"farmer" turned away and was soon lost among the bazaars. Some looked
after him, astonished at his recklessness in laying himself open to
the revenge of the powers that be. Others looked after him, amazed at
his bravery and fearlessness.

That night many in Samaria had heard of the unknown stranger and his
speech in the market place. At many dinner tables the question was
asked:

"Who is this man who dares to lift his voice against the high and
powerful in behalf of the poor and downtrodden?"

"Who is this man who dares to proclaim the doom of the Kingdom of
Israel in the days of its greatest prosperity?"




CHAPTER III.

_The Man Who Dared._


There lived a man in the little town of Tekoah, in the Kingdom of
Judah, twelve miles south of Jerusalem, who made a living from
"dressing sycamore trees."

In ancient Palestine, the fruit of the sycamore that grew in Judah was
dried, ground into flour and used for making coarse bread. This bread
was eaten by the very poorest people, who could not afford to buy