The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-07-23
COvnLE COUNTS MS SHINGLES

COVIILE COUNTS HIS SHINGLES
There are men who dispute what
they do not understand. Mr.. Coville |
is such man. When he heard a
carpenter say that there we're so many
shingles on the roof Of his house be-
cause the roof contained so many sqaare
feet, Coville doubted the figures,
and when the carpenter went away he
determined to test the matter by 60
ing up on the roof and counting them.
He squeezed through the scuttle-
Coville weighs 230-and then sat
down on the roof and worked his way
carefully and deliberately towards the
gutter. When he got part way down,
he heard sound between him and
the shingles, and became aware that
there was an interference, somehow,
in his further locomotion. He tried
to turn over and crawl back, but the
obstruction held him. Then he tried
to move along little, in hopes that
the trouble would prove but tempor-
ary, but an increased sound convinced
him that either a nail or silver had
hold of his cloth, and that if he would
save any of it be must use caution,
His folks were in the house, but he
could not make them hear, and, be-
sides, he didn't want to attract the at
tention of the neighbors. So he sat
there until after dark and thought.
1t would have been an excellent op-
portunity to have counted the shingles,
but he neglected to use it. His mind
appeared 10 run in other channels.
He sat there an hour after dark, see-
ing no one he could notify of his posi-
ton. Then he saw two boys approach
the gate from the house, and reach
ing there stop. 1t was light enough
for him to see that one Of the boys was
his son, and although he objected to
having the other boy knowing of his
misfortune, yet he had grown tired
of holding on the roof, and concluded
he could bribe the strange boy into
silence. With this arrangement map
ped out, he took out his knife, and
threw it so that it would strike near
to the boys and attract their atten-
ton. 1t struck nearer than he antici-
pated. In fact it struck SO close as
TO hit the strange boy on the head,
and brain him. AS soon as he recov-
cred his equilibrium, he turLed on
Coville's boy, who, he was confident,
had attempted to kill him, and intro
duced some astonishment and bruises
in his face. Then he threw him down,
and kicked him in the side and bang
ed him on the head, and threw him
over into the gutter, and pounded his
legs, and then hauled him back to the
walk again and knocked his head
against the gate. And all the while
the elder Coville sat on the roof and
screamed for the police, but couldn't
get away. And then Mrs. Coville
dashed out with BROOM and contri-
buted few novel features tothe affair
at the gate, and one of the boarders
dashed out with a double barrel gun,
and hearing the cries from the roof
looked up and there espying a figure
which was undoubtedly a burglar
drove handful of shot into his legs
} With howl of agony, Coville made
plunge to dodge the missiles, freed
J himself from the nail, lost his hold tC
roof, and went sailing down the shin
giles with awful velocity, both legs
spread out, his hair on end, and both
! hands making desperate but fruitlesI
| efforts to save himself He tried tC
} swear, but was so frightened that hC
lost his power Of speech, and when ht
, passed over the edge Of the roof, will
! twenty feet Of tin gutter hitched tC
} him, the boarder gave him the con
! tents Of the other barrel, and ther
: drove into the house to load up again
The unfortunate Coville struck into q
| cherry tree, and thence bounded t
3 the ground, where he was reconized
picked up by the assembled neighbors
$ and carried into the house. A new
e doctor is making a good day wages
! picking the shot out of his legs. Th'
boarder has gene into the country t
: spend the summer, and the junior
Coville, having sequestered piect
( of brick in his handkerchief, is lying
e low for that boy. He says that be
!, fore the calm of another Sabbatl
!, rests on New England there will b.
another boy in Danbury who can
wear a cap.-DanbliTy NelCs.
= There is Miss Fay, a missionary
: travelling in the West, who can tax