The Day Black Bart Took My Leg
Scott Smith Title: The Day Black Bart Took My Leg Storyteller: Scott Smith Language: English Date of Telling: 2016-04-30 Location of Telling: Casper, Wyoming Duration of Story: 04:49 Source of Story: Original Location of Story: Southeast Wyoming Subject Headings: Disabilities; Criminals; Dismemberment; Tragicomedy Notes: |
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Hi there. I am Scott Smith here to tell you about how I became crippled, not physically challenged or handicapable, but crippled. I volunteer every week at a camp, called Haven on the Rock. It is located in SouthEast Wyoming in the middle of nowhere. 55,000 acres that a rancher generously donated to the camp. So you are talking about in the middle of nowhere. Well this camp is there and we have about 300 campers every week that come to learn about Jesus. But, there was this squatter that was living near the camp. He would come in and sneak up and torture the children by stealing their stuff. He is always just looking for food trying to be innocent, he should have just asked for permission.
I was an avid ATV rider and loved riding my ATV. We called him Black Bart because he was dressed in a black cowboy outfit, black cowboy hat, black dirty white t-shirt, and black dirty denim jeans. So we referred to him as Black Bart. His teeth were also black. So it just was totally fitting. But one day, Black Bart was encroaching on the camp, and I saw him off in the distance. I am like, “He’s not going to torture our children by stealing their stuff.” So, his favorite item to steal, candy. He was taking kids rewards for learning their memory verses by taking their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
But anyway, I saw him in the distance, and I hopped on my 4 wheeler. This was literally getting on it, not hopping like I have to now, with these crutches. Now I hop because of what I am about to tell you. So anyway, I saw Black Bart in the distance, I got on my 4 wheeler and I put it on full throttle ahead. Black Bart had borrowed, with no intention of returning, one of our tomahawks and one of our .22 rifles. I encroached on him, I got as close as I could, and I saw the rifle come out. He shot out my front tire on my 4 wheeler. Totally flipped it over and it was a tangled mess. Just look at me, a mangled mess.
Then all of a sudden, Black Bart thought it was hilarious. I am laying under the 4 wheeler; it is laying on top of me. It had just rained and the dirt was soft, so it didn’t crush all my vital organs but my leg got twisted up in there. Hence, the titanium crutches. Gasoline was dripping down because the 4 wheeler was on me. Black Bart came up to me and he viewed me as a threat to getting his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. He saw me in the way of his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and so he took his cigarette and threw it on me. And it went PLUUUH, like that. Burned up my leg after it was already mangled and it has taken me 33 years to recover emotionally; physically, it’s probably going to be another 97.
You guys are laughing at me, but hallelujah. Someday I am going to walk again in glory. I am going to run, and I am going to jump, and I am going to dance.
I was an avid ATV rider and loved riding my ATV. We called him Black Bart because he was dressed in a black cowboy outfit, black cowboy hat, black dirty white t-shirt, and black dirty denim jeans. So we referred to him as Black Bart. His teeth were also black. So it just was totally fitting. But one day, Black Bart was encroaching on the camp, and I saw him off in the distance. I am like, “He’s not going to torture our children by stealing their stuff.” So, his favorite item to steal, candy. He was taking kids rewards for learning their memory verses by taking their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
But anyway, I saw him in the distance, and I hopped on my 4 wheeler. This was literally getting on it, not hopping like I have to now, with these crutches. Now I hop because of what I am about to tell you. So anyway, I saw Black Bart in the distance, I got on my 4 wheeler and I put it on full throttle ahead. Black Bart had borrowed, with no intention of returning, one of our tomahawks and one of our .22 rifles. I encroached on him, I got as close as I could, and I saw the rifle come out. He shot out my front tire on my 4 wheeler. Totally flipped it over and it was a tangled mess. Just look at me, a mangled mess.
Then all of a sudden, Black Bart thought it was hilarious. I am laying under the 4 wheeler; it is laying on top of me. It had just rained and the dirt was soft, so it didn’t crush all my vital organs but my leg got twisted up in there. Hence, the titanium crutches. Gasoline was dripping down because the 4 wheeler was on me. Black Bart came up to me and he viewed me as a threat to getting his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. He saw me in the way of his Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and so he took his cigarette and threw it on me. And it went PLUUUH, like that. Burned up my leg after it was already mangled and it has taken me 33 years to recover emotionally; physically, it’s probably going to be another 97.
You guys are laughing at me, but hallelujah. Someday I am going to walk again in glory. I am going to run, and I am going to jump, and I am going to dance.