How did Sai Baba appear to his devotees to test them or receive offerings?

Chapter 33 provides examples of Sai Baba's varied and sometimes mysterious methods. He didn't always interact directly. In one instance, it is described that Baba worked through another saint, Narsing Maharaj, who forcefully took a Rupee from the devotee Karnik, making Karnik feel as if Sai himself was accepting it. In another case, Baba took the form of an unknown Fakir to visit Appasaheb. This was seen as a "pretext for Dakshina" to give Appasaheb the chance to fulfill a promise he had made. These stories illustrate that Baba could come in disguise or use other saints as intermediaries to test his devotees' faith and help them fulfill their spiritual obligations.