you say of your hope?" He will reply, "I have no hope--but God is
merciful."

Many of them would receive Christ if there was freedom of worship.
There are even now some true Christians among the Moslems who secretly
like Nicodemus. Let us pray that God will open the way of freedom for
them.

CHAPTER X.

THE SHIITE MOSLEM'S MU-HAR-RAM.

When Mohammed was dying he announced, against his will, that Abbubaker
his father-in-law was his rightful successor. It was his real desire to
be succeeded by Ali his son-in-law, but he saw that Abbubaker had a
much wider influence than Ali. In the next generation after the four
caliphs, or chief disciples of the head of the faith, and Ali had died
there arose divisions in the church. Hassan and Hussein, sons of Ali,
claimed to be the rightful caliphs after the death of Abbubaker. They
contended that their grandfather had made Abbubaker caliph because he
was old and faithful, and therefore that that office should not descend
to his children. A great body of Moslems followed them. One of them,
Hassan, was too timid to push his claims. His death came soon from a
dose of poison administered to him by some of his enemies. The
energetic young Hussein continued to assert his claims, but he had no
army. With seventy men, mostly relatives, he started for a fortified
city, but was surrounded by the army of Yazid. Taking shelter in a cave
beneath a huge rock, Hussein and his followers defended themselves for
three days and three nights. At last they were driven to desperation by
hunger and thirst. Drawing their swords they came out and met an army
of several thousand men. After a brief contest Hussein and his men were
overcome. Hussein was captured alive. The Shiite Moslems of Persia say
that when Hussein was taken before the chief captain for execution, he
was very thirsty and asked for a drink of water before being beheaded.
But this request was not granted and he was executed with his thirst
unquenched. In memory of this tragedy there may now be seen walking the
streets of Persian cities every warm summer day men carrying a bottle
or jar of water and crying aloud: "Sakkaw, sakkaw" (their name) and
giving water to any who may be thirsty, in the name of Hussein. Moslems
take this drink in a cup carried by the sakkaw, but a Christian must
furnish his own cup or drink from the palms of his hands. If offered
one or two cents the sakkaw will take it, but he never asks for money.

The kil