and formed his military plans with much caution and wisdom.
A party of eighty Indians had been conducted by Caupolican to the Arauco fort ; they were employed in taking forage to the Spaniards. In place of these auxiliaries, the wily toqui substituted eighty of his own warriors. These were to conceal arms in the bundles of hay which they carried and to set upon the guards and hold the gates until the Araucanians could rush in. The guards were attacked, according to the prearranged plan, but the garrison, commanded by Francisco Reynoso, came to their assistance and drove back the Indians before Caupolican could bring up his troops. Nothing daunted the Indians attacked the walls on every side, but the fire from eighty cannons within soon compelled the attacking party to withdraw. They then threw a line about the fortress and prepared to besiege the place.
Failing in repeated sallies to dislodge their assailants, the Spaniards resolved to cut their way out and retire to the fort at Puren, for if they remained much longer they would starve. Waiting until the night was far spent, they rushed out in a body and made their way safely through the lines of their confused enemies.
The fortress in Tucapel was next assailed. Here there was a garrison of forty men, commanded by Martin Erizar. After man}' sallies, continuing through several days, the Spaniards escaped through some well planned artifice and made their way to Puren, where they joined the garrison, already augmented by the soldiers from Arauco.
Valdivia was at Concepcion. Hearing of the assaults upon his forts, he started immediately for Arauco with all his forces, probably amounting, all
