MAIL-GUARDS 



265 



"We had left Gloucester," he says, "and 

 all Avent on pretty well until we came to Radnor 

 Eorest, where we got caug-ht in such a snoAv- 

 storni that it Avas impossible to take the coach 

 any farther, so aa^c left it. I took the mail-bags, 

 and Avith the assistance of tAvo shepherds made 

 my Avay over the mountains. It took us five 

 hours to get to the 

 other side, to an inn 

 at LlandeAvy. There 

 Ave met the up-guard, 

 Couldery, Avho took 

 my guides back 

 again. It Avas not 

 many hours before 

 the aliandoned coach 

 was completely 

 covered Avith snoAV, 

 and there it remained 

 buried for a Aveek. 

 Well, Couldery, it 

 seems, fell doAvn in 

 the snoAv from ex- 

 haustion, and had to 

 be carried by the 



tAvo shepherds to the ' Forest ' inn, on the other 

 side of the mountain, and there he remained 

 for some days, to recover. I had to proceed 

 with my bags, so I got a chaise and jmir from 

 Pen-y-Bont and another at Hhayader, but was 

 unable to take that very far OAving to the snoAV. 

 There av^s nothing for it but to press on again 



MOSES JAMES NOBBS, THE LAST OF THE 

 MAIL-GUARDS 



