3S2 IN THE VISION OF GOD
happy to see him and he took a seat before her at the tire.
She had some milk which she heated on the fire and
presented to him, and ho drank the beverage sweetened
with her pure love. She was a cheerful, free and dauntless
girl—such are indeed of the kingdom o.C happiness.
With a lighted splinter of wood provided by the
sannyasini and which burnt like a candle, Ramdas entered
the dark, narrow alley leading to the cave which was iu the
bosom of the elevated hill. The walls of the passage and the
interior of the cave were dripping with water issuing from
a hidden spring. There were two compartments in the cave,
in the larger of them was the murti'of Mahadev, and in the
other, a raised slab of stone under which, it was said, lay
the bones of a saint who had lived there and given up his
body. After a few minutes' inspection of the cave he came
out, and bidding adieu to the young mother returned to
Mattan.
Ramdas marked a look of anxiety on the face of the
pandit escort. When questioned about it he disclosed the
reason with great hesitation.
"Maharaj" he said, "the thing that worries me is this.
We have to start higher up tomorrow or day after. As we
ascend the hills the cold will become more and more severe.
I have brought blankets and clothing sufficient only for
one, whereas you do not possess any for your use except the
inadequate cotton sheets, I am told that $ome warm cloth-
ing would be sent to you through a friend of yours, but so
far there is no sign of him. What shall we do ?"
"Leave the matter to Bam. He will see to it, please
don't worry," Ramdas replied. .
Bus-load after bus-load of pilgrims was arriving at
Mattan throughout the day and he was set upon by the
pandit the task of watching the arrival of R&mcharajidas.
Till half-past-four he sat on a low wall of a bridge where
the interning motor-buses halted, -
a young jnan, dressed in the latest fashion of