when a british shoulder knocks ran in the head what does johnny notice about the troops behavior that seems contradictory

A British lieutenant sees Rab and hits him hard in the head with the side of his sword. Rab is knocked unconscious, but a sympathetic British medical officer helps Rab. The medical officer tells the boys that the British soldiers would rather be home, and if everyone keeps their temper, the colonists’ problems can be solved without bloodshed.