312 IN THE VISION OF GOD
His graphic narration made Raindus burst into laughter,
" Consider, Earn, the scoldings and the", offer of blows from
the stout stick are also bhiksha. You received the former,
but why did you refuse to accept the latter, the more
precious of the two?" Ramclas remarked humorously.
"Your wit is out of place, Swamiji," he said, not
relishing the way in which Ratndas expressed things. "I
am hungry and I must have something to eat. I shall not
be baulked. I am off again."
And he disappeared once more. In balf-an-hour ho was
back. This time his face indicated fright coupled with
a sense of relief at escape from an unpleasant scrape,
Eamcharandas was a simple boy, sincere and outspoken.
" Swamiji," he recounted, " two narrow shaves. Soon
after I left you, some knocking about brought me to a
crowded house and in the front room over a fire I saw
roties being prepared. I rushed in to the room where a
pile of roties was beside the lire. The room was full of
men. I stretched out my hands and requested the man at
the fire to give me a few roties. The man said that they
were Pathans and that if I had no objection they could
spare a couple of roties for me and also a bit of curry*
"Now a look round presented to my sight a number
of rough, burly, ferocious Pathans with shaggy and
ominous beards. I lost no time; one leap from the room
and I was on the road. I heard a faint rumble of laughter
from the direction of the house, but I did not remain there
to listen to all that. I took to my heels. I ran wildly
without knowing where I was going. Now a row of huts
stood-before me. Here is food for me, I thought and
approached one of the huts. The host welcomed me, and,
coming to know the reason of my nocturnal visit, said:
"Well, I have no objection to give you food. We have it
ready, but I may first warn you that we are chamars or
cobblers by caste!" "What!" I exclaimed and the next
instant I shot out of the hut like a bullet from a gun and