蜜芽传媒

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!

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: 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.