JWALAIEE-PATHANKOT 319
and drew round at the tail-end of the serpent. The reptile
came quite near Ramdas. He beckoned it and said
"Beloved Ram, come on; don't hesitate."
He had a piece of jaggery tied to his cloth, which he
untied and placed before the snake and said: "Beloved Ram,
this is the only offering Ramdas can make you, please
accept it.
The snake approached the lump of jaggery, and with
its forked tongue licked it well for a few seconds and then
came onwards. It was now only about two inches from him,
but he was sitting stock-still. Somehow, it did not quite
approach him, but turned its head outwards and took a
circuitous path close behind him. As he emerged on the
left, the friends moved round to the right side of Ram-
das. They took care to see that they always maintained a
distance of at least a yard from the tail-end of the snake.
The snake now slowly made for the flight of steps and
started creeping up from one corner of it.
"Maharaj," cried out the pujari in a tone of anxiety,
"there are about forty steps to ascend to reach the higher
ground level. The snake goes so leisurely that it might
take hours to gain the top. Till then we are caught up
here. Also there is no knowing when it might take it into
its head to turn back into the cave. We are done for.'1
"Have no fear. It is going up one corner of the steps.
You may safely ascend by the other," Ramdas suggested.
"Nothing of the kind," quickly put in the pujari; "we
dare not do it. We have no such trust in it as you have."
Ramdas then proposed to stand midway oix the steps, so
that they might securely pass up between him and the wall,
opposite to the course followed by the snake. They agreed
and he took the position indicated by him. One by one,
the friends went up the steps, leaping four steps at a time I
Before going, they warned him again of the danger, appeal-
ing to him to follow them out of the place. They took with
them, besides the musical instruments, the lantern also.