大象传媒

Coig bliadhn鈥檇eug airson Poileas a Mharbhadh. B鈥� e sin an tiotal air p矛os-naidheachd air duilleag aghaidh a鈥� New Zealand Herald air a鈥� chiad latha dhen Ghiblean anns a鈥� bliadhna mu dheireadh dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Chan e gogaireachd a bh鈥� ann, ge-t脿. Bha an naidheachd dhuilich mu bh脿s a鈥� Chonstabal King ann an Srath Sp猫 ann an Alba. Feumaidh gur e naidheachd mh貌r a bh鈥� innte. Co-dhi霉 bha 霉idh mh貌r aig muinntir na G脿idhealtachd innte.

听听听听听听听听听听听 B鈥� e am 鈥榤urtair鈥� fear Ailean MacCaluim. Thogadh Ailean ann an Loch Abar agus bha e cianail measail air poidseadh, ged a bha athair na gheamair. Feumaidh nach robh c霉isean r猫idh anns an taigh aig amannan!

Nuair a bha e na dhuine 貌g, dh鈥檉halbh Ailean a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Patagonia 鈥� slighe a ghabh m貌ran eile 脿s a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Bha e ann fad seachd bliadhna. Tha d霉il gun robh e ri c矛obaireachd an sin. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e anns na h-Eileanan Faclanach cuideachd airson greis.

Timcheall air a鈥� bhliadhna ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890), thill Ailean a dh鈥橝lba. Bha athair air b脿s fhaighinn agus bha a mh脿thair air gluasad a Dhrochaid na Cuing-leum ann an Srath Sp猫. Bha br脿thair Ailein 鈥� D貌mhnall 鈥� ag obair do Ghranndach Rat Mhurchais mar gheamair. Chaidh Ailean a dh鈥檉huireach aca. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e air ais na sheann d貌ighean, a鈥� poidseadh.

Bha e e貌lach air sg矛re mh貌r eadar am Monadh Ruadh agus Monadh Nibheis, agus rinn e bith-be貌 脿 poidseadh. Bha e a鈥� reic sitheann do luchd-ceannach air feadh na d霉thcha. A r猫ir choltais, bha e ga cur air an tr猫ana ann an Coit Ghartain.

Chan e duine d貌igheil a bh鈥� ann an Ailean. Bhiodh e a鈥� maoidheadh air geamairean. Agus latha a bha seo, chaidh e fh猫in is D貌mhnall a-mach air a ch猫ile gu dubh mun phoidseadh a bha e a鈥� d猫anamh. Mhaoidh Ailean air D貌mhnall. Thuirt D貌mhnall ris gun robh e 脿s a rian. Theich Ailean ach bha dragh air D貌mhnall gur e f貌irneart a bha fa-near do dh鈥橝ilean agus dh鈥檌nns e do na poilis anns an Aghaidh Mh貌ir mun ghnothach.

Cho luath 鈥檚 a th貌isich na poilis air rannsachadh a dh猫anamh air Ailean, fhuair iad a-mach gun robh eagal air muinntir an 脿ite roimhe. 鈥橲 e fear tapaidh a bh鈥� ann, l脿idir na bhodhaig, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois agus gun dl霉th-charaid ach a-mh脿in an c霉 aige. Bha e cuideachd, mar a bhiodh d霉il, f矛or sgileil le gunna.

Lean MacCaluim le a phoidseadh. Chaidh a dh矛teadh ach cha do nochd e sa ch霉irt. Chaidh binn a chur air 鈥� c脿in c貌ig sgillinn a ph脿igheadh no seachd latha sa phr矛osan. Chaidh iarraidh air poileas 脿 Drochaid Neithich a dhol thuige, airson an t-airgead iarraidh. B鈥� esan an Constabal T貌mas King. Bha e 脿rd, foghainteach agus p貌sta le ochdnar cloinne. Fhuair e taic bho phoileas eile, Iain MacGilleNaoimh.

Bha Ailean MacCaluim a-nise a鈥� fuireach ann an taigh beag d脿-she貌mrach aig t猫 Marsaili Nic a鈥� Phearsain, Marsaili Dhubh mar a chante rithe, ann am Baile Mhuilinn an Tulaich ann an Obar Neithich. Chaidh na poilis don taigh.

鈥楬ai, MhicCaluim!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh iad.

鈥楧猫 tha sibh ag iarraidh?鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh MacCaluim air ais.

Chaidh na poilis a-steach don taigh, MacGilleNaoimh don t-se貌mar-chadail agus King don chidsin. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 thachair an uair sin anns an ath Litir.

Coig bliadhn鈥檇eug airson Poileas a Mharbhadh: fifteen years for killing a policeman; p矛os-naidheachd air duilleag aghaidh: a news item on [the] front page; gogaireachd: April fool鈥檚 matter; naidheachd dhuilich mu bh脿s a鈥� Chonstabal King: sad news about the death of Constable King; bha 霉idh mh貌r aig muinntir na G脿idhealtachd innte: the people of the Highlands were very interested in it; bha e cianail measail air poidseadh, ged a bha athair na gheamair: he was really keen on poaching, although his father was a gamekeeper; dh鈥檉halbh Ailean a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Patagonia: Allan went to live in Patagonia; bha athair air b脿s fhaighinn: his father had died; ag obair do Ghranndach Rat Mhurchais: working for Grant of Rothiemurchus; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e air ais na sheann d貌ighean: it wasn鈥檛 long until he was back in his old ways; eadar am Monadh Ruadh agus Monadh Nibheis: between the Cairngorms and the Nevis Range; rinn e bith-be貌 脿 poidseadh: he made a living from poaching; 脿s a rian: insane; bha dragh air D貌mhnall gur e f貌irneart a bha fa-near do dh鈥橝ilean: Donald was worried that Allan was intent on violence; dh鈥檌nns e do na poilis anns an Aghaidh Mh貌ir: he told the police in Aviemore; gun robh eagal air muinntir an 脿ite roimhe: that the local people were afraid of him; l脿idir na bhodhaig: bodily strong; gun dl霉th-charaid ach a-mh脿in an c霉 aige: without a close friend except for his dog; chaidh a dh矛teadh: he was prosecuted; c脿in c貌ig sgillinn a ph脿igheadh: to pay a fine of five shillings; p貌sta le ochdnar cloinne: married with eight children.

Feumaidh nach robh c霉isean r猫idh: matters can鈥檛 have been plain-sailing.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA