472 IN THE VISION OF GOD
yard of the ashram. In the dark, by taking her name aloud
Ram dan located the place where Hho fell. He ran up fco her
and they stood together, Ramdas exclaiming u Oh ! Ram,
what is this yon ure doing?" Then KViflluw Bui said:
"Nothingis the matter. Don't accuse Ham, everything i#
all right."
Beyond the fields, on the right Hide of the. uHhram, there
was the house of a cultivator who muni have been observing
from his front-yard the Ktrange happen ingH at the unhrain,
When ho heard the sound " Uam" " Hum"1 in a loud key
from Ramdas and tho sudden darluieKK that enveloped the
aahram, he suspected some imHdiief and c,mne running. Tt
took him about live minutes to PUHH through the (Holds in the
dark and reach the ashnnn, Hut the grim visitorH of tho
night had fled away. With the help of u match they lit a
torch made of palm leaven. On Inn enquiry liamdas
related to him all that had happened. lleHaid:*4! Khali
sleep here tonight and HOC how Unwe bhK'kguuiNlH will
dare to molest you atfain."
For the night it was all right. What about tho future
nights? Turning to Krishna Bai HamdaHappealed to her not
to remain in tho ashram in the ntghttf Troni iuvxt day
onwards. He would prttfor bo be alone in it. Hut Hho would
not agree. "Whatever happens to mo I will noi. Htoiy uway
for the nights." Seeing that Bhe was determined and
persuasion was futile, Ramdas at once made up IUH tuiiul to
leave the ashram for good ajid got out of tho place. 1 nutantly
he started with Krishna Bai for the town, and the culti-
vator friend, who was also joined by another, accompanied
them as far as Ohandrashokarrao's house, situated in the
heart of the town. When Uamdas wan walking fast to-
wards the town closely followed by Krishna Bai, Hhe
appealed to him in a piteous tone: " Papa, what- tiro your
future plans?" He replied that ho did not know.
"It is Ram's command to leave Kusaragod at tho
earliest opportunity. He will go wherever Raw loadfl him,"