Cow Case

A big-city lawyer was representing the railroad in a lawsuit filed by an old rancher. The rancher'sprize bull was missing from the section throughwhich the railroad passed. The rancher only wantedto be paid the fair value of the bull.The case was scheduled to be tried before the justiceof the peace in the back room of the general store.The attorney for the railroad immediately corneredthe rancher and tried to get him to settle out ofcourt. The lawyer did his best selling job, andfinally the rancher agreed to take half of what hewas asking.After the rancher had signed the release and tookthe check, the young lawyer couldn't resist gloatinga little over his success, telling the rancher, "Youknow, I hate to tell you this, old man, but I put oneover on you in there. I couldn't have won the case.The engineer was asleep and the fireman was in thecaboose when the train went through your ranch thatmorning. I didn't have one witness to put on the stand.I bluffed you!"The old rancher replied, "Well, I'll tell you, youngfeller, I was a little worried about winning that casemyself, because that durned bull came home this morning."