ble
to answer his questions, but his enemies were determined to kill him.
Bobe and his twelve disciples were hanged to a wall before the
soldiers. Before the order to fire, the disciples were given a chance
to save their lives by denying Bobe's faith. Only one denied the faith
and was saved. The others asserted that they were willing to die for
the truth. When the soldiers obeyed command to shoot, all the disciples
on the wall were killed. But Bobe was not struck by the ball; it struck
above his body cutting in two the rope by which he was suspended. Bobe
fell to the ground unharmed and tried to escape through the crowd. He
ran into a house which proved to be the home of an officer, who
promptly arrested the fleeing prophet and returned him to the
executioner. Before the second shot was fired Bobe was again promised
freedom if he would deny his own teachings. He replied that many of the
holy prophets of the past died for the truth and that he, too, was
willing to die in this holy testimony.

After the killing of Bobe and his disciples, the government issued an
edict that the surviving followers who would not deny Bobe should be
killed. This happened at the beginning of the reign of the late Shah.
Many fanatical Bobes tried to kill the Shah. Soon after the edict one
of them shot at the chief ruler of the land, but was killed by a
soldier. After this incident, fiery persecutions arose against them and
about eighteen thousand of their number were killed. The torture
inflicted in many instances was very cruel. The more prominent victims
were taken to the capital city, stripped of clothing except trousers,
and led about the streets while flaming candles were burning away their
flesh. Many of them cried allegiance to Bobe to the last. The heroic
death of the fanatical Bobes had the effect on many prominent men in
the capital of making them believers in Bobe. After the great massacre,
which occurred in 1850, the believers in Bobe held their faith in
secret. Eighteen men, whose names were not generally known, were
appointed guardians of the faith, and one very learned young man was
appointed to take Bobe's place. His title is Baha and he resides in
Akra, a small city in Turkish territory. Even to-day they are very
earnest in spreading their religion, but their work is done in secret.
Their apostles go from place to place and are known by a secret sign.

The enmity between them and the orthodox Mohammedans has been very
severe