The night was hot and dark, moon and stars obscured by drifting clouds.

Pennington, who was an expert on weather, announced that another storm was coming.
"I can feel a dampness in the air," he said.

"I'm willing to risk my reputation as a prophet and say that the dawn will come with rain." "I hope it won't be a big rain," said Colonel Winchester, "because if it is it will surely delay our attack.

Our supply of cartridges is small, and we can't risk wetting them." Pennington persisted that a storm was at hand.

His father had taught him, he said, always to observe the weather signs on the great Nebraska plains.