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Faisg air Blàr Athall, tha cnoc beag ann air a bheil Tom na Croiche. Bu mhath leam innse dhuibh mun fhear mu dheireadh a chaidh a chrochadh air. B’ esan Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail ann an Gleann Teilt, tuath air a’ Bhlàr. Bha e sa phrìosan airson murt. Fhad ʼs a bha e ann, thuirt àrd-fhorsair Iarl’ Athall, Mac an Tòisich Tìr Ìngnidh, gum faigheadh na fèidh anail a-nise. Chuir sin an dearg chaothach air Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Nuair a bha e a-mach às a’ phrìosan, chaidh Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail agus a shearbhant a shealg nam fiadh. Chaidh iad airson na h-oidhche gu bothan monaidh. Cò bha ann romhpa ach Mac an Tòisich agus fhear-taice. Ann am meadhan na h-oidhche, dh’èirich Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail. Shàth e a bhiodag ann am Mac an Tòisich. Mhuirt a shearbhant am fear-taice. An dèidh a’ mhuirt, theich Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail don cheann a tuath.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Bha fear às Athall anns a’ phrìosan. B’ esan Rag Mhèirleach nan Cearc. Thuirt e – nan leigeadh iad às e, gun cuireadh e Fear Ach’ a’ Ghobhail fo ghlas.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Leigeadh iad às e agus chaidh e fhèin is seasgad duine eile chun a chinn a tuath. Chuala e gun robh banais gu bhith ann agus gum biodh Fear Ach a’ Ghobhail an làthair. Chaidh an Rag Mhèirleach ann e fhèin, ann an riochd dìol-dèirce.

Fhuair e dram agus dh’òl e deoch-slàinte Fear Ach a’ Ghobhail. Bha fios aig Fear Ach a’ Ghobhail dè bha sin a’ ciallachadh agus dh’fheuch e ri teicheadh. Ach fhuair na h-Athallaich grèim air.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Nuair a bha iad faisg air Dail na Ceàrdaich, thàinig greigh fhiadh seachad. Thuirt Fear Ach a’ Ghobhail ri càch, ‘Nam fuasgladh sibh mo làmhan, thilginn fiadh dhiubh.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Thuirt Rag Mhèirleach nan Cearc riutha, ‘Na fuasglaibh a làmhan oir ʼs e mise am fiadh.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Mo làmh dhut,’ thuirt Fear Ach a’ Ghobhail, ‘nam faighinn gunna bu tusa am fiadh!’

Near Blair Atholl, there is a small hill called ‘gibbet hill’. I’d like to tell you about the last man who was hanged there. He was the Laird of Auchgobhal in Glen Tilt, north of Blair [Atholl]. He was in prison for murder. While he was there, the Earl of Atholl’s chief forester, MacIntosh of Tirinie, said that the deer would now get a rest. That made the Laird of Auchgobhal furious.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý When he was out of [the] prison, the Laird of Auchgobhal and his servant were hunting deer. They went for the night to a mountain bothy. Who was there before them but MacIntosh and his assistant. In the middle of the night, the Laird of Auchgobhal arose. He thrust his dirk in MacIntosh. His servant murdered the assistant. After the murder, the Laird of Auchgobhal fled to the north.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý There was an Atholl man in the prison. He was the Tough Hen Thief. He said – if they released him – that he would imprison the Laird of Auchgobhal.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý They released him and he and sixty other men went to the north. He heard that there was to be a wedding and that the Laird of Auchgobhal would be present. The Tough Hen Thief went there himself in the guise of a beggar.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý He got a dram and he drank the health of the Laird of Auchgobhal. The Laird of Auchgobhal knew what that meant and he attempted to flee. But the Atholl men captured him.

Ìý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý When they were close to Dalnacardoch, a herd of deer came past. The Laird of Auchgobhal said to the others, ‘If you untied my hands, I’d shoot one [deer] of them.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý The Tough Hen Thief said to them, ‘Don’t untie his hands because I’m the deer.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Upon my honour,’ said the Laird of Auchgobhal, ‘if I got a gun you would be the deer!’