tly flocked to the
Continent and taken service in one or other of the armies there, any
opening of the sort, therefore, had only to be known to be freely
embraced. Consequently, in eight-and-forty hours Nigel Graheme had
applications from a far larger number than he could accept, and he was
enabled to pick and choose among the applicants. Many young men of
good family were among them, for in those days service in the ranks was
regarded as honourable, and great numbers of young men of good family
and education trailed a pike in the Scotch regiments in the service of
the various powers of Europe. Two young men whose property adjoined
his own, Herries and Farquhar, each of whom brought twenty of his own
tenants with him, were appointed lieutenants, while two others, Leslie
and Jamieson, were with Malcolm named as ensigns. The noncommissioned
officers were appointed from men who had served before. Many of the men
already possessed armour which was suitable, for in those day's there
was no strict uniformity of military attire, and the armies of the
various nationalities differed very slightly from each other. Colonel
Munro returned in the course of a fortnight, Nigel Graheme's company
completing the number of men required to fill up the ranks of his
regiment.

Captain Hume had proceeded further north. Colonel Munro stopped for
a week in Nithsdale, giving instructions to the officers and
noncommissioned officers as to the drill in use in the Swedish army.
Military manoeuvres were in these days very different to what they have
now become. The movements were few and simple, and easily acquired.
Gustavus had, however, introduced an entirely new formation into his
army. Hitherto troops had fought in solid masses, twenty or more deep.
Gustavus taught his men to fight six deep, maintaining that if troops
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