TOWARDS SAND A-BAWD A k?S
g 'xn the ground. A sadhr,, a young m&n in kaupin,
standing inspecting the construction of dhuni or fire-
pit at the mouth of the cave.
Seeing Rannlas he offered aii *jmpty gnnny bag for a
swat, on which h«* sat. Xovv the gadhu's attention was
lira we. to a man in the assembly. Flying into a temper
hi* nmu'lly abused tht man in course language. Ramdas en-
quired of the escort if the angry sadhu wasTifihndtihanami.
"*Xo," he replied, "this is Balak Ram Paramahains.
Vishnddhanand stays about a mile away from here/'
"Can you take Raindas to him?" Ramdas asked,
"Very well,*" he answered.
The latter part of this dialogue reached the ears of the
irate sadhiu It tended only to fan the flame. He now emptied
the vials of his wrath on Ramdas1 escort.
"'What?—you are going to take the sadlxn away. Get
away from here, yon fool; leave this instant/"1 and he raised
his right leg towards him for a kick. The frightened escort
ran down the hill and disappeared.
"Maharaj," the sadhn said turning to Ramdas, '*do
remain here; I shall see that all your wants are met."
Ramdas submitted, but made him understand that his
wants vere few and that he would prefer to live there on
mere milk diet. A merchant named seth Moolchaad furnish-
ed the sadhn with food twice a day. A small boy was
employed for fetching the meals* Night came on; the
crowd dispersed. About an hour later, the boy turaed np
with the meal as usual. The sadhn had another guest
who now issned from a hole on the left side of the large
open cave*
4fcTapaswiji, harry on; dinner has arrived/' said the
sadhn, Balak Ram.
Tapasroiji was a man of abont tMrtyfive with a stont and
mU-bnilt body, besmeared with a thick layer of ashes.
He had a stout coir rope round his waist and wore only
& kaujrin. His matted hair was coiled up into a crown