Alma was young and athletic and he escaped. His task was to find a safe refuge and quickly write down the words of Abinadi while they were fresh on his mind. We are not sure when the thicket at the waters of Mormon became his refuge but they may have been so from the beginning. In any event he found a secret place where he would be safe while he hurriedly wrote down the teachings of Abinadi. Meanwhile we learn what had happened to Abinadi.