Oswald felt all the feelings of the hero when the opposing forces gathered about him are opposing as hard as ever they can.

He knew he was not unfair, and he did not like to be jawed at just because Noel had eaten the coconut and wanted the ball back.

Though Oswald did not know then about the eating of the coconut, but he felt the injustice in his soul all the same.
Noel said afterwards he meant to offer Oswald something else to make up for the coconut, but he said nothing about this at the time.
'Give it me, I say,' Noel said.
And Oswald said, 'Shan't!' Then Noel called Oswald names, and Oswald did not answer back but just kept smiling pleasantly, and carelessly throwing up the ball and catching it again with an air of studied indifference.
It was Martha's fault that what happened happened.

She is the bull-dog, and very stout and heavy.

She had just been let loose and she came bounding along in her clumsy way, and jumped up on Oswald, who is beloved by all dumb animals.