Johns, W. E. (William Earl), 1893-1968. Biggles series #no. 31

A ghost ship full of long-lost gold beckons, and Biggles gets an icy reception! Biggles, Algie, Bertie and Ginger are visited by Grimes, an old pal from the war, whose father, a Merchant Navy captain known as Jumbo, is in a spot of bother. He was recently tricked into skippering a crew of poachers to an islet off Antarctica. While there, they spotted an old ship - still rigged for sail - trapped in the pack ice. After an investigation of the ship, Jumbo overheard the words 'starry' and 'crown' from the jubilant crew. Ever a fan of an unsolved mystery, Biggles recognises immediately the importance of these words. Jumbo and his crew had stumbled upon the long-lost schooner Starry Crown, which went missing seventy years ago with a ton of Australian gold ingots aboard. There have been several sightings and recovery expeditions since, but all ill-fated. Grimes reckons that they might be able to beat the seal poachers, who clearly know exactly what they have found, to the treasure if they were to fly down, and wonders if Biggles is interested in an adventure. After making a few enquiries, Biggles agrees to the expedition, but there is more than gold in the Starry Crown, and no help for miles across Antarctica's vast silence… Wrap up warm for a classic Biggles adventure to the frozen continent of Antarctica

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