Peter Bullet

The Sand Captains are a group of about 40 abandoned boys who live on the streets of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. They are led by Pedro Bala, a 15-year-old boy, blond and with a scar on his face, who became the leader after fighting with the former leader. The group survives by petty theft, begging for money and doing informal jobs. 1 ² ³

Pedro Bala is the protagonist of the story, and his life is marked by the loss of his father, a union leader who was killed by the police during a strike. He is a natural leader, fair and wise, who manages to keep the group united and organized. 1 ²

Other important members of the group include:

• Professor : an intelligent and dreamy boy who steals books to read to others.
• Big John : a tall and brave boy who protects the younger members of the group.
• Legless : a lame and bitter boy who suffers from rejection.
• Pirulito : a religious boy who becomes a friar.
• Volta Seca : a boy who dreams of joining Lampião's gang. There weren't any girls in the group, until you showed up and quietly won over the leader's hard heart.