There was just one safe way out of it; and that offered, not safety only, but revenge of precisely the kind that Jake Elliott was likely to take.

Sam knew very well that, notwithstanding his magnanimity, Jake still bitterly hated him, and still cherished the design of wreaking his vengeance upon him at the first opportunity.
"What is more probable, then," he asked himself, "than that Jake is trying to betray us into the hands of the enemy to die as spies?
He is abundantly capable of the treachery and the meanness, and his desertion of the camp to-night strongly confirms the suspicion." This much being decided, it was necessary for Sam to determine what should be done in the circumstances.

If there had been no camp in his rear, he would have withdrawn his command through the woods at once.
As it was, he must find some other way.

It was clearly his duty to escape with his boys, if he could, and to lose no time in attempting it.

The danger was now too near at hand, and too positive to be ignored, and there was really very little more for him to do here.