Gideon probably heard the account, not only because he was the king’s captain, but probably because Limhi assigned him to conduct the search. This indication of Gideon’s title and authority reinforces the suggestion that he had held a similar position of power under Noah. Gideon does not know that the priests have stolen the Lamanite women; but as the captain of city guard, he almost certainly would know if any group of men had left the city and especially when they returned with strange and no doubt resistant Lamanite women. The entire city was vigilant (recall Limhi’s discovery of the Lamanite preparations), so it would make sense that, while Gideon could not prove that it was the priests, he would have known that it was not the Limhites.