The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1900-01-05
"KAH-PEE-KOG" CLUB.
BY WRIGHT A. PATTERsoN

pee-kog club gathered around the evening
fire, that this is to be our last evening to-
gether in these woods for at least a year?
Tomorrow our vacation in the Muskoka lake
district ends and by tomorrow evening, il
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 vocations.
Without going into particulars, or men,
toning names, it has seemed to me that this
would be an excellent time to confess our
preyarications SO that we may quit this beau
tifu spot with a clear conscience. l would
suggest"
"To what do you refer, Brother smith,
asked the Pastor.
'To put it in plain English" said Smith,
Il 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 to that statement Of 'an.
Brother Smith," said the Pastor. Now,
l."
81 made no exceptions, and intended
none," said Smith. "As for myself, am here
to state now that have lied lied as big
as l knew how and still make it lie that
might be believed, and l guess you fellows
swailowed it without much question.
"The biggest lie that | have told since
have been here was that one about the
number of bass Yorker and l caught in
Healey lake. We were trying to outdo the
Pastor, and did so far as the lie was con-
cerned, and if he did not believe our story,
it was because his own was not true. What
we"
II shall have to refer this matter to the
congregation when we reach home, Brother
Smith" put in the Pastor.
81 would advise you not to-" replied
Smith, "but as i was going to say, what
We did catch that day was all in the boat
when we returned, and, as several members
of this club counted them, it will not be dis
puted when / say there were 1873 bass Of
over the legal length"
at was only l28, for l counted them to-
gether with Husky Bill" said Tice.
What is the matter of ten bass more or
less, anyway" replied Smith. "But there,
gentlemen, in my confession, l38 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 u
l never did before the enormity of the lie
told in reference to the muskellunge caught
In Crane lake. / simply wish to say
that l did catch a muskellunge, and that it
did upset our boat, bat that was due to our
awkwardness, rather than the size of the
fish, for when we got it on shore, which we
finally did, it only weighed AZ pounds"
"You told me the truth of that Crane
lake story the day we were at Healy lake
together" said Smith, "and you said it only
weighed 81 pounds"
What is a matter OF five pounds more or
less in the size OF a muskellunge!" said York
er, and Bill Reeves Dudged Husky Bill when
Smith did not reply.
II have told so many different tales re-
yarding the size and weight of fish that l
have caught in these Ontario lakes and
rivers" said Tice, that / hardly know
where to begin my confession"
"Why not straighten out the Moon river
story of 38 muskellunge, 70 bass and l20
trout in 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 IS muskel-
lunge, 60 bass and no trout at all, for /
did not fish for them. There are any num-
Der of trout in that stream and its tribu-
taries, however, and / do not doubt that it
would be quite possible for man to catch
as many fish as I said | had caught in the
Moon river in the length of time | claimed
to have fished In reality l only fished 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 l never caught more than ITO bass
h. IL
that, | imagine, is better than any of the
rest of you ever did, if the whole truth was
known"
Gentlemen" began the Pastor, when
Brother Smith started this little experience
meeting, did not realize the good that it
was to accomplish. In fact, | was afraid it
would result in more harm than good, and
that the prevarications-I cannot bring my
self 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. 1t has pleased me
greatly to listen to such confessions as have
been made this evening, and l 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
land several years ago. / am sure that had
Brother Barnes been with us tonight he
would have been moved to tell the real
truth OF that story, and so remove . load
from his conscience"
What are you going to do about that
story of yours that started the troubles"
asked lice.
Il wish to say in regard to anything that
l may have told aimee have been here, that
to now deny the story, and offer . 20 called
confession would be but farce and lie
in itself When told Of those 500 bass my
self and friend caught in one day"
you said $50 BEFORE" said Smith.
Possibly / did, but 500 was the correct
number, and l only wished 10 correct ny
former statement"
Il guess those bonds you put up suaran.
teeing the Pastors reputation will be de-
clared forfeited when you get home." said
Husk Bill to Smith, ~ they walked back to
the clubhouse.
We'll, it has taught ne . lesson, any.