"What! the post-master won't give us horses!"
"No; he says he does not know anything about the Provisional Government."
Charras, who had been hunting for it long and vainly, very nearly said he did not know anything about it either; but this was not the moment for joking; time was flying. He left Lothon still asleep, who had not heard him when he cried out, "You are killing me!" and had therefore no right to hear anything else. Leaping from the trap, he ran to the post-master, who was furious at being waked at two in the morning, and stood on his doorstep with the evident intention of contesting the point.
"So you do not intend to give me horses?" asked Charras.
"That is so."
"In spite of the order from the Director of Posts?"
"I don't know this man Chardel!"
"Ah! So you do not know Chardel?"
"No."