M7 pilot reports a runway excursion and go around while attempting to clear the runway quickly in strong gusty winds; for traffic landing behind.

Narrative

Winds at the airfield were gusting down the runway (estimated +/- 10 degrees of runway heading with variability greater than 20 KTS...there is no weather reporting at the airfield). I was on short final with a C-172 about 3 miles behind turning base to final. I landed the aircraft using 0 flaps touching down about 1;500 FT down on centerline. The next available taxiway to exit was near the departure end of the runway. With the gusty winds I had to taxi slower than usual to maintain aircraft control. The pilot in the C-172 queried whether I was clear of the runway. I replied 'no; but will be as quick as we can' and attempted to speed up my taxi off the runway. Allowing myself to be pressured by the traffic on final was a mistake. A gust of wind came down the runway approximately 10-20 degrees off of centerline. This gust lifted my left wing (while I had full right aileron in for the winds favoring the front right quarter of the aircraft) to which I responded with left aileron. With this correction; the gust promptly lifted my right wing and the aircraft then weathervaned to the left about 20 degrees. I immediately neutralized the aileron and applied right rudder in an attempt to realign the aircraft with runway heading. As I departed the runway surface; I immediately applied full power and initiated a go/around. The aircraft did not hit any airfield lighting/signage. No damage was sustained to the aircraft/airfield. The time from the initial gust to the go/around was approximately 3 seconds.I re-entered the VFR pattern and landed without incident. This time; I taxied more slowly to parking without incident (with a little less than 1 hour fuel reserve). Lessons learned include: keep flying a tail wheel aircraft until it is in the chocks; manage taxi speed appropriately for the current conditions; do not allow other traffic in the pattern to adversely pressure how I operate my tail wheel aircraft; consider an alternate airfield with wind conditions more suitable for the aircraft and my experience level.