were steady this depth of formation should be able to sustain any assault upon it, and that with a greater depth the men behind were useless in the fight.  His cavalry fought only three deep.  The recruits acquired the new tactics with little difficulty.  In Scotland for generations every man and boy had received a certain military training, and all were instructed in the use of the pike; consequently, at the end of a week Colonel Munro pronounced Nigel Graheme’s company capable of taking their place in the regiment without discredit, and so went forward to see to the training of the companies of Hamilton, Balfour, and Scott, having arranged with Graheme to march his company to Dunbar in three weeks’ time, when he would be joined by the other three companies.  Malcolm was delighted with the stir and bustle of his new life.  Accustomed to hard exercise, to climbing and swimming, he was a strong and well grown lad, and was in appearance fully a year beyond his age.  He felt but little fatigued by the incessant drill in which the days were passed, though he was glad enough of an evening to lay aside his armour, of which the officers wore in those days considerably more than the soldiers, the mounted officers being still clad in full armour, while those on foot wore back and arm pieces, and often leg pieces, in addition to the helmet and breastplate.  They were armed with swords and pistols, and carried besides what were called half pikes, or pikes some 7 feet long.  They wore feathers in their helmets, and the armour was of fine quality, and often richly damascened, or inlaid with gold.

Very proud did Malcolm feel as on the appointed day he marched with the company from Nithsdale, with the sun glittering on their arms and a drummer beating the march at their head.  They arrived in due course at Dunbar, and were in a few hours joined by the other three companies under Munro himself.  The regiment which was now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Munro had been raised in 1626 by Sir Donald Mackay of Farre and Strathnaver, 1500 strong, for the service of the King of Denmark.  Munro was his cousin, and when Sir Donald went home shortly before, he succeeded to the command of the regiment.  They embarked at once on board a ship which Munro had chartered, and were landed in Denmark and marched to Flensberg, where the rest of the regiment was lying.

A fortnight was spent in severe drill, and then orders were received from Oxenstiern, the chancellor of Sweden, to embark the regiment on board two Swedish vessels, the Lillynichol and the Hound.  On board the former were the companies of Captains Robert Munro, Hector Munro, Bullion, Nigel Graheme, and Hamilton.  Colonel Munro sailed in this ship, while Major Sennot commanded the wing of the regiment on board the Hound.  The baggage horses and ammunition were in a smaller vessel.