Agnews of Lochnaw

1 747] A TORY BULL. 595
tions thereto belonging ; to have, hold, and exercise the said
place, in as ample manner as Algernon Seymour, Duke of
Somerset, or any other hath formerly enjoyed the same."
The Sheriff became a major-general in 1756, and was gazetted
a lieutenant-general in 1759. After attaining the rank of general,
the Sheriff rarely left Lochnaw, excepting on an occasional visit
to his married daughters. During his time farms were little
subdivided by fences ; lines of dykes at long intervals here and
there crossed. the public roads (which were all unfenced), and
at these spots gates were hung on massive round rubble-built
pillars. When the crops were on the ground, the cattle were
constantly herded, and at night were driven into small round
enclosures, called in Galloway " Bees," at the entrances to which
the men employed to "weir the corn" slept in the open air.
One day the Sheriff being attracted in his walk to a herd of
cows grazing not far from his house, a mad bull came suddenly
upon him ; and the general, not having been accustomed to run
away, made such a bad double of it that he had a very narrow
escape of ending his career prematurely, and only just clambered
over his gar den- wall in time to avoid the huge battering-ram
which was launched with a will at his hind-quarters. He was
much nettled, and cursing the dangerous brute from the safe
side of the fence, "Ye had me at a disadvantage, ye Tory!" he
said, " but I'll fight ye fairly yet." Entering the house, he soon
reappeared gun in hand ; the whole household having meanwhile
assembled in the garden (which then lay beyond the counterscarp
of the old moat and ditch), and as the bull made a prodigious
bellowing, they begged him not to expose himself. But he made
straight for the garden-gate, " No, I'll fight the loon fairly," said
the Sheriff, disdaining to take a pot-shot from behind the wall ;
" the mair noise the less fear ; but stay ye there if ye please."
The angry beast tore up the ground and roared louder than ever ;
the Sheriff advancing alone, though, true enough, as he pressed
forward the bull retired, tearing up the ground with its feet, but
showing no inclination for the duel. At last, he being far beyond
the reach of all assistance, the vicious animal turned upon its