68 THE WONDER-BOOK OF HORSES 



which the Chimsera was said to visit at night. 

 Bellerophon would have passed on without seeing 

 her, had not a burning mountain sent out a great 

 sheet of flame, that Hghted up the valleys and 

 gave him a plain view of the monster crouching 

 in the shadow of a cliff. He fitted an arrow 

 quickly in his bow and, as Pegasus paused above 

 the edge of the cliff, he let fly directly at her fear- 

 ful head. The arrow missed the mark, however, 

 and struck the beast in the throat, giving her an 

 ugly wound. Then you should have seen the fury 

 of the Chimaera, how she reared herself on her 

 hind feet; how she leaped into the air; how she 

 beat the rocks with her long dragon's tail; how 

 she puffed and fumed and roared and blew her 

 fiery breath toward Pegasus, hoping to scorch his 

 wings or smother both horse and rider with its 

 poisonous fumes. Bellerophon, when he saw her 

 in her mad rage, could no longer wonder that the 

 whole country had been in terror of her. 



" Now, my good Pegasus," he said, stroking 

 the horse's mane, " steady yourself just out of 

 her reach, and let me send her another keep- 

 sake!" 



This time the arrow struck the beast in the 

 back, and instead of killing her, only made her 



