Why were the boys captured in chapter 9? How are they freed?

The men think the boy's are child soldiers sent to spy on them. Twelve men wrestle the boys to the ground and tie their hans, then bring them before their chief. The chief orders the boys stripped. Calling them "devils", the chief decides to drown the boys in the ocean. However, Beah's rap music cassettes are found. He explains he used to dance with his brother and friends before the war. The chief orders Beah to dance and he is convinced that the boys are not rebels, but lost children fleeing the violent conflict. When asked whether the boys had been assisted or had stayed in the fisherman’s hut of their own accord, Beah tells the chief that the boys stayed there on their own to spare their caretaker from punishment. The chief releases them but orders them to leave the village and continue on their way.