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.They were, Biggles remarked to Ginger, as tough-looking a pack of pirates as he had ever seen in one place."No wonder the major wanted to get rid of them,' he concluded, smiling.Li Chi, who overheard this remark, surprised Ginger by observing, casually, that in his opinion they were pirates.He smiled at Ginger's expression and added : "Oh yes, there are still plenty of pirates in the China Seas.""Better keep them away from those Japanese rifles," said Biggles seriously."Don't worry about that," returned Li Chi easily."These fellows will do as I tell them.If there is any trouble I'll let Ayert loose among them with his parang.He walked over to the wheel which was being handled in a businesslike way by his ferocious-looking bosun.Biggles smiled faintly as he lit a cigarette."We seem to have landed among some nice people," he remarked to Ginger."The fellow I'm sorry for is Prince Lalla," replied Ginger."I had a long talk with him after lunch.Nice lad.He's burning to get into the war.It's a pretty lonely sort of life for a chap of his age, stuck up here at the back of beyond."Biggles nodded, watching the monotonous river banks slide by."So I imagine," he murmured.Suddenly Ginger laughed quietly."What's funny?" inquired Biggles."Us," answered Ginger."The things we do.To most people at home this part of the globe is now a place as inaccessible as the moon, crawling with Japanese scum; yet here we are, right in the middle of it, cruising along as if the country and the launch belonged to us.""As a matter of fact they do," returned Biggles dryly."The Japs only borrowed them for a little while—a loan for which they'll have to pay a heavy rate of interest."After that they fell silent.The afternoon passed.The river rolled on, unchanging.The jungle steamed.The sun sank.Twilight dimmed the scene.The refugee crew disposed themselves in the bows, looking like heaps of dirty linen.Fireflies danced along the fringe of trees.The Lotus thrust its blunt nose into the stream, parting the turgid water.Biggles stood by the rail, smoking, deep in thought.Ginger lay down on the hard deck and fell asleep.IXAYERT GOES ASHOREGINGER awoke—or, rather, was awakened—by a low murmur of voices.He got to his feet to find Biggles, Li Chi and Ayert, in earnest conversation.The murmur of their voices was the only sound.The engine had stopped.The Lotus drifted with barely perceptible movement on a sluggish tide, through grey wraiths of river mist."What's happened ?" asked Ginger, suspecting a new development."We don't quite know," replied Biggles."A little while ago a radio somewhere on board started buzzing Out Morse.Li Chi found the instrument in a cabinet in the cabin.We should have guessed that there would be one on board.Li Chi picked up a signal from Victoria Point recalling the Lotus to base.""What have you done about it?""Li Chi acknowledged the signal—it was all he could do.""Then there's no harm done?""We're not sure about that.Listening, Li Chi has picked up other signals.As they stand they are vague, but it seems that some sort of operation is in progress near Japanese headquarters at Victoria Point.We shall have to pass near the place on the way out.""Then we may see something.""The enemy may see us, too, and that's something we want to avoid.We were just discussing the advisability of sending.Ayert ashore to find out just what is going on.We are not far from the estuary.Ayert says he can get the information from the Chinese labourers' quarters.Moreover,he might learn the location of enemy posts on the river banks.It would be useful to know that because it would enable us to set a course to keep clear of them."Ginger looked at his watch and saw that it was just three o'clock."What does Li Chi think?""He's in favour of Ayert going ashore.""We've nothing to lose by the delay, provided Ayert doesn't take too long over his reconnaissance," observed Ginger."We must be across the strait before dawn." Biggles spoke briefly to Li Chi, with the result that the engine was started, and as the Lotus moved her nose was turned towards the northern bank.Ayert dropped overboard, waded ashore and disappeared in the mist.The others waited, listening; but no sound came.To Ginger it was a tedious vigil [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]