it was stiff from hip to heel, and could not
bend, so that I had to walk behind my poor comrade, and when I observed
him get somewhat into the position of the Leaning Tower of Pisa I sprang
forward and supported him.

Thus we proceeded slowly through the forest, stumbling frequently,
tumbling occasionally, and staggering oft; but strange to say, without
either of us having any very definite idea of where we were going, or
what we expected to find, or why we went in one direction more than
another. In fact, we proceeded on that eminently simple principle which
is couched in the well-known and time-honoured phrase, "follow your
nose."

True, once I ventured to ask my companion where he thought we were
going, to which he replied, much to my surprise, that he didn't know and
didn't care; that it was quite certain if we did not go forward we could
not expect to get on, and that in the ordinary course of things if we
proceeded we should undoubtedly come to something. To this I replied,
in a meditative tone, that there was much truth in the observation, and
that, at any rate, if we did not come to something, something would
certainly come to us.

But we did not pursue the subject. In fact, we were too much taken up
with the interesting and amusing sights that met our gaze in that
singular forest; insomuch that on several occasions I neglected my
peculiar duty of watching Jack, and was only made aware of my
carelessness by hearing him shout, "Hallo! Bob, look alive!--I'm over!"
when I would suddenly drop my eyes from the contemplation of the plumage
of a parrot or the antics of a monkey, to behold my friend leaning over
at an angle of "forty-five." To leap forward and catch him in my arms
was the work of an instant. On each of these occasions, after setting
him upright, I used to give him a tender hug, to indicate my regret at
having been so inattentive, and my sympathy with him in his calamitous
circumstances.

Poor Jack was very gentle and uncomplaining. He even made light of his
misfortune, and laughed a good deal at himself; but I could see,
nevertheless, that his spirits were at times deeply affected, in spite
of his brave efforts to bear up and appear gay and cheerful.

STORY TWO, CHAPTER 8.

It was evening when we were cast ashore in this new country, so that we
had not advanced far into the forest before night closed in and
compelled us to halt; for, had we continued our journey in the dark, we
should