I could scarcely brook the delay of a few minutes at the first village to rest my horse and swallow a hurried breakfast; but I knew that for the rest of the way accommodation, either for man or beast, was very limited, and, therefore, prudence made the unwelcome delay a necessity.
"Once more in the saddle I hoped to make up for lost time; but in this I was fated to be disappointed.

For scarcely had I got beyond the village when the weather suddenly changed.

The chill morning air freshened to a wind which brought snow with it, light at first, but increasing in heaviness as the day went on.

The road rapidly became covered, and my horse, unable on the treacherous foothold to maintain the canter of the morning, was compelled to slacken into a trot.
"I was in no gear for weather like this, as you may suppose.

I still wore the light festive attire of the previous night, covered only with my military cape, which I now drew more closely around me at every step.
How I wished I had taken Tucker's prudent advice! But it was too late to help it now.
"What troubled me most was not the cold, or the driving snow in my face, but the slow pace at which progress was now possible.