Page 21 - Finlay Cameron, "Iain Mac An Tuathanaic"

ISSUE : Issue 12

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1975/12/1

de theaghlach • dh'fhalbh e o chionn dha na cri bhliadhnaichean agus chaneil fhios againn caite bheil e • dh'fhaoite gur e saighdear a th'ann fhein* Chaneil fhios a- gaimi air sian mu dheidhinn* Tha e mor orra do thionndadh a mach an nochd 's gun aite agad 'san teid thu agus ma bhios tu fhein deonach cadal comhla ruinne, good e- nough, faodaidh tu fuireach an nochd*" Alright • chaidh iad a stigh agus an uair a fhuair iad greim de bhuntata 's de sgadan chuir iad an saighdear dhan leabaidh anns a mheadhon* Chaidh a* chailleach air an darna taobh 's am'bodach air an taobh eile, 's bha iad ann an sin* Am bodach • cha robh sian air ach da cheann botuinn, fhios a- gad* Bha iad ann an sin agus bha na mucan a' sgriachal 's ag eigheach aig an dorus a bha air an uaimh, ??s an drasda 'S a rithis bheireadh iad 'strut' dhan t-seol a bha a* cumail nan toirraisg a raach* Cha do chaidil an saighdear fad na h-oidhche ea? gal 's gun tigeadh na mucan a stigh 's gun itheadh iad e* Co dhiu, mura rinn Dia, thainig a' mhaduinn* Dh'eirich am bodach is rinn e a dhileag anns a' bhotuinn is bhog e sin earball na leine ann is shuath e thairis air aodann raar seo e. Dh'eirich e is chuir e poit de buntata 's de sgadan air, 's an uair a bha e bruich dh'eigh e riutha eirigh. Dh'eirich an saighdear co dhiu 's dh'ithe e an rud a bh' ann is thug e taing dhaibh airson a chumail fad' na h-oidhche, is dh'fhalbh e, is thill e air ais. Cha robh e fad sara bith a' dol air ais • bha e eplach air an rathad. An uair a rainig e, fhios agad, bha e cho sgith 's gun tug e da latha na chadal mun d' fhuair e tighinn a raach as an arm a rithis* Well an uair a thainig e raach 'report* an Of? ficer dhan righ gun do thill an saighdear a chaidh a chuir air falbh a thoirt cunntas air staid Iain, " fell," thuirt an righ, "feuraaidh sinn 'banquet' mhor a dheanarah agus na h-uaislean a chuireadh uile agus bheir esan cunntas air Iain aig a' 'banquet' a bhios a seo. Good enough. Well chaidh a h-uile duine chuireadh a stigh • bha iad uile ann, an righ 's a bhanrigh agus chaidh eigheach air an t-saighdear suas gu innse dhaibh staid Iain. Bha Iain 'still' 's an leabaidh. Well dh' eirich e is chaidh e suas is 'dh'address' e an righ 's a' bhanrigh 's a h-uile duine bh'air a' 'banquet' a bha seo, agus thionndaidh e ris an righ is thuirt e, "Coimhead" thuirt e, "chaneil sian agaibhse seo laimh ris an staid aig Iain 's an aite as an tainig Iain. An oidhche bha mise 'san aite aig Iain 's ann an cathair a bha mi air rao chuir 'nam chadal 's bha an righ 's a bhanrigh a' cadal an cathraichean eile air gach taobh dhiom agus bha seachd piopairean a' piobaireachd dhomh fad finn foineach na h-oidhcheJ "Agus coimhead," thuirt e ris an righ, "an goc as an d' fhuair e'n t- uisge leis an do nigh e aodann 's a' mhaduinn, chaneil fo'n t-saogal agaibhse dh' aithnicheadh e." "Oh," thuirt an righ, "tha gu leor an sin • faigh a nuas an nighean agus ni sinn banais an seo an aite 'banquet.'" Chaidh an nighean fhaighinn a nuas is chaidh am posadh agus bha banais mhor ann a rahair fad latha is bliadhna, is cho fad 's is fiosrach mise bha iad air an doigh glan. Our thanks to Merdina Stewart for her careful transcript of this wonderful story;to Donald Beaton, Mabouy who supplied the tape; and to Janet and Father Francis Cameron for their help locating Brother Leo Cameron's photos of their late father. C & G MadEOD LIMrTED Books on Canada and Cape Breton Meraoirs of a Cape Breton Doctor (Dr. MacMillan) 7*95 The Hidden Heritage at St* Ann's James B* Lamb 2*95 Lion of Scotland (Norraan MacLeod of St, Ann's) 3*95 One Canada Meraoirs of the Rt* Hon* John G* Diefenbaker 15*00 The Snow Walker by Farley Mowat 8*95 All Aboard by J. Calder 2.95 Hollywood's Canada by Pierre Berton 13.95 and The Collectors' Edition of Cape Breton's Magazine 3*75 I 361 C Q Mail Orders i j'dniy, nova scotia CAMACA A Specialty Cape Breton's Myaginf/21

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