You might easily imagine the panic that seized Nephi’s brothers when they saw what looked like General Laban and a servant emerging from the city gate. Naturally they would assume that Nephi had been killed and now Laban had come out with his servant to kill them:
“And it came to pass that when Laman saw me he was exceedingly frightened, and also Lemuel and Sam. And they fled from before my presence; for they supposed it was Laban, and that he had slain me and had sought to take away their lives also. And it came to pass that I called after them, and they did hear me; wherefore they did cease to flee from my presence. And it came to pass that when the servant of Laban beheld my brethren he began to tremble, and was about to flee from before me and return to the city of Jerusalem.”