CHTTRArJT 15;
In the afternoon they went roua*! the famous Kamb-
nath hill, on which it is said Sri Ramchandra ar^le his
abode with Sita for twelve years. In the evening they
returned once more to the sweetmeat shop.
For the night Ramdas preferred to settle down b-eneath
a tree and the bania slept beside him. The bania moved
with him like his shadow. He was afraid that Ram lag
might give him the slip at any moment. On rising next
morning from the grassy bed, the bania felt that something
was wrong with him.
fct We shall go down to Karvi station/" he said to Ramtfss,
"it is only four miles from here, and be back by evening."
It was not for Hamdas now to question why; his was tr>
•submit. After a visit to the fascinating tiffin shop they
started. On tne way, when they were talking through a
narrow pass of a hillock, Bamdas had to follow the bacia
closely. Now a hissing noise and a loir moan emanated
from him. Ramdas jumped on one side and faced him. Ee
was shedding tears.
"What is the matter?" inquired Ramdas.
Wiping away his tears with many a grief-laden hiccup,
he said: " I feel so keenly for my wife and children. I ran
away from them without their knowledge. They might be
remembering me and living in agony over my absence. For
myself I don't mind. It is for them my heart goes out'*
And he burst into tears.
"Bamji, why don't you then return to them ?" asked
Ramdas.
" Yon see I have almost burnt my boats. Oh! the barber
was right." N"ow handling fondly the short pigtail on his
head he continued, "Yes, the prospect is not after all SD baJ.
I may yet go back to them."
r(ii) Failure of the Peace Mission
Thus they arrived at Karvi. The barrift went directly to
the court-yard of a small thatched house near the railway