The first few miles were over a smooth road, and good progress was made. Then they struck a hill, with rather a rough highway beyond, and the cadets were ordered to take the route step—that is, walk as you please. The way was past many farms and through some small communities, and many folks came out, to wave handkerchiefs and give them a cheer. One old lady who was on her front porch sweeping shook her broom at them, but did it so pleasantly the cadets had to laugh.
“Ye march well!” shouted one old farmer. “Good! Some day ye can all go to war, maybe, like I did years ago!” And he waved a red bandana at them.
At noon they stopped at a cross-roads hotel for dinner. Their coming had been arranged for by Captain Putnam, and they partook of a good meal of vegetables and rhubarb pie. A rest of an hour followed, and during that time some of the boys strolled to the cross-roads general store and made a few purchases.
By two o’clock the battalion was again on the march. They now passed through a patch of timber and then came to a turn in the road, beyond which were some fields of wheat and corn.
“Hullo, look there!” shouted one of the cadets, and pointed upward. All gazed in the direction and saw coming toward them a big balloon. It was settling rapidly, and before the cadets could get out of the way it came down directly over the entire battalion.
“Well, I never saw such a thing before in my life!”
“Will somebody show me the way out of this circus tent?”
The cadets did as ordered, some standing their guns up. The guns acted like short tent-poles, and the bag of the balloon was thus kept a short distance from the ground. Slowly one student after another crawled forth into the open air.
“Is anybody hurt?” asked Captain Putnam, anxiously.
“I was knocked down,” came from Gus Coulter, and he showed where he had been rolled over in the dust.
Nobody had been hurt, although not a few had been frightened when the weight of the monstrous bag first settled down upon them. The balloon was rolled up and placed on one side of the road and the loose guns picked up.
“Guess it must be a runaway balloon,” suggested Pepper.
“I believe it has been used for exhibition purposes,” said Captain Putnam. “See there is a trapeze. Probably the performer jumped from the balloon and used a parachute for reaching the ground.”