The Adventure of the Purple Cloud is the 6th short story in the collection Biggles - Charter Pilot , published in July 1943. The story first appeared in Boy's Own Paper in Mar 1942 under the title The Purple Plague. In Charter Pilot, this story is preceded by The Adventure of the Oxidized Grotto and followed by The Adventure of the Patagonian Giants.
The story was adapted in French for a comic strip and published in an album in the Biggles (Aredit series) in Jan 1968 where it had the title Le nuage pourpre.
Synopsis[]
In the 666 Sqn mess, Henry Harcourt asks Ginger if Dr Duck, in all his travels, had ever achieved anything of scientific importance. In response, Ginger tells of how he had, so he believed, once saved the continent of America, and possibly the world, from a deadly pestilence.
Plot[]
(click on expand to read)
Biggles and co. are with Dr Duck heading for the United States when they encounter strong headwinds. Short of fuel, they land at Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. There they hear the locals talk about a "purple cloud". Refugees from upcountry had reported that their plantations had been devastated by a strange purple coloured cloud. This passed over at night, removing all vegetation and leaving only hard wood and bare earth. Biggles offers his help to the government committee set up to investigate this. An American planter, Silas Welman welcomes this and persuades the government to accept the offer.
Biggles and co. fly over the affected northeast corner of the country. After failing to spot the cloud for a week, Dr Duck suggests landing at a devastated spot to study the nature of the damage. As the aircraft descends, the ground appears to rise up to meet them and soon a reddish-brown cloud engulfs the aircraft. Dr Duck, wanting to collect a sample, unwisely opens a window and soon the cabin is also filled with the cloud, which turns out to be a swarm of tiny locusts. The aircraft and all their bodies are soon covered by a purple slime and the engine, choked with with the insects, begins to splutter, forcing Biggles to make an emergency landing.
Biggles decides to take off again to follow the cloud and they discover that the insects lived in a big lake. Back in Managua, Biggles reports to Silas Welman and the committee. Insecticide is quickly flown to Nicaragua and the Wanderer is equipped for aerial spraying. After a week's effort, the cloud of insects is finally eliminated.
Characters[]
- Narrated story
- Biggles
- Algy
- Ginger
- Dr Augustus Duck
- Silas Welman
- Listeners in 666 Sqn mess
- Bertie Lissie
- Henry Harcourt
Aircraft[]
- Wanderer
Places[]
Visited[]
- Nicaragus
- Managua
Mentioned[]
- Nicaragua
- Matagena River
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- United States