Those rustlers were sufficiently powerful to make trouble.

If they were given time to organize they could sweep the captain and his little party from the earth.

There was reason to believe they would do that very thing, now that Duke Vesey was at liberty to spread his account of the last outrage.
Capt.

Asbury held a brief consultation with his men, all, including Sterry, taking part.

The consensus of opinion was that they ought to effect a junction with some of the larger parties of stockmen known to be abroad, or withdraw to some safe point like Buffalo, Riverside, or the nearest military station.
Ira Inman, Larch Cadmus and the others were on the "war-path," and at no great distance.