Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-02-15
"KAH-PEE-KOG" CLUB.
BY WIGHT A. PATTERSON.
$40 YOU realize, gentlemen" sa
IL Smith. as the members of the Ia

- CullbAl, as lLG VI tue NAIL
pee.kog club gathered around the evening
fire, 'that this is to be our last evening to-
gether in these woods for at least year?
Tomorrow our vacation in the Muskoka lake
district ends, and by tomorrow evening, if
nothing unlocked for happens, we will have
nailed up the door of the clubhouse, reeled
in our lines for the last time this year, stored
our boats, and the night train on the Grand
Trunk will be carrying us swiftly back to
the states and to our various vocatons.
without going into particulars, or men.
tionng names, it has seemed to me that this
would be an excellent time to confess our
presentations so that we may quit this beau
tiful spot with clear conscience. ! would
suggest"
TO what do you refer, Brother smith,
asked the Pastor.
TO put it in plain English, said Smith,
II think we have all lied more or less, and
that now would be good time to tell the
truth"
Il presume that you realize that there
are exceptions 10 that statement Of all.
Brother Smith" said the Pastor Now,
l."
Il made no exceptions, and intended
none" said Smith. AS for myself, am here
to state now that | have lied; lied as big
as | knew how and still make il a lie that
might believed, and | guess you fellows
swallowed it without much question"
Il have not believed a single thing you
have said about fish since you have been
here" said the Pastor
Nor l." echoed the others
"The biggest lie that have told since |
have been here was that one about the
number of bass Yorker and caught in
IIealey lake We were trying to Guido the
Pastor and did 50 far as the lie was CON
cerned, and ii he did not believe our story
il was because his own was not true. What
We"
Il shall have TO refer this matter to the
congregation when we reach home, Brother
Smith" put in the Pastor.
II would advise you not to- replied
Smith but as | was going to say, what
we did catch that day was all III the boat
when we returned. and as several members
OF this club counted them, it will not be dis
puted when ! Say there were l3S bass Of
over the legal length.
1T was only 1913, for | counted them TO-
gether with Husky Bill, said lice.
What is the matter of ten bass more or
less, anyway replied Smith. but there,
gentlemen, in my confession, 1913 bass in.
stead Of the five or six hundred that told
about, and | believe that every one will feel
better if they follow my example"
II believe that the advice Smith gives us
is good, said Yorker, 'and l realize now as
| never did before the enormity of the lie
told in reference to the muskellunge | caught
in Crane lake.
You don't need to make any confession
Of that, said the Pastor, for everybody
knew that it was lie when YOU told il"
1T seems TO me that | remember distinct
~ of your going to Crane lake to fish for
muskellunge on the strength Of that story, >
replied Yorker, "and it was not as bad as
your Crown island bass story at that"
My veracity is not in question at the
present time" replied the Pastor
NO, we will hear from you later" said
Yorker provided, of course, your con
science is not too elastic. But to return TO
my Crane lake story, simply wish to say
that | did catch a muskellunge, and that i;
did upset our boat, but that was due to our
awkwardness, rather than the size Of the
fish, fer when we got it on shore which We
finally did, il only weighed AZ pounds"
Gou told me the truth of that Crane
AXE story the day we were at Ilealy lake
together" SAID Smith, and YOU said il only
weighed - pounds
WI hat is matter Of five pounds more or
les in the sze of a muskellunge?' said York
er, and Bill Reeves nudged Husky Bill when
Smith did not reply.
Il have told 50 many different tales re
gardng the size and weight of fish that
have caught in these Ontario lakes and
rivers, said lice, that hardly know
where 10 begin my confession
why not straighten out the Moon river
story Of 80 muskellunge, 70 bass and 10
trout il ten hours" asked Husky Bill
That might be good place to begin at,
as that story was exaggerated somewhat.
The truth IS that | only caught 35 muskel-
luugc, 90 bass and no trout at all, for
did not fish for them. There are any num-
Der OF trout in that stream and its trbu
tdrles, however, and DO not doubt that il
would be quite possible for man to catch
as many fish a. | SAID | had caught in the
Moon river III the length OF time | claimed
~ IdNG HSlGu III ltdilA l UHlA IlSUGu nine
hours and three quarters. As for the other
stories ! have told about fishing in kah-
pee kog and the surrounding lakes, | can
cover all of them with the single statement
that | never caught more than 10 bass
in any one day in any of these lakes, but
that, imagine, is better than any OF the
rest of YOU ever did, If the whole truth was
known.
Gentlemen" began tile Pastor, when
Brother Smith started this little experience
meeting ! did not realize the good that ii
was 10 accomplish. In fact, | was afraid it
would result in more harm than good, and
that the prevarications cannot bring my
sell TO the point Of calling them lies-that
have been told by several Of you around these
evening fires would only be again eXag-
gerated and that some Of you at least would
return to Your homes with an added weight
upon Your conscience. II has pleased me
greatly to listen to such confessions as have
been made this evening, and am sure
that YOU feel the better for having made
them. There is one thing for which ! am
sorry, and that is that Brother Barnes Is
not here to retract the story he told Of
catching more fish than caught at Crown is
Brother Barnes been with rs tonight he
would have been moved to tell the real
truth Of that story, and 50 remove load
from his conscience.
What are you going to do about that
story Of yours that started the trouble?"
asked lice
Il wish to say in regard to anything that
| may have told since have been here, that
to now deny the story, and offer so-called
confession would be but a farce and lie
in itself. When told of those 20 bass my
self and friend caught in one d. -
You said $50 before" said Smith
Possibly l did, but 500 was the correct
number, and | only wished TO correct my
former statement"
81 guess those bonds you put up guaran-
teeing the Pastors reputation will be de-
clared forfeited when you get home" said
Husk Bill to Smith as they walked back to
tile clubhouse.
We'll, it has taught me a lesson, any
way, replied Smith, ''and won't be 80 fool
i>h again very soon am sorry for his sake
as wal as my own"
Mill and Dwelling for Sale.