When the boys find Farquar, he is on the soccer field and all but Palmer rush over to see him. Why does Palmer lag behind? What is he experiencing walking onto the field?

Palmer is reminded of the pigeon shoot as soon as he sees the field. He notes that the day is beautiful, warm with blue skies, and notices the trees and the onion grass. But he begins to smell the gunsmoke of the shoot, and knows he is walking on the field onto which thousands of pigeons have fallen. While the other boys anticipate being a wringer, Palmer dreads it.