HVDER REGAINS HIS POWER. 47 



Row discovered the deceit, and soon began to rally his men, 

 when his antagonist had recourse to another artifice. He 

 lay for some days in apparent inactivity, as if he did not 

 intend to follow up his victory ; then suddenly, by a night- 

 march, came on his opponents by surprise, and gained an- 

 other signal advantage. After reducing many of the sur- 

 rounding places, he approached the remaining force of 5000 

 or 6000 cavalry intrenched under the guns of Seringapatam. 

 By entering into a feigned treaty he lulled anew the suspi- 

 cions of his adversaries, who suffered themselves to be 

 again completely surprised, with nearly the entire loss of 

 their horses and baggage. All Hyder's enemies were now 

 at his mercy ; still he wished that the terms which he meant 

 to exact should appear as if offered and pressed upon him 

 by the vanquished rajah. He sent a message, merely soli- 

 citing that Kunde Row, his servant, should be delivered up, 

 and the large balance due to himself from the state be liqui- 

 dated ; the rajah might then either continue him in his ser- 

 vice, or allow him to seek his fortune elsewhere. He pri- 

 vately transmitted, however, an intimation as to what he 

 would be pleased to accept ; and accordingly, under the im- 

 pulse of necessity, the rajah was at length compelled to 

 entreat the victor to relieve him from the toil of governing 

 Mysore, and for that purpose to draw all its revenues, ex- 

 cept three lacks for his own use and one for Nunjeraj ; to 

 which conditions the victor, with well-feigned reluctance, 

 submitted. The rajah and the ladies of the palace joined 

 in earnest entreaty for mercy to Kunde Row. Hyder re- 

 plied, that he would treat him like a paroquet, by which 

 they understood a favourite or pet ; but he literally and 

 cruelly fulfilled his promise, by enclosing the unhappy man 

 for life in an iron cage, and sending him a daily portion of 

 rice and milk. It is needless to add, that the lack of rupees 

 was all that Nunjeraj obtained of the promises lavished 

 upon him at the period of the negotiation. 



Hyder, having thus become the real sovereign of Mysore, 

 applied himself to extend his sway in every direction. He 

 made himself master of Sera, Chittledroog, and other dis- 

 tricts properly included in that country ; but whose rajahs 

 and polygars, during the late troublous period, had rendered 

 themselves in a great measure independent. His richest 

 prize, however, was afforded by the conquest of Bednore, a 



