How did the people around Sai Baba interpret his sudden agitation, and what was the actual event causing it?

As described in Chapter 0, when Sai Baba suddenly began shouting, swearing, and showing other signs of agitation in Shirdi, the people nearby immediately recognized what was happening. They understood from experience that this behavior signified a dear devotee was in great danger and that Maharaj's actions were a form of spiritual protection. The event causing this divine intervention was the life-threatening attack on his devotee, Kashiram, by a group of armed thieves. Though outnumbered and severely wounded, Kashiram survived, which the text attributes directly to Baba's protective power, asking, "what can the killer do against the Savior?"