When they entered any village, they always worshipped at every temple they happened upon. It was not as if the people willingly parted with their wealth. There could be losses on both sides. Until they finished their mission, and made off, they had no assurance of a good raid. Apparently, before leaving home, they would tell their wives, ‘Remove your thali and store it in a pot, hanging from the ceiling. You can wear it again once I return safely!’

During the day, they normally roamed the villages like beggars to identify their targets.

This group of bandits entered the village and made straight for the Kottaiyar house, as if they knew their way. Dogs barked loudly, snarled and tried to block their way. When the bandits extended their burning torches towards them, the dogs turned tail. The dacoits were aware that animals have a natural fear of fire.

The villagers were alerted when they heard the dogs barking. Akkayya had kept strong young men armed and ready on roof tops and on the tall dense trees along the fields. When the group of dacoits entered the village, the men on the tree tops slid down with their weapons and stones, waiting for the command.

That the front gates of the Kottaiyar house were wide open surprised the dacoits. They lifted their torches high and checked the roof and the compound. There didn’t seem anything wrong. The leader gave a nod to proceed. Nine of them entered the inner courtyard.

The moment they stepped in, they slipped and fell to the floor. They had not expected this. The whole place erupted in laughter. This was unexpected too.

Since they had skidded while falling, their torches swung haywire and scorched the persons nearby. They tried rising, but as soon as they got to their knees, they fell down again. Their sturdy slippers were letting them down now.

Dacoits, by training, are good at crisis management. They are capable of making quick decisions. Some more entered, crawling in, placing their feet on the heads of the ones ahead and came into the main house. They would only slip if they stepped on the ragi seeds strewn on the floor. Now they could easily walk over this human carpet.

This move shocked Akkayya. This was the first time in his life that a plan of his had failed. Even as the dacoits had stepped in through the gates, Oorkudumban had wanted to attack with his sling. How stupid to have stopped him! Akkayya berated himself. As the bandits walked on the human carpet with their torches, Akkayya gave out a commanding call.

The men waiting along the fields ran in. Oorkudumban was having a field day with his sling. Stones from Akkayya and Krishnappa Nayakkar’s hands too cut through the air.

The sounds of stones hitting human bodies, cracking bones, men screaming in pain and anger, calls like ‘Don’t let them’ and ‘Go forward’, rent the air.

The hailstorm of stones stopped the bandits; their order disturbed, they slipped on the ragi seeds and kept slipping. They could now move neither forward nor backward.