Texas Rancher
A big-city lawyer was representing
the railroad in a lawsuit filed by an old Texas rancher. The rancher's prize
bull was missing from the section through which the railroad passed. The rancher
only wanted to be paid the fair value of the bull. The case was scheduled to be
tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store. The
city-slicker attorney for the railroad immediately cornered the rancher and
tried to get him to settle out of court. He did his best selling job, and
finally the rancher agreed to take half of what he was asking. After the rancher
had signed the release and took the check, the young lawyer couldn't resist
gloating a little over his success, telling the rancher, "You are really a
country hick, old man, but I put one over on you in there. I couldn't have won
the case. The engineer was asleep and the fireman was in the caboose when the
train went through your ranch that morning. I didn't have one witness to put on
the stand. I bluffed you!"
The old rancher replied, "Well, I'll tell you young feller, I was a little
worried about winning that case myself, because that bull came home this
morning.