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Litir na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.

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Sat 26 Apr 2008 10:55

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Litir 460: An taibhse aig an t-Sairdseant Artair Davies

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun taibhse aig an t-Sairdseant Artair Davies 鈥 saighdear dearg a chaidh a mhurt ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi (1749). Nochd a thaibhse do ch矛obair, Alasdair Mac a鈥 Phearsain, naoi m矛osan 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is. An ceann 霉ine bhiodh fianais na taibhse a鈥 nochdadh ann an c霉irt-lagha!

Lorg Alasdair an corp ach cha do thiodhlaic e e. Chaidh e a dh鈥檌arraidh comhairle bhon uachdaran, Iain Seathach. Thug Seathach comhairle dha gun a bhith ag innse dad don arm, ach an corp a thiodhlacadh anns a鈥 mhonadh.

Cha do thill Alasdair don chorp, ge-t脿. Bha e fhathast ri c矛obaireachd, a鈥 fuireach anns a鈥 bhothan-脿irigh. Beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin, thill an taibhse don bhothan. An turas seo bha e r霉isgte. Bha boireannach cuideachd a鈥 fuireach anns a鈥 bhothan. Thuirt ise, nuair a chunnaic i fear r霉isgte a鈥 tighinn a-steach don bhothan, gun do tharraing i c貌mhdach a leapa thairis oirre is nach fhac鈥 i dad eile!

Dh鈥檌arr taibhse an t-saighdeir air a鈥 ch矛obair a chorp a thiodhlacadh. Dh鈥檉haighnich Alasdair dheth c貌 am murtair. An turas seo, thug an taibhse d脿 ainm seachad 鈥 Donnchadh Mac a鈥 Chl猫irich agus Alasdair D貌mhnallach. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach cha do rinn Mac a鈥 Phearsain ach a dhol suas don chn脿imhneach, c貌mhla ri caraid, agus a thiodhlacadh an sin.

Ach cha do mhothaich iad do ghunna is ad an t-saighdeir. Tro th矛de chaidh na rudan sin a lorg. Bha 鈥淎.R.D鈥 鈥 ciad litrichean ainm Davies 鈥 air an ad. 脌s d猫idh rannsachaidh, chaidh Donnchadh Mac a鈥 Chl猫irich agus Alasdair D貌mhnallach a chur an gr猫im. Bha sin as t-Sultain seachd ceud deug, leth-cheud 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1753), ceithir bliadhna 脿s d猫idh a鈥 mhuirt. Bha casaidean air an dithis gun do mhuirt iad an S脿irdseant Davies.

Bha fios aig muinntir an 脿ite gum b鈥 iad na murtairean. Chunnacas bean Dhonnchaidh le f脿inne 貌ir Davies oirre 脿s d猫idh gun deach an saighdear 脿 fianais. Dh鈥檉h脿s Donnchadh beartach mun aon 脿m. Agus bha dithis ann a chunnaic Donnchadh agus fear eile sa mhonadh air an latha sin, agus gunnaichean aca. Thuirt iad gum faca iad an dithis a鈥 bruidhinn ri saighdear mus cuala iad d脿 bhrag gunna. An uair sin bha an dithis a鈥 coimhead air an t-saighdear, agus e na sh矛neadh anns an fhraoch.

A r猫ir aithris bha eadhon an luchd-lagha d矛on dhen bheachd gun robh Mac a鈥 Chl猫irich agus D貌mhnallach ciontach. Cha robh d霉il aig m貌ran, ma bha d霉il aig duine, gum faigheadh iad dheth. Ach gu h-annasach is gu h-iongantach, 脿s d猫idh ceithir uairean deug de bheachdachadh, rinn an di霉raidh an co-dh霉nadh gun robh iad neo-chiontach. Ciamar fon ghr猫in a rinn iad an co-dh霉nadh sin? Uill, bha e co-cheangailte ris a鈥 Gh脿idhlig.

Chaidh leigeil le Alasdair Mac a鈥 Phearsain, an c矛obair, innse don ch霉irt d猫 thuirt an taibhse. Thuirt e gum b鈥 iad Mac a鈥 Chl猫irich agus D貌mhnallach na murtairean. Agus d猫 an c脿nan anns an robh an taibhse a鈥 bruidhinn? A鈥 Gh脿idhlig, thuirt an c矛obair. Ach an robh G脿idhlig aig an t-Sairdseant Davies nuair a bha e be貌? Cha robh. Mar sin, an toireadh di霉raidh creideas don fhianais aig an taibhse? Uill, cha tug agus, a dh鈥檃indeoin na fianais eile, fhuaradh an dithis a bha fo chasaid neo-chiontach.

Ach an robh an c矛obair fh猫in cho neo-chiontach sin? An deach an taibhse a 鈥渃hruthachadh鈥 leis fh猫in no le feadhainn eile, airson na ciontaich a chomharrachadh? Ge bith d猫 an fh矛rinn a th鈥 ann, chanainn gun d猫anadh e deagh phr貌gram dr脿ma air an telebhisean!

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: Artair: Arthur; c矛obaireachd: shepherding; bothan-脿irigh: shieling bothy; r霉isgte: naked; beartach: wealthy; ciontach: guilty.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: saighdear dearg a chaidh a mhurt ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr: a redcoat soldier who was murdered in Braemar; nochd a thaibhse do ch矛obair: his ghost appeared to a shepherd; 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is: after his death; bhiodh fianais na taibhse a鈥 nochdadh ann an c霉irt-lagha: the ghost鈥檚 evidence would appear in a court of law; cha do thiodhlaic e e: he didn鈥檛 bury it; comhairle bhon uachdaran: advice from the landlord; gun a bhith ag innse dad don arm: not to tell the army anything; gun do tharraing i c貌mhdach a leapa thairis oirre: that she pulled the bedclothers over her; Donnchadh Mac a鈥 Chl猫irich agus Alasdair D貌mhnallach: Duncan Clark and Alexander MacDonald; air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach cha do rinn Mac a鈥 Phearsain ach a dhol suas don chn脿imhneach: the next day MacPherson just went up to the skeleton; cha do mhothaich iad do ghunna is ad an t-saighdeir: they didn鈥檛 notice the soldier鈥檚 gun or hat; ciad litrichean ainm X: X鈥檚 initials; as t-Sultain: in September; bha casaidean air an dithis gun do mhuirt iad X: the pair were accused of murdering X; gum b鈥 iad na murtairean: that they were the murderers; f脿inne 貌ir: gold ring; 脿s d猫idh gun deach an saighdear 脿 fianais: after the soldier disappeared; mus cuala iad d脿 bhrag gunna: before they heard two gunshots; gum faigheadh iad dheth: that they would get off (with it); gu h-annasach is gu h-iongantach: strangely and amazingly; ceithir uairean deug de bheachdachadh: 14 hours of deliberation; ciamar fon ghr猫in?: how on earth [lit under the sun]?; an toireadh di霉raidh creideas don fhianais?: would a jury give credit to the evidence?; fhuaradh an dithis neo-chiontach: the pair was found not guilty; an deach an taibhse a 鈥渃hruthachadh鈥 leis fh猫in: was the ghost 鈥渃reated鈥 by himself?; airson na ciontaich a chomharrachadh: to identify the guilty parties.聽

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: na sh矛neadh anns an fhraoch: lying stretched out in the heather. The verb s矛n works in a similar way to seas and suidhe [eg bha e na sheasamh (he was standing); bha e na shuidhe (he was sitting)]. When the condition, rather than the act, is being described, it combines with the appropriate prepositional pronoun formed from 鈥渁nn鈥 eg bha mi nam sh矛neadh (ie bha mi na mo sh矛neadh 鈥 I was stretched out lit. I was in my stretching out); bha thu nad sh矛neadh (you were stretched out); bha e na sh矛neadh (he was stretched out); bha i na s矛neadh (she was stretched out). Plural forms are bha sinn nar s矛neadh, bha sibh nur s矛neadh and bha iad nan s矛neadh.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: mun aon 脿m: around the same time.

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