Page:Rover Boys in Camp.djvu/135

Rh gathered to see the boys march off clapped their hands in approval.

"Forward—march!" came next, and the drums and fifes struck up, and away went the cadets, company front, toward the road.

"By column of fours!" was the next command, and Captain Dick Rover turned to his company.

"By column of fours!" he repeated, and Company A broke up into four abreast and turned into the road leading off in the direction of Pine Island. 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.