While the negotiation was in progress I observed that Josh Brigham, as the anti-rent disposed hireling of Miller's was called, kept a watchful eye and an open ear on what was done and said. Of all men on earth, the American of that class is the most "distrustful," as he calls it himself, and has his suspicions the soonest awakened. The Indian on the war-path--the sentinel who is posted in a fog, near his enemy, an hour before the dawn of day--the husband that is jealous, or the priest that has become a partisan, is not a whit more apt to fancy, conjecture, or assert, than the American of that class who has become "distrustful." This fellow, Brigham, was the very beau ideal of the suspicious school, being envious and malignant, as well as shrewd, observant, and covetous. The very fact that he was connected with the "Injins," as turned out to be the case, added to his natural propensities the consciousness of guilt, and rendered him doubly dangerous. The whole time my uncle and myself were crossing over and figuring in, in order to procure for each a room, though it were only a closet, his watchful, distrustful looks denoted how much he saw in our movements to awaken curiosity, if not downright suspicion. When all was over, he followed me to the little lawn in front of the house, whither I had gone to look at the familiar scene by the light of the setting sun, and began to betray the nature of his own suspicions by his language. "The old man" (meaning my uncle Ro) "must have plenty of gold watches about him," he said, "to be so plaguy partic'lar consarnin' his bed. Pedlin' sich matters is a ticklish trade, I guess, in some parts?" "Ja; it ist dangerous somevhere, but it might not be so in dis goot coontry." "Why did the old fellow, then, try so hard to get that little room all to himself, and shove you off into the garret? We hired men don't like the garret, which is a hot place in summer." "In Charmany one man hast ever one bed," I answered, anxious to get rid of the subject. I bounced a little, as "one has one-half of a bed" would be nearer to the truth, though the other half might be in another room. "Oh! that's it, is't? Wa-a-l, every country has its ways, I s'pose. Jarmany is a desp'ate aristocratic land, I take it." "Ja; dere ist moch of de old feudal law, and feudal coostum still remaining in Charmany." "Landlords a plenty, I guess, if the truth was known. Leases as long as my arm, I calkerlate?" "Vell, dey do dink, in Charmany, dat de longer might be de lease, de better it might be for de denant." As that was purely a German sentiment, or at least not an American sentiment, according to the notions broached by statesmen among ourselves, I made it as Dutch as possible by garnishing it well with d's. "That's a droll idee! Now, we think, here, that a lease is a bad thing; and the less you have of a bad thing, the better." "Vell, dat _ist_ queer; so queer ast I don't know! Vhat vill dey do as might help it?"