WORRALS ON THE WAR-PATH

 

by Captain W. E. Johns

 

 

III.  DEATH STRIKES IN THE MOUNTAIN  (Pages 35 – 44)

 

Worrals is woken at 6.00 am by Lucien.  Worrals and Frecks plan to be away before dawn, up into the mountains.  Lucien will come with them, pretending to paint, whilst Raoul will stay behind to keep an eye on things.  The plan is for Worrals and Frecks to stay in a cave.  They will clear a runway where a flare path can be lit by torches.  A pre-arranged group of letters are to be sent by radio to confirm that they are ready and then a supply plane will arrive.  Reaching the plateau, Frecks agrees it is certainly a ready made aerodrome.  It is at least three miles from the nearest cottage.  Worrals finds a cave that she has previously been shown when last in that area.  From the outside it looked like a mere crack in the limestone.  It “quickly widened out to a cavity of considerable dimensions and unknown depth”.  Frecks thinks she sees something move in the dim recesses of the cave.  For the rest of the day, Lucien sketches and the runway is cleared of loose rock, it is a trivial task as there are only a few small pieces.  Our heroes hear a gunshot in the distance.  Lucien returns to the village.  The girls return to their cave where Worrals finds a button that doesn't belong to any of her party.  Raoul comes running up looking for the cave and Worrals goes out to meet him.  He is looking for Lucien but has missed him.  Raoul has news.  Duclos has been murdered.