The Deal

[thestoryteller]

THE DEAL

Jim was a true blue bushman; that wasn’t hard to tell.
His life was raising cattle and at times it could be hell.
The long hard years of battle with the good and with the bad
had surely changed old uncle Jim into a wily lad.

Most bushman know when making deals there truly is a knack.
The secret to surviving is to simply watch your back.
Jim learnt the bush can often breed a truly funny lot,
though this here tale it simply proves old uncle Jim forgot.

When one is raising bush bred beef the old bloke surely knew
you need a tried and tested horse to help you make it through.
So Jim had started breeding stock, a good string of his own,
and figured if he did alright he might become well known.

As word got ’round the countryside good folk would come to buy
and when it came to selling well, old Jim he wasn’t shy.
“There never was a horse of mine,” the proud old man would say
“that I have bred and broken in that never paid its way.”

A stranger then dropped by one day and wished to buy a horse
and Jim was rather keen as well to make a quid of course.
Preliminaries over and with all the talking done
Jim planned on showing that horse off by giving it a run.

‘Sounds fair to me,” the stranger said, devoid of any smile
while Jim then mounted that young bay and in his usual style.
Somehow he did not notice, as he swung up into place,
his wallet full of money slid from out its usual space.

The stranger never missed a trick, he saw it hit the ground
and stuck his large sized riding boot to cover what he’d found.
Poor Jim he had not noticed as he was now half way through
the strategy of showing off just what the horse could do.

He fin’lly reined that young horse in and with a sense of pride
then asked “What do you think old mate he’s got a real good stride?”
“Can’t argue there,” the stranger said, “I sense he’s full of dash.
I guess I’ll take him off your hands. Be okay paying cash?”

Agreeing on the price Jim asked and nothing much to lose’
he pulled a wallet from his jeans and you have twigged just whose.
Jim thought the deal had gone down well and shook the stranger’s hand;
the horse was worth far less it seems but that was what Jim planned.

And how that plan had worked he thought I’ve clinched a real good deal,
but reaching for his wallet Jim found nothing there to feel.
He shook his head and kicked himself and what went through his mind
was mate you’ve been outsmarted by the likes of your own kind.

© Merv Webster

From the book Tales of Uncle Jim.