His duty was plain, however. He recognised that at once. An immediate return to the "Forte" to report matters was imperative, and there were some wounded men--both sailors and Arabs--to attend to. Ahmed, as we know, had lost his life, and the same fate had overtaken one of his principal followers. Several of the cutter's crew were suffering from wounds, but fortunately none of them were serious. It was necessary to leave a small guard on board the dhow, and Thring was about to step into the cutter with his reduced crew when it was reported to him that the "Forte's" pinnace was approaching. Captain Brooke, having observed the dhow's mast, and that the cutter had gone--as he thought--to reconnoitre, very promptly sent away one of his largest boats, containing a score of armed men, under command of the gunnery lieutenant. "This is a very serious matter," exclaimed that officer when he had heard the middy's story. "Thank God your friend is alive, and I trust we may yet see him aboard safe and sound. There is not a moment to lose, however, and we must return instantly to the ship and report matters to the captain. I'll put half a dozen additional men aboard the slaver, and then we'll sheer off." [Illustration: (Thring and Captain Brooke)] Captain Brooke looked very grave when he heard the extraordinary news brought by the two officers. The glad intelligence that Jack Villiers was alive spread like wildfire throughout the ship, and everyone, fore and aft, was burning to join in an expedition to effect his release. The captain hoped that the Arabs would come off and treat for the release of the prisoner, and to this end--through the ship's interpreter--several parleys were held with the Arab captives, who, evidently in terror of their lives, protested stoutly that no Englishman had been on board the dhow at all, and that Thring and his boat's crew must have been mistaken in thinking they had seen such a person. In despair at their obstinacy, Captain Brooke ordered the prisoners to be released and put on shore, with a parting and most emphatic reminder that if a hair of the missing midshipman's head was hurt they would all eventually be recaptured and hanged at the yard-arm. [Illustration: _Several parleys were held with the Arab captives._]