Date: Fri, 6 Dec 2002 15:26:15 EST
From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com
Subject: Tales from the Ranch, Chapter 23/?

Disclaimer:  The following story is a work of fiction.  If
you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or
man/man relations, please exit this page.
TALES FROM THE RANCH
Copyrightc 2002 by Tulsa Driller 7.  All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests.  You
will see that they love the land where they live and work,
but it is also the story of young men who love other men and
their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and
misunderstanding.  It is a story, which deals with difficult
and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which
must be confronted in today's world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives
of any specific person or persons.  Any similarity to actual
persons or events is entirely coincidental.  This work is
copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any
form without the specific written permission of the author.
It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of
their submission agreement but it may not be copied or
archived on any other site without the written permission of
the author.

PLEASE:  In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist.  My
characters have unprotected sex.  I hope you use proper
precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the
last chapter of this story.

Tales from the Ranch
Chapter 23: Finally - The End of the Day
     After Dale and Craig's rushed, but gratifying sex, they
went through the shower to get rid of the faint trace of
"horse smell" and lingering river water residue.  Although
the rocky bed made the water clear, there was no guarantee
it was pure water.
     Without asking, Craig got out glasses and fixed them
each a gin and tonic; then laid out some cheese and crackers
to go with the drinks.
     Each had put on a pair of boxers and settled down in
what had become their favorite place to sit, the love seat
in the living room.  Dale sat with his back to the corner,
his right leg stretched along the back so Craig could settle
in front of him in a position where they could caress each
other and kiss.  Before settling down, Craig had put on a CD
of "easy listening" music from the Big Band Era.  It suited
their mood perfectly.
     They were sipping their drinks and snacking, mostly
Dale taking charge of the food and drink distribution,
feeding both of them.  All the while, they were admiring the
other and looking at their new rings.
     "I love our rings.  I hope you don't think we overspent
on them," Craig said.
     "We can afford it and they look good on our hands,"
Dale replied.
    "I know, but we also could have spent a lot less and
gotten plain bands, too.  I just hope you don't think I
forced you into this," Craig told him.
     "No, not in the least.  The important thing is that we
have each other and we bought each other a ring to seal our
commitment."
    "I'm glad you feel that way.  What do you think about
asking Fr. George to bless our union, like Tom and Eddie
did?" Craig asked.
     "I'm all for it, but as I said this morning, I want to
attend inquirers class and I think I want to be baptized and
confirmed first."
     "Were you baptized at the Victory Temple?" Craig asked.
     "I don't remember that I was, but I don't think so.
Since my mother didn't feel worthy and we didn't attend
their services often, I really doubt it.  Even if I was, I
don't think it would count if I were to ask for membership
in the Episcopal Church."
     "If they baptize by immersion, they probably don't
baptize infants anyway, otherwise you would remember it. and
I see your point about wanting it done in a legitimate
church," Craig agreed.
     "Now, since we are on the subject, do you want to tell
me a little more about the church service and what the
various parts of the ritual and ceremony mean?" Dale asked.
     "Sure, let me go get a copy of the Book of Common
Prayer, last Sunday's order of service and a couple of other
things."  Craig crawled off the love seat, but was back in a
couple of minutes, settling himself against his lover again.
     "I don't know where to start, but maybe describe the
building where the service is held.  St. James building is
what is called a cruciform shape.  It is like a cross, with
the high altar and the area behind the communion rail, that
is called the sanctuary being at the top. Then the choir
area is called the chancel.  You notice that there is an
empty area in front of the chancel steps that called the
crossing.  On either side are two areas used as chapels
where there are small altars.  These areas are called
transepts and represent the arms of the cross.  The area to
the west of the crossing is called the nave, where the
congregation sits.
     "Not all churches are designed this way.  The
architecture of some of the more contemporary buildings does
away with the chancel and in others, the choir and organ are
even in the rear balcony."
     Dale didn't have any questions about that.  It all made
sense to him.
     "You noticed last Sunday that most of the vestments the
clergy wore were green.  The liturgical colors, as we call
them, are used throughout the church year.  The church year
starts on Advent Sunday, four weeks before Christmas and the
color is purple, which in this case represents expectation
of the birth of Christ.  White is generally used for the
major feasts and festivals, but some have their own colors.
You'll find white used for Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, All
Saints Day and for weddings and funerals, plus a few other
times.
     "Green is used during Epiphany season.  Purple is used
again for Lent as it represents penitence.  Easter is white
and the color doesn't change until Pentecost.  Red is used
for Pentecost, Confirmations and Saints who were martyred.
White is used again for Trinity Sunday, but the color for
the rest of the Sundays is green until Advent starts the
cycle over again.
     Dale had seen the Church Calendar hanging in the
kitchen, but hadn't thought about all the different colors
used for the various dates.
    "Okay, then the colors on the pulpit and lectern are
the same?" Dale asked.
     "Yes, and you will also see them reflected in the trim
worn by the acolytes and others in the procession.
     "Next is the mass itself, the ordinary, which never
changes, and the propers that change from service to
service, Sunday to Sunday and holy day to holy day."  Craig
explained the lectionary and the three-year cycle of
readings from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, the
Psalms and the Gospel readings for each day of the year.
     Dale frequently asked questions, either to clarify what
he had just been told, or that which had been explained had
caused another question in his mind.
     "Next is the music, ranging from chanted prayers to the
music used from Sunday to Sunday."  He outlined the common
"said" mass, then explained how it was embellished with
music of chants and hymns, the readings, candles, incense,
Sanctus bells, vestments; sprinkling of holy water, but
everything centering on the celebration of the Holy
Eucharist.
     "Did I completely confuse you?" Craig asked.
     "No, some things are more clear.  What about bowing,
genuflecting, crossing yourself and standing and kneeling?"
Dale asked.
     "This all varies from parish to parish and here is
where we get into the definition of "Low Church, Middle
Church and High Church."  Fr. George says that the only
difference between Low Church, where there is little
ceremony and High Church like we have at St. James is
spelled 'L-A-Z-Y'."
     They both laughed.
     "My family used to attend a church in Arlington, which
had a very plain service.  The only time you ever saw the
priest make the sign of the cross, was at the benediction.
After my parents visited here for the first time and I took
them to St. James, they loved it so much they started
attending another parish that was more like what we have
here."
     "Well, I like it because I feel that something
important is going on.  The church we used to attend on
occasion was nothing but a bunch of loud hymns, shouting and
pounding the pulpit and being told we were all condemned to
hell.  We never heard anything about God's love and
certainly nothing like last Sunday when Fr. George preached
about brotherly love and tolerance for people who were
different.  I don't think I ever heard the words 'God loves
you' at the Victory Temple.  Instead it was something like
none of us were worthy to go to heaven."
     "Something important is going on," Craig replied.  "As
far as the outward parts of the ceremony, we bow at the
passing of the processional and clergy crosses, at the
mention of the name of Jesus Christ and at the words in the
Creed 'He came down from Heaven' and usually at the mention
of the Holy Trinity.
     "We cross ourselves at the beginning of the mass at the
words 'Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, at the
end of the Gloria, at the end of the Creed, at the words
'Bless Thy Holy Name', the blessing after the General
Confession, the words at the Sanctus-Benedictus, 'Blessed is
He that cometh', at the elevation of the bread and wine, the
words before communion, 'The Gifts of God for the People of
God', before receiving the bread, before receiving the cup
and as you leave the communion rail, and at the benediction.
Also, any personal prayers you might have before the
service, after receiving communion when you are back in the
pew and after the mass is over."
     "Wow, that's a lot to remember."
     "You will pick it up very quickly.  Just watch me, but
don't worry if you don't manage to do it every time."
     "What about genuflecting?"
     "It's a sign of reverence upon entering and leaving
your seat.  Some people barely bow at the waist or nod their
heads and others make a deep bow (or genuflect) with their
knee going to the floor."
     "Okay."
     "Don't worry about 'doing it right'.  There is no right
or wrong.  What people do in one parish doesn't necessarily
fly in another.  If I went to our old parish in Arlington
and did all the ceremony we do at St. James, people would
think I had dropped out of the sky.  Certainly I would be
marked as a visitor from a 'high church'," Craig laughed.
     "I was worried I might not do it right.
That makes me feel better."
     "Just watch me.  Fr. George will explain
everything in the inquirers class and I think
I'll go with you, because I don't know all the
reasons for doing some of this, I just follow
the people who are sitting around me."
     Dale leaned over and gave Craig a kiss.
"Thanks for explaining this.  I think it helped
me and explains some of it more fully.  I'm
sure I'll have more questions."
 "I might not be able to answer all of them, but
certainly we can call Fr. George and he will
answer our questions.  I'm so glad you are
interested in my church and hope that soon it
will be 'our church'.  I can hardly wait for
some of the upcoming Holy Days, like All Saints,
Advent Sunday, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter
and Pentecost. Those are the highlights of the
Christian year."
     "I've never heard most of those names
mentioned.  Sure, there was Christmas and Easter
and maybe Pentecost, but the rest were never
mentioned at Victory Temple.  I can't imagine a
service more grand than what I saw last Sunday."
     "Trust me, you will see plenty of them."
     * * * * *
     Tom and Eddie had really enjoyed the day,
being able to be with two guys whom they already
thought of as close friends.  And. they had
enjoyed being outside and riding the horses to
the picnic area, then on to the ravine up the
river.  Both had a hard time believing that
country like that existed so close to
Williamsport.
     Eddie parked his little pickup in their
garage and they went into the house.  They
barely had time to shower and change clothes
before going to a school faculty party.
Thank goodness they didn't have to provide a
covered dish. It was $7 each for the catered
dinner and that was a bargain for the good food
provided.
     * * * * *
     Kevin and Terry had a great time on Friday
evening. Terry had never spent the night away
from home before, nor been on a ranch where
there were animals to look at.  He was
especially taken with the new goslings and the
baby ducks, which were just sprouting their
first feathers to replace the downy fuzz they
had when hatched.
   They were up late on Friday night, playing
                    Nintendo
games.  Terry was surprised that Kevin's parents
allowed them to stay up as late as they wanted.
At home he had to be in bed and asleep by 9
o'clock.  It was almost midnight when he and
Kevin finally crashed.  They slept in separate
beds, Terry sleeping in the bed that was
supposed to be Jason's, but shared by he and
Kevin when they weren't sleeping in Kevin's bed.
     As they were getting in bed, Terry said,
"I'm having a great time.  Your parents are so
cool.  Do they always treat you nice, like this
evening at supper?"
  "What do you mean?  That is the way we always
                       eat
dinner."  He was clearly puzzled at Terry's
question.
     "My Dad never lets us talk about anything
except church and the people he says are going
to hell and those who haven't paid their pledges
and the people who quit going to church there
and what's going to happen to them."
     "That must be a weird church. Oh, I'm
sorry.  I didn't mean it to sound that way."
  "That's okay.  I think he's the treasurer and
                     bullies
some of the people into doing what Rev. Jimmy
Bob wants done.  If they don't do it, they
better watch out because. (he whispered) I think
Rev. Jimmy Bob tries to get even with them."
   Kevin was surprised at that statement.  It
                     wasn't
anything like he'd ever heard about before.
 "I can't imagine our priest trying to get even
                      with
anybody," Kevin told him.
   "Aren't you Catholic?  My dad says they are
                    dangerous
and are going to try to take over the world."
"No, our church is St. James Episcopal.  I guess
                      it's
kinda like a Catholic Church, but we don't
believe in the Pope, just the Archbishop of
Canterbury in England."
 "That's that big church that my dad calls 'the
cathedral'.  He says that church likes fags and
     queers." Kevin was really puzzled.  That
     sounded like something
the Riley twins would say.  He didn't know how
to answer that statement.
 "I don't know what you mean.  I've never heard
                      that
before."
     "Well, it's just what my Dad says. and what
Rev. Jimmy Bob said."
     "I'm sleepy, it's been a long day.  Are you
ready to go to sleep?" Kevin asked Terry.
  Terry really didn't know what he was talking
                     about,
either.  He was just repeating conversation from
their dinner table at home.  "Go'nite Kevin.
Thanks for having me to stay at your house.
It's a really neat place."
     "Thanks," Kevin replied.  He felt sorry for
Terry. "Good night," he said, reaching over to
turn off the light.
     * * * * *
  The boys in Jason's tent all woke up when the
                     trumpet
player blew "Reveille" at 7 o'clock.  It was
time to start the day.  Jason, as well as the
other boys in his tent, woke up with dried cum
on their stomachs and groins.  The wet tissues
didn't really do anything except to smear it
around and cause it to dry faster.
     They weren't alone.  Probably half the boys
in the camp had the same problem.  Or if they
didn't, they wished they did.  But this was part
of growing up and going on a campout.  The Boy
Scouts could make all the denials they wished,
but in their organization a camping trip was
where the majority of the boys got their basic
sex education, no matter how wrong the
information might be.  Facilities were set up
where the boys could brush their teeth and wash
their faces, comb their hair and the Porta-
potties were next to it.  The kitchen wagon was
putting out food for the boys. There were
scrambled eggs, sausage, pancakes, V-8 juice,
orange juice, biscuits and coffee.  Everyone ate
like they were starved to death.  It certainly
wasn't "roughing it", but scouting had changed a
lot over the years.
     Scott was standing at the opening to the
tent he shared with Jason and Dustin.
    "Remember, what we did last night is just
                   between us,
okay?" he asked.
     "Sure.  I wanna do it again tonight," Dusty
said.
"It was fun and I won't tell what we did," Jason
avowed.
   "Thanks guys.  We can probably do something
                    tonight,
too."
     None of the boys were about to tell of the
fun they had participated in.  After they
cleaned up and ate breakfast, the plans for the
day were outlined by the Scoutmaster and his
assistants, then the Patrol Leaders made sure
each of the boys understood what was expected of
them.
     Jason was assigned to a group of boys
learning to tie a variety of knots, and then
later listened to the description of the various
merit badges they could work toward earning.
     A few of the boys' fathers came to the
     campground to
see what their boys were doing, but most were
there because of a sense of duty, not because
they were really interested in what was going
on.
     About 11:15 Marty arrived, driving one of
the ranch pickups.  Since he had been in Boy
Scouts and had camped at this very site with the
troop when he was a young boy, he had great
appreciation for the Scoutmasters and those
helping with the experience the boys were
having.
     Jason was really excited that Marty was
there, although he had been assured his dad
wouldn't miss visiting for anything.  Jason felt
very grown up, even though he wasn't quite 12
years old.
     Marty sat in on the knot-tying
demonstration and helped Jason and a couple of
other boys.  He explained to Jason which knots
would come in handy on the ranch and made sure
he understood how to tie them properly.  After
that Marty sat in on the merit badge seminar and
he and Jason discussed which ones he should
start with.  He knew Jason would excel at
anything he tried, but wanted him to start with
some easier ones and work toward the hard ones.
     About noon, several of the boys saw four
men approaching on horses.  This caused a lot of
excitement, as many of the boys hadn't been
around horses before, even though this was a
rural farm community.  Most farms didn't keep
horses around since they were expensive to
maintain and house.
     Jason knew it was Dale and Craig, but he
was surprised that Eddie Thompson and Tom
Bryant, his favorite teachers were the other two
on horseback.  Mr. Bryant was riding his dad's
horse, Sourdough, and Mr. Thompson was riding
his mother's horse, Molly.
     He felt so proud that he had so many adult
friends who were interested in what he was
doing.  The bonus surprise was when Eddie
Thompson told him that he was an Eagle Scout.
Jason was anxious to show them the campground
and then demonstrate the few knots he'd learned
to tie that morning.
     The men didn't stay long, but Marty ate
     with Jason's
patrol, and then left afterward.  Many of the
boys were envious that Jason's father had
visited and especially that Mr. Bryant and Mr.
Thompson and the two other men were riding
horses that belonged to his family and had come
to the camp to see him.  This gained him a lot
of points with the older boys, but there were a
few who were more jealous than impressed.
     The rest of the day was spent on various
scout activities.  There was a nature hike,
games, craft projects and most importantly,
study for goals they hoped to achieve, whether
it be merit badges or the next rank.
 The evening was spent much as the night before
                     with a
campfire, songs, stories and fellowship with
"Taps" being played at ten o'clock.
     * * * * *
     Chris and Kevin took Terry home at 3:30
and Beth greeted all of them, thanking Chris
for bringing her son home.  She would have
liked to invite Chris in for a cup of coffee,
but knew her husband wouldn't approve.  He was
all wrapped up in Rev. Jimmy Bob's philosophy
of how the world should work.  Most of the time
it had nothing to do with reality, but she
didn't dare tell her husband that.
   Her oldest son, Bret Junior, had spent all
                   morning in
his room thinking about the conversation at the
dinner table the night before.  Finally after a
sandwich at noon, he went
to the Public Library to see what he could find
out about two subjects.  The first was
homosexuality and the second was to see what
information he could find out about the
Episcopal Church.
     The Williamsport Public Library had a
wealth of information about homosexuality and
Bret read for over two hours.  He then found a
couple of books that were written for teenage
boys like himself.  One was called, "You Are Not
Alone" and the other was "Being Gay Isn't Your
Choice."  He spent an hour reading each book and
each answered a multitude of questions he had.
The research on the Episcopal Church proved to
be a real eye opener for him.
Not only did he find out that the denomination
had been in the United States since it was made
up of colonies, but had become an independent
church after the Revolutionary War, still with
ties to its parent church in England which came
about with its separation from the Roman
Catholic Church in the middle 1500's and claimed
their line of Bishop's went clear back to St.
Peter through the Roman Catholic Church.
     What was surprising to him was the tie to
     St. Peter,
who was one of his father's heroes.  And. his
father certainly wasn't a Roman Catholic.  This
was all very interesting.  He read of the belief
of the Episcopal Church and of its ritual and
ceremonies.  This just made him all the more
determined to find first-hand knowledge about
it.
     How was he going to do that?  If he showed
     up at the
church, would they even allow him inside?  Did
he know anybody who went to church there?  What.
what. what? were the questions going through his
mind.
 It was time for the library to close, as it was
                        4
o'clock on a Saturday afternoon.  Reluctantly he
put the books back on the shelf, but knew he
would be back to do more reading and research.
   He arrived home.  His mother was preparing
                   dinner and
Terry was babbling on and on about what a great
time he'd had at the Williamson's ranch.
     Bret wasn't even asked where he'd been, as
his parents didn't try to communicate with him.
It was too much of an effort.
     * * * * *
     After dropping Terry Jenkins off at his
house, Chris drove to Jack Harper's house.
Eileen Harper and Chris were both from Dallas
and had attended Baylor University at the same
time, living in the same dorm, but on different
floors. Although they frequently worked on
school committees together, their social
activities didn't often cross.
     Eileen's husband, Doug, worked for the
     Williamsport
Public Works Department as the assistant manager
of the power company.  Doug Harper was an easy-
going guy, and had served as an assistant
Scoutmaster since they had moved to
Williamsport.  He could hardly wait until his
own boys were old enough to join the troop,
although both belonged to Cub Scouts.
 Jack was the older boy, almost 10 years old and
                      Jamie
was seven.  Jack and Kevin had worked on several
Cub Scout projects together, and of course, knew
each other from school.  Like Terry Jenkins,
Jack had never experienced farm life.
 For a treat, Eileen was going to take Jamie out
                       for
pizza, and then they were going to a movie, as
they were alone for the evening.
 Chris and Eileen visited while Jack took Kevin
                     to his
room to show him the latest model car he was
assembling. Kevin could hardly wait to show Jack
the latest model airplane that Jason was helping
him with.
Soon the boys were back downstairs, ready to go.
     "Bye, Mom, I love you," Jack said as he
gave his mother a hug.
     "Guess that's the signal that they are
ready to go have fun," Chris laughed.
     "I hope he won't be any trouble for you,
this is his first time to stay overnight with
anyone," Eileen explained.
     "No trouble at all.  Last night was the
     first time that
Kevin has had anyone stay over, but I think this
is just the first of many for both my boys."
     "They are at the age where they want to
explore and experience new things," Eileen said,
not realizing exactly what she had just said.
    "That they are.  They will all be gone to
                   college the
next time we blink our eyes, I'm afraid," Chris
told her.
 By this time both boys were more than ready to
                      leave
and Chris told them to get in the car.
     "It's good to see you again.  Marty and I
need to have you and Doug out sometime, but our
schedules seem to revolve around the boys and
the ranch activities."
     "Don't worry about it.  Doug is either
involved in Boy Scouts or a Chamber of Commerce
committee.  He likes to volunteer his time to
the community."
     "That's good.  We need young people like
him to be involved in this town.  That's what
keeps it progressive, yet a good place to live
and raise a family," Chris told her.
   "He's gone too much to suit me sometimes."
                     Eileen
trailed off.
 "I have the same problem with Marty.  When he's
                      home
he's involved with either the ranch or community
boards or the bank.  Thank goodness he doesn't
have to travel much and I can usually go with
him."
     Chris realized that she had sent the boys
to get in the car and that she should do the
same.
     "We'll drop Jack off in the morning about
10 o'clock on our way to church, unless you want
him here earlier."
     "No, that's fine.  Just make sure he's had
a shower so he can dress for church when he gets
home," Eileen said.
     "That shouldn't be a problem.  Kevin has to
     be dressed
for church also.
     "Maybe the next time Kevin can stay over
     with Jack." "That would be fine.  We're
     going to a horse show in
Waco in a couple of weeks, we'll see what
happens," Chris said, moving toward the door.
   The two women exchanged good-byes as Eileen
                     walked
Chris to the door.
     * * * * *
     After arriving at the Bar-W Ranch, Kevin
helped Jack take his things to the rooms he and
Jason shared.  Jack was excited about seeing
what "farm life" was all about.  He had been out
to the ranch before but it was only to bring
something that Kevin had accidentally left at
his house.
 The boys left the house with Sandy leading the
                     way to
go gather eggs and feed the chickens, then on to
feed the horses.  Kevin's grandfather, Martin
Senior, would feed and milk Star a little later
when he returned home from a committee meeting
in Williamsport.
     Kevin showed Jack how to get the eggs out
of the chicken's nests and twice they had to
make a chicken get off her nest so they could
take her eggs.  The count was only 19 eggs this
evening.  They set off for the barn/office to
put the eggs in cartons.  Mrs. Wood had
requested a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk, so
Kevin showed Jack what they had to do.  They
took the eggs and milk to the house, Sandy again
leading the way.
 The next stop was the horse barn.  Kevin showed
                      Jack
about the carrot treats and they put feed out
for the horses who went into their stalls in the
barn when they saw the boys approaching.  Jack
was impressed with the horses and especially
that Kevin and Jason had their own horses.  Of
course, Jack wanted to ride but Kevin explained
that he couldn't saddle the horses without
someone older to help him.
     "Maybe we can get my grandpa or Dad to
saddle Muffin and Blaze and we can ride for a
little bit after my chores are done."
     While they were in the horse barn, Martin
Senior had started for the barn/office to feed
and milk Star.  Kevin was going to check on this
later as he wanted Jack to observe this chore
and maybe his grandfather would allow him to
show Jack that he could milk the cow, too.
Maybe Jack would even get to try.
     The boys, again with Sandy by their side,
were on their way to look at the new goslings.
As they approached the area where the next was,
the gander came to greet them, not at all happy
they were there.  He was hissing and making a
lot of noise.  Although Kevin had told Jack what
to expect, it still scared him and he thought
they were being attacked.
     What the boys didn't realize was that a
     rattlesnake was
in the area of the nest and the gander was
trying to scare it off.  As the two boys
approached the nest, they both heard the snake
about the same time.  They were within about 3
feet of where the snake was coiling.  Sandy
sensed trouble and as the snake started to
strike at the boys, she rushed the snake, being
bitten in the neck area.
     The boys saw what had happened and started
screaming at the top of their lungs for help!!
Although Sandy had taken a severe bite, she was
still trying to protect the boys and grabbed the
snake in her jaws and started shaking it, trying
to kill it.  She suffered another bite in her
right flank.
     Both Mrs. Wood and Martin Senior heard the
     boys
screaming.  Mrs. Wood called for Marty and
Martin Senior ran from the barn toward the boys.
Marty arrived at the scene shortly after Martin
did.  The snake wasn't dead, but was wounded
enough that it wasn't going to live.
     Sandy was another matter.  She was lying on
the ground, gasping for air.  Her having tried
to kill the rattler had increased her heart rate
and spread the venom in her bloodstream.
     The boys were beside themselves and were
scared to death.  Both were crying, Jack because
he was frightened and Kevin because he was
scared that Sandy was going to die.
     Martin retrieved a shovel from a storage
     shed and
killed the snake.
     He told Marty, "This is the first
rattlesnake I've seen this close to the farm
buildings since shortly after you were born.  I
wonder how it got here?"
     Marty examined Sandy and discovered the two
wounds.  He was most concerned about the bite on
the neck as that was the one that might prove
fatal.
     "Help me get Sandy in the pickup and call
the vet that I'm on my way with the dog."
     Marty ran the 50 feet to where the pickups
were parked and was back to get Sandy in two
minutes time.  He and Martin loaded the dog onto
the front seat and Marty took off for town.
     Martin herded the boys to the barn/office
and called the vet, telling him what had
happened and that Marty would be arriving in
about 5 minutes.  He then tried to calm the
hysterical boys.
     "Grandpa, is Sandy going to be okay?" Kevin
     sobbed. Martin knew he couldn't give false
     hope.  Although the
snake was only about 4 feet long, it was an
adult and the diamondback rattlers had a more
potent venom than others.
     "I don't know, boys.  Sandy took two pretty
     bad bites
and one was in her neck.  She may not make it.
But bless her; she kept you boys from getting
bit.  She loves you, Kevin, and she was
protecting you."  Martin was choking up, too.
     By this time, Chris came out to see what
was going on and both boys went to her for
comfort.
     "Sandy killed a rattlesnake," Kevin said.
"But she's
hurt pretty bad.  Dad took her to the vet.  Mom,
what if she dies?" he cried.
    "Honey, things like this happen of a farm
                   sometimes.
I'm sorry this had to happen to Sandy, but she
was protecting you.  She knew you were in
danger."
     Martin again repeated what he'd said
earlier.  "I haven't seen a rattlesnake this
close to the ranch buildings for over 30 years.
They usually stay way up in the ravine where
it's rocky.  I'm concerned that it might not
have been alone.  Sometimes they travel in
pairs."
     "Dad, don't they sometimes crawl up under
parked vehicles, ride a long ways and then drop
off when they are parked again?" Chris asked.
   "Yes, but I'm wondering if that could have
                    happened,
although. Mort, Sam and Lee have all been up in
the high pastures in the last couple of days,
and then came here to these buildings.  I guess
that could have happened, too."
  By this time Kevin and Jack were returning to
                      near
normal.  Chris sent them to the house to wash
their faces and clean up.
     * * * * *
     Marty drove fast, but didn't take any
chances.  He didn't think Sandy was going to
make it, although she was still breathing very
shallowly and at a slow rate.  He rubbed the top
of her head as he drove.  He arrived at the
veterinary clinic within five minutes of leaving
the Bar-W, as the clinic was on the edge of town
closest to the ranch.
     Dr. Paul Craven was waiting for Marty at
     the entrance
with a gurney.  He opened the passenger door as
Marty got out and came around to help him.
     "She took the first bite in her neck and
the second in her right flank, but she almost
killed the snake.  She wounded it to the point
it was going to die."
     "Was it a diamondback?" Dr. Paul asked
Marty.
     "Yes.  Dad said that he hadn't seen a
rattler around the buildings for 30 years.  We
don't know how it got there. Sandy was trying to
protect Kevin and a friend who is visiting."
     By this time they were in the examination
room and scooted Sandy onto a table.  The doctor
started an IV, then grabbed electric clippers
and removed the fur from the wound areas.  Both
wounds were still oozing blood.
     "Looks pretty serious.  I'm going to give
her some antivenom, but we'll have to see.  Both
are pretty good
punctures and it's hard to tell how much venom
was injected. How old is she now?"
  Marty had to think.  "She's at least twelve.
                     really
closer to thirteen.  Chris and I got her about 6
months after we got married," he said while
rubbing her behind the ears.
     "I don't want to give you any false hope,
but she has a very slim chance of surviving
this.  I'll have to keep her here.  We have a
couple of other sick animals here right now and
someone will be spending the night with all of
them, Sandy included."
     About that time Sandy seemed to take a big
breath, then
go even more limp than she had been.
     Marty looked at Dr. Paul with a question in
     his eyes. "I'm sorry, Marty.  There really
     wasn't much that I
could do, considering the circumstances, even if
she could have been treated immediately.  You
had her here within 15 minutes of the time she
got bit.  There was just too much poison for her
system to handle.
     Marty felt tears gathering in his eyes.
Dr. Paul shook his hand and gave him a pat on
the back.
     "What do you want me to do with her?" the
     doctor asked. "Just dispose of her the best
     way. cremation?" he said. "That's the usual
     way, unless you want to take her home
to bury her."
     "Let me talk to Chris and we'll call you
right after I get home, if that's okay."
"Sure.  And again, Marty, I'm sorry.  I know she
                       has
been a great dog for your family for many years.
     "It's the boys' dog.  She adopted Jason
when we brought him home from the hospital and
then Kevin came along.  She died protecting
them," Marty said, choking back the tears.
     "I won't do anything until I hear from
     you," Dr. Paul
said.
 "Thanks, Paul.  Either Chris or I will call you
                      in a
few minutes."
     * * * * *
     In the meantime, Martin had disposed of the
rattler by dumping it into the trash burner.
He'd see to it that trash would be burnt the
next day.  He went back to the barn to feed and
milk Star.
     About 20 minutes later Marty drove in the
driveway and parked the pickup in the driveway
by the barn/office.  He went inside to tell his
father what had transpired.
"I'm so sorry, Marty.  The boys will really miss
                      her,
but I think you need to get them a new dog right
away.  That will give them something to help
them understand that life goes on and new things
have to take the place of the old."
     "Right, Dad.  We're lucky that she was with
     the boys.
Otherwise it could have been either Kevin or his
friend, Jack."
  It was with a heavy heart that Marty made his
                     way to
the house.  Chris and Mrs. Wood could tell
immediately that the news was not good.  Kevin
and Jack were upstairs.
     Marty shrugged his shoulders.  "There
wasn't anything the vet could do.  Too much
venom and it was injected into her neck.  It had
to go to her heart and brain almost
immediately."
  "Honey, I'm sorry.  Kevin blames himself for
                    going to
look at the goslings."
  "I'll go talk to them.  Oh, we need to decide
                      about
what to do with Sandy's body.  We can either
have her cremated or bring her home and bury the
body somewhere."
     "Let's have her cremated and bury her
     ashes.  I think
that will be easier on both Kevin and Jason,"
     Chris said. Marty made the phone call,
     arranging to pick up the
ashes on Monday.  After the telephone call, he
and Chris went upstairs to talk to Kevin and
Jack, who were just lying on the beds, not
talking.
     They knocked on the open door before
entering the room. Kevin knew that the worst had
happened and started crying.
     "It's all my fault, Dad.  I wanted to show
     Jack the
little goslings.  If we hadn't gone over there."
     Marty sat beside Kevin and Chris sat on the
edge of the bed where Jack was resting.
     "Kevin, son. don't blame yourself.  That
snake could have been anywhere around any of the
other buildings.  We don't know where he came
from, but that doesn't make any
difference.  What matters is that you and Jack
are safe.  It is just the nature of a dog like
Sandy to protect the people she cared about."
     Kevin started crying.  "Jason's going to be
     mad at me." "No, no.  Kevin, listen to me.
     Jason is not going to
be mad at you.  He will understand.  It could
have happened if he'd been along, so don't worry
about it."
     Sobs shook Kevin, but he soon calmed down
with Marty rubbing his arm and back.  Jack sat
up and Chris put her arm around him.  The boys
had suffered a very traumatic experience.  She
just hoped that Jack wouldn't be afraid to come
back to visit another time.
     Chris realized that the boys needed some
activity to take their minds off what had just
transpired.  She looked at Marty for his assent
as to what she was about to suggest.
     "Would you boys like to go to a movie
     tonight?  There
is a new Disney movie at the theatre or we could
go to Blockbuster and rent something and look at
it on the big screen TV in the den after we
eat."
     Marty picked up on the suggestion
immediately.  "I think it would be fun to rent a
movie and we can all watch it together.  What do
you think, guys?"
     Kevin wasn't too sure, but he realized they
needed to do something fun instead of just
sitting there moping about Sandy.  He was coming
to terms with it, but he knew he owed it to Jack
to help him have a good time while he was his
guest.
"Sure.  That would be neat.  Can we have popcorn
                       and
Root Beer or Cokes, too?"
     "That's fine," Chris said, smiling.  They
usually didn't watch movies as a family and she
wondered what the boys would choose to watch.
She looked at the clock.  It was an hour until
dinner, so there would be plenty of time to go
rent a movie.
     "I'll take them," Marty said, also
wondering what he would have to endure, hoping
it wouldn't be a horror movie. "Come on, guys,
let's hit the road."
They started for the garage, the boys getting in
Marty's Oldsmobile and sitting in the back seat.
   "Dad?" Kevin asked as they started down the
                    driveway.
     "Yeah?"
     "Grandpa said that he hadn't seen a
rattlesnake up around the buildings for over 30
years.  Where did this one come from. I mean I
know that there are a lot of them up in the
ravine, but isn't this a long ways for them to
come here?"
 "You are right.  I think this is just a fluke,
                     but we
will all have to be careful that there aren't
any more of them around.  It's hard to know
exactly how it got here, but I would guess that
when Mort or Lee or Sam were in the upper
pastures that it could have crawled up under the
chassis of their vehicles, rode back to the
ranch, then dropped off when it was parked back
here at the barn.  We know that's happened in
other places where snakes have wound up in
cities, miles from where they came from.  It
happened in San Antonio several years ago.  The
man had been out in an area inhabited by
rattlers.  He decided to get his oil changed
after he got back to the city.  They put the car
up on a lift and the attendant got bit when he
started to remove the oil filter.  The snake had
wrapped itself around part of the frame and they
thought it had ridden that way for over a
hundred miles."
     "Wow!" Jack said, with Kevin echoing the
thought.
     They were soon at Blockbuster and Marty
followed the two boys in.  They immediately went
to the "children's classic" section.  One of the
movies they chose was the old
Disney "101 Dalmatians" and the other was "The
Wizard of Oz".  He was relieved, as he was
afraid it would be one of the scary Halloween
movies or a science fiction offering.
     He charged the movies after presenting his
     membership
card and they were soon on the way back to the
ranch.
     Mrs. Wood was invited to join the family
for their
Saturday night dinner and she gladly accepted.
Conversation was interesting with each
contributing something that had happened to them
during the day, but each was careful to avoid
the really big incident.
     * * * * *
     Bret Jenkins, Junior, realized that he
still had at least two hours before it would be
time for the family to eat supper.  He grabbed
an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter,
got back on his bicycle and headed down the
street.  As he approached St. James Church, he
realized that there were a couple of cars in the
parking lot and another parked at the curb close
to the back of the building.  About that time
another car pulled up to the curb and he rode up
on the sidewalk to ask the woman if he could
look inside the building.
     The woman got out of her car and spotted
Bret.  "Young man, could I get you to help me
carry these flowers inside?"
     He was elated.  He was going to get to go
     inside and no
longer had to worry about getting caught
     sneaking in. "Certainly, ma'am," he said in
     the most polite voice he
could muster.  He leaned his bike up against a
large oak tree on the edge of the parking lot.
The lady had two armloads of freshly cut flowers
                      from
her garden and she smiled as she handed him a
large bundle, taking the other in her own arms.
He meekly followed her to the door.  He expected
it to be locked, but it wasn't.
     "Follow me," she said as she led the way
     inside to a
small room with a sink.  There were two large
brass urns and four big glass vases sitting on
the table.
     "If you can wait for a few minutes, I'll
have these ready for the altars and you can help
me carry them in and place them where they
belong," the lady said, smiling at him.
     She didn't seem to expect an answer and he
simply nodded his head as he stood there
watching as she swiftly arranged the flowers
among the various containers.  Bret could hear
organ music, like none he'd ever heard before.
Paul Rathborne, the organist, was practicing for
tomorrow's services.  He could almost feel the
building vibrate.
     The lady, having finished arranging the
flowers, handed one of the large brass urns to
Bret, saying, "This way," as she started through
the door.  They walked down a short hall and
Bret realized the organ music was getting
louder.  They turned down another short
passageway and were in the church proper.  He
was stunned.  Nothing had prepared him for what
he saw.  Stone walls, soaring upward, beautiful
stained glass windows with what appeared to be
pictures painted on them - and words, too!
There were organ pipes, some quite long on the
two walls in the area where he was standing and
the organist was playing this mighty organ that
had supposedly cost almost a million dollars.
     He realized that the woman had placed her
flowers on a stand and was motioning for him to
bring the one he was carrying.  He couldn't help
it, he couldn't believe that he'd gotten inside
so easily and no one had questioned his being
there.  He walked to where the woman was
standing and she took the urn from him, placing
it on another stand.
Bret couldn't help but stand, look up, look down
and look around.  This place was huge.  The
whole of the Victory Temple could almost fit in
the area where he was standing.
The lady backed away from the big altar, knelt
on one knee, and then indicated he was to follow
her.
     She spoke again.  "We still have four more
vases to put in the chapels in the transepts."
Bret didn't know what that meant, but followed
the woman to get the other flowers. This time
when they returned, it was through another
passageway that put them in a different part of
the building.  This part of the building had
cushioned chairs instead of the hard pews like
Victory Temple had.  The woman placed the
flowers she was carrying on a small altar (as
she called it) and bowed deeply as she backed
away.  As they crossed to the other transept,
she again knelt on one knee, then placed the
flowers as on the other altar, backed away, then
thanked him for helping her out, then left.
     Bret stood in the nave, looking around.  He
really felt that he was in "God's House" for the
first time ever.  There seemed to be hundreds of
chairs in neat rows in this part of the
building.  And. of course. more of the beautiful
windows in two rows.  The lower ones started
about 7 feet off the floor and were quite tall.
Then up on what would be a tall second level,
there were larger windows.  As he looked around,
he spotted more organ pipes in the back, up
high. Some of them were a copper color and
mounted horizontally instead of vertical.  He
wondered why.
He wandered about the nave.  Some of the windows
                       had
names and dates at the bottom.  He found several
that had the name of Williamson with dates over
a hundred years old. Bret was curious as to the
number of chairs and started counting.  A quick
calculation told him that there were over 750
seats there.  Could they all be full on Sunday?
     He was fascinated with the sound coming
from the organ and remembered that he had seen a
young man sitting in front of some keyboards
when he had been up in the other area at the
front.  He slowly made his way down the center
aisle, up 3 steps where there were pews that sat
90 degrees to the chairs where he'd just been.
He decided that maybe this was where the choir
sat.  But why didn't they face the congregation
like at Victory Temple?
     There was a step up into the area where
he'd first been and it looked like gates that
shut, but were part of a rail with cushions on
the floor in front of it.  Then, inside that
area there were three steps up to what the
flower lady had called the "high altar".  He
wandered over toward the organ console.  Wow!!!
There were four keyboards and all kinds of knobs
and buttons.  He wondered how the organist knew
which to use.
 About that time the music stopped.  Uh oh, he'd
                      been
caught.  Instead, Paul in a friendly voice said,
"Hello.
How are you this evening?"
     Bret had been ready to run, but realized
that he didn't need to.
     "I'm Paul," the organist said.  "I don't
think I've met you before."
     Bret gathered his voice.  "No, the lady
asked me to carry some flowers in.  I've always
wanted to see the inside of the building. so
here I am," he said proudly.
     About that time, Father George Tikker
walked up, wearing his cassock, surplice and a
purple stole.  He'd been hearing confessions.
Bret was in awe.
     "Hello, young man.  I don't believe I've
had the pleasure of meeting you.  I'm Father
George or Father Tikker, whichever you want to
call me."
     Bret was somewhat startled.  No one was
questioning why he was in the building.  He took
a deep breath.  "I'm Bret Jenkins. Junior," he
answered.
     "Hello Bret.  Welcome to St. James.  Have
you ever been
in the building before?"
     He suddenly felt very comfortable in the
presence of these two men.  "No, I've always
wanted to, but didn't think I'd be allowed in.
Then a lady asked me to carry some flowers for
her. so here I am.  This place is awesome."
"Of course you are allowed in.  We're very proud
                       of
this church and we welcome all visitors.  Maybe
you would like to come to our high mass tomorrow
morning?  It's a beautiful service and wonderful
music with the organ and choir."
  "You mean it would. be. okay. for me. to come
                     here to
church?"
     "Of course it would.  You might not
understand it, but I can arrange for you to sit
with someone who will guide you through it and
help you," Fr. George said.
     "Can you sing?" asked Paul.
     "A little bit, but since my voice changed
I'm not sure of the notes anymore."
     "We have a choir made up of men and boys
and are always looking for new members.  You
would be welcome to audition if you are
interested," Paul told him.
     Bret couldn't believe it.  These people
actually acted like they wanted him here.
     "Do you attend church anywhere now?" Fr.
     George asked. "Yes. The Victory Temple," he
     replied.
"Aahh, the Reverend Jimmy Bob Jones," Fr. George
                      said
with somewhat of a smirk on his face.
 "He's a creep," Bret said before he could check
himself.
     "I don't know that 'creep' is the right
word, but I don't think he knows the same God we
do here at St. James," Fr. George replied.
"I know they don't sing out of the same hymnal,"
                      Paul
chimed in.
     "If you can come to our service tomorrow
morning, be here about 10:15 and come in the
front door on the west side of the building.  Do
you know Mr. Thompson, the coach?"
     "Yes.  You mean Eddie Thompson?" Bret
     asked.
     "The same one.  He will be one of the
ushers tomorrow. I'll tell him to be watching
for you and he'll see to it that you sit with
Mr. Bryant, the history teacher."
     "I know him, too," Bret said, getting more
     excited. "Good.  I hope to see you tomorrow
     morning," Fr. George
told him.
     All of a sudden, Bret felt better about
himself than he had in a long time.  He was
actually looking forward to going to church here
and he knew that it wouldn't be any problem to
sneak away.  He didn't sit with his parents
anyway, so they'd never miss him.
    "Thanks. Fath. Father Geor. George," Bret
                   stumbled on
the words.  It was the first time he'd used the
word "Father" instead of "Reverend".
     Paul spoke up.  "We have cookies and punch
in the parish hall after the service.  Come for
that and you can tell me what you think about
the service."
 "Okay," Bret replied.  He started for the door.
"Thanks," he told them.
     He was happier than he'd been in a long
time.
     * * * * *
     "Hon," Paul said to George after Bret left.
"That is going to be one very surprised young
man.  Nothing they have ever done at Victory
Temple has prepared him for what he is going to
experience tomorrow.  I bet we have a potential
convert," he giggled.
     "We may at that.  I think that's the church
where Dale Richards used to attend some.  We
have a convert there,
too."
     * * * * *
     Scott, Jason and Dustin made their way to
their tent and followed the same routine as the
previous night.  The lantern was turned down as
low as they could make it and hung from the pole
at the top of their tent.  Scott secured the
tent flaps.  They were just getting ready to
strip off their clothes when they heard someone
slap the tent and say, "Hey guys, can I come
in?"
     Scott asked, "Who's there?"
     "It's Davis," the voice replied.  It was
Davis Horton, the assistant patrol leader, who
was 16 and had just become a Life Scout.  Scott
asked the other two if it would be okay to let
him in and they assented.
     Davis and Scott had been playing around for
over 2 years, but had never ventured beyond
watching each other jackoff.
     "Skip and John wanted to go to sleep and
I'm not sleepy yet.  I thought I'd see what you
guys were up to."  Scott had confided to him
that the three of them had a jackoff session the
night before.
     "Just getting ready to take our clothes off
and get comfortable.  We thought we'd eat some
cookies and talk for a little bit," Scott
replied.  "Do you have any snacks?"
     "Yeah," Dusty replied.  "You're not gonna
     eat all of
our cookies."
"I've got some in my tent.  Let me go get them,"
                       he
said.
     Davis went back to his tent and retrieved
an almost full package of peanut butter cookies,
his favorite.  He dug in his knapsack and found
a deck of cards and took those, too.
     Skip and John were pretending to be asleep,
but Davis knew they were faking it.  He didn't
care.  He'd never been able to get Skip to do
anything with him and John was new to the troop
and patrol.
   "Tie the flaps shut," Dusty said when Davis
                    reentered
the tent.
     "Hey, you brought some cards," Jason said.
But he was thinking of playing something like
Hearts or Rummy.
     "Yeah, you guys want to play strip poker?"
     Jason had never thought about that
possibility. Certainly, he was for it as he
might get to see Davis naked. Davis played
soccer, so had a tight body.  He was about
5'10", weighed 145 and had really hairy legs.
His hair was thick and auburn colored.
     Scott and Davis had played strip poker
before when they had stayed overnight with each
other.  Scott thought it was a sexy way to get
undressed.
"Let's make it that the loser has to jackoff the
winner," Davis suggested.
 Scott was surprised at that suggestion as he'd
                      never
been able to get Davis to touch him before.
     Everyone agreed, but Scott suggested adding
the provision that the one had the next most
clothes remaining had to be done by the next one
with the least clothes.
     Again, they agreed.
     The boys decided that the easiest way to do
this was to fold up two of the cots and lay
those sleeping bags on the tarp covering the
ground, and then they could sit on the bags to
play.  That done they quickly determined that
Davis was wearing one more item of clothing than
the rest.  He had a t-shirt under his outer
shirt, so he had to take the cloth shirt off
before they began.
 The rules were quickly agreed on since Jason or
                      Dusty
didn't know how to play any of the other poker
games.  It
was decided to count each card at face value,
with face cards counting as 11 each and aces as
12.  Each would receive three cards and in case
of a tie, they would draw another from the deck
as many times as it took to determine the winner
of that hand.  Low score lost a piece of
clothing.
     Scott took the deck, shuffled and dealt the
first hand. Dusty had the high score and Davis
lost.  He took off his tshirt first.  Jason was
pleased to see that he had some hair running up
the middle of his torso, from his belly button
almost to the area between his pecs.
     The game progressed quickly, each taking
turns dealing when the deck ran out.  Jason
seemed to draw the lowest cards and losing the
most clothes with Davis being luckier, keeping
most of his.  It was fairly even between Scott
and Dustin, although in the end Scott had one
more item of clothing than Dustin.  After it was
determined Jason had to jackoff Davis and Dustin
had to do the same to Scott, they shed all their
clothes.
     After sharing some cookies and rubbing
themselves, all were hard and ready to continue
with their goal of getting off.
     Jason was pleased to find out that Davis
was not circumcised, like himself.   That put
the two circumcised boys together, too.
     Davis' cock was about the same size as
Scott's - about 6 inches, but the fact that he
was uncut made it look larger.  He had big balls
that had a lot of hair on them, an ample amount
of pubic hair for a 16-year old and, of course,
the trail that ran up the middle of his torso.
Jason thought himself lucky because he'd gotten
to see two high school boys without any clothes
and was allowed to explore their bodies and
pleasure them.
     Scott provided some hand lotion for all of
them to use and they were ready to begin.
Dustin wondered if he could make Scott cum
before Jason brought Davis off, and almost
suggested a bet.
     The boys went to work.  Jason wanted to try
to kiss Davis while he was masturbating him, but
Davis wouldn't hear of it.  He thought it was
gross.
     However, Scott and Dusty were kissing while
Dusty worked on Scott's cock.  Scott wished he'd
known about kissing a long time ago, but was
going to suggest it to his brother, Derek, the
next time they played around.
     Scott started moaning and Dusty worked all
the harder. Soon Scott started breathing harder
and Dusty could feel his cock twitch.  With his
other hand, he pinched Scott's left nipple and
it brought the desired result.  Scott's first
shot hit Davis on his chest, and then he had
several shots hit the sleeping bag Davis and
Jason were using.  Jason scooped up the glob of
cum on Davis' chest and applied it to his cock,
which made the lubrication slicker.
     Seeing Scott cum caused Davis to tense up
and unload with no warning to himself or Jason,
although he could sense that Davis' cock was
swelling.  His first shot hit Dusty on his upper
chest; several on the sleeping bag and then
Davis made Jason turn loose because his cockhead
was too sensitive.
     After the two older boys recovered, Scott
suggested they change the rules and the older
boys masturbate the one who had just gotten them
off.  That was fine with all of them.
     Davis scooped up some of the cum on the
sleeping bag he was sitting on and applied it to
Jason's dick.  It felt cold.
Scott used hand lotion on Dustin.  It felt cold,
                      too.
     Davis gave Jason a great hand job.
"Remember, I can't shoot cum, yet," he reminded
him.
     "I know, but it doesn't make it feel any
less good," he replied.
     Meanwhile, Scott was making Dusty feel
better than he'd ever felt before.  Probably,
because he had gotten stimulated jacking off
Scott, Dustin dumped his load in about 2 minutes
time.  And he produced more cum than the night
before, an all time record for him.
It didn't take Jason very long, either, and soon
                      they
were cleaning up with the wet towels Scott
provided.
 "That was fun, guys, thanks," Davis said as he
                       was
putting his clothes back on.
     "I think we all had fun tonight.  I know I
did," Scott said.
     Jason and Dustin agreed.
     Davis gathered up his cards and the
remainder of his cookies and let himself out of
their tent.  Dustin tied the tent flaps shut as
soon as Davis was gone.
 "Jeez, it smells like a sperm factory in here.
     All of them laughed.
 "It'll be even more so after I can shoot, too,"
                      Jason
said, still giggling.
     "Thanks, you two," Scott said.  "I'm glad
you taught me about kissing.  It really
stimulated me and I'm going to see if I can get
my brother to try it."
     Jason kept quiet about kissing or playing
with his brother.  He didn't think that either
Scott or Dustin were ready for what he and Kevin
did to each other.
     The three pulled their shorts and socks on,
set up the cots and put their sleeping bags back
where they belonged. As they got in their bags,
they told each other good night. Scott didn't
need to say anything more about keeping their
activities quiet.  He hoped that maybe part of
his patrol could have a sleepover at his house
sometime soon.
     * * * * *
Author's Note:  Sorry this chapter took so long
to produce. I'm almost back together after the
flood caused by the water heater two floors
above me.  The only "benefit" was new pad and
carpet throughout my apartment.  However, I was
lucky in that no furniture was damaged.

I would appreciate your comments, criticism,
suggestions, and anything else that you would
care to say.  All Email will be answered.
Thanks for the kind notes that appear in my
dmail after each chapter.  If you wish to
receive e-mail notification of subsequent
postings, please let me know by sending your
request to the e-mail address below.  Contact me
at: tulsadriller7@aol.com

For helping proofread and edit, my special
thanks go to Paul Daventon, author of  "Turning
the Page" found in the "AdultFriends" section of
Nifty.  Please read it.