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 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.
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