50 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



" Yltli. — ^We set out as soon as it was well 

 light ; but it was hard work to get forward, for 

 the frost would not well break or bear ; and, the 

 untracked snow covering all the roads, we had 

 much ado to keep our horses on their feet. Mean- 

 time the wind rose higher and higher, till it was 

 ready to overturn both man and beast. However, 

 after a short bait at Bugden, Ave pushed on, and 

 were met in the middle of an open field with so 

 violent a storm of rain and hail as we had not had 

 before ; it drove through our coats, great and 

 small, boots, and everything, and yet froze as it 

 fell, even upon our eyebrows, so that we had 

 scarce either strength or motion left when Ave 

 came into our inn at Stilton. 



" We now gave up our hopes of reaching 

 Grrantham, the snoAV falling faster and faster. 

 However, we took the advantage of a fair blast 

 to set out, and made the best of our way to 

 Stamford Heath ; but here a new difficulty arose 

 from the snoAV lying in large drifts. Sometimes 

 horse and man were Avell nigh swallowed up, 

 yet in less than an hour avc Avere lu'ought safe 

 to Stamford. Being Avilling to get as far as we 

 could, Ave made but a short stop here ; and about 

 sunset came, cold and AA^eary, but avcII, to a little 

 town called Brig Casterton. 



" 18^//. — Our servant came up and said, ' Sir, 

 there is no travelling to-day ; such a quantity of 

 snow has fallen in the night that the roads are 

 quite filled up.' I told him, 'At least we can 

 Avalk tAventy miles a day, Avith our horses in our 



