e, my sky-skimmer!" cried
Bellerophon, fondly stroking the horse's neck. "And now, my fleet and
beautiful friend, we must break our fast. To-day we are to fight the
terrible Chimaera."

As soon as they had eaten their morning meal, and drank some sparkling
water from a spring called Hippocrene, Pegasus held out his head, of
his own accord, so that his master might put on the bridle. Then, with
a great many playful leaps and airy caperings, he showed his
impatience to be gone; while Bellerophon was girding on his sword, and
hanging his shield about his neck, and preparing himself for battle.
When everything was ready, the rider mounted, and (as was his custom,
when going a long distance) ascended five miles perpendicularly, so as
the better to see whither he was directing his course. He then turned
the head of Pegasus towards the east, and set out for Lycia. In their
flight they overtook an eagle, and came so nigh him, before he could
get out of their way, that Bellerophon might easily have caught him by
the leg. Hastening onward at this rate, it was still early in the
forenoon when they beheld the lofty mountains of Lycia, with their
deep and shaggy valleys. If Bellerophon had been told truly, it was in
one of those dismal valleys that the hideous Chimaera had taken up its
abode.

Being now so near their journey's end, the winged horse gradually
descended with his rider; and they took advantage of some clouds that
were floating over the mountain-tops, in order to conceal themselves.
Hovering on the upper surface of a cloud, and peeping over its edge,
Bellerophon had a pretty distinct view of the mountainous part of
Lycia, and could look into all its shadowy vales at once. At first
there appeared to be nothing remarkable. It was a wild, savage, and
rocky tract of high and precipitous hills. In the more level part of
the country, there were the ruins of houses that had been burnt, and,
here and there, the carcasses of dead cattle, strewn about the
pastures where they had been feeding.

"The Chimaera must have done this mischief," thought Bellerophon. "But
where can the monster be?"

As I have already said, there was nothing remarkable to be detected,
at first sight, in any of the valleys and dells that lay among the
precipitous heights of the mountains. Nothing at all; unless, indeed,
it were three spires of black smoke, which issued from what seemed to
be the mouth of a cavern, and clambered sullenly into the atmosp