A big-city lawyer is representing the railroad in a lawsuit filed by an old rancher. The rancher’s prize bull has gone missing from the section through which the railroad passes. The rancher claims that the bull must have been hit by the train, and wants to be paid the fair value of the bull. The case is scheduled to be tried before the justice of the peace in the back room of the general store.

As soon as the rancher shows up, the attorney for the railroad pulls him aside and tries to get him to settle out of court. The lawyer makes his best sales pitch, and finally the rancher agrees to take half of what he was asking.

After the rancher signs the release and takes the check, the young lawyer can’t resist gloating a little over his success, telling the rancher, “You know, I hate to tell you this, 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 replies, “Well, I’ll tell you, young feller, I was a little worried about winning that case myself, because that dang bull came home this morning.”