44 IN THE VISION OF GOD
Ramckarandas agreeing, they walked in the direction of
the hill. They had to wade through the waves on the
shore—the waters were not deep. They reached the landing
and climbed up a slope, and came upon a small reservoir of
water the supply of which was kept constant by a never
failing spring. They drank at the spout the cool and sweet
water and proceeded further iip. Here was a small temple
of a devi. They were told by the pujari that the spring and
the tank went by the name Ramatirtha. They proceeded
past the spring higher still, Eamdas leading the way. A few
yards further progress brought them on the top of the hill
which was a vast undulating plateau. At a distance of about
a furlong from where they stood, they descried on the
'highest level an oblong solid structure of stone. Rarndas
silently tramped on towards it—closely followed by
Ramcharandas.
"When they reached the structure they found that it was
cut out of one solid mass of rock—the roof was a low dome
formed of the same rock as its thick walls. They entered
the rock chamber. It was cubical in dimensions, the floor
area being about ten feet square. The interior of the dome
resembled a hollow cup. Entrance was from two narrow
arched passages sufficiently high, directly facing each other
in the opposite walls.
"Ram," exclaimed Raindas to Ramcharandas, "we shall
occupy this place for the nights during our stay in
Gokarn."
Ramcharandas looked round and the prospect did not
appeal to him, for a cold breeze was blowing over the spot
from the direction of the sea.
"Cold will be extreme here in the night," he remarked.
""We are out to bear sufferings in the name of Gocl,"
put in Ramdas, "at least that is the secret of Rarndas' life.
Let us cheerfully face the situation in which God has
chosen to place us."
He kept silent \vhichmeant half consent. After a time