Chapter 4

Suddenly a skirmish broke out. He turned and saw Peter slam his fist into Collins’s jaw. The overseer cracked the whip and two redcoats came running to assist. Jacob ran at the man with the tub of oranges and snatched up two of them. As the redcoats struggled to separate Peter and Collins, Jacob tucked one orange under his armpit and tore the skin off the other, pushing large chunks of thirst quenching fruit into his mouth.

Finally, the redcoats were able to separate the two men.

“What’s the meaning of this?” asked the taller of the two redcoats.

“It was him, sir,” said Collins, pointing a bony finger. “He just came at me with his fists.”

Jacob stuffed the remaining pieces of orange into his mouth, the juice leaking out over his lips and leaving a sticky mess on his chin.

The redcoat turned to Peter. “And what do you have to say for yourself?”

Peter looked the redcoat in the eye and replied, “Does it make any difference?”