Sentence:  They were reluctant to appoint sheriffs to protect the property , <WSD>thus</WSD> running the risk of creating disturbances such as that on the Vermejo , and yet the cowboys protested that they got no salary for arresting cattle thieves and running the risk of being shot . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  in the way indicated; (`thusly' is a nonstandard variant)