noon
`` Unless they move on the jump I 'll have the bunch of them nipped before long , '' Old Gripper declared . To his vexation he found it was impossible to properly swear out a warrant for the arrest of Del Norte 's companions without making the journey to Saranac Lake . `` I 'll do that the first thing in the morning , '' he said . In the morning , however , he found himself stiff and lame , and he was induced to delay until noon . During the forenoon he decided to return without further delay to New York . Having settled on this , he sent a message to Saranac Lake , stating his charges against Porfias del Norte 's band of desperadoes , and asking that the warrant be drawn up and brought to him at the station as he was passing through . He also gave instructions that officers should be on hand to immediately take up the work of running the gang down .