He had not the placid, quiet, unworldly air of Simeon Halliday; on the contrary, a particularly wide-awake and _au fait_ appearance, like a man who rather prides himself on knowing what he is about, and keeping a bright lookout ahead; peculiarities which sorted rather oddly with his broad brim and formal phraseology.
"Our friend Phineas hath discovered something of importance to the interests of thee and thy party, George," said Simeon; "it were well for thee to hear it." "That I have," said Phineas, "and it shows the use of a man's always sleeping with one ear open, in certain places, as I've always said.
Last night I stopped at a little lone tavern, back on the road.

Thee remembers the place, Simeon, where we sold some apples, last year, to that fat woman, with the great ear-rings.

Well, I was tired with hard driving; and, after my supper I stretched myself down on a pile of bags in the corner, and pulled a buffalo over me, to wait till my bed was ready; and what does I do, but get fast asleep." "With one ear open, Phineas ?" said Simeon, quietly.
"No; I slept, ears and all, for an hour or two, for I was pretty well tired; but when I came to myself a little, I found that there were some men in the room, sitting round a table, drinking and talking; and I thought, before I made much muster, I'd just see what they were up to, especially as I heard them say something about the Quakers.

'So,' says one, 'they are up in the Quaker settlement, no doubt,' says he.

Then I listened with both ears, and I found that they were talking about this very party.