Biggles and the Walking Death

Chapter 3

 

Forming a skirmish line, Algy sends the scouts forward to the edge of the jungle.  The ground ahead is clear of spiders.  And so, carrying the body of the fallen Gurkha they leave the danger of the trees.  Up on the hilltop they see a thin column of smoke and a single figure.  "By Jove, a survivor!" calls Lt Mi Su Pa in his best English.  Then he barked out a series of commands and with bayonets fixed he led his men up the slope towards the smoke. 

"Impetuous boy!" cursed Algy as Ginger and the Gurkhas followed them.  "Ah well, who wants to live forever?" an set off in pursuit.

Lt Mi Su Pa and his troops reach the top and see an unkempt figure aiming his rifle at them.  He looks as if he about to fire but the weapon fails to go off.  Immediately from the rocks bound a dozen spiders.  Scratchy calls of  "Chit, chit, chittah!" fill the air punctuated by rifle shots and the chatter of the Maxim and Bergmanns.  Spider bodies burst under the impact of bullet and bayonet.  Their stinking gore splashed over the troops.  The battle was short and bitter and despite their horrific foes making fearless attacks they held their ground and drove them off.  One of the troopers was dead and another wounded.

Algy hearing the shooting doubled his men forward just in time to see yet another wave of the evil creatures.  This time there was a large grey spider that seemed to be directing things.  "Get the big fellow!" called Ginger and fired off a whole magazine at it.  "Grenade!" yelled Hook and hurled his Mills bomb into the black horde.  The explosion was followed by others as the Chinese infantry hurled their stick grenades into the mass.  Everyone was firing as the horde seemed to expand as more spiders took the place of the dead.  Another salvo of grenades and with the Mallard engines roaring Biggles flew in low as Smyth stuffed a Mills bomb into the blue bomb-bag and hurled it at the large grey spider.  A spectacular explosion blew the attackers to bits and the few survivors fled down the mine shaft.  "Wizard prang!" called out Algy. 

"Right on the button," commented Hook. 

"Reload, reform, there must be more of them," shouted Lt. Mi Su Pa.  He was just in time.  Yet another wave of the arachnid host erupted from the mine entrance breaking round the diminishing band of Chinese troops they rushed down the hill towards Algy and the others.  "Grenades!  Dynamite!  Fire!" yelled Ginger firing off anther magazine from the Bergmann.

The concentrated fire power once more cut the spiders to pieces.  once the smoke cleared it was clear that the spiders were in the mine.  The Australian, for that is who the lone rifleman was confirmed this.  He added, "They dragged my two mates down the shaft last night."

That settled it a quick raid was made into the mine shaft while hook laid explosives at the entrance.  Fortunately they did not have to go far to find the cocooned bodies wrapped in spider silk.  They were dragged unceremoniously to the surface as the spiders mounted a counter attack.  As soon as the last man, Algy, was clear, Hook blew the entrance trapping the beast.  Smoke billowed from two more caves and fighting parties were sent to blow them closed as well.

 

In their haste to blow the caves both parties set the detonators wrongly and the charges failed to fire.  Volunteers rushed to the entrances to attach fuses to them and saw, to their horror that spiders were surging out.  "Spiders, thousands of them and black as hell!"  Firing as fast as they could they held them off just long enough for the new fuses to fire.  This time both entrances erupted and caved in sealed the menace in. 

Biggles brought the Mallard down by the village and awaited the return of the troops.  It had been a costly mission.  Three Chinese and a Gurkha were dead and almost everyone carried a wound.  However, three were injured by the spider bites and, of these, two were suffering the effects of some sort of venom.  Biggles looked over his forces as he passed around his hip flask.  "Jolly good show, chaps!" 

The wounded were flown out and the remainder made their way back in the trucks.

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