Sea,' he warned him. 'Don't forget that we're carrying swastikas and black crosses, and there must be a whole crowd of our fellows fairly pining to get their sights on one.'
`That 's all right,' replied Algy. When I left the submarine Sparks was tapping out a signal warning all ships and aircraft not to shoot at a four-engined Dornier flying-boat flying at a thousand feet. If Roy will get to the wireless cabin and get into touch with the Air Ministry, no doubt they'll tell us where to land.'
`That was well thought out,' declared Biggles. `Good enough! Let's get home.'
The four engines of the flying-boat burst into song, and she streaked away from the secret base that was a secret no longer.
CHAPTER XX
HOME
FORTY-EIGHT hours later, after landing at an R.A.F. Marine Base on the East Coast, Biggles, Algy, and Ginger reported to Colonel Raymond at the Air Ministry. They found him waiting for them.
Biggles, who was in rather low spirits at what he regarded as his failure to keep the secret base going, was more than a little surprised at the reception they received. It was certainly not what he had expected. Instead of criticism he found only satisfaction amounting to jubilation.
21 Biggles In The Baltic v3 Page 16