it.

"It's gone now, Bob," he said sadly. "I must just make the most of the
one that's left. 'Tis a pity that the one that's left is only the left
one."

So saying he turned his back to the sea, and, still retaining my hand in
his, led me into the forest.

But here unthought-of trouble awaited us at the very outset of our
wanderings. The ground which we first encountered was soft and swampy,
so that I sank above the ankles at every step. In these circumstances,
as might have been expected, poor Jack's wooden leg was totally useless.
The first step he took after entering the jungle, his leg penetrated
the soft ground to the depth of nine or ten inches, and at the second
step it disappeared altogether--insomuch that he could by no means pull
it out.

"I say, Bob," said he, with a rueful expression of countenance, "I'm in
a real fix now, and no mistake. Come to anchor prematurely. I resolved
to stick at nothing, and here I have stuck at the first step. What _is_
to be done?"

Jack's right leg being deep down in the ground, it followed, as a
physical consequence, that his left leg was bent as if he were in a
sitting posture. Observing this fact, just as he made the above remark,
he placed both his hands on his left knee, rested his chin on his hands,
and gazed meditatively at the ground. The action tickled me so much
that I gave a short laugh. Jack looked up and laughed too, whereupon we
both burst incontinently into an uproarious fit of laughter, which might
have continued ever so long had not Jack, in the fulness of his mirth,
given his fixed leg a twist that caused it to crack.

"Hallo! Bob," he cried, becoming suddenly very grave, "I say, this
won't do, you know; if I break it short off you'll have to carry me, my
boy: so it behoves me to be careful. What is to be done?"

"Come, I'll help you to pull it out."

"Oh! that's not what troubles me. But after we get it out what's to be
done?"

"Jack," said I, seriously, "one thing at a time. When we get you out,
then it will be time enough to inquire what to do next."

"That's sound philosophy, Bob; where did you pick it up? I suspect you
must have been studying Shakespeare of late, on the sly. But come, get
behind me, and put your hands under my arms, and heave; I'll shove with
my sound limb. Now let us act together. Stay! Bob, we've been long
enough aboard ship to know the value of a song in producing unity of
action. Take the tune from me."