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 with apprehension on Perry’s behalf to consider aught other than a means to save him from the death that loomed so close.

Realizing that I could outdistance the clumsy brute in the open, I dropped from my leafy sanctuary intent only on distracting the thing’s attention from Perry long enough to enable the old man to gain the safety of a larger tree.  There were many close by which not even the terrific strength of that titanic monster could bend.

As I touched the ground I snatched a broken limb from the tangled mass that matted the jungle-like floor of the forest and, leaping unnoticed behind the shaggy back, dealt the brute a terrific blow.  My plan worked like magic.  From the previous slowness of the beast I had been led to look for no such marvelous agility as he now displayed.  Releasing his hold upon the tree he dropped on all fours and at the same time swung his great, wicked tail with a force that would have broken every bone in my body had it struck me; but, fortunately, I had turned to flee at the very instant that I felt my blow land upon the towering back.

As it started in pursuit of me I made the mistake of running along the edge of the forest rather than making for the open beach.  In a moment I was knee-deep in rotting vegetation, and the awful thing behind me was gaining rapidly as I floundered and fell in my efforts to extricate myself.

A fallen log gave me an instant’s advantage, for climbing upon it I leaped to another a few paces farther on, and in this way was able to keep clear of the mush that carpeted the surrounding ground.  But the zigzag course that this necessitated was placing such a heavy handicap upon me that my pursuer was steadily gaining upon me.

Suddenly from behind I heard a tumult of howls, and sharp, piercing barks—­much the sound that a pack of wolves raises when in full cry.  Involuntarily I glanced backward to discover the origin of this new and menacing note with the result that I missed my footing and went sprawling once more upon my face in the deep muck.