His Explanation
Even though there were four of them and only two of the men, the young men still felt intimidated. After all, they had no idea how the men were going to take the inquiry. If things got rough, the men were bigger and stronger than they were. According to the bigger man, the young girl was his daughter.
Had To Trust Them
When they heard this, the boys decided to back off. They wondered if he found her drinking or worse. What made them leave was the fact that she did not ask them for help nor deny what the man told them. This was the reason they decided that he was telling the truth. Was this the right thing to do?