How did Sai Baba get onto the suspended wooden plank, and why did he stop using it?

The method by which Sai Baba ascended to and descended from the suspended wooden plank remains a mystery. The Introduction (Chapter 0) mentions that while many people were curious and kept watch, no one ever saw Maharaj climbing up to or down from the plank. He would sleep on it with four lit lamps at the corners. Eventually, since a large number of people started gathering simply to witness this spectacle, Maharaj considered it a distraction. To put a stop to it, he one day broke the plank and ceased this particular leela.