at our deliverance--and had just completed a sort of paeon of
gratitude that the thing couldn't climb a tree when without warning
it reared up beneath him on its enormous tail and hind feet, and
reached those fearfully armed paws quite to the branch upon which
he crouched.

The accompanying roar was all but drowned in Perry's scream of
fright, and he came near tumbling headlong into the gaping jaws
beneath him, so precipitate was his impetuous haste to vacate the
dangerous limb. It was with a deep sigh of relief that I saw him
gain a higher branch in safety.

And then the brute did that which froze us both anew with horror.
Grasping the tree's stem with his powerful paws he dragged down
with all the great weight of his huge bulk and all the irresistible
force of those mighty muscles. Slowly, but surely, the stem began
to bend toward him. Inch by inch he worked his paws upward as
the tree leaned more and more from the perpendicular. Perry clung
chattering in a panic of terror. Higher and higher into the bending
and swaying tree he clambered. More and more rapidly was the tree
top inclining toward the ground.

I saw now why the great brute was armed with such enormous paws.
The use that he was putting them to was precisely that for which
nature had intended them. The sloth-like creature was herbivorous,
and to feed that mighty carcass entire trees must be stripped of
their foliage. The reason for its attacking us might easily be
accounted for on the supposition of an ugly disposition such as
that which the fierce and stupid rhinoceros of Africa possesses.
But these were later reflections. At the moment I was too frantic