First Edition. (VG+ in POOR dustjacket; name on front blank). From biggles.info: Biggles is sent to South America to find a traitor. Harold Neckel was a top man in nuclear research and he has stolen documents so secret that if they ever got into the hands of the enemy the results would be devastating. He is now blackmailing the British Government and wants a million dollars for their return. Meeting with a friendly orchid trader, known as Don Pedro, Biggles and Bertie pass on to the town of Cruzuado in Peru where Neckel’s post is collected. Here they discover a Russian agent called Bogosoff. The receptionist at their hotel is a girl called Dolores and it is discovered via one of Don Pedro’s employee’s, called Jose, that she collects and delivers the post for a man called Luis Salvador. Biggles suspects that Salvador may be Neckel. Another woman, called Maria, is jealous of Salvador’s relationship with Dolores and murders Dolores, who was in the process of delivering a letter to Salvador. Biggles finds both her body and the letter. After reporting the death to the local police, Biggles delivers the letter to Salvador. The letter is addressed to Neckel, and Salvador claims that this person is a friend of his. Suddenly Bogosoff, bursts in with a gun and interrupts their conversation. He wants the stolen documents. It is now clear that Salvador is Neckel. The police arrive in time and Bogosoff runs off. Biggles too has to leave. Meanwhile, Bertie, who has already been hit over the head, has an unfortunate encounter with an anaconda. Biggles later returns to Salvador/Neckel’s house to try to obtain the plans and finds that he has been murdered by Jose, who was in love with Dolores and blamed Salvador for her death. Bogosoff also returns and he finds the stolen documents where Biggles and Bertie fail. Biggles uses his plane to chase Bogosoff’s boat down the river and this is the picture on the dust cover of the book. Biggles manages to get the plans back and return them to safety.” #0321