A couple of notes:

print( <COUNTTHIS> );
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prints the entire contents of the open file since <> in an array context reads all remaining lines.

print (<COUNTTHIS>);
$thenumber = $_;
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The first line above doesn't set $_ like while(<COUNTTHIS>) does. So the second line doesn't leave $thenumber set properly.

$thenumber = <COUNTTHIS>;
print $thenumber;
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This version fixes all of these problems.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")