170.] but Hector Roy and his followers gave a good
account of them, and soon defeated and dispersed them. He seems
to have held undisturbed possession until the year 1507, when
John and his brother Roderick were on a visit in the Aird, at the
house of their uncle, Lord Lovat, when a fire broke out at the
castle. According to the Earl of Cromartie, when the house took
fire, no one was found bold enough to approach the burning pile
but John, who rushed boldly through the flames and carried away
the Lovat charter chest "a weight even then thought too much for
the strongest man, and that cheist, yett extant, is a load sufficient
for two. His uncle, bothe obleiged by the actione, and glad to
sie such strength and boldnes in the young man, desyred (him) to
do as much for himself as he haid done for him, and to discover
his (own) charter cheist from his uncle, and that he should have
all the concurrance which he (Lovat) could give to that effect."
Anderson's "History of the Family of Fraser" ascribes this bold
act to Roderick, for which he was "considered amply recompensed
by the gift of a bonnet and a pair of shoes." It matters little
which is the correct version, but it is not unlikely that Lovat's
valuable charter chest was saved by one or other of them, and it
is by no means improbable that his Lordship's suggestion that
they should procure their own charter chest and his offer to aid
them in doing so was made and determined to be acted upon on this
occasion.
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