noon
RIVAL PITCHERS OF OAKDALE During the noon intermission of a sunny April day a small group of boys assembled near the steps of Oakdale Academy to talk baseball ; for the opening of the season was at hand , and the germ of the game had already begun to make itself felt in their blood . Roger Eliot , the grave , reliable , steady-headed captain of the nine , who had scored such a pronounced success as captain of the eleven the previous autumn , was the central figure of that gathering . Chipper Cooper , Ben Stone , Sleuth Piper , Chub Tuttle , Sile Crane and Roy Hooker formed the remainder of the assemblage . `` The field will be good and dry to-night , fellows , '' said Roger , `` and we ought to get in some much-needed practice for that game with Barville .