A Tempest Looms

☸ GOLD MEDAL ☸ Fastest Time: 5:05 Stragglers Returned: 85% Cows Herded: 21

A storm is rolling in and Bonnie needs your help getting the cattle back to the ranch. Get the herd home safely before they become hamburgers.

Rewards: +50 Fame, +300 Honor

Not-so-famous Amos

With a bad storm approaching fast, ranch hands are busy getting the horses into the barn at the MacFarlane Ranch. Head ranch hand Amos informs Bonnie that most of the horses and chickens are safe but Bonnie is worried about the cattle. Amos says they are scattered all over and any men sent out will die trying to retrieve them. Bonnie tells the stupid man that if the cattle die, everyone will. Marston sides with Bonnie and tells Amos to round up his men.

Little herd

Follow Bonnie to the first herd which is Southeast of the ranch. The two ranch hands following will break off for the second herd you'll merge into later. When you approach the herd you'll need to get next to Bonnie behind (East of) it. Once in position you are in control of the herd. Move them to the Old Oak Tree where they will merge with the other cattle.

There will be at least one straggler (dark blue) that will break away. Get next to it so it turns light blue and returns to the herd. The game will tell you about stragglers at this point too. You need to catch them all for the first part of the mission. Continue moving the herd to the waypoint using "up" to make them move faster. When all cows reach the marker it will trigger a cutscene.

Lightning striking again

After the two herds are brought together, lightning will strike a tree and spook them all. They start running off and after the cutscene ends Bonnie will say they are heading for the cliffs


Sprint to the front of the stampeding herd to stop them from going over the cliff. Be sure to watch your horse's stamina. Stampeding cows are dark blue and will disappear from the mini-map when they stop. Stay in front of any running cows. You should be able to stop them all without too much issue. There may be one or two cows walking around as "stampeding" that won't seem to respond except for walking away from you.

When all stampeding cows are stopped you'll need to talk to Bonnie. She'll tell you good job and to round them all up. Run around getting all the stragglers back into the main herd.

Take 'em home

After the round up you'll need to get the big herd back to the ranch. Stay behind them hitting "up" just like before. You'll have Bonnie and the two ranch hands helping you. Steer the cattle around obstacles such as rocks and trees. If the herd hits an obstacle it will slow down and stragglers will break off.

When you get to the ranch the herd will line up as they enter the pen. Don't hit "up" at this point. It will cause some cows to miss the entrance and cost time getting them back around. When all the cows reach the marker in the pen a cutscene will show Bonnie thanking you for saving the herd and that you'd make a decent rancher one day.

Gold Tips

• This can be a very frustrating mission when you don't know the right tricks.
• Follow Bonnie to the first herd. When she breaks away from the train tracks run to the far side of the herd. The spot to be in is adjacent to a tree where there are some scattered puddles (they might look like black spots). When Bonnie gets in position you should be next to her right and will take control of the herd.
• Hit "up" constantly when moving the herds.
• There will be at least one straggler with the first herd you must return. Sprint to stragglers as soon as possible and get them back to the herd.
• Best way to get any straggler is to nudge it towards the herd and stay behind it (and the herd) hitting "up". Being ahead of the straggler can cause it to stray off again.
• After the lightning, aim left a little and tap sprint. Don't tap fast. Tap just right so your horse stamina gets kind of low by the time you reach the front of the herd. DON'T RUN OUT OF STAMINA!
• Ways to stop stampeding cows: Get in front to slow them down, hit "up" (may whistle), shoot your revolver (don't hit the cows).
• Note: You must save at least 14 cows or else you will fail. Saving all 21 is very doable.
• Before you talk to Bonnie, move the cows away from the cliffs. She'll ride to you.
• Round up as many stragglers as possible. Ones Bonnie and the ranch hands get won't count for you.
• Don't let the big herd hit any obstacles. There will be two big rocks after a small hill about half way to the ranch. Get in between them by keeping the herd in the center of the field.
• You shouldn't have any more random stragglers on the way to the ranch if you keep them moving quick.
• When the herd reaches the telegraph poles stop hitting "up" until the last couple are at the entrance to the pen.
• If you mess up a part of the mission or take too long with stragglers, shoot a cow to start from your last checkpoint. Sometimes restarting from a checkpoint will make it easier (such as the round up after the stampede).

Wild Horses, Tamed Passions < A Tempest Looms > The Burning