The Dance of St. Elmo’s Fire

Pushing cattle down the trail was the job of cowboys, but more than that it was a way of life. It had its rewards, but it also had its many dangers. There are a lot of unmarked graves of young men who met their demise doing what they dreamed of on cattle trails.

Cuts, scrapes, and broken bones were common injuries. But there were two things that worried cowboys more than anything else: river crossings and stampedes. And there were a lot of rivers to cross going up the Chisholm Trail. Some of the most feared were the Red, Canadian, and Cimarron Rivers.

All of these rivers look pretty peaceful, but get a big rain, and that once-gentle flowing stream of water can turn into a raging beast. Two men were usually sent ahead to find a good place to cross, a spot where the banks weren’t too steep. Oftentimes the cowboys would give their clothes to the cook before crossing because they would only have one set and they wanted them to stay dry if at all possible.

Drowning was feared by many of those boys during crossings because a spooked horse could buck them off and a lot of those young’uns couldn’t swim. A swift current could take them out of sight before anyone even noticed in the frenzy of pushing 2,000 Longhorns.

Possibly even more frightening was that moment when a herd got spooked by weather or even just by a tumbleweed blowing. In an instant, it could happen, and someone would yell out that terrifying cry, “Stampede!”

The cattle stopped for no one. Cowboys would try to get in front of them and bend them into a circle to slow them down. More times than not, someone would be trampled to death by the pounding hooves.

Some stampedes were triggered by a phenomenon known as St. Elmo’s fire, which would happen in the driest conditions during a lightning storm. Lightning would strike the ground, and because of static electricity, jump and travel across the cattle’s horns like blue fire. The once slow-walking, gentle giants became panicked weapons of mass destruction, running over everything in their way.

So if you ever get to thinking the cowboy life was an easy or romantic occupation, remember the hardships they endured. And the next time you order a steak, lift a glass to the men who made it all possible.