The San Francisco call., 1904-04-26
MEN anaaMAa1EERS IN
THE FCH lie WORLD
MTASlLa%

ones nerves. Meanwhile attendants
light lamps and torches around the
square.
Now comes another procession, but
this time all the figures in it are clad
in white. Following the banners are
two superb white horses Of purest
Arabian breed, each led by two men.
Two crossed swords adorn the shoul-
ders of each horse. Behind the swords
are perched a pair Of white doves The
long white trappings of the horses are
smeared with blood, which affords
sinister hint as to the purpose of the
200 men who follow behind them,
armed with yataghans, which gleam in
the light of torch and lamp as they
whirl them around their heads, wall
ing as they advance, "Has-san! Hus-
sein! A-li!"
One sees at glance that these are
men of a different type from those
who formed the first procession. They
are dervishes, their eyes are ablaze
with frenzy; their strong features dis
torted with the fierce fervor of fanat-
| icism. AS 1 glance around the square
note that it is now lined with Turkish
| troops, with backs to the wall and
/ bayonets fixed. Their business is to
prevent any of the fanatics from run
ming amuck.
Headed by some dozen men who
carry aloft gigantic flaming torches
( the procession slowly moves around
the square. Before it has made the
/ circuit one, to the oft repeated cries
of 'Has-sani Hus-sein! A-lii" an old
white bearded priest receives an ugly
cash in the throat from one of those
whirling, cleaning yataghans. But
as he is being carried away my Turk
ish friend assures me that il was "a
mere accident; that there was no in
tention of offering him up as a vi
carious atonement for the 1920 years
old crime of the Persians.
The cries of "Has-san, Hus-sein!
A-lii" grow fiercer. A note of denun-
citation appears in the wailing tone in
which they are rendered. The muir
! derous yataghans cleave the air more
viciously as the second circuit nears
completion. And then, suddenly, by
what preconcerted signal 1 could not
discern, the cry 'Has-sani Hus-seini
Air was delivered with redoubled
volume and energy and Immediately,
so quickly was it done 1 did not see
one of the self-inflicted blows deliv-
cred, each face of those 200 fanatics
was drenched in blood and their white
robes were dyed red.
Still they pursued their course
around the square, slashing and hack
! ing at their own shaven crowns with
their razor edged weapons, with each
/ utterance Of the sacred names and
never fiinching. Their features indis-
] tinguishable, their drenched garments
! leaving a track Of blood behind them
most Of the dervishes succeeded in
making that horrible third march
around the square. few reeled and
fell and as a special honor were car
ried to where the ambassador sat and
laid at his feet to die perhaps in the
blessed assurance of being immedi-
ately transported to paradise, for
such is the reward promised those
who perish of these self-infiicted
wounds.
Six hundred more fanatics in
patches of 200 went through the same
CHASTITY ceremony. Long before they
had finished the square looked like a
shambles and the air reeked with the
odor of blood.
Ny friend had spoken truly. 1t
was sight that shall always remem-
Der and the like of which 1 have no
wish to see again.