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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun bhreabadair agus a theaghlach a bha a’ fuireach air an Stac Àrd, deas air Èirisgeigh. Cha do mhair beò ach bean a’ bhreabadair agus an gille as òige ace. ’S e Iain an t-ainm a bh’ air – Iain MacNèill.

Bha iad a’ fuireach còmhla ri seanair Iain ann an Uibhist a Deas. Bha Iain toilichte air a’ chroit. Bhiodh e ag obair leis na caoraich, crodh agus eich. Ach bha aon rud a’ cur dragh air. A h-uile latha bhiodh a mhàthair a’ gul.

Dhiùlt i innse do a mac carson a bha i brònach. Nuair a ràinig esan aois ceithir-deug, dh’inns i dha mu mar a chaidh athair agus a bhràithrean a chur gu bàs ann an Èirisgeigh. Nuair a ghabh e sin a-steach, thuirt Iain, ‘Tha mi a’ falbh gu muir agus cha stad mi gus an lorg mi an duine a mharbh m’ athair ’s mo bhràithrean.’ Chuir sin a mhàthair troimhe-chèile buileach. Ach bha Iain deimhinne, agus dh’fhalbh e.

An toiseach, choisich e a Loch nam Madadh, thairis air dà fhadhail. Ghabh e bàt’-aiseig gu ruige Dùn Bheagain anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Mu dheireadh, ràinig e Grianaig, air Chluaidh. Bha tòrr shoithichean anns a’ chala ach cha do bhruidhinn duine ris. Cha robh mòran airgid aige ach bha gu leòr airson cuid na h-oidhche ann an taigh-loidsidh. 

An ath latha, thill e don chala. An turas seo, chunnaic sgiobair aig tè de na soithichean e. Bha e air Iain fhaicinn an latha roimhe agus shaoil e gun robh an gille a’ sireadh obair air bòrd soithich.

‘Do you want to go to sea?’ thuirt an caiptean ris ann am Beurla. Cha do fhreagair Iain e oir cha robh Beurla aige. Bhruidhinn an caiptean ris ann an Gàidhlig an uair sin, ‘A bheil thu ag iarraidh falbh gu muir?’

‘Tha,’ fhreagair Iain agus chaidh cuireadh a thoirt dha dhol air bòrd soitheach a’ chaiptein. Bhuineadh an caiptean do dh’Eilean Arainn agus bha Gàidhlig gu leòr aige. Gu h-iongantach, ’s e MacNèill a bh’ air mar ainm-cinnidh. ‘Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort?’ dh’fhaighnich e.

‘Iain MacNèill,’ fhreagair am fear eile.

‘Nach iongantach sin,’ thuirt an caiptean. ‘’S e MacNèill a th’ ormsa cuideachd. Agus cò às a tha thu?’

‘Bha m’ athair à Barraigh,’ ars Iain, ‘ach thogadh mise air Eileanan nan Stac, deas air Èirisgeigh.’ Rug an dithis air làimh air a chèile. Bhon latha sin a-mach, bha iad nan deagh charaidean.

Air a’ chiad turas-mhara, chaidh Iain seachad air Cape Horn gu ruige Vancouver. Dh’fhàs e eòlach air dòighean na mara gu luath. Nuair a thill e, chaidh e gu sgoil airson sgilean maraiche ionnsachadh. Fhuair e tron deuchainn. An ath thuras bha e ag obair mar dàrna meit. Mu dheireadh, an dèidh bhliadhnaichean, leig an Caiptean MacNèill dheth a dhreuchd. Ghabh Iain comannd air an t-soitheach.

Cha do dhìochuimhnich Iain mar a gheall e dha fhèin gum faigheadh e dìoghaltas airson bàs athar agus a bhràithrean. Latha a bha seo bha e ann an Lunnainn. Bha e am measg sheann mharaichean ann an club. Dh’èirich fear agus dh’inns e do chàch mar a mharbh e spùinneadair agus a thriùir mhac air taobh an iar na h-Alba. Dè rinn Iain MacNèill? Innsidh mi dhuibh anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Èirisgeigh: Eriskay; dhiùlt i: she refused; brònach: sad; Loch nam Madadh: Lochmaddy; fadhail: sea-ford; Dùn Bheagain: Dunvegan; cuireadh: invitation; Eilean Arainn: The Isle of Arran; Lunnainn: London.

Abairtean na Litreach: Cha do mhair beò ach bean a’ bhreabadair agus an gille as òige ace: the only ones that survived were the weaver’s wife and her youngest son; a’ fuireach còmhla ri seanair Iain ann an Uibhist a Deas: living with John’s grandfather in South Uist; bha aon rud a’ cur dragh air: one thing was upsetting him; a h-uile latha bhiodh a mhàthair a’ gul: every day his mother would be crying, weeping; mar a chaidh athair agus a bhràithrean a chur gu bàs: how his father and brothers were killed; cha stad mi gus an lorg mi an duine a mharbh X: I won’t stop until I find the man who killed X; chuir sin a mhàthair troimhe-chèile buileach: that made his mother really [even more] upset; ràinig e Grianaig, air Chluaidh: he reached Greenock on the Clyde; bha tòrr shoithichean anns a’ chala: there were many vessels in the harbour; bha e air Iain fhaicinn an latha roimhe: he had seen John the previous day; shaoil e gun robh an gille a’ sireadh obair air bòrd soithich: he thought the lad was looking for work on board a vessel; ’s e MacNèill a bh’ air mar ainm-cinnidh: his surname was also MacNeil; nach iongantach sin: isn’t that amazing; rug an dithis air làimh air a chèile: the two of them shook hands; chaidh e gu sgoil airson sgilean maraiche ionnsachadh: he went to school [an education facility] to learn the skills of a mariner; cha do dhìochuimhnich Iain mar a gheall e dha fhèin gum faigheadh e dìoghaltas: John didn’t forget how he promised himself he would get revenge.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bhon latha sin a-mach, bha iad nan deagh charaidean: since that day, they were good friends. This literally means ‘they were in their good friends’. The dative case can be used in this way to express identity. Bha e na dheagh charaid dhomh ‘he was [‘in’] a good friend to me’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: airson cuid na h-oidhche ann an taigh-loidsidh: for a night’s accommodation in a lodging house. Cuid na h-oidhche can also mean a free night’s lodging given to a traveller.