lions of the enemy in
view, and it being now drawing towards evening, Valdivia determined
upon making a retreat before his men and horses should be entirely worn
out and disabled by incessant action. He accordingly gave orders to his
men to retreat, that they might reach a narrow pass about a league and a
half from the field of battle, where they would be secure against
attack, as in that place two Spaniards on foot were able to keep off the
whole army of the Araucanians. He accordingly issued orders to his
soldiers to retreat to that narrow defile, passing the word from rank to
rank, with directions to turn and make head occasionally against the
enemy. At this time Valdivia was attended by an Araucanian, youth named
_Lautaro_, the son of an ulmen, who had been bred up in his family from
a boy, and baptized by the name of Philip. Knowing both languages, and
being more biassed by affection to his country than love to God or
fidelity to his master, on hearing the orders given to retreat, he
called out to the Araucanians not to be satisfied with the retreat of
the Spaniards, but immediately to take possession of the narrow pass, by
which they would ensure the entire destruction of their enemies. To
encourage his countrymen by his example as well as his words, Lautaro
took up a lance from the ground, with which he joined the foremost rank
of the Araucanians, and assisted them to fight against his former
master."

"When the Araucanian captain observed the Spaniards preparing to retire,
he immediately followed the advice of Lautaro, and ordered two fresh
battalions of his troops to hasten in good order to occupy the narrow
pass, and to use their utmost efforts to defend it till the rest of the
army could get up to their assistance. With the remainder of his troops
he pressed on against the retreating Spaniards, still plying them as
from the first with fresh bodies of his men, and not allowing a moments
respite to the enemy. On coming to the entrance of the narrow pass,
where they expected to have been in safety, the Spaniards found it
already occupied by the enemy, and began to despair of being able to
escape. At this time, perceiving that both the Spanish men and horses
were completely tired, the Araucanians broke in among them, fifteen or
twenty of them seizing upon one horse, some catching him by the legs,
others by the tail, and others by the mane; while others knocked down
both men and horses with their great war-clubs,