noon
`` Poor fellow ! '' The old rule of the ship had not been enforced on the present cruise , and the principal did not intend to renew it until it was absolutely necessary . It had caused much complaint among the wealthy parents of the former students , while it had wonderfully improved the discipline ; but Mr. Lowington consented to make the experiment of permitting every boy to manage his own finances . At noon the party took their places in a second-class compartment of the carriage on the railway , and started for Wenersberg . Ole spoke Swedish as well as Norwegian , and acted as interpreter . Sanford had made peace with the waif , who was now as popular as ever with all the party . Each of them , in turn , had tried to induce Ole to tell how he happened to be in that boat at sea ; but he still refused to explain .