Pyrenean Manhunt is issue #29 of the Adventures of Biggles comic series published by Action Comics of Sydney, Australia. The issue was probably published in 1954 with drawings by Arthur de Vine and comprised 24 pages including covers. Issue #29 is notable for being one of the few issues whose cover actually depicts a scene from the story.
The story was later republished in the U.K. by Strato Publications as issue #7 of their Adventures of Biggles series. The Strato issue comprised 68 pages with covers and includes these other stories:
- The Air Adventures of Tim Valour - The Kidnappers (drawn by John Dixon)
- Gimlet Takes Over (uncredited)
- The Crimson Comet - Operation Wog (drawn by John Dixon)
Synopsis[]
Biggles and Ginger are asked to investigate an air crash in the Pyrenees. Somehow, the diamonds which the plane was carrying disappeared even before the search party got to it. Someone knew it was going to crash, but how?
Plot[]
(Click on expand to read)
An Air France Constellation is carrying passengers and £500,000 of diamonds from Paris to Spain. Over the Pyrenees, three robbers lure the plane with false transmissions into making a descent too early, before they clear the high ground, causing it to crash into the side of a mountain. When the search party reaches it, the diamonds have disappeared. Raymond sends Biggles and Ginger to investigate.
Biggles and Ginger arrive at the crash site in a Dragonfly helicopter. There is nothing much to learn. But two of the robbers have come back to check the wreckage for more diamonds. They see Biggles and Ginger and start shooting at them with a rifle. Biggles uses Ginger's helmet as a decoy and sends Ginger back to the helicopter to fetch a rifle and their skis. Meanwhile, the two robbers have fired off all their ammunition with hitting anything. They decide to escape. Biggles and Ginger give chase on their skis.
The robbers have a big lead but Biggles closes the gap with a dangerous manoeuvre but leaping over a chasm. Approaching the robbers, he yells to them to surrender but they ignore him. Biggles shoots at them, but his gunshot sets off an avalanche which buries him. With Biggles out of the way, the two robbers reach a weather hut which is their base of operations. Ginger, who has been watching reaches the avalanche site and digs Biggles out--he is still alive. They attempt to follow the ski tracks of the robbers but they are soon forced to hide in rocks from a sudden blizzard. When the weather clears, the tracks have been wiped out, so there is nothing left to do except return to their helicopter and start and air search.
From the air, Biggles and Ginger spot the weather hut. But the robbers also see them and open fire, hitting the engine and forcing the Dragonfly to crash land. One of the robbers comes out to search for Biggles and Ginger. From behind cover, Biggles wings him with a bullet, throwing him onto the ground. The robber is lying very still--is he dead? Biggles goes and checks but the robber is only feigning it. He grabs Biggles and attempts to knife him. However, Ginger has been suspicious and on the look out for tricks--he shoots the knife out of the robber's hand.
The remaining two robbers need to escape but but one of them decides he isn't going to split the loot so shoots his partner. He then heads for a Sycamore helicopter parked nearby hoping to escape before Biggles arrives. Biggles reaches the weather hut and sees radio equipment-the answer to how the Constellation was lured into making their descent early. On the ground is the body of Jerez Lerida, a notorious international diamond robber. Outside the Sycamore is lifting off but it is trailing its tarpaulin cover. Biggles climbs up the tarpaulin, opens the door and forces the pilot to land the helicopter.
The pilot and the robber whom Biggles shot are bundled into the Sycamore together with the recovered diamonds. Bigg;es and Ginger head for Paris to hand the robbers to the authorities and then for somewhere warm to thaw out.
Characters[]
The Special Air Police[]
- Air Commodore Raymond
- Biggles
- Ginger Hebblethwaite
Others[]
Aircraft[]
Places[]
Visited[]
- Aneto - also known as Pic de Néthou
Mentioned[]
- Pic de Possets
- Andorrao
Research notes[]
- Considering it was an Air France crash and that it occured on the French-Spanish border, why Marcel wasn't asked to investigate was never explained.
Illustrations[]