"No, see, the light comes through, soon--we go on a little further." Tony paddled on manfully, and they leaned low to avoid the long, snake-like vines of bamboo. Sure enough, a few tugs of the paddles brought them right through the dark place, out into such a wonderful new spot, they were glad they had kept on. At first such a noise began around them, as the old boat shot through into the light, that Tony and Papita were almost afraid, until they found out what it all meant. Hawks whistled sharply overhead, and the air was filled with water-fowl, which arose from a little island in the middle of the pond they had entered. Wings flapped, there were harsh croaks on all sides, while the blue herons set up their "Tell you what, tell you what," cry. The children stared about them in astonishment, and, as they stared, a strange thing happened. Right out of the skies, so it first appeared to Tony, a wonderful, snowy form came flying, trailing behind it, what appeared to the children, a beautiful white robe. Its great snowy wings were wide spread, and it finally settled in a dark cypress, where its wonderful plumes shone out so pure and white that both the children were awed by the strange sight. Now there was one thing only which they knew about, and which they imagined bore a faint resemblance to this white-winged thing: their mother treasured an illuminated card with a pictured angel. "Say, Tony," almost whispered Papita, "perhaps it is an _angel_." "No, no," replied more sensible Tony. "It's a real bird, but a _kind_ of angel bird perhaps." [Illustration: ON HIS WAY TO THE NEST WITH A POUCH FULL OF FISH.] Thus did Tony and his little sister catch their first sight of the great Snowy Egret. After that, having once found their way to its haunts, they often came to the hidden pond, to watch the egrets at their nest-building, taking care never to alarm them. At first the egrets, which are shy, did not like the children so near, especially in nesting time. Often, the male egret would hover over the old dugout, calling down impatiently, "Cruk, cruk, cruk," which meant plainly enough, "Go away, go away, go away." But the children came so often, that the egrets, even the blue heron tribes and other water-fowl, became accustomed to the old boat, and did not mind its coming and going. It was an exciting time for the children when the little egrets came; then Tony and Papita came every day. They watched the feeding of the babies and heard the old egret call, "Cruk, cruk, cruk" on his way back to the nest with a pouch full of little fish. Soon the little egrets raised themselves in the nest and called back eagerly, "Kek, kek, kek," which Tony said meant, "More, more, more." And now comes the sad part of my story, but it must be told, because every boy and girl should learn about the peril of the beautiful Snowy Egret, and know what happened to these wonderful "angel birds" which Tony and Papita so loved and watched.