"Have not the Brethren taught thee a word called 'Duty,' lad?" he slowly
said, "a word for me, that was born a poor fisherman in the calling of
the Lord's Apostles, as well as for thee born of a great house."

"Then it is thy duty thus to do?" I said, perceiving that naught could
move him, and that indeed a noble strain within him forbade him to be
moved.

"Ay, lad," said he, "and may we all, thou, Jacques, and I, old though I
be, do our duty right well this morn!"

CHAPTER IX.

Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his
life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.

The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time
entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it
could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude
shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough. I had no doubt of
their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand,
such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.

Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.

"Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will
come and slay you where you stand."

Our hearts panted to answer, but we said naught. Then they in a moment
changed their tone, and two approaching more civilly, spoke with us
almost at the entry of our fast place. Fair words they used, saying that
their captain had business of great import with certain stalwart seamen
of Jersey that day, and begged us for our own advantage to come down
aboard their ship.

"And who is your captain?" curiously asked Renouf.

The rogue dissembled not. "Our captain is Le Grand Geoffroy, Lord of
Guernsey, and his _aide-de-camp_, Mahmud le Terrible, is even now on
board of yonder craft."

"Then, hark you, Sarrasin dog!" said Simon. "Sooner will we three die on
this rock as good men and true to the law of God and man, than have
parley further in anywise with you and your men of blood."

Our civil visitors saw that fair words were of no avail to save
fighting, and so they ran back to their fellows, and with a few minutes'
chatter among themselves, half of them climbed up amid the rocks, to
drop on us, as we guessed from above, where they might find foothold
among the crevices, and the others with determined aspect ran up to us
in single line, taking the narrow ledge for their road to our
stronghold.

Then began the fray. It was no hard matter for