"Oh, so-so," answered Gimlet. "Get your man?"
"Yes."
"Good show. Come aboard. Better step lively. It won't take that gunboat long to discover that it has been fooled, and we're still in range."
Those in the dinghy needed no encouragement to vacate it. One by one they stepped through the gaping door into the cabin of the aircraft. Gimlet came last. He pushed the now useless dinghy clear with his foot and closed the door. "Okay!" he called. "All aboard."
The machine vibrated as the engines roared. Ripples smacked against the keel. Then all vibration ceased. For a minute or two no one spoke. Then a switch clicked and the cabin was full of light. Cub saw the slim form of Ginger leaning against the forward bulkhead.
"Make yourselves comfortable," invited Ginger. "You'll find some grub in that hamper, and tea in the Thermos. Biggles thought you might do with a snack so we brought it along. Have a good trip?"
"Not too bad," answered Gimlet.
"We thought you were being hard pressed when we spotted that gunboat, or whatever it is," stated Ginger. "We saw its beam when we were twenty miles away and guessed what it was looking for."
"What was it shooting at?" asked Cub.
"Oh, that." Ginger laughed lightly. "Biggles was a bit worried about the ship being so near so he decided to use a red herring to draw it away. We abandoned our spare dinghy with a light on it, that was all."
"It did the trick," said Gimlet. "We were getting worried, too, believe me. That destroyer was getting too close to be comfortable. We thought they'd seen your lights and were shooting at you."
"We weren't carrying a light," answered Ginger. "That's why we launched one—to give the destroyer something to shoot at. Ah well. We're clear away now. You chaps won't be sorry, if the state you're in is anything to go by. You look as if you've spent most of your time crawling up and down the mountains."
"We have," confirmed Gimlet, drily.
"Well, I must get back to my seat," said Ginger. "Relax and make yourselves at home.
We'll soon have you where there's plenty of hot water and clean linen.
See you later." He went forward.
Copper grinned as he opened the hamper. "Free an' easy lot, these ail-types, ain't they?
That's wot I like about 'em. Wot's this? Cold chicken an' 'am, s'welp me.
If there's one thing I like after a 'ard days work it's a nice bit of cold chicken an' 'am. Wot say you, Trapper, me ole cock linnet?"
"Brother, you've said it," answered Trapper warmly.
The aircraft roared on, its nose to the West, homeward bound.
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER I A FRIEND IN NEED
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER Vll
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER x
CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XV