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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh na sgeulachd ‘Locha Buidhe ʼs a Dhà Bhuachaille’. Bha MacPhàidein air diùltadh bròg a thoirt far cas an duine chrochte. Bha e a’ smaoineachadh gun robh e fhathast beò. Bha fear ciorramach anns an t-seòmar anns an taigh mhòr. ’S e ‘³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó’ a bh’ ann – neach a bhiodh a’ gluasad air clàran (pìosan fiodha) oir cha robh e comasach air coiseachd. 

Rinn an ³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó trod air MacPhàidein. ‘Nam biodh comas coiseachd agam,’ thuirt e, ‘bheirinn fhìn a’ bhròg far cas an duine.’

‘Ceart gu leòr,’ arsa MacPhàidein. Chuir e am fear ciorramach air a ghualainn. Agus dh’fhalbh e don choille leis. Nuair a thàinig iad ann an sealladh a’ bhuachaille aig an teine. Chunnaic am buachaille gun robh cuideigin a’ tighinn. Shaoil e gur e am buachaille eile a bh’ ann, agus an damh aige. ‘An tu a th’ ann?’ thuirt e.

‘’S mi,’ fhreagair MacPhàidein.

‘A bheil e agad?’ dh’fhaighnich am buachaille.

‘Tha,’ arsa MacPhàidein.

‘A bheil e reamhar?’

‘Reamhar no caol, seo agad e!’ Agus thilg MacPhàidein am fear ciorramach far a ghuailne. 

Chuir MacPhàidein na buinn air agus theich e. Lean an ³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó e cho math ’s a b’ urrainn dha. Dh’èirich am buachaille. Bha e a’ smaoineachadh gun robh fios aig tighearna Locha Bhuidhe gu dè an eucoir a bha e ris. Shaoil e gum biodh e glic a’ chùis a mhìneachadh don uachdaran.

Dh’fhaighnich na h-uaislean mun bhròig. ‘Cha d’ fhuair mi i,’ dh’aidich MacPhàidein. ‘Dh’fhaighnich an duine marbh an robh an ³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó reamhar. Tha mi cinnteach gum bi e air ithe a-nise.’

Aig a’ mhionaid sin, ràinig an ³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó an doras. Dh’èigh e gun robh am fear marbh ga leantainn. Leig iad an ³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó a-steach agus ghlas iad an doras às a dhèidh. Nuair a ràinig am buachaille an doras, bhuail e air. ‘Leigibh a-steach mi!’ dh’èigh e. Ach cha robh iad deònach a leigeil a-steach. Bha iad dhen bheachd gum b’ esan an duine a chroch iad na bu tràithe!

‘Is mise am buachaille agaibh!’ dh’èigh e. Le sin, leig iad a-steach e. Dh’inns am buachaille dhaibh mun phlana airson damh a ghoid. Bha e dhen bheachd gur e a chompanach agus an damh a thàinig don choille. Bha e a’ faighneachd an robh an damh reamhar.

Uill bha tighearna Locha Bhuidhe dhen bheachd gun robh seo uabhasach èibhinn. Bha spòrs is fearas-chuideachd anabarrach aige fhèin is aig na h-uaislean eile. Bha aig a’ bhuachaille ris an stòiridh innse grunn tursan.

Anns an eadar-àm, chaidh am buachaille leis an damh don àite sa choille far an robh am buachaille eile. Ach cha robh sgeul air. Choisich e timcheall anns an dorchadas gus an do bhuail e anns a’ chorp a bha crochte air a’ chraoibh.

‘Murt mhòr!’ thuirt e. ‘Ghlac iad thu agus chroch iad thu mu thràth! Thig iad air mo shon-sa a-màireach.’ Gun a bhith a’ coimhead air aodann an duine mhairbh, thug e sìos far na craoibh’ e. Thug e a chorp dhachaigh gu taigh a’ bhuachaill’ eile. Leig e an corp air an talamh agus ghnog e air an doras. Cluinnidh sinn tuilleadh an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: ciorramach: disabled; trod: scolding; reamhar: fat; eucoir: crime; ghnog: knocked.

Abairtean na Litreach: Locha Buidhe ʼs a Dhà Bhuachaille: [the laird of] Lochbuie and his two herdsmen; bha MacPhàidein air diùltadh bròg a thoirt far cas an duine chrochte: MacFadyen had refused to remove a shoe from a foot of the hanged man; nam biodh comas coiseachd agam: if I could walk; bheirinn fhìn a’ bhròg far cas an duine: I myself would take a shoe from the man’s foot; chuir e am fear ciorramach air a ghualainn: he put the disabled man on his shoulder; ann an sealladh a’ bhuachaille: in view of the herdsman; shaoil e gur e am buachaille eile a bh’ ann, agus an damh aige: he thought it was the other herdsman, with the ox; an tu a th’ ann?: is it yourself?; reamhar no caol, seo agad e: fat or thin, here he is; lean X e cho math ’s a b’ urrainn dha: X followed him as best he could; dh’fhaighnich na h-uaislean mun bhròig: the gentry asked about the shoe; tha mi cinnteach gum bi e air ithe a-nise: I’m certain he will have eaten him by now; leigibh a-steach mi: let me in; gum b’ esan an duine a chroch iad na bu tràithe: that he was the man he had hanged earlier; bha spòrs is fearas-chuideachd anabarrach aige: he had fun and banter; anns an eadar-àm: in the interim; gus an do bhuail e anns a’ chorp: until he banged into the body; ghlac iad thu agus chroch iad thu mu thràth: they caught you and they’ve already hanged you.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: ’S e ‘³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó’ a bh’ ann: he was a ‘³¦±ôà°ù²¹¾±²Ô±ð²¹³¦³ó’. I can give no better explanation of this term than is found in the end notes for this story in ‘Waifs & Strays of Celtic Tradition: Claraineach means one on boards. A person losing the use of his limbs, and going on all fours, with boards or pieces of wood below his hands and knees, and with which he could more easily drag himself over the ground. When placed sitting, he could not move. In olden times the defects of humanity, which are now relieved by many means, were left entirely to chance or very simple aids, and were the objects of malevolent persecution, rather than of charitable or kindly consideration.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chuir MacPhàidein na buinn air: MacFadyen ran like the wind [lit. he put the soles on him’].’