four o'clock in the morning
`` It belongs to a fat-witted rich young fellow from whom Storri borrowed it . Steamboat Dan is aboard ; he went out in the skiff he spoke of . When he 's tied her up and his gang 's ashore , I 'll wire the fat-witted one to come and claim his boat . '' Inspector Val never breathed a hint concerning Storri 's ebon purpose of abduction , and how he meant to fire the Harley house and then kidnap Dorothy in the confusion certain to be an incident of flames and smoke at four o'clock in the morning . This reticence arose from the delicacy of Inspector Val . The relation could not fail to leave a most unpleasant impression upon Richard , and Inspector Val decided to suppress it for the nonce . `` I 'll keep it a year and a day , '' thought Inspector Val ; `` then I 'll tell him . ''