Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-06-19
Deacon Thrope's Pigeons.
A CAPITAL Story.

ooout to be destroyed by the large numbe
Q: wild pigeons that came about, Deaco,
Ihrope and several of his friends were sit
ting outside the log meeting house, on Sun
day morning waiting for the minister to ar
rive, and, as matter of course, talking
about the prospect of having nothing t.
feed on through the coming winter.
'lt's orful' said one of the company. q
never see the pigeons so thick afore. My
Bill and Ben went down to the roost last
night, and killed bag full with clubs.
think they'll take all my corn
ooh, yes its orful!' replied the others.
THAT'S nothing to what me and my Felix
Joshua did, day before yesterday, said the
deacon. sYou know my bottom feld therel
Well they come in it so thick you couldn't
see the ground. / went down to scare
'em out, and peradeenture, they riz up like
cloud, you couldn't see the sky for 'em.
hollered and slapped my hands, and tore
around till | was plump worried out, but it
did no good. They just swarmed over my
head, and as fast as went to one side OF
the field they began to pour down in 10th
er. Felix Joshua had jest got up to the
crib with load of corn, for he was a gath.
erin the ridge field aud went to whar he
was and told him to 90 to the house and
get his shot gun and my shot gun, aud Sc e
If We couldn't drive them ar pigeons out'n
the bottom field. So he goes and gets his
shot gun and my shot gun, and we goes
down. He slipt along on one side of the
field, and ] slipt along on t'other, till we
got about middle ways, and then | gin a
heller, and up they few like whirlagnst.
L blazed away in the thickest of 'em, and
elix Joshua blazed away in the thickest of
'em, and what do you thinka They were
all gone in second. Then me and Felix
Ss S9shpa h Gay we elep p oyer the fence; and says
Says l to hin, sGo fetch the steers and
wagon, and upon my word and honor, we
picked mp ten bushels
The good brothers stared wildly around
them, and would probably have accused
their deacon of lying had they not been in
terrupted by the arrival Of the preacher,
and the announcement that meetin was go
in to begiu.
After the services we're over, little groups
of the faithful might have been seen here
and there, engaged IN earnest conversation.
Their subject was an exciting one, as you
might have inferred from the length of their
faces and the earnestness of their gestures
If you had listened to their conversation
you might have heard something about as
| follows:
| Did you hear what Brother Thrope SAID
bout him and his Felix Joshua KILN ter
bushels Of pigeons at one shot.
sYes, it's orful, amt itl'
'It's lie as sure as shootin.' / dom
know what's got into Brother Tbrope.
sWhat'll be done about it? 1t musn'
90 so-it'll ruin the name of the church
'We'd better fetch it up next meetin' ant
make him take it back, or church him.
And so it would 90 on. Of course tn
good deacon heard whisper Of it whicl
! gave him no little uneasIncss. However
he had been into several scrapes before
and had cone out clear, and he doubte'
not he should meet with the same GOO
luck on this occasion. Until the meeting
| day arrived the entire settlement was in al
uproar Nothing was talked of but Dea
con Thrope's ten bushels of pigeons. Th
good brothers said it was too bad TO haE
the church disgraced by deacon VIII
would tell such unreasonable tales, Will
the pious old sisters wiped their spectacles
sighed and said, 'It's hard telling the powe
which the evil one exerteth'
At last the exciting day arrived. IN
preacher stated that the church vas read
for the transaction of business, whercupo
brother Fingle arose aud said:
'Brother Deacon Thrope says him an
his Felix Joshua killed ten bushels Of pi
eeons at one shot. The church doE't be
lieve it, and would love to hear what til
brother has to say for himself.
With much solemaity the Deacon arose
and after casting serious look over tn
congregation and elevating his eyes 20 tn
rafters a few times, spoke as follows:
MY bretheriug there is sad mistake out
j didn't say we killed ten bushels OF pl
geons at one shot, but
what did you say, thenp interrupte'
one of the brothers, who was present whel
the Deacon first told about the pigeons
'Didn't you say you and your Felix JOsbn
both blazed awaya'
] yes