The Merry Past 



he was the most accomplished o£ cavaliers, in the true 

 sense and perfection of the character : he rode, as 

 he did everything, with ease, elegance, and power. 

 The vicious propensities of horses were of no moment 

 to this skilful and daring rider, who always said that 

 he required but one good quality in a horse — " to go 

 along," and ridiculed the idea of its being even 

 possible that he should be unhorsed, provided the 

 animal kept on his legs. The perfect and sinewy 

 frame of Washington gave him such a surpassing grip 

 with his knees that a horse might as soon disencumber 

 itself of the saddle as of its rider. 



He was always superbly mounted, and wore a very 

 sporting costume of blue coat, scarlet waistcoat, 

 buckskin breeches, top-boots, velvet cap, and carried 

 a whip with long thong. 



General Washington's usual mount was a horse 

 called Blueskin, of a dark iron-grey colour, approaching 

 to blue. This was a fine but fiery animal, and of great 

 endurance in a long run. Will, the huntsman, better 

 known in revolutionary lore as " Billy," rode a horse 

 called Chinkling, a surprising jumper, and made very 

 much like its rider — low, but sturdy, and of great bone 

 and muscle. Will had but one order, which was, to 

 keep with the hounds ; and mounted on Chinkling, 

 a French horn at his back, throwing himself almost 

 at length on the animal, with his spur in his flank, 

 this fearless horseman would rush at full speed, 

 through brake or tangled wood, in a style at which 

 modern huntsmen would stand aghast. There were 

 roads cut through the woods in various directions, 

 G 8i 



