320 IN THE VISION OF GOD

Ramdas was again immersed in pitch darkness, He
regained his seat on the mat, He groped in the darkness
for the lump of jaggery tasted by the serpent, and after some
search got it, Being the pvasad left by the serpent, he
threw it into his mouth and ate it with great delight, He
remained in the sitting posture tlw -whole night, absorbed
in a blissful trance.

When the first glow of the morning \vag filtering
through the translucent panes of the small window of the
cave, he found a head peering into the room from a landing
step at a sharp corner of the stone staircase, It was the
pqari peeping to make sure that Ramdas was alive!
Ramdas looted at him and smiled. He then entered the
cave room with his friends of the previous night close at
his heels, They sat down before him and gawd at him in
wonder. Then the pujari's attention was drawn to the
spot where the lump of jaggery had been. Not finding it
there he questioned Ramdas as to what had become of
it. He replied that, being the praeacl of the snake, be had
eaten it off.

41 Good God!" he exclaimed, "you are a terrible
man.'1

a terrible man," Banulas returned "He
is only a child and servant of God."
Then Ramdas left the cave room and temple, and
proceeded on his journey*