ng the sloth was, that it might fall
into the water and be lost, should it be found on a bough overhanging
the river. Arthur suggested that we should try to get a rope round the
animal.

"We kill him first, and then make him fast," observed Kallolo. "He will
hold on with his claws till him quite dead."

As the skipper was especially anxious to have a good supply of food in
readiness for the voyage, it was finally decided that the sloth should
die before daylight. Arthur and I told Kallolo that we wished to assist
in its capture, and he promised to call us when it was time to set out
to look for the beast.

We all lay down as usual on the platform, our pillows consisting of
bundles of sticks, with no other covering than the roof overhead. I was
still sleeping soundly when I felt Kallolo's hand on my shoulder. "Get
up, now! Time to be off!" He had previously awaked Arthur. We were
immediately on our feet, and, led by the two natives, commenced our
scramble among the boughs and interlacing sepos. Arthur carried one
piece of rope, and I another. It was necessary to move with the
greatest caution, else we might easily have had an ugly fall. Our
guides moved noiselessly, for fear, as they said, of awaking their
intended victim. It would certainly have gone to the furthest extremity
of the grove--as far away as possible from the invaders of its native
domain. I should have supposed that they would have had great
difficulty in ascertaining in what direction it was to be found, had I
not observed that they stopped every now and then and examined the
leaves of some of the trees. At length we arrived at a large cecropia
tree. We observed that some of the branches were almost stripped of
their leaves, while those of others, a little further on, were only
partly nibbled.

"Him not far off," whispered Kallolo. "Stay here, me go see. Come when
I call." And he and his companion silently made their way along an
outspreading branch, holding their lances in their hands. The branch
could not be reached from below, but I saw that another of smaller
dimensions extended at no great distance above it. The Indians crept
along the larger branch. I knew that the sloth was to be found under,
not above, the branch, and therefore supposed that he was clinging to
the smaller of the two, though I could not make him out. Presently I
saw one of the natives spring up to the upper branch, and make his way
along it; then he again