The only source of protection they had was a staff to keep scorpions, snakes, and small animals away, so a fire was lit at night to keep the wild animals at bay.
But on the night of 9 August, Ramjoo forgot to bring wood from the village for the fire. Chanji was keeping watch near Baba's hut and became frightened in the blackness of the night as he listened to the howls and cries from all sides. It was pitch-dark and Chanji could hear the footsteps of some creature prowling in his immediate vicinity. He told Baba, "I am afraid. I don't think I can sit here all night."
Baba replied through Chhota Baba, "For God's sake, I am hardly a foot away from you. Why are you afraid? If a tiger comes, I will make you ride on its back!"
"No, Baba, I could never sit on the back of a tiger."
"All right, then I will make the tiger sit on your back."
Chanji pleaded, "Baba, please forgive me. I will die of fear up here — alone in the dark."
"That's right; you will have to die here [in Kashmir]. So why be afraid of death? Don't feel frightened. Even the tiger's father won't kill you tonight. I am here and if any tiger appears, I will send him running with one snap of my fingers."
Chanji was still reluctant to accept the duty of night watchman, but Baba, with his humorous sallies, kept him on watch from 1:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M. each night. Buasaheb, who was on watch in the evening until 1:00 A.M., was not in the least afraid.
On 10 August, leaving the hut after sunrise, Baba went down to the mandali's cottage. Meeting with them, he unexpectedly suggested leaving Kashmir after spending only two and a half days in seclusion, and not forty as planned. Chanji was the first to agree with the suggestion, since the previous night had been such a dreadful and frightening experience for him.
Baba was highly pleased with Padri's service during their stay in Harvan and presented him with the horns of a stag. The mandali broke their fast of four days that morning. Baba, who had been fasting since he entered seclusion, drank only buttermilk. Baba then ascended the hill to his hut, accompanied by Raosaheb and the two boys who stayed with him the whole day.