310 IN *THE VISION OF GOD
their room. The succeeding day, the swelling on the foot
of Ramdas increased. It took the shape of a boil. In three
days it assumed the size of a large lemon. Jewandas ami
Rameharandas busied themselves applying various oint-
ments to it so that it might ripen and burst.
All the time Ramdas, in spite of the boil, was smiling
and cheerful. Sadhus in great numbers came to see Ramdas
in that condition. The thing that surprised them most was
Ramdas1 smiling face, although the condition of the foot
could not permit of such a merry demeanour, Ramdas
hardly slept in the nights. He sat up the whole night lean-
ing against the wall. He was experiencing unbroken
ecstasy. In such a mood he would go on talking about
devotion and divine vision. Jewandas, who was eager to
collect Ramdas' sayings, would jot down on scraps of paper,
as quickly as he could write, every bit that fell from
Ramdas' lips. He used a country oil lamp made of an
earthen dish. The notes covered several sheets of paper.
Seven days passed. The boil showed no signs of
bursting. One early morning, a sannyasini, i.e. a female
sannyasi paid a visit to Ramdas. She saw the boil. Her
he'art was touched.
"Maharaj," she said, "the boil seems to be quite ripe
now, it requires only opening up. I shall run down
and send a barber who will open it and give relief to yonr
foot."
So saying, the kind-hearted mother went down the hill.
About half-an-hour later, a barber, who was also the village
surgeon, turned up. Ramdas stretched out his affected leg
towards him, and with a blunt instrument the barber began
to operate upon the boil. The skin of the sole being naturally
thick the instrument had to be used with some force. How*
ever, he made an incision, and thrusting the point of the
instrument inside the boil, he pulled it out tearing tip the
skin. Then he squeezed out the pus. A strip of cloth was
wrapped round the wound.