The two in his firm grip considered. The boy trying to fight George had his hands full, as Titch had gone to George’s assistance. The small boy’s shoes were broken and barely serviceable, and his legs too thin from malnourishment, but his strength was fuelled with all the venom and force of remembered beatings and being robbed of what little he’d managed to find or acquire, and he was able to do more damage than one would think from his scrawny appearance. Their victim gave up, which left Ned ducking and weaving, but landing blow for blow and marking up his opponent rather more than he was being marked in return.
Bert decided to put an end to it. Pushing his two victims ahead of him into the corner, he released one, watched for his chance and delivered a roundhouse belt to the ear of the
