Stories

Story of Night Herding
Trailing to the Bar U Ranch in Alberta

Retold by Georgia, Alissa & Jennica - Grade 3 students at Millarville Community School

The wood in the fireplace was crackling. As I woke up I could feel butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous but I was ready to take on the enormous cattle drive. "We should get the cattle moving before sunrise", moaned the cowboy from across the bunkhouse. As soon as we were outside, we heard the hooves of the black and white cattle clip and clopping around as we tacked up our rested horses. Today we were trailing our cattle on the long trail from Idaho to the Bar U Ranch in Alberta.

We had been trailing from early sunrise to late sunset and only traveled 100 km when we decided to rest the cattle for the night. We stopped for a while to let the cattle graze on the sparse blades of yellowed grass that stood out of the thin layer of snow. The sound of the swaying trees, the howling of wind and the big gray wolves, which seemed a part of the wind, frightened us but we knew we needed to continue. We dismounted, set up tents, chopped wood for the fire and set up camp. After we set up the tents and chopped the wood for the campfire, we did not have time to rest as our job as night herders was about to begin. There was no time to rest. The night seemed tiring as the dark clouds moved swiftly over the top of our heads. We circled the herd to keep them calm as we sang songs, recited poetry, and had short visits drinking Arbuckle coffee when we our circling crossed paths.

Night with the Animals

I think we fell asleep around midnight. The dark clouds turned into freezing snow and soon the blizzard work us up with a startle.

"Well I guess we will have to round up the cattle now. We need to hurry it is almost 7:30 and we still need to get to the Bar U by sunset," Joseph moaned.

We jumped on our startled horses and galloped away towards the cattle. As we circled the restless heard of 300 cattle, a cold breeze was making me shiver. The cattle suddenly stopped. "MOO" the cows started to panic as a shiver went up my spine and our horses started to run. "AAWWOO" came from the tops of the rolling hillside. I took a quick glance towards the sound and pulled my rifle out to get ready. Every minute the sound got closer and closer. Quickly we all had our rifles loaded and ready.

I took a quick look towards the sound and pulled the trigger and shot towards the sound. I missed and the sound continued. Off in the distance the sound kept coming closer and closer. The cattle bolted like lightening through the bushes and trees as the trampled yellowed grass soon turned to black mud. All the cowboys mounted and galloped off to stop the herd.

"They are unstoppable," shouted one of the riders!

Just then we heard the wolves attack they were coming faster and faster. I shot. A yelp and then quiet as the grass slowly parted and the animal limped away. Then the howling started again. Every minute the sound of the wolves got closer and closer but each time they got smarter and smarter as they stayed far enough away that the gun shots could not reach them. The cattle bolted like lightening. We knew we had to stop the cattle as we galloped and circled to the front of the herd. We pulled out our rifles and shot toward the sounds. The cattle suddenly stopped dead in their tracks and started running towards us. We fired into the air again and they stopped again. In the distance I spotted the herd of wolves as they scattered through the bushes and the trees.

There were many other attacks that night and the riders decided that it wasn't safe to camp there so they decided to keep the herd moving. Finally after many days, we got to Alberta and the Bar U Ranch.

From Idaho to the Bar U Ranch

Retold by Quinn, Winnie & Maddie - Grade 3 students at Millarville Community School

Birds were chirping, cows mooing as I slowly woke up. I could hear the fire sizzling. Smelling the morning air, sun shining in my eyes, I crawled out of my bedroll and into my jeans and long sleeved buttoned shirt and tucked my hair up underneath my cowboy hat. The cattle were grazing on fresh grass. After our yummy breakfast of coffee and biscuits, the camp cook offered a peppermint to the cowboy who could trail the cattle from Idaho to the Bar U Ranch.

"Bar U here we come," yelled the cowboys as they mounted their horses and galloped off.

We got right on the trail. The hooves of the horses and cows clicked along. The dusty air filled the range. A rattlesnake slithered by and spooked my horse. It jumped and stumbled almost throwing me into a thorn bush. I managed to hang on.

"What a morning! It is going to be another hard day," I thought to myself.

Out on the trail the fresh air was blowing in my face as I was moving towards the front of the herd. We stopped at the river and the cattle seemed relaxed and sleepy and they started drinking. After they were done we had to cross the river which seemed easy because they were all calm. When we got to the other side something spooked the cattle and they started to stampede. Everyone was going crazy. I rode as fast as I could trying to get out in front. We started to circle the cattle and round up as many as we could. Some of the cattle cooperated and others just ran all over the place. We roped as many as we could and got them back to the camp but there were some that we lost. It was a relief when it was over and I was exhausted. Finally we got to the Bar U and herded the cattle into the corrals. We slept there that night and the next morning at breakfast I found the camp cook.

"Hey there cook," I hollered as I raised my hat and my hair fell to my shoulders, "girls love peppermints?"

The Stampede

Retold by Teagan & Houston - Grade 3 students at Millarville Community School

"Wake up Houston!" Let's get the cattle going early because we want to get a few extra miles today," whispered my friend. My friend Bill Moodie likes to trail cattle a little too much.

"Okay I'll meet you out there when I get ready," I said breaking my thoughts.

WSSSHHH. The wind whispered through the tall grass. The stars shone like the little light bulbs. Wind rustled through the long grass and shadows lay all around me. I was getting my tall chestnut horse ready when all of a sudden there was a howl. Guns fired. All the cowboys heard a loud yell and a terrible groan. I felt a rushing beat in my heart. Cowboys yelled and then something terrible happened.

"There goes another cow," yelled the foreman.

The foreman yelled out orders and kept on firing his gun. The cowboys were mounting their horses and the cattle were up and running. By the time the cowboys were on their horses the cows were almost out of site. All you could see was dust and the head of Bill Moodie. The cattle bellowed and ran into the thick bush and before we knew it the cattle were headed towards the gushing river.

"Bring 'em around," yelled the foreman.

I was scared as I had just signed on for the trail drive and this was the first stampede that I had seen. I didn't know what to do but ride. The cattle were running towards the river. All of the cowboys rode up beside the cattle and struggled to get them across the deep, cold river. Stars and the moon reflected off the gleaming, black river.

Once we were on the other side of the river, I tried to settle the cattle down but for some reason I had the feeling that I was being watched. A scared feeling crept into me. Slowly I turned and looked off into the bush and I saw a series of sharp white teeth staring back at me. I reached to grab my rifle and felt nothing. I could feel hesitation deep in me and saw the fear in my friend's eyes. I heard a loud sound and the sharp white teeth went whimpering away. I was relieved.

I was anxious to get the cattle back to cow camp. All the time the cowboys could hear the howling and it was getting closer and closer. The cattle needed calming down. The cowboys started singing and they slowly circled the herd. We had just about calmed down the cattle when we looked up and saw a storm was coming for us. We heard thunder and saw lightening strike the ground behind us. The herd spooked and started to run. I rode as fast as I could and got in front of the herd and slowed them down. I felt relieved and tired when the cattle finally stopped and we decided to camp right there for the night.

The next morning when all the cowboys got back to cow camp they got a cup of coffee and started telling their own story of how they saved the stampede.