four o'clock
Neil made several good resolutions that morning there in the chapel , some of which he profited by , all of which he sincerely meant . And even Paul , far less impressionable than his friend , looked uncommonly thoughtful all the way back to their room , a way that led through the elm-arched nave of College Place and across the common with its broad expanses of sun-flecked sward and its simple granite shaft commemorating the heroes of the civil war . At nine o'clock , with the sound of the pealing bell again in their ears , with their books under their arms and their hearts beating a little faster than usual with pleasurable excitement , they retraced their path and mounted the well-worn granite steps of College Hall for their first recitation . What with the novelty of it all the day passed quickly enough , and four o'clock found the two lads dressed in football togs and awaiting the beginning of practise . There were some sixty candidates in sight , boys -- some of them men as far as years go -- of all sizes and ages , several at the first glance revealing the hopelessness of their ambitions . The names were taken and fall practise at Erskine began . The candidates were placed on opposite sides of the gridiron , and half a dozen footballs were produced .