He dismissed the thought at once.

All his preparations were governed by the hope that the pirates might abandon their quest after hours of fruitless search.

It would be most unwise, he told himself, to precipitate hostilities.

Far better avoid a conflict altogether, if that were possible, than risk the immediate discovery of his inaccessible retreat.
In other words he made a grave mistake, which shows how a man may err when over-agonized by the danger of the woman he loves.

The bold course was the right one.