Page 50 - Archibald J. MacKenzie's Gaelic Story

ISSUE : Issue 36

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1984/6/1

'S trie a bha mi cuimhneachadh nuair a bha sinn a dol do'n sgoil a liuthad cuil- bheairt a rinn sinn. "Am bheil cuimhne ag? ad an latha a chuir sinn an losgann anns an mhalaid aig Iain Gagach ro am a dhin- neir? Sin far an robh na leadain. Cha chu? ala Sagan fhein riabh a leithid!" A nis ha toil agam stad a chuir air Domh? null mu'n innseadh e an corr de na cuil- bheairtean a rinn sinn, agus thuirt mi ris, "Nach ann a bha latha teth an diugh?" "Teth," arsa Tearleach. "Na faice tu an la? tha teth a chunnaic mise, be sin an latha bha teth. Tha mi cinnteach nach eil cuimhne aig aon agaibhse air, ach 's math mo chuimhne-sa air an latha. "Bha mi-fhin agus m'athair a reiteach coil- le dhubh anns an robh sinn a' dol a chur buntata. 'S ann goirid do Feill Peadair a bh'ann. Bha latha ciuin samhach, gu'n neiol ri fhaicinn air an adhar agus teas ann a bha gun chiall. Mar 's math tha fios agaibh 'se coille dhubh nuair tha teas mor ann aite 's teoidhe air an t-saoghal. Bha sinn a cuir na maidean 's gach smodal eile na'n torran an sid sa so, bha am falius gar dalladh's ar easan ga losgadh. Mu aon uair deug, mar urchair as gunna, chaidh na terran na'n teine, 's b-fheudar dhuinn teicheadh go an abhuinn. Sin far robh an sealladh, bha an t-uisge cho teth 's gu'n robh na brie a leam go tir!" Domhnull asked, "the day we put the frog in Iain Gagach's satchel before lunch? That's when we heard the litanies! Satan himself never heard the likes of it!" Now, I wished to stop Domhnull before he'd tell any more of the tricks we played, and I said to him, "Wasn't it a hot day, to? day?" "Hot," said Tearlach. "If you'd seen the hot day I saw, now that was a hot day. I'm sure none of you remember that day. "My father and I were out clearing black forest in which we were going to plant po? tatoes. It was near St. Patrick's Day. The day was calm and still, with not a cloud to be seen in the sky. And heat that was without sense. As you well know, the black forest on a hot day is the hottest place in the world. We were putting the branches and all other debris in piles here and there, the sweat was blinding us, and our feet were near to burning. About eleven o'clock, like a bullet from a gun, the piles went on fire, and we had to retreat to the river. That's where we saw the sight! The water was so hot that the trout were jumping to land!" "I am sure," said I, "that you also saw days which were extremely cold?" "Cold. 0, yes, it's I that saw that," said Tear? lach. "I saw a day so cold that the Big Bras d'Or lake froze so hard that the Suppliers of Coiranercial Recreational Fencing P. 0. Box 98, King St., North Sydney, N. S. B2A 3M1 794-4773 Have our auger truck dig your holes.' WELCOME TO THE FULLY LICENSED Harbour Restaurant A Good Selection of Seafood Dining Room Overlooking Cheticamp Harbour OPEN ALL YEAR 'ROUND Cheticamp, Cape Breton 224-2042 fhra's''ift S(}0}p Located 2 miles south ot Cheticamp at POINT CROSS. |'')))) The shop with the two fishing boats. '&ef;/y Largest display of Cheticamp Hooked Rugs Art Gallery with oil paintings by local artists Coasters • Chair Seats Other Handcraftb Wall hangings Knitted Sweaters, Socks & Mitts Sceneries • Rugs Shawls; Ponchos and Placemats If we don't have it, Quilts, Souvenirs we'll make it. Large parking for campers and buses. OPEH 7:30 AM • 9 PM DAILY Cheticamp' Cabot Trail, N.S. 902-224-3139 R. & M. Grocery • Co. Ltd St. Peters Shop at the Sign of the Steer | CampGill '#=t Lighthouse JBm Cape Breton Shopping Plaza Sydney River, Nova Scotia We Have the Answer to All Your Lighting Needs 1 (50) D. GOLDMAN & SONS LTD. GALLANT STREET GLACE BAY, NOVA SCOTIA. CANADA THE HOME OF FINE SEAFOOD, we have a pickup booth at the SYDNEY AIRPORT. Call us. Coast To C6ast Air Shipping - Ask For Our Price List Phone: Plant (902) 849-5505, Night (902) 849-2705 Write: P. O. Box 160, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, BiA 5V2 Telex: 019-35241 CHARGEX - MASTER CHARGE - VISA

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