Page:A Family History of Venkatagiri Rajas.djvu/88

 forces to keep watch in the hills and search for the foe, he soon marched to Lakkireddipalli.

Meanwhile Appala Rai heard all this and knowing that his enemy was there aided only by a few followers, he at once besieged him at Lakkireddipalli with a big army of 5,000 sardars chief among them being Koravi Ramanna and Amarachinta Krishnappa. Then the Rajah, weak as he was, gave open conflict unmindful of the odds and boldly charged into the enemy's quarters. His forces soon put to flight hundreds of Appala Rai's followers, and he himself on account of his great strength and courage, put Ramanna and several other sardars to sword. The two Telugu verses sung in praise of the victor serve to show the unequalled valour and warrior spirit that he possessed. In the end the result was that Appala Rai understood his fate, escaped in disguise and hid