The drought continued, and the horrors of famine caused by the
failure of all crops, was felt in Samaria. Ahab was in
despair. Everywhere horses and other animals were dying, for
there was not the scantiest grass or herbage of any kind for
them to eat, and everywhere the streams were dry.

The chief officer of Ahab's household was a man named Obadiah.
He was a faithful servant of God, and during the bitter
persecutions of Jezebel, had hidden an hundred persons who
worshipped God, in a cave and fed them there. Ahab now took
Obadiah, and set out on a desperate search for pasturage and
water for the animals, the king going one way and his servant
the other, on what seemed a hopeless errand.

Before Obadiah had gone very far, Elijah suddenly stood before
him. Quickly the prophet told him to go to Ahab and tell him
_"Elijah is here."_ Obadiah feared that Elijah would disappear
before he could bring the king to him, but, reassured by
Elijah, he set forth to find Ahab.

[Image: A FIELD IN PALESTINE TO-DAY. From a photograph.]

Now Ahab had been searching throughout his kingdom for the
mysterious stranger who had warned him of the coming drought,
three years before; so, as soon as he learned from Obadiah
that the stranger had reappeared, he went to meet him. When he
saw the prophet, he asked him, _"Art thou he that troubleth
Israel?"_ Elijah answered that he had not troubled Israel, but
that Ahab's evil reign, and that of his father before him, had
been the cause of the drought.

Then Elijah denounced the idolatry of Ahab, and followed this
with a command to assemble his people on Mount Carmel, and
bring also all the priests and attendants of Baal and
Ashtoroth. Ahab did not dare to disobey, and a great, weary,
listless crowd assembled on the sun-burned slopes of the
mountain. The priests were there in gorgeous vestments, and
the king, himself, all eager and expectant. A spring of water,
apparently undiscovered before, flowed not far away.

Elijah appeared with only one attendant, and soon his voice
rang out. _"How long halt you between two opinions? If the
Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him."_

The amazed people stood speechless. Then Elijah spoke again,
saying he was hut one prophet, while before him were four
hundred and fifty of Baal's prophets. Then he proposed a test
of powers.

[Image: CULTIVATING THE LAND IN PALESTINE TO-DAY. From a
photograph.]

He asked that two bullocks might be p