Page:A history of Chile.djvu/78

66 A HISTORY OF CHILE party, Caupolican was effecting a retreat, by which means, perhaps, the Araucanian army escaped total destruction. Having hung twelve of the ulmenes captured — Gal- verino, whose hands had been previously cut off, being among them — as a warning to the other Araucanian chiefs of what they might expect if they continued the war, Don Garcia next proceeded against the province of Tucapel. On the spot where Valdivia had been massacred, a city, called Caiiete, was founded by Mendoza, the name being derived from the titular appellation of his family. A palisade, protected by a ditch and rampart, having been constructed, Alonzo Reynoso was given the command of the post; Don Garcia himself proceeded then to Imperial, from which place he undertook to dispatch provisions to his new city of Cafiete. But a band of Araucanians fell upon his convoy and carriers in a narrow pass, obliging them to drop their burdens and flee to Caiiete for safety. The latter place was now attacked by Caupolican, but after five hours of severe fighting the Araucanians were repulsed. Caupolican now resorted to stratagem, by means of which he hoped to get his troops inside the pali- sade. He sent one of his chiefs, named Pran, to the garrison in the character of a deserter. His plan might have been successful if Pran had not formed a friendship with one of Reynoso's auxiliaries to whom he communicated his plot and requested of him his assistance in carrying it out. The Indian pretended to be in sympathy with Pran's scheme, but immediatelj' disclosed it to Rey- noso. The plan was for the Indian, who was called Andres, to admit some of the Araucanians witliin the palisade while the Spaniards were taking their morn-