Lantern

["Nobody" <dweebken@NOSPAM.excite.com>]

In a terrible accident at a railroad crossing, a train smashed into a car
and pushed it nearly four hundred yards down the track. Though no one was
killed, the driver took the train company to court.

At the trial, the engineer insisted that he had given the driver ample
warning by waving his lantern back and forth for nearly a minute.  He even
stood and convincingly demonstrated how he'd done it.  The court believed
his story, and the suit was dismissed.

"Congratulations," the lawyer said to the engineer when it was over. "You
did superbly under cross-examination."

"Thanks," he said, "but he sure had me worried."

"How's that?" the lawyer asked.

"I was afraid he was going to ask if the damned lantern was lit!"