Agnews of Lochnaw

CHAPTER XXXI.
THE ELEVENTH HEREDITARY SHERIFF.
We have the noble Stewarts, and they have lived here
For more than the space of four hundred year ;
Dalrymples and Agnews and Murrays so gay,
M'Dowalls and Gordons, and likewise Park Hays.
Song of Seventeenth Century.
On the Eleventh Sheriff's succession, the influence of Lord Gal-
loway was already so strong, that he found it useless to aspire
to the representation of the county which had been enjoyed
by his family for so many generations, and gave way to John
Stewart of Sorbie, son of the third and brother of the present Earl
of Galloway, who consequently succeeded his father. William
Stewart of Castle-Stewart had also been returned unopposed for
the second seat which he had previously contested, his former
opponent having come to an untimely end. Lord Basil Hamil-
ton was riding near Newton-Stewart with his brother the Earl
of Selkirk, and on nearing the Minnoch, a small burn, they
heard that it was unusually swollen from rains in the hills.
Their servant rode forward to try the ford, but his horse slip-
ping in the stream, the man was dismounted and appeared in
imminent danger, when Lord Basil gallantly dashed in, seized
the drowning man, and was in the act of rescuing him from the
flood when his own horse fell, and both master and man were
borne down by the torrent ; his brother looking on, but able to
give no assistance.
Lord Basil was an intimate friend of the Sheriff, congenia-
lity of tastes and pursuits drawing closer the bonds of relation-
ship existing between them. Though only thirty years of age
when this sad accident occurred, he had already been a useful
mau in his generation.