Meeting the postman outside the gate she demanded a letter.

The man looked through his bundle.
"Nothing for you this morning, ma'am." "I wrote to the dressmaker yesterday," said Liosha, "and you've got the reply right there." "I assure you I haven't," said the postman.
"You're a liar," cried Liosha, "and I guess I'm going to see." Whereupon Liosha, who was as strong as a young horse, sprang to death-grapple with the postman, a puny little man, pitched him onto the side of the road and calmly entered into felonious possession of His Majesty's mails.

Then finding no letter she cast the whole delivery over the supine and gasping postman and marched contemptuously into the house.
The most astonishing part of the business was that in these outbreaks of barbarity she did not seem to be impelled by blind rage.

Most people who heave a postman about a peaceful county would do so in a fit of passion, through loss of nerve-control.

Not so Liosha.