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