LINE-FISHING. 29 



ventures of his youth ; the battles of the AVar of 

 Independence in vhich he had taken part, and above 

 all, the celebrated fight of Bunker's Hill, where a 

 cannon ball had grazed his leg and carried away a 

 piece of flesh "without touching the bone. Several 

 other wounds had placed it out of his power to earn 

 a livelihood, and Washington himself had provided 

 for him a protection against want by obtaining for 

 him a pension of three hundred dollars, Avhich the 

 State paid every three months. 



Daniel Tucker — that was the name of the old 

 warrior — had retired to a cottage near Haarlem, and 

 lived there in a very simple style, giving himself up 

 heart and soul to his fondness for fishing. He knew 

 his Walton by heart, and seemed to have imbibed 

 from that author a wealth of good humour and 

 frankness which ])ervaded his whole character and 

 person. I soon found out that it was proper to 

 address friend Daniel by no other name than 

 " Dan." " 



The b'hoy, as I afterwards learnt from Dan, was 

 the son and heir-presumptive of a widow of sixty 

 years old, who kept a small public-house at Mac- 

 Comb's Dam, and who was reputed to be Avorth a 

 little money. Dan, who always found a seat ready 

 for him in the tap-room, and a gratuitous glass of ale 

 (by reason of the fact that the widow's husband had 

 been a comrade), looked after the young Bohemian, 

 and took a pleasui*e in having him to accompany him 



