My companions at tennis or on these rides and walks we gradually grew to style the Tennis Cabinet; and then we extended the term to take in many of my old-time Western friends such as Ben Daniels, Seth Bullock, Luther Kelly, and others who had taken part with me in more serious outdoor adventures than walking and riding for pleasure.
Most of the men who were oftenest with me on these trips--men like Major-General Leonard Wood; or Major-General Thomas Henry Barry; or Presley Marion Rixey, Surgeon-General of the Navy; or Robert Bacon, who was afterwards Secretary of State; or James Garfield, who was Secretary of the Interior; or Gifford Pinchot, who was chief of the Forest Service--were better men physically than I was; but I could ride and walk well enough for us all thoroughly to enjoy it.

Often, especially in the winters and early springs, we would arrange for a point to point walk, not turning aside for anything--for instance, swimming Rock Creek or even the Potomac if it came in our way.

Of course under such circumstances we had to arrange that our return to Washington should be when it was dark, so that our appearance might scandalize no one.

On several occasions we thus swam Rock Creek in the early spring when the ice was floating thick upon it.

If we swam the Potomac, we usually took off our clothes.