The other companies also broke up, and in a minute more the cadets were really and truly on the march for the camp.
The drums and fifes sounded well on that bracing morning air, and quite a crowd of boys and not a few girls followed the students over the first of the hills back of Putnam Hall.

But here the crowd dropped gradually away, until the young soldiers had the country road practically to themselves.
For a full mile the cadets were made to keep in step.

Then came the order, "Route step!" and they moved forward as pleased them, keeping together, however, by companies.

The route step is given that one may take the step that is most natural to him, be it longer or shorter than the regulation step.
Farms were rather scattered in that neighborhood, but occasionally they passed country homes, when all the folks would rush forth to learn what the drumming and fifing meant.
"They are the Putnam Hall cadets," said one farm woman.

"How neat they look and how nicely they march!" "Puts me in mind o' war times, Mirandy," said her husband.