This book chronicles Biggles as a schoolboy at Malton Hall School near the town of Hertbury. The headmaster is Colonel Horace Chase and he remembers Biggles’ brother, Charles, who previously attended the same school. (A footnote tells us that Major Charles Bigglesworth, D.S.O., M.C., was later killed in action in September 1918). Biggles immediately falls foul of the school bully, called Hervey and his sidekick Brickwell. He has various adventures, he recaptures an escaped dancing bear and on a mock army exercise, he captures the enemy’s flag. After exposing a crook at the local fair and recovering a “stolen” diamond ring from a jackdaw’s nest, Biggles and his best friend Smith (tertius) cause a local rumpus by making a fake treasure map for their own amusement. This sets all the locals off on what became known as the Hertbury Treasure Hunt. Biggles’ most dangerous adventure is sparked off when he goes trespassing in Foxley Wood to gather conkers and he sees Hervey and Brickwell poaching and selling the stolen game to a local butcher. When the whole school is confronted with the incident, Biggles is the only one to own up to being present in the Wood but he refuses to name the two guilty boys. Things start to get out of hand when a ruthless poacher named Michael Dunnage kills the gamekeeper. Biggles is a witness having been given permission to help the gamekeeper in Foxley Wood. The police don’t believe Biggles and he has to use his wits and cunning to find the evidence to bring Dunnage to justice. However, Dunnage avoids capture and Biggles is then in fear for his life because of what he knows. Eventually, Dunnage is captured by the police and hanged.
pp. 193, colour illusts. (No dustjacket.) #140322/050822 Second impression. (Gift inscription on fep.)