Why did Lester and Hinton always walk home together if they missed the school bus because of sports?

If Lester and Hinton missed the school bus because of sports, they always walked home together. One of them would watch behind and one ahead for oncoming cars. If they saw a car they did not know, they would hide in the ditch. If any white people saw them, they were liable to hurt them. Hiding helped them protect themselves.