Stung to fury, he charged upon the sheltering tree in the Schofields' yard.
Ordinarily, at such a juncture, Penrod would have fled, keeping his own temper and increasing the heat of his pursuer's by back-flung jeers.

But this was Wednesday, and he was in no mood to run from Sam.

He stepped away from the tree, awaiting the onset.
"Well, what you goin' to do so much ?" he said.
Sam did not pause to proffer the desired information.

"'Tcha got'ny SENSE!" was the total extent of his vocal preliminaries before flinging himself headlong upon the taunter; and the two boys went to the ground together.

Embracing, they rolled, they pommelled, they hammered, they kicked.