At this time letters arrived, secretly despatched from the grandmother of the Raja, to the effect that, at this moment, in consequence of the impru­dent and selfish views, and enmity of the foolish chiefs or ministers, the power of their ancient house, or family, had become so totally disordered, that most of the seditious and rebellious* were wait­ing opportunities to seize and take possession of the territory and wealth of their state. That in these circumstances if he, Hydur, who was their thrice fortunate (adopted) son, would return, and restore the government to some order, place her unfortunate family in safety and comfort, and encourage and promote the welfare of the country, it would be only consistent with his name and character.

When Hydur became acquainted with the con­tents of these letters, he seized them as pledges and patents,* establishing his claim to the supreme authority of the Khodadad, (the name which Hydur Alí gave to the state of Mysore,); and, putting the letters into his pocket, he wrote and forwarded a a conciliatory epistle in reply. From this place he marched straight to visit Nundi Raj, and met him at a fortunate moment, and after having enjoyed their meeting, they began to converse on the villany and ingratitude of the Brahman, upon whom Nundi Raj bestowed a few curses, and then advised how he should be displaced and punished. Hydur therefore immediately got his troops in readiness to attack him, and Nundi Raj, also, placed the force he had with him consisting of two thou­sand foot, a thousand regular infantry, and seven hundred horse, under Hydur’s command for the same purpose.

Khundi Rao, meanwhile, with a body of troops amounting to seven thousand horse, twelve thou­sand foot, and Manuel the European at the head of eight hundred Chittikars, with ten or twelve guns, was likewise on his march, to attack Hydur; but, although he affected to make Periaputtun his ground of encampment, still, from the fear of the manhood of Hydur’s character and the promptitude of his hand and sword against his enemies, he trembled day and night; indeed, his fears so pre­vailed that he could neither eat nor sleep. It happened, too, that in his encampment a horse broke his heel ropes one night, and fell upon another horse, and both began neighing* and kick­ing each other. This creating much alarm in his camp, the men and women within it began to cry out, “the enemy are come! the enemy are come!” and the alarm was so great, that they all fell into such confusion, that some from fright laid hold of their swords, and blindly slew each other, and most of the merchants, having lost their goods in the tumult, struck the hand of grief on the fore­head of their bad luck. When, however, the morn­ing dawned, and they could discover nothing of the Kuzzaks of Hydur’s army, (the burners of their enemies,) whom they so much feared, they became ashamed of their foolish alarm, and ventured to take a little rest.

Hydur, on the other hand, on hearing of the mis­chief that had befallen the Brahman’s troops, was much comforted, and next day formed the right and left wings of his army, and marched straight to his enemy. The Brahman* also put his troops in readiness, and formed them in good position and order; but, nevertheless, the heavy fire of Hydur’s guns and musketry at once defeated his force,* which was totally dispersed.

Khundi Rao, therefore, mounting a horse, swift as lightning, and wet with the sweat of shame, flew like a hail storm; and, passing through a thousand diffi­culties and dangers, escaped to Seringaputtun. His cavalry with their horses, and his entire infantry, regular and irregular battalions, with their arms and accoutrements, became, as they were before, the servants of Hydur, the friend of the soldier, and prepared to oppose his enemies. Hydur, (the poor man’s friend as he is called,) now marched after the fugitive Brahman, and crossing the river, (Cauvery), by the ford of Choongul, encamped with his troops in the neighbourhood of Manai Mundup, where, having placed his largest guns in one battery, he, for an example, fired a few shot at the Dewaun Khana, or palace, of the Raja, to frighten the inmates of the women’s apartments. As soon as the shot struck the Zanana, (women’s apartments), a mighty cry arose from them, and the whole of the women, with great noise and clamour, went to complain to the Raja. Frightened out of his senses at the tumult and wailing of the women, the Raja despatched a messenger to Hydur, to tell him that, from the commencement of the government of his family, and the foundation of the capital, to the present time, no one of their servants had acted as he had done, nor had any one of them presumed to fire guns or muskets at his (the Raja’s) house; and he requested Hydur would send orders to his artillery men to desist from such insolence and outrage, and then signify to him, (the Raja), what was his object. In reply to this message, Hydur sent word, that he was the faithful adherent of the Raja, and his government, but that an ungrateful servant, an enemy of his, had sought refuge in the fort; and, therefore, those upon whom rested the responsibility of the defence of the State, had used the presumption and insolence of which the Raja complained; but that, if this man were given up to him, he was the same friend he had ever been.

The Raja, being unable to evade this application, had no remedy, and therefore, after exacting from Hydur the most solemn covenant, that he would not put the Brahman Khundi Rao to death, he placed him under a guard, and sent him to Hydur, and that dispenser of good to the world, having regard to his oath and engagement, instead of impaling or dismembering him, which punishment he richly merited, put him into an iron cage, like an inauspicious crow, and sent him off to Bangalore. Verily, if a man eat salt from the table of his mas­ter’s benefits; or, if he be cherished by the hand of a generous patron, and ungratefully betray him, or rebel against him; the true avenger of ingrati­tude, in a short time will cause him to be taken in the net of his own perfidy— verses, “To show enmity to a man with a pure breast, is only enmity to one’s self,” “whoever unsheaths his dagger at a looking glass draws it on himself.”