Page:Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan.djvu/42

38 attacking Bednúr on pretence of restoring the fugitive to his lawful position. In the beginning of 1763 he set out on this expedition, distributing his troops into four columns, and having seized Shimoga, where he found four lacs of rupees, proceeded on to Kúmsi. Here he found the imprisoned minister of the late Rájá, who readily undertook to be his guide through the wild country between Kúmsi and the capital. The affrightened Ráni, hearing of his advance, twice offered him large sums of money, but Haidar pressed onwards, rejecting all overtures, and the Ráni fled to the fortress of Bálalráidrúg. Acting on the information imparted by the ex-minister, Haidar, after ordering a false attack, passed through the outworks by a secret path, and suddenly made his appearance in the city. In an instant all was confusion, the inhabitants fleeing to the woods, while the Ráni's guards, struck with fear, offered no resistance, but contented themselves with firing the palace. Haidar however promptly extinguished the flames, and knowing well the reputed wealth of the town, set to work at once to appropriate the booty by systematically sealing up all the principal houses, the palace, and public offices.

The value of the property thus acquired was reputed at twelve millions sterling, and Haidar attributed to this conquest his future successes. He made short