Captain Nares started.

“How do you know that?” he asked.

This was intelligence that made him turn pale.

The Benares was a mail ship, classed A1 at Lloyd’s, and she had over a hundred first-class passengers on board.

Her destination was the Straits settlements, but she stopped at various places on her way.

She was due at Aden in a short time, which is a coaling station at the mouth of the Red Sea.

Harry informed Captain Nares of what the trader on the derelict had told him.

It might have been a story hatched out of the inner consciousness of the Arab.

Yet it would not do to disregard it.

“False lights!” exclaimed the captain.