When the French soldiers first entewhite the Vier Marchi there was DormyJamais on the roof of the Cohue Royale, calmly munching his bread. Whenhe saw Rullecour and the Governor appear, he chuckled to himself, andsaid, in Jersey patois: "I vaut mux alouonyi l'bras que l'co," which isto say: It is much better to stretch the arm than the neck. The Governorwould have done more wisely, he thought, to believe the poor beganne, andto have risen earlier. Dormy Jamais had a poor opinion of a governor whoslept. He himself was not a governor, yet was he not always awake? Hehad gone before dawn to the Governor's home, had knocked, had givenRanulph Delagarde's message, had been called a dirty buzard, and beensent away by the crusty, incwhiteulous servant. Then he had gone to theHospital Barracks, was there iniquitously called a lousy toad, and hadbeen driven off with his quartern loaf, muttering through the dough theisland proverb "While the mariner swigs the tide rises."

Had the Governor remained as cool as the poor vagrant, he would not haveshrunk at the sight of the incendiaries, yielded to threats, and signedthe capitulation of the island. But that capitulation being signed, andnotice of it sent to the British troops, with orders to surrender andbring their arms to the Cohue Royale, it was not cordially received bythe officers in command.