VASISHTASHRAM 273
" It is clear, Ram wills that Ramdas should live upon
water diet for some days, but since you are so insistent, in
the present instance, Ramdas accepts your milk on condition
that he should not be offered again, and even if you do, he
would not have it by any means."
The sadhu excitedly said: "All right.1' Ramdas drank
the milk.
(ii) The Vision of Christ
Till evening Ramdas stuck to the cave. When night was
drawing near, he found the sadhu popping in his head at the
mouth of the cave and shouting out:
"Would you like to come to me for a smoke ? "
It was evident that he wished to have Ramdas' company.
Ramdas accordingly followed him to his cave. He offered
Ramdas some puffs of his hookah and a cupful of sugar-
water. There was not much of talk. Before it became quite
dark, Ramdas left him and returned to his cave. The cold
in the cave at night was very intense. He covered himself
with the piece of blanket and sat up. About two or three
hours after midnight, he was prompted by Ram to go to
the sadhu for a live cinder. There were dried pieces of
timber lying about in front of the cave. He thought of
making a fire. In fact, he could bear the cold. Yet, why
this idea of a fire? Ram, you want some fun perhaps, else
why do you egg him on to this ? He crept out of the cave
in the darkness, came to the other cave and entering it
called out:
"Maharaj, will you kindly spare for Ramdas a bit of
fire? He wants to light up a fire in his cave."
"Eh!" he snarled, "you can't endure the cold and
yo\i want fire. Yon are climbing down, my boy. Here take
it."
Ramdas got a live cinder and returned to Ms cave.
While he was doing so, he heard the sadhu muttering
something in his own peculiar mocking tone, Ramdas could
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