the hour of five
Wheezy old Noah on the box cracked his whip , the fat horses in the traces pulled and grunted , the coach creaked and groaned , the wheels turned and Frances had set forth , a maiden St. George , to fight the dragon of Whitehall , compared to which the old-time monster was but a bleating lamb . Roger had hoped to be in his brother 's house long before sundown , but when he reached that justly famous halfway house , the Cock and Spur , Noah insisted that the fat horses were so badly winded that a rest of several hours was necessary before they could proceed a step farther . Roger argued with his Master of Horse , but to no purpose . The fat horses rested till near the hour of five , when Noah yielded to his master 's importunities and the journey was resumed . Meantime an unexpected rain had begun to fall , which increased in violence as night approached . The road grew heavier as the journey progressed , and the wheezy horses required rest so frequently that Roger began to fear for the safety of his gold and his fair passenger . Supper time approached , but Roger was so anxious to reach London before dark that he asserted his right as master and refused to stop at an inn where Noah had drawn up the horses , insisting that they be fed .