Biggles, Secret Agent by Captain W. E. Johns

Author:Captain W. E. Johns
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2022-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER IX

A Grim Discovery

Ginger stared at the inviting hole, while Biggles, dropping on his hands and knees, turned the beam of the torch into it. The light revealed a flight of stone steps leading downwards.

Ginger almost fell into the hole as there came a rush of heavy footsteps along the corridor.

‘It’s all right. We’ve plenty of time now,’ said Biggles calmly. ‘They’ll make for our own room first, and the door being locked will probably hold them up for a minute or two. Then, when they find the window open, they’ll think we’ve bolted into the country. Even if they ransack the hotel for us this is the last room they will search.’

As he finished speaking there was a splintering crash which seemed so close that for a dreadful moment Ginger thought that it was the door of the room they were in that was being forced.

‘There goes the door,’ remarked Biggles. ‘We had better get along. You go first – I’ll close the trap after us. If my guess is right, the last thing that von Stalhein would imagine is that we know about this bolt-hole,’ he added reassuringly.

Taking the torch Ginger went slowly down the steps, peering fearfully in front of him in case there was a sudden drop. He waited until Biggles had closed the trap door, and then handed the torch back to him. Biggles took the lead and went on down. It was not very far. About twenty steps and the descent came to an end, finishing in a gloomy cave, which, from its bricked arches, was obviously artificial. It was damp; in places it was wet, for the moisture had seeped through the roof to fall on a slimy green floor, or into patches of grotesque fungus that clung to the walls.

Biggles examined the floor closely. ‘Hm, as I thought,’ he said. ‘This tunnel has been used recently.’

‘You’re pretty sure that it goes to the castle?’ asked Ginger.

‘I can’t imagine anywhere else that it would be likely to end.’

‘There was mention of a monastery in the book, don’t forget.’

‘I haven’t forgotten that, but if this tunnel goes to the monastery then it is unlikely that the site of the monastery would have been lost. Apparently nobody knows now where the monastery stood. However, we shall soon know where the tunnel ends. Let’s go on. Keep close to me and be careful you don’t slip on this stuff on the floor. It’s like grease. And don’t touch the walls, they look pretty rotten to me; we don’t want to bring the roof down on us.’ Picking his way carefully, Biggles began to walk along the tunnel.

‘That was a bit of bad luck, von Stalhein barging in when he did,’ observed Ginger, as they proceeded on their way, for the recent events were still running through his mind.

‘I don’t think it made much difference,’ answered Biggles. ‘I was an optimist to suppose that we should get a clear week to work in. I should have known von Stalhein better than that.

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