The man rode on. He seemed loth to waste time in conversation.
"We've struck the worst part of Wenlock Edge, it seems," said Athol consulting his road map. "It would have paid us to have stuck to the Severn valley, only we both wanted to see Ludlow and its castle. Well, ready?"
Dick nodded assent, and restarted the engine. Although the belt slipped frantically the slight friction of the pulley aided the bodily efforts of the lads. By dint of much exertion another hundred yards were covered; then despite their efforts they came to a dead stop.
"How about turning back?" suggested Dick.
"No good," decided Athol. "We might get to the bottom of the hill—might not. It's a moral cert we could not get up the rise on the other side of the bridge."
"And we can't leave the bike here," added his companion. "It would completely block the road."
"The road is blocked already, I fancy. The plain fact is this: we're snowed up, and what's more the side-car wheel has gone to pot at last."