Can you give me a summary of Sai Baba's early life and practices in Shirdi as mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 8?

The start of Chapter 8 provides a brief recap of Sai Baba's history in Shirdi. It reminds the reader how Baba first appeared as a young lad and was later known as a 'mad fakir.' The chapter highlights his transformative power, describing how he turned a barren wasteland into a beautiful garden, upon which a mansion (wada) was eventually built. It also references the intense hardships Baba endured for his devotees, mentioning his practices of Dhauti, Poti, and Khanda-yoga. Finally, this chapter introduces the topic of his habit of begging for alms (bhiksha), which is to be detailed further.