One is never alone - a story

This is a story  i read many years ago but have not forgotten .
In a village in Europe there lived a boy who yearned to be a Doctor . It was his inner calling but his environment and family conditions made it difficult.
One day he made a compact with God that if He would help him become a Doctor he would serve humanity without any personal considerations .
Miraculously doors opened for him and he went to college and university to become a Doctor and start his practice in the rural and remote areas .
In some years his attention was called for in remote and outlying villages which he attended to unflinchingly .
One cold blustery day he had just returned from his round and flung off his overcoat and lay down on the bed when he got a message that his presence was required in a village , the path to which lay through a dense forest in which apparently robbers , thieves , murderers and rapists were operating .
He balked at the prospect of going out and was thinking about how it would be better to do it the next morning when he was reminded about his pledge to God.
So he jumped up and set out . On the path it was getting darker by the minute and suddenly a huge shape loomed up in front of him and blocked his path . Fearing the worst the Doctor waited and the man blocking him said " Do you have a light ? "
Not having one , the Doctor said so and the shape dissolved in the dark and he continued his journey .
After attending to the patient he was returning home the same man stopped him , looked menacing , but just asked if knew the time .
After this harmless interaction he proceeded home and rested .
The next morning he learned that the police had caught the dangerous man who had operated in the forest at night and committed a lot of crimes .
Out of curiosity the Doctor went along to the police station and was shown the apprehended criminal whom he recognised as the shape.
He asked him why he had not harmed him when had two opportunities and the man said :
" Yes I did stop you with the intention to rob you BUT THE OTHER PERSON WITH YOU SCARED ME AWAY "
We are never alone and unprotected.