ed out
great flashes of flame. Before Bellerophon had time to consider what
to do next, the monster flung itself out of the cavern and sprung
straight towards him, with its immense claws extended, and its snaky
tail twisting itself venomously behind. If Pegasus had not been as
nimble as a bird, both he and his rider would have been overthrown by
the Chimaera's headlong rush, and thus the battle have been ended
before it was well begun. But the winged horse was not to be caught
so. In the twinkling of an eye he was up aloft, halfway to the clouds,
snorting with anger. He shuddered, too, not with affright, but with
utter disgust at the loathsomeness of this poisonous thing with three
heads.

The Chimaera, on the other hand, raised itself up so as to stand
absolutely on the tip-end of its tail, with its talons pawing fiercely
in the air, and its three heads spluttering fire at Pegasus and his
rider. My stars, how it roared, and hissed, and bellowed! Bellerophon,
meanwhile, was fitting his shield on his arm, and drawing his sword.

"Now, my beloved Pegasus," he whispered in the winged horse's ear,
"thou must help me to slay this insufferable monster; or else thou
shalt fly back to thy solitary mountain-peak without thy friend
Bellerophon. For either the Chimaera dies, or its three mouths shall
gnaw this head of mine, which has slumbered upon thy neck!"

Pegasus whinnied, and, turning back his head, rubbed his nose tenderly
against his rider's cheek. It was his way of telling him that, though
he had wings and was an immortal horse, yet he would perish, if it
were possible for immortality to perish, rather than leave Bellerophon
behind.

"I thank you, Pegasus," answered Bellerophon. "Now, then, let us make
a dash at the monster!"

Uttering these words, he shook the bridle; and Pegasus darted down
aslant, as swift as the flight of an arrow, right towards the
Chimaera's three-fold head, which, all this time, was poking itself as
high as it could into the air. As he came within arm's-length,
Bellerophon made a cut at the monster, but was carried onward by his
steed, before he could see whether the blow had been successful.
Pegasus continued his course, but soon wheeled round, at about the
same distance from the Chimaera as before. Bellerophon then perceived
that he had cut the goat's head of the monster almost off, so that it
dangled downward by the skin, and seemed quite dead.

But, to make amends, the snake's head and