"This is as bad as a pitched battle, Charlie. I would as lief be
struck by a cannonball as by one of those strips of lead."
"Well, we must risk it, Harry. We must make the attempt, anyhow."
It was with the greatest difficulty that they made their way along.
Although powerful young fellows, they were frequently obliged to
cling to the railings, to prevent themselves from being swept away
by the gusts, and they had more than one narrow escape from falling
chimneys. Although the distance they had to traverse was not more
than a quarter of a mile, it took them half an hour to accomplish
it.
The post master looked at them in surprise, as they entered his
office flushed and disordered.
"Why, gentlemen, you are not thinking of going on such a day as
this? It would be a sheer impossibility. Why, the carriage would be
blown over, and if it wasn't, no horses would face this wind."
"We would be willing to pay anything you may like to ask," Charlie
said.
"It ain't a question of money, sir. If you were to buy the four
horses and the carriage, you would be no nearer, for no post boy
would be mad enough to ride them; and, even supposing you got one
stage, which you never would do, you would have to buy horses
again, for no one would be fool enough to send his animals out.
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