914 THE CHIMERA.

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.

“T thank you, Pegasus,” answered Bellerophon.
“Now, then, let us make a dash at the monster! ”’

Uttering these words, he shook the bridle; and Peg-
asus darted down aslant, as swift as the flight of an
arrow, right towards the Chimeera’s threefold head,
which, all this time, was poking itself as high as it could
into the air. As he came within arm’s-length, Bellero-
phon 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
Chimeera: 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 the lion’s
head had taken all the fierceness of the dead one into
themselves, and spit flame, and hissed, and roared, with
a vast deal more fury than before.

“Never mind, my brave Pegasus!” cried Bellero-
phon. “With another stroke like that, we will stop
either its hissing or its roaring.”