Cowboys in the old west were usually very young men who faced many perils. Nervous wild longhorn cattle, drowning, stampedes, and lightning. Many were East Coast Civil War veterans who headed west looking for any kind of work. Cowboys slept under the stars in all kinds of weather and developed a close comradery with one another. They would fight to the death for a friend. A trip to a salon once a year for drinks, gambling, and women was their only entertainment. An old cowboy with a peg leg did not stand a chance. His days were over.