Captain W E Johns [Biggles 32 Comrades in Arms (epub)

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.A voice spoke sharply, harshly, and a minute later weeds were being crushed and forced aside by advancing feet.In the fast-failing light a Japanese officer appeared, pistol in hand.He made straight for the house followed by three soldiers carrying rifles.Reaching the door he went in, but very soon reappeared, and began giving orders to his men.From his actions he appeared to be allocating positions in the garden commanding a view of the door.Cub looked at Gimlet's face for a guide as to what he was thinking, for it was clear that they would not be able to move without being discovered.It was also clear that the party had come to stay, to watch the house.Trapper also looked at Gimlet questioningly, and with some concern.Chang, who had recovered his composure, stood impassive, presumably content to leave decisions to the white men.How the matter would have ended had it not been for the introduction of a new factor into the drama is a matter for conjecture.It was quite a minor factor but, as so often happens in the conduct of human affairs, it played a major part.A slight movement near Cub's face caused him to switch his eyes in that direction, to observe, with loathing and horror, a centipede about six inches long.The bloated, many-legged creature, the shape and colour of an uncooked sausage, was moving with rippling undulations of its body along a dead branch that would presently bring it to within a few inches of Cub's face.This, he decided instantly, was too close.Whether the insect was poisonous or not did not arise.The movement that he made was involuntary.He stepped aside.His foot came down on another dead branch and as he shifted his weight the branch snapped with a crack.He moved again instantly, but the damage had been done.The Japanese officer broke off in what he was saying.All four stared in the direction of the sound.The enemy officer evidently saw them for his pistol swung up.But Gimlet fired first.As he fired he said loudly : "Let 'em have it !"After that things happened quickly.The Japanese officer fell back against the wall and slid to the ground.Gimlet fired again, and by this time Trapper and Cub were in action.The advantage of surprise was on their side and at such close range the enemy troops had little chance.In fact, they did not fire a shot.One dived for the door of the bungalow but fell before reaching it.The other two had already dropped.Gimlet watched for a moment or two, braced, alert, to make sure that none of them was able to lift a rifle.Then he said sharply : "Cub, get their caps.""Caps?" queried Cub, not sure that he had understood the order."Caps I said," snapped Gimlet."The noise of this shooting should start a first class flap.We'll get out, and we may as well ride.The caps may help to see us through."Cub ran forward and brought back the four field-service caps.Gimlet tossed his panama into the bushes and put the officer's cap on his head."Come on," he ordered, and strode towards the track.The car, an open Fiat, was there, unattended."This is going to be quicker than walking," said Gimlet, as he climbed into the driving seat."Chang, sit beside me in case I need a guide.Cub, Trapper, get in behind and keep your guns handy.I'm not stopping for anything or anybody."The engine started.Gimlet turned the car and cruised down the track, peering forward to see into the deceptive gloom that follows twilight and precedes the full darkness of night.VIICub was not in the least surprised at Gimlet's decision to use the car.It was not the first time he had done that sort of thing—as much, Cub was sure, for the sheer devilment of it as for expediency.No doubt he would do it again, and it seemed not unlikely, mused Cub, as they cruised on down the track, that he would do it once too often.One of Gimlet's principles was, paradoxically, that the dangerous way was usually the safest, his argument being that the enemy would perceive the safe method and make the obvious counter-move.In the present case, thought Cub, Gimlet would no doubt argue that the enemy would not expect spies to be travelling in one of their own service cars.They would expect them to be creeping furtively round dark corners.And while there was something to be said for this it did not lessen the tension of employing the dangerous way.Wherefore Cub's nerves were strungtight as they ran out of the track into the main road, and turned to the right in the direction of the rendezvous.In such circumstances most men would tread on the accelerator with the object of getting out of the danger zone in the shortest possible space of time.But not Gimlet.Cub, from experience, was well aware of that.Gimlet cruised quietly along at a comfortable twenty miles an hour as if he might have been in London, on the way to his club.For a while Gimlet's contention, that this was the safest as well as the easiest way of travelling, held good.There was a fair amount of traffic on the road including naval and military transport, but no one took the slightest notice of the Fiat.Not that there was any reason why they should, for the car was identical with others, driven by genuine Japanese personnel.The first hitch came after the traffic had thinned, where the houses were beginning to be more widely spaced on the outskirts of the town.There was a four-crossways.Cub remembered the spot, for they had made a detour to bypass it when they had walked in.A soldier stood in the road on point duty.Two others stepped out as the car appeared.One held a notebook.The other raised a hand in a signal to stop.He did this quite casually, as if conscious of his authority.He had probably been doing it all day and his signal had always been obeyed.From the confident way he stood in the path of the advancing car it might never have occurred to him that a car would not stop at his command.This error of judgment was speedily corrected.The Fiat's siren howled a warning.The car leapt forward and the two soldiers escaped death by inches.What happened to them Cub never knew, for the car raced on."I'm afraid that will stir things up, but there was no other way." Gimlet threw the words back over his shoulder.Four miles on, now with forest on both sides, there was a more serious obstruction.It was a barrier; but it was evidently more for effect than utility, for the middle of it had been left open so that cars could pass through one at a time.A convoy of lorries had been halted at the far side, and it was to the drivers of these vehicles that those on duty at the barrier were talking.Cub did not think they could get through, but Gimlet thought otherwise.He shotthrough the opening, spun the wheel, gave it another twist and went on along the line of lorries.There were shouts at this flagrant breach of regulations.A shot was fired, but by that time the car had reached the end lorry and Gimlet put the Fiat under cover by turning it behind it.He laughed as they sped on."Ma foil That was a pretty piece of driving," Trapper told Cub seriously.Cub did not comment.He had screwed his body to look back."There's a car of some sort coming behind us," he said."I can't see what it is ; it's too dark under these trees ; but it may be following us.It's travelling fast." He passed the information on to Gimlet."Pity about that," answered Gimlet."We're nearly there.I was looking for a place to park the car.Never mind—I have a better idea.Take care of the plants, and when I say jump, jump out and go on down the road.That goes for you too, Chang.Keep close to the verge.Ready?""Okay, sir," answered Trapper.Gimlet jammed on the brakes.As the car dry-skidded he called : "Jump !"They all jumped, and, as ordered, ran on a little way.The lights of the Fiat went out.In two quick spins of the wheel Gimlet had turned the car across the crown of the road so that there was not enough room either side for a vehicle to pass.Leaving the car there he overtook the others, who paused to wait for him.The oncoming car drew near, travelling at high speed [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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