Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-07-23
COynIE COUNTS HIS SHINGLES

i
There are men who dispute what
they do not understand. Mr.. CoYille
iis such q man. When he heard .
carpenter say that there were 90 many
shingles on the roof Of his house be-
canse the roof contained 30 many
square feet, Coyille doubted the fig-
ures, aud when the carpenter went
away he determined to test the mat
ter by going up on the roof and count
ing them. He squeezed through the
scuttle-Coville weighs 230-and,t then
sat down on the roof and worked his
way carefully and deliberately tow
ard the gutter. When he got part
| way down, he heard q sound between
him and the shingles, and became
aware that there was an interferenee,
somevsy, in his further locomotion.
He tried to turn over and crawl back,
/ but the obstruction held him. Then
ne tried to move along a little, in
hopes that the trouble would prove
but temporary, but an increased
sound convinced him that either q
nail or q silver had hold Of his cloth,
and that IL he would save any Of it he
must use caution, His folks were in
the house, but he could not make
them hear, and, besides, he didn't
want to attract the attention Of the
neighbOrs. So he sat there until 81.
ter dark and thought. It would have
been an excellent opportunity to have
counted the shingles, buthe neglect
ed to use It, His mind appeared to
run into other channels. He sat
there an hour after dark, seeing no
one he could notify Of his position.-
Then he saw two boys approach the
gate from the house, and reaching
there, stop. It was light enough for
! him to see that one OF the two was
his sou, and although he objected to
having the other boy knowing Of his
misfortune, yet he had grown tired Of
holding on to the roof, and concluded
he could bTihe the strange boy into
silence. With this arrangement map
ped out, he took ont his knife, and
threw itso thatiit would strike near
to the boys and attract their atten-
tion. Itstruck nearer than he antiei-
pated. In fact it struck so close as to
hit the strange boy on the head and
nearly brain him. As soon as he re-
recovered his equilibrium, he turned
on Coville's boy, who, he was conf
dent, had attempted to kill him, and
introduced some astonishment and
bruises In his face. Then he threw him
down, and kicked him in the side and
banged him on the head, and drew him
over into the gutter, and pounded his
legs, and then hsuled him back to the
walk again and knocked his head against
the gate. And all the while the elder
the police but oouldn't get away. And
then Mrs. Coville dashed out with, a
broom, and contributed q few novel
features TO the affair at the gate, and one
ofths boarders dashed out with q doub-
lle-bsrrel gun, and hearing the cries from
the roof, looked up and there espying 3
figure which was undoubtedly a burg
lar. drove handful Of shot into his legs.
with q howl Of agony Coville made q
plunge to dodge the missiles, freed him
salf from the nail, lost his hold to the
roof and went sailing down the shingles
viii awful velocity, both legs spread
out, his hair on end, and his hands ma
King desperate but fruitless, efforts TO
save himself He tried 70 swear, but
was so heightened that he lost his power
of speech, and when he passed oEer the
edge ofthe roof with twenty feet Of tin
gutier hitched to him, the bcarder gave
him the contents or the other barrel, and
then drove into tie house to load mp
again. The unfortunats Coville struck
intoa cherry tree, and thence bounded
70 the ground, where he was recognized,
picked up by the assembled neighbors,
and carried into the house. A new doc
tor Is making good day wages picking
the shot out Of his legs. The boarder
has gone into the country to spend the
summer, and the junior CoVille, having
sequestered piece Of brick in his hand
kerchief, IA laying low for that other BOY.
Sabhath rests OF New England there
viii be anothsr boy In Danbury who
can't wear q cap. --DGabuTy Nelrs. el--