RAWALPINDI-KASARAGOD 465
great joy by all the members of the household and he
spent a delightful night in their pure and loving company.
Dharm Narayan, father of Hridaya Narayan, was a great
and noble soul, and his talented sons had inherited the
sterling qualities of the father. Again returning to Etawah,
he and Janardan Pant left the city straight for Dhanbad,
passing on the -way Benares and Allahabad.
At Dhanbad the Giqerati friend, Ratilal, was awaiting
his arrival at the station. Ratilal lived far in the interior
in Katrasgarh, a noted coal mine district in Bengal. The
party with Ratilal motored from the station to Katrasgarh.
Ram das remained here for about a week. At this time he
availed himself of the opportunity of visiting the coal
mines. A small occurrence at this place deserves notice,
The time was when picketing was the rage. Young
school-boys were taking keen interest and active part in
-this movement. A lad of the house proved to be an intrepid
picket. It appeared he was arrested by the police for
picketing a liquor shop. As customary the policeman
questioned him:
"Who is your father?"
"Mahatma Gandhi."
"Where is your home?" was the policeman's next
question.
"Jail," was the prompt reply of the boy.
At this, the boy was set free and sent home.
After a week's stay in Katrasgarh he and Janardan Pant
proceeded to Calcutta where they stopped with Parab and
B. S. Rao. These two friends divided between them the
earlier part of his stay in Calcutta, since they lived in the
same building. At nights on Saturdays these friends with
some others of their society would repair to the terrace of
the building and spend the whole night awake in their own
mode of meditation and spiritual discourses in which
Ramdas once joined them. Both the friends were
overflowing in their kindness to these itinerant guests.