Lesson 7:The Long Cattle Drive

14
Danger in the Night
The group continued on the Goodnight-Loving Trail.
Soon the trail reached New Mexico. The days were longer.
The weather changed often. One afternoon, a big wind
blew in from the west. Dark clouds formed in the sky. The
cattle became nervous. The herd was hard to control.
Night came, and the smell of rain was in the air.
Around the campfire, the cowboys talked about the
weather. One of the cowboys said, “It will rain hard tonight.”
Another cowboy said, “I think so, too.”
Then the trail boss spoke. “I’m worried about thunder
and lightning,” the boss said. “Thunder and lightning scare
cattle. We might have a night stampede. Keep your horses
ready. If there is trouble, I will need all of you. We must
keep the herd under control.”
“That doesn’t include you,” William whispered to
James. “Many cowboys have been killed in stampedes. If
you got hurt, your pa wouldn’t forgive me.”
The trail boss sent extra cowboys into the herd. The
cowboys tried to keep the cattle calm. James soon went to
bed. He heard the cowboys singing to the herd. The song
was soft and comforting.
BOOM! James woke up to the sound of thunder.
Lightning flashed. Rain came down hard. CRASH!
Another thunderclap shook the ground. Suddenly, thousands
of cattle began to run. The herd was out of control.