Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 09:14:57 -0600 From: Kolorado Kowboy Subject: The Deputy and the Kid - explanation First of all, I wish to thank the many readers who wrote me. And to apologize to those that I didn't answer. Soooo many things have been happening in my life lately that I found little time to sit down and concentrate on my story. I wish to take just a little of your time here, to make some things a little clearer to some of my readers. Growing up in the West, and being convinced that I was born at least a hundred years to late, I have been an avid student of real "Old West". Females were very few and far between in the early years of settlement. Most of the western population was male and most of those were under the age of 30. The majority of ranch hands ranged in age from as young as 12 or 13 on up to about 25. Most outlaws and 'gun-slingers' were in their upper teens to mid 20's. Very, very few lived past 25, and there was NOTHING romantic about their existence. Most lived hand-to-mouth and were constantly looking over their shoulders to make sure even their 'friends' weren't trying to cross them. In this setting, I find it very hard to believe that male-to-male relationships didn't exist. I feel that those relationships not only existed, but were very common occurrences. They may not have been discussed but were accepted as a part of life in a time and place where 95% of the population were young men/boys at the very peak of their sexual drives. I close this little lecture on the West by saying that part 4 of "The Deputy and The Kid" is being drafted up and will be posted soon. Again, thanks to the many fans who wrote and encouraged me. Love Ya All, bigrig