The Cattle Drive and the Gift of the Cow

This subplot follows the brief passage of the cattle herd through the claim and the unexpected gift that turns Pa's labor into fresh milk and beef for the family.

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Cowboy Songs in the Evening

Cowboy Songs in the Evening Scene Laura and Pa sit under a big moon, and Laura hears a strange low sound far away. Pa says it must be cattle herds going north, and the cowboys are singing to the cattle. Meaning The sound brings the larger West into the little family circle. Laura is stirred by something both beautiful and lonely. Aftermath The next morning two cowboys appear at the stable, asking Pa to help move the herd across the creek.

Pa Hires On as a Cattle Hand

Pa Hires On as a Cattle Hand Scene Two red-brown men in wide hats and cowboy boots wait by the stable with guns at their sides. Pa agrees to help them move the cattle across the creek, and they will pay him with beef. Meaning Pa's willingness to earn meat from passing strangers shows how frontier families took advantage of chance opportunities. The cattle economy touches even a remote claim. Aftermath Pa ties a handkerchief over his mouth and rides off with the herd, returning covered in dust at sunset.

Dust and Lonely Wailing

Dust and Lonely Wailing Scene The cattle move slowly, eating grass as they go, and Pa returns home exhausted with dust in his hair and eyes. At night Laura hears the cowboys' songs, which sound like wolves crying under the moon. Meaning The cattle drive is a passing world that makes the prairie feel both grand and desolate. Laura's sadness shows her sensitivity to the wildness around her. Aftermath The next day the herd surges past the claim, and Pa comes home with a cow and a calf from the cowboys.

The Herd Surges Past the Claim

The Herd Surges Past the Claim Scene Laura and Mary watch cattle suddenly come running out of the dusty grass not far from the stable. A cowboy on a black-and-white horse waves his hat and moves them over a low hill. Meaning The passing herd is wild and overwhelming, reminding the girls of the uncontrollable forces around them. Laura runs about waving her hat and shouting to imitate the cowboy. Aftermath The cattle disappear, and the quiet prairie returns until Pa rides home with the promised beef.

The Cow and Calf Are Left Behind

The Cow and Calf Are Left Behind Scene Pa rides in with two cowboys, a thin cow, and a little black-and-white calf. He tells Ma the cow was too thin to sell and the calf too small to travel, so they were given to the family. Meaning The gift turns Pa's labor into lasting possessions. Baby Carrie drinks the cow's milk, and the family tastes real beef for the first time in Indian Territory. Aftermath The cow and calf become part of the household, and the memory of cowboy songs slowly fades into the prairie wind.

a summer evening while Pa plays the fiddle

the morning after the cowboy songs are heard

during the two days the herd crosses the creek

the second afternoon of the drive, near the stable

late afternoon, after the herd is gone