The slow laborious flight of these great wading birds would have been at once recognised by any of the boys, who were accustomed to see them often hovering over the bayous of Louisiana.

But this bird flew differently from any of these.

It used its wings more after the manner of the buzzards themselves or the black vultures; but as the boys could think of no _white_ bird of similar flight, they were puzzled as to what it might be.

Its size and mode of flying would have led them to believe it was an eagle; but its colour forbade this supposition.

There were no white eagles, that ever they had heard of.
I have said that, when first seen by Francois, the strange bird appeared about the size of a gull; but as the young hunters stood gazing up at it, they saw that it was gradually becoming larger and larger.