SRINAGAR-RAWALPINDI-AMRITSAR 375
dense growth of brown grass as hand-hold, followed by
Shambunath. When they went about half-way up the slope,
Ramdas came upon a small smooth rock to which he lifted
himself and perching on it saw the friend behind struggling
to keep pace with him, his face flushed with excitement, A
look down into the valley below discovered a rare and
marvellous scene. From that dizzy height a wide and
terribly deep chasm was yawning at their feet. As Shambu-
nath neared, Ramdas could not help exclaiming:
"Ram, look below, what a magnificent scene!" When
Shambunath turned his head to see for a moment he cried
out helplessly: "Swamiji, I am gone, hold on—hold, I am
slipping,'1 and he stretched forth his arms which Ramdas
immediately grasped with both hands, and with a super-
human strength pulled him up bodily on to the rock on
which he was sitting. Shambunath now rested with eyes
dosed for about five minutes before he recovered from the
faintness.
"Swamiji," he then said, "please don't ask me to
look down again. A glimpse of the awe-inspiring and
enormous depths turned me giddy, and but for you I
should have rolled down the mountain to my sure
destruction."
They ascended higher still and steadily progressed
through the tall grass that grew luxuriantly on the
mountain, and at last arrived at the summit. The time was
now about three o'clock in the afternoon. They sat down
on the grass and leisurely took a view of Kashmir from
that tremendous height. What Ramdas saw from there
beggars description. It was the vision of the infinite ex-
panse of space, the dim outlines of mountains looming in
the distance and the extensive valley of Kashmir scintillat-
ing with, its innumerable glassy lakes, relieved by vast
areas of green verdure and vegetation.
Shambunath was cheerful and lively although tired.
He opened the screw cap of the thermos and the bag of