Singing the Cattle
Imagine yourself spending long hours in the saddle watching cattle tear at prairie grasses. You munch on a biscuit pilfered from the cook wagon at breakfast and cool your face in the breeze that descends along with evening. The light fades into dusk, but you can still make out the darker hulks surrounding you. The herd seems calm, at least for now. You release a sigh but remain vigilant. Anything—the boom of thunder, a glint of lightning, the scent of a predator, even a stick breaking—could spook the feral cattle. Beginning with a low rumble, a stampede (or stompede as they were more colorfully called), could reach a ground-shaking roar in no time. The only way to stop the panicked cattle was to herd them into running in one direction while other riders raced to take the lead. Turning the fleeing herd in on itself forced it to slow and stop.
A stampede during the daytime was bad enough, but one at night was worse than awful. It took a lot of courage to plummet at top speed through the darkness, relying on your horse to see better than you. Simply staying on while your horse leaped obstacles and dodged prairie dog holes took courage and skill. If you caught up to the herd without breaking your neck, you still had to flank and turn it in the blackness. With each plunging beast weighing five hundred pounds or more, this was no easy task even in broad daylight. Suffice it to say that riding night herd gave you a special interest in keeping things peaceful.
A hat brim gleams, hooves thud, and a silvered tale flicks as the other ranch hand circling the herd in the opposite direction comes into view. His song starts low and gains in volume until it vibrates the air. You join him in “singing the cattle.” It’s a known fact that cows find human voices comforting, and in truth so do you. Any calming song will do. Church hymns come and go, and then gusty renditions of “Old Dan Tucker,” “Git Along Little Doggies,” and “The Cowboy’s Lament.” You trade off singing verses but eventually tire and drop out to rest for a time while another cowboy takes your place. You swap again. As the night wears on, your singing fades to humming. The motion of your horse lulls you into a state between waking and sleeping. Now and again, you jerk upright in the saddle and join the song once more.
Cowboy Proverbs
· If you ain’t made up your mind, don’t use your spurs.
· If your horse don’t want to go there, then neither should you.
· How to ride a horse: First, you mount the horse. Second, you stay mounted.
· Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.
· When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
· Always drink upstream from the herd.
· Just because it’s a well-marked trail, doesn’t mean whoever made it knew where he was going.
Note from Janalyn Voigt: I discovered and fell in love with “singing the cattle” while researching ranching in Montana for The Whispering Wind (Montana Gold, book 6). I included the practice in my book as a tribute to the cowboys of the open range.
The Whispering Wind
Phoebe can have her pick of suitors but never the man she wants.
Fancy parties and embroidered fans hold little appeal for Phoebe Walsh. She would rather gallop across the open range or help her father with a wounded calf. Of her many admirers, none spark her interest. Ma seems determined to save her from becoming a spinster, but how can Phoebe accept her mother’s choice of suitors when her heart belongs elsewhere?
Several years have passed since Will Canfield stole a kiss and her heart. Remembering her passionate response still curls her insides, but how she feels doesn’t matter. Will’s interest in her isn’t serious, as he’s made clear. She needs to get over the man. If Uncle Con will stop throwing them together, that could be a whole lot easier.
Will feels guilty about Phoebe, but he can’t risk another heartbreak. Being left at the altar certainly changed his mind about romance. Phoebe is better off marrying someone else, even if the idea sets his teeth on edge.
Phoebe and Will must both, with God’s help, conquer an old fear before they can move ahead with their lives. Set during a troubled time in America, the Montana Gold series explores faith, courage, and love in the Wild West.
Giveaway!
Janalyn is giving away an autographed print copy of Hills of Nevermore, Book 1 in the Montana Gold series to one person who leaves a comment today.
What is your favorite cowboy proverb – either from her list or from your own repertoire?
Janalyn Voigt’s father instilled a love of literature in her at an early age by reading chapters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Robinson Crusoe and other classics as bedtime stories. When she grew older and her father stopped reading stories at night, she continued putting herself to sleep with tales she ‘wrote’ in her head. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Janalyn became a voracious reader, something she credits with teaching her to write. She trained as a classical vocalist, which explains why her writing is often described as musical.
When she’s not immersed in one of her story worlds, Janalyn can usually be found weeding the garden, spending time with her family, or reading. Find out more about Janalyn Voigt: janalynvoigt.com
