III.—The Corpse on the Man's Back.
There is a man, still alive, in the parish of Durness, who has the second-sight. He has seen and heard many wonderful things—lights, coffins, funerals, knocks, and the cries of people drowning. One night he and a neighbour were coming home very late. They took a short cut and came along by the side of a small bay. While they were passing this, the man gave a great pant, as if a heavy burden was being thrown on his back. His companion asked what was the matter with him. He replied: "Man, did you not see that body rising upon my back?" The other man ran away, crying: "I shall never go with you again after nightfall."
A short time after this, a vessel was lost on the beach and all hands were drowned. One of the bodies came ashore in this same bay, and in order to get it to a place until a coffin could be made for it, the corpse was lifted upon this man's back at the very spot where he felt it coming on his back before. When the body
aodhart troimh an d-taigh, agus an deigh úin' fhad, cha' e as an d-sealladh. Thainig an d-táisg air ais an ath-eidhch', agus bha e tuilgeil an fhú(r)naist fiar agus a fiar. Bha e fanaig na h-uile h-eidhch' na b' fheid' no 'n eidhch' roimh', agus fás na 's láda(r)n'.
Bha eagail ro-mhor air an duine bhochd: smaointich e gur ann a tóir na nichean a shlaod e o 'na chladach, ach bha uiread 'ig' agus nach robh fios aig' go d'e ni a bha an d-tasg ag iarraidh. Chaidh e dh' iunns' a' mhinisteir, agus cho'irlich esan dha, eireadh nuair thigudh an d-tasg 'rithist, agus fheighneachd dhe gu d'e bha e 'g iarraidh. Bha so ro-dhuilich, oir bha an sluagh creidsinn nam bruighnuidh fear sam bith ri tasg nach biodh e fad beo an diaigh sin. Fadheoidh bha aig an duin' ri aghaidh chuir air, agus fheigneachd ris an d-tasg gu d'e 'n aobhar bh'aig, esan tighinn dh' iunnsaidh an taigh aig. Fhreagair an d-tasg agus chumasaich e 'mheur a dhiunnsai' an doruis, agus dh' fheorraidh e an duin' coisidheachd maille ris a dh' iunnsaidh a' chladaich. Rinn an duine so, agus bha iad labhai(r)st ri cheile fad na h-uin, gus an d-tainig iad am fraodhraig na mara, nuair cha' an d-tasg as an d-sealladh, agus cha do chuir e trioblaid tuille air an d-taigh.
Phill 'n duine dhachaidh, agus an deigh dha a' Bhiobull 'leughag, cha' e a laidh. Dhiult e inniseag gu d'e thachair eadar eis' agus an d-tasg, ach na feoraicheadh iad e air leabaidh bhais, dh' inniseag e na h-uile ni 'thachair. Cha robh misneach aig a mhuinntir, 'bha timchioll air leabaidh bhais, 'fheighneachd dhe, agus cha robh riamh fios ac' gu d'e thachair eadar 'ad. Bha 'n duine so beo moran bhlianachan an deigh 'bhi labhairt ris an d-tasg, agus nuair chaochail e bha e 'na sheann-duine, agus bha sin 'fiachainn nach e ni air bith do dh' fhirinn anns an ni tha muinntir a smuaineachag gum faigheag duin' bais nam bruidh- neamh e ri spiorad.
