As they neared it they came suddenly upon a woman; she was on her knees, grinding maize; she looked surprised when she saw the strangers, but said nothing, and after they had pa.s.sed they could hear her going on with her monotonous task.
It would be a joke, wouldn"t it,, if this isn"t the place we"re looking for, after all?"
murmured Ginger. "It might turn out to be a perfectly legitimate village."
"People don"t post guards at the entrance to a perfectly legitimate village," Biggles reminded him. "Moreover, if this place was above-board, there would surely be some attempt at cultivation; and there would be no need for chicleros to sweat up and down four hundred feet of rock every time they went to work. All right-here we are; keep quiet now."
They had reached the entrance to the yard that gave access to the outbuildings of the big house, the back door of which also opened into it. The fire which they had seen from the rocks was still burning; above it was suspended an iron cauldron from which arose an appetizing aroma.
"We"ll try the outbuildings first," said Biggles quietly, and walked over to them; but if he hoped to see what they contained he was disappointed, for they were locked, every one of them, and there were six in all, large and small. But from the far one they were granted a view of something which hitherto had been hidden by a corner of the house. It was a garden, a walled-in area, an unsuspected Eden. Grapes hung in purple cl.u.s.ters from an overhead trellis; scarlet tomatoes gleamed among the golden stalks of Indian corn; huge yellow gourds lay about among vines that wandered through flowers of brilliant colours. A bush loaded with great blue plums made Ginger"s mouth water. This pleasant scene was enhanced by a pigeon-cote, where several birds were preening themselves. Into this unsuspected paradise Biggles led the way. Ginger made for the plums, but Biggles dragged him back into a shady arbour where a tiny fountain bubbled.
"Don"t be an a.s.s," he muttered; "we"re on thin ice here. Don"t you realise that we"re in the king"s garden? Stand fast."
Peering through the creepers that covered the arbour, Ginger saw that they were now at the side of the house. A long, low window overlooked the garden. Near it was a door. It was open.
"We"re doing well. Let"s have a look inside," murmured Biggles, and went on to the door, which gave access to the garden, but obviously was not the main entrance to the house.
After a cautious peep inside Biggles took a pace over the threshold, Ginger at his elbow.
He whistled softly as he looked round.
And I should say this is the king"s parlour," he whispered. The room was magnificently, if ostentatiously, furnished as something between a lounge and an office. An old, beautifully carved Spanish sideboard was disfigured by a lot of cheap, modern bric-a-brac. Bottles and gla.s.ses stood on a bra.s.s-topped table. A modern roll-top desk, littered with account-books and papers, stood near the far wall; but the piece that fascinated Ginger most was a fine, leather-covered chest. In strange contrast, near it stood an American steel safe. A second door led into the interior of the house. A strange foreign odour hung in the sultry air.
So much the visitors saw at a glance. After listening intently for a moment, Biggles walked over to the desk, where he began to scan the papers, but without disturbing them.
He opened a ledger, and whistled softly as his eyes ran down the items.
"This is all we wanted to know," he breathed. "This is the Tiger"s sanctum all right, and these are his accounts. There"s enough doc.u.mentary evidence here to hang him twice over. He"s evidently a gentleman of some taste, too. Hullo, what"s this?"
As he spoke Biggles picked up a tiny slip of flimsy paper that was lying on the desk, held in place by a cartridge used as a paper-weight. As he picked up the paper and read what was written on it his brow creased with anger and astonishment; he stared at it for so long that Ginger"s curiosity could not be restrained.
"What is it?" he demanded.
"You might well ask," replied Biggles through his teeth. "It explains a lot of things. Take a look at that." He pa.s.sed the paper.
Ginger read the message, his lips forming the words: "Keep watch for three Britishers in airplane. They are government spies sent to get you, acting for Carruthers. Names are Bigglesworth, Lacey and Hebblethwaite. They have been sworn in as police, and have got one of your peons, the man Bogat shot. They will use him as evidence.
M. C.".
Did you note the initials?" inquired Biggles.
"Yes. Who on earth "M.C. stands for Marcel Chorro-who else? He"s the only man besides Carruthers who knows what we"re doing. Evidently he is one of the Tiger"s spies. My goodness! No wonder Carruthers found it hard to get evidence. Chorro must have been the swine who loosened my turnbuckles-yes, by gosh! Now we know how Bogat knew we were camping at the lake. He marched straight through the forest to attack us."
"But how the d.i.c.kens could Chorro have got a message through in the time?" gasped Ginger. "The fastest canoe on the river couldn"t get here much inside a week."
"You saw the pigeon-cote outside, didn"t you? Notice the thin paper used for the message."
Ginger caught his breath. "So that"s it. Chorro and the Tiger run a pigeon post."
undoubtedly. Come on, we"ve seen enough. It"s no use tempting providence-we"ll get back to Algy right away."
Biggles started towards the door, but recoiled in horror. With staring eyes he clutched Ginger by the arm and held him back.
Ginger, following the direction of Biggles"s eyes, felt his blood turn to ice. For some minutes he had been aware that the strange aroma had been getting more noticeable, now he saw the reason.
Emerging slowly from the chest that he had so much admired was a snake, but such a snake as not even a nightmare could have produced. As thick as a man"s thigh, coil after coil was gliding sinuously out of the chest as though it would never end. Already fifteen feet of rippling horror lay stretched across the room, cutting them off from the door and the window.
7.
IN THE CLAWS OF THE TIGER.
How long Ginger stood staring at the snake he did not know. He seemed to lose all count of time; he forgot where he was, and what he was doing. He was conscious of one thing only-the snake. Its little black eyes, glinting like crystals when the light caught them, fascinated him. After the first gasp of horror not a sound left his lips.
Pulling himself together with a mighty effort, he looked at Biggles, and saw that he, too, was at a loss to know what to do. He stared at the snake, then at the door, then back at the reptile. Once he braced himself as if he contemplated taking a flying leap; then he c.o.c.ked his rifle and tried in vain to draw a bead on the swaying head.
"Go on-shoot," urged Ginger, in something very near a panic.
I daren"t risk it," muttered Biggles. "That head is a small mark for a rifle, and if I miss, the shot will raise the place. If I only wounded the beast goodness knows what would happen."
Curiously enough, the snake-which Biggles thought was a python-made no attempt to attack them; it lay across the floor, watching them in an almost human manner; it was as if it knew they were intruders, and had determined to prevent them from escaping. Every time they moved, it raised its head, hissing venomously, causing them to retire.
Torn by doubt and indecision, Biggles was still trying to think of a way out of their quandary when from outside came the sound of voices, followed a moment later by the trampling of footsteps; and almost before he was fully alive to their danger the inner door was thrown open and a man came in to the room. He took one pace only and then stopped dead, staring at the spectacle that confronted him. Then his hand flashed to a holster that was strapped to his hip, and came up holding a revolver.
At first Ginger thought he was going to shoot the snake, but it was soon clear that this was not his intention, for he took not the slightest notice of the creature, although it had turned towards him and was now rubbing its sinuous body against his leg. Not until then did Ginger realise that the reptile was a pet, and not a wild creature that had invaded the house from the forest.
The newcomer, who was clearly the owner of the house, even if he were not the reputed King of the Forest, was a striking figure, but certainly not a pleasing one. He was a half-caste, the black predominating, of about fifty years of age; he was of medium height, but of ma.s.sive, though corpulent, proportions. His arms and shoulders might have been those of a gorilla, but as an example of physique he was spoilt by a paunch of a stomach which, like his face, was flabby from over-eating or self-indulgence, or both. His cheeks were puffy, but his chin was pugnacious. His eyes were small and dark; they were never still, but flashed suspiciously this way and that. His hair was long and luxuriant, but had a [image]
unmistakable negroid twist in it. An enormous black moustache drooped from his upper lip. He was dressed-or rather, over-dressed-in a uniform so elaborate, so heavy with gold braid, and of colours so brilliant that not even a cinema commissionaire would have dared to wear it. The general effect was that of a comic-opera brigand; but, looking at the coa.r.s.e face, Biggles judged him to be a man of considerable mental and physical strength, vain, crafty, and unscrupulous; a man who would be brutal for the sheer pleasure of it, but who, at a pinch, might turn out to be a coward.
The newcomer broke the silence by calling out in a loud voice, Marita! Who are these men?" He spoke in Spanish.
A woman, evidently Marita, she who had tended the fire, appeared in the background. In the same language she answered, nervously, that she did not know the men. She had never seen them before-which was true enough.
The man came farther into the room. He spoke in a soft, sibilant voice to the snake, which writhed out of sight under the desk. Then he eyed Biggles suspiciously.
"What language you speak, eh?" he asked, talking now in English with an American accent, from which it may be concluded that he a.s.sumed the airmen to be either British or American.
"We speak English," answered Biggles.
"What you come here for, huh? rasped the half-cast. Then, before Biggles could answer, understanding flashed into his eyes. They switched to the desk, and Biggles knew that he had remembered the note from Chorro.
Am I right in supposing that I"m speaking to the King of the Forest?" inquired Biggles calmly.
The half-caste"s eyes narrowed. "I am the king," he said harshly. "Where is the other man?"
"What other man?"
"There are three of you. Where is he?"
"What are you talking about?" demanded Biggles, although he knew well enough what was meant.
"Which. of you is Bigglesworth?"
Biggles realised that it was useless to pretend. The Tiger knew they were in the district; he was also aware that the chances of any other white men being there were so remote as to be ignored.
I"m Bigglesworth," answered Biggles quietly.
An ugly smile spread slowly over the Tiger"s face. He put a small silver whistle to his lips and blew a shrill signal. Instantly men came running. With them were two white men whom Biggles guessed were those to whom Dusky had referred. The first "Was tall and cadaverous; he could only be called white by courtesy, for jaundice had set its mark on his face, leaving it an unhealthy yellow. The same unpleasant tint was discernible in the whites of his eyes, which were pale grey and set under s.h.a.ggy brows. His mouth was large, with thin lips; nor was his appearance improved by ears that stuck out nearly at right angles from his head. His companion was a weedy-looking individual of nondescript type. Lank, hay-coloured hair covered his head; a moustache of the same tint straggled across his upper lip, stained in the middle with nicotine. An untidy, hand-made cigarette was even then in his mouth.
The Tiger called them in and indicated the prisoners with a theatrical wave of his arm. "
The cops got here before us-that saves us the trouble of going to fetch them." Then a look of doubt returned to his eyes. "Where"s the other one?" he purred.
Oh, he"s about," returned Biggles evenly.
"Where is he?"
"Look around, maybe you"ll find him . . . maybe not."
The Tiger changed the subject. "How did you get here? Who brought you?"
Biggles smiled faintly. "We brought ourselves."
"That"s a lie," snarled the Tiger, crouching as though to spring, and Biggles began to understand how he had got his doubtful nickname. "Somebody showed you the way in- who was it? I"ll tear the hide off him."
"Sorry," said Biggles, "but that"s a pleasure you will be denied, for the simple reason that no such person exists."
"How did you get past the guards?" The Tiger seemed to be genuinely worried by the fact that strangers had penetrated into his retreat.
Oh, they were looking the other way," returned Biggles truthfully.
The expression on the Tiger"s face boded no good for the sentries, but Biggles was not concerned about their fate. "Take them away," snapped the Tiger.
Several men, a rag-tag but nevertheless picturesque set of ruffians, stepped forward and disarmed the prisoners. They offered no resistance, knowing it to be useless.
"What shall we do with them, your Majesty?" fawned the man who appeared to be in charge.
Biggles smiled at the words "your Majesty." It seemed that the t.i.tle of King was actually enjoyed by the Tiger among his subjects.
The Tiger considered the prisoners reflectively; then a smile crept over his face. Tut them next to Juanita; she must be gating hungry," he ordered. "When we get the other we will lift the bar and leave them together. All right; take them away."
Rough hands were laid on the prisoners. Biggles did not protest, perceiving that with the man with whom they had to deal it would be a waste of time. No doubt he had already been responsible for the death of scores of wretched slaves, so another murder, more or less, would not affect his conscience. In any case it was obvious that he thought himself safe in his secret retreat.
As they were marched towards the outbuildings, Ginger wondered who Juanita was, although that she was something unpleasant he had no doubt whatever. He was soon to learn. A door was opened, and they were pushed inside a shed. The door slammed, and a heavy bar crashed in place.
After the dazzling sunshine outside it seemed to be pitch black within, but as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness Ginger began to make out some of the features of their prison. The first thing he saw was Biggles standing beside him, also peering about; next, a row of stout vertical bamboo bars that separated them from another compartment. This second stall had another barred wall, or part of a wall, beyond which was open air. It needed no second glance to see that it was, in fact, a cage. Perhaps a better description would be to call the whole place a cage, divided by bars into two compartments. They were in one part. But what was in the other? Ginger looked for the occupant-for he knew that there must be one-but in vain. If proof that they were not alone were needed, a menagerie-like stench of wild beast provided it. Then he saw a small hole at the back of the next compartment, and he looked no farther; he knew that the beast, whatever it was, was inside, in its lair.
Biggles put a hand on the part.i.tion, and shook it. "This is the bar the Tiger meant when he spoke about lifting it," he remarked. "Juanita is on the other side. Apparently, when feeding time comes, the part.i.tion is raised from the outside, leaving us all together."
8.
ALGY EXPLORES.
ALGY spent some time loafing about the ruined village, but as the day wore on, and Biggles and Ginger did not return, he became conscious of an uneasiness which presently turned to anxiety, and he took up a position at the top of the steps from which he could keep a look-out. Dusky said nothing, but knew well enough what was in his mind.
The day faded under a canopy of crimson glory; night fell, and still there was no sign of the explorers. Their failure to return put Algy in a quandary. He had been asked to remain on the plateau to look after the machine, and he was aware of the danger ofleaving his post without letting the others know; all the same, he could not dispel the feeling that something had gone wrong. Ought he to go down Jacob"s Ladder and investigate? There seemed to be little point in remaining where he was, for it was hard to see what could happen to the machine, which was still standing, an incongruous object, near the ruins.
Again, he reasoned, if he met Biggles and Ginger coming up the path he could always come back with them. In the end he decided that if they had not returned by the time the moon rose he would go in search of them.
He was in some doubt what to do about Dusky, but thought it would be better if he remained behind; the old man, however, when the project was broached, had his own opinion on this, and declared that nothing would induce him to remain in a place which, without any doubt, was haunted by the ghosts of the past.
To this Algy had to submit, and as the silver moon crept up over the distant horizon he set off down the staircase, tarring his rifle, with Dusky following close behind.
By daylight the others had found it a difficult and dangerous journey, but in the uncertain moonlight Algy found the descent an unnerving ordeal. However, he did not hurry, but adopting the principle of slow but sure, moved cautiously down the cornice, hardly looking at the terrible void that fell away on his left. He still hoped to meet the others coming up, but there was no sign of life; no sound broke the heavy silence. He and Dusky might have been the only people on earth.
It was Dusky who, in the first light of the false dawn, spotted the cairn that marked the message which Biggles had left against just such an emergency. Algy picked up the paper, read it, and made Dusky acquainted with its contents.
"They may be all right, but it"s strange they should stay away so long," he said. "The only thing we can do is go on to the valley and try to locate them."
They had no difficulty in finding it, and making their way down the rocks, paused to consider the situation, for there was no indication as to which direction they should take; to march straight into the village struck Algy as being a dangerous undertaking, one that might do more harm than good.
Then, as they stood there, in the pitch blackness that precedes the true dawn, they became aware of a curious, not to say alarming, sound. It was a low snarling, punctuated from time to time by a crash, as if a heavy body was being flung against an obstruction.
Having listened for a while, Algy asked Dusky what he thought it could be.
The old man answered at once that the snarling could only be caused by a wild beast. He thought it was in a cage, trying to free itself, and he offered to confirm this. Algy a.s.senting to the proposal, he crept away into the darkness.
Not for a moment did it occur to Algy that the sound had any direct connection with Biggles and Ginger. There was no reason why it should. He had no objection to Dusky going off scouting, although for his part he preferred to remain where he was until it became light enough for him to get a better idea of his surroundings.
Pink dawn was beginning to flush the eastern sky when Dusky returned. He said no word, but beckoned urgently. Algy knew that the old man had discovered something, and without a question followed him. Descending to the foot of the rocks, they went on for some distance, keeping clear of the village, and after a while it became obvious that Dusky was making his way towards some outbuildings. As they drew nearer the snarling became louder, and it was clear that the beast, whatever it was, was in one of them.
Then, in an interval of silence, came a low mutter of voices, and Algy thought he recognised Ginger"s. He now took the lead, and went forward quickly.
Ten yards from the nearest building he stopped, listened for a moment, and then called sharply, "Biggles-is that you?"
The answer came instantly. "Yes, we"re in here."