THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

82 THE GOD-MANhut, which was completed in three days. After giving necessary instructions to the mandaliBaba retired and locked himself in the small cabin-like room. He fasted during the entireperiod, taking only water, which was passed to him through a small window at the side at acertain hour daily when he knocked from inside; he received the water without being seen byanybody.The two keeping watch outside were Gustadji and Behramji, who were allowed to take milkand fruit twice a day. Behramji was also ordered to abstain from speaking during the period.Gustadji had already been observing silence since 1927. Two members of the mandali stayingin the village were to come up twice a day with fresh water for Baba and milk and fruit for theother two, each by tum, one in the morning and one in the evening. During their stay near thehut they too had to observe complete silence, and to communicate when necessary with thetwo outside by signs. They were not to make any noise and to do everything very quietly.Chanji was placed on night duty, to keep watch while the other two slept. The nightwatcher was strictly ordered to sit outside Baba's cabin and not to move under anycircumstances. A stick was given to him to keep away scorpions, snakes, and small animals,and a fire was to be kept burning all night to scare wild animals. The place had many tigers,bears, wolves, and other beasts.The watchers found it frightening to keep watch through the pitch-dark nights, with thehowls and cries of wild animals, the occasional roar of tigers reaching their ears and thepadpad of prowlers. Chanji confessed that he was nervous, and admitted that he might fail.But Baba cheered him with the encouraging message, 'Am I not with you, so near, just onestep away?' He was, indeed; but what of the door locked from the inside, and the other twoasleep?' Chanji thought.The return to Meherabad was as usual without warning. One day Baba came down from thehut, unknown to anybody except the mandali. He wished no one to know so that he couldleave the place quickly and undisturbed. Had the villagers known, they would have flockedaround him, which he wished to avoid.The chief characteristic of the return was that Baba and his disciples did not take shelterduring the day or even at night, throughout the entire journey, under any roof, but took shelterin the open under trees, in woods, or by the side of a river or stream. They drove during the dayfrom early morning until late at night (sometimes till midnight), stopping only for the morningmeal which they cooked themselves and ate under the shelter of trees, where they rested tooduring