Roger is a bully. He entertains himself by producing reactions of sorrow, anger, or fear in others because that makes him feel powerful. As Roger and Maurice come down to the beach, Roger heads right for the littluns who are playing there, destroying their sandcastles with their landscaping.This actually doesn't produce the result Roger was hoping for because the children were not at that moment concerned with the castles Roger had destroyed. Only Percival starts crying because of the sand Maurice, and then Johnny, gets in his eyes. So Roger continues to watch the littluns, perhaps looking for another way to get under their skin. When Henry wanders off down the beach, Roger follows him surreptitiously, certainly with mischief in mind.
Interestingly, Henry stops to entertain himself with some little transparent creatures living in the tide pools. In a way, Henry is doing to the sea creatures what Roger seeks to do to him. Henry blocks the path of the sea creatures and confuses them without actually bringing any physical harm to them. Yet "he became absorbed beyond mere happiness as he felt himself exercising control over living things."
Roger, hiding from Henry under some palms, is showered by falling nuts that don't actually hit him. This gives him the idea to confuse and tease Henry. He picks up some stones and throws them around Henry, taking care not to hit him, not because of any concern for Henry but merely in observance of a "taboo of the old life." Henry looks around each time a rock falls near him, and Roger hides. In this way, Roger creates an emotion in Henry of confusion. Again, however, it is not the exact emotion Roger seeks. Roger was trying to create fear, but Henry laughs off the teasing and walks away. Nevertheless, Roger is satisfying his need for power and control, to make someone else yield to him. Later this innate desire for control and mastery finds fulfillment in his delivering the death stab to the sow and in his rolling the rock that kills Piggy.
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