Page:A history of Chile.djvu/86

74 A HISTORY OF CHILE his troops might encamp above the moist earth, like the ancient lake-dwellers of Switzerland. Here he rapidly accumulated an army, calling together the youth of the country and exercising them daily in military tactics, until he deemed himself sufficiently strong to quit his retreat and send out expeditions into the Spanish settlements. When news of these expeditions reached Villagran at Santiago, he hurriedly collected a small force and dispatched his son Pedro against the Indians. For a while unimportant skirmishes took place between the opposing forces. In the first of these Antiguenu met with slight reverses; at another time he defeated a body of Spaniards under Arias Pardo. At length Antiguenu stationed himself upon the top of the almost impregnable Mariguenu, the stronghold of the Araucanian country. The son of Villagran was sent with a strong force against him, but was himself killed ' in the battle which ensued and his army cut to pieces. Antiguenu, greatly elated with his signal victory, now marched against Canete. The inhabitants learn- ing of his approach, withdrew to Imperial and Con- cepcion, and the Indians burned the deserted town. About this time the indomitable Villagran died, it is said of grief, appointing as his successor his son Pedro. Antiguenu was now more active than ever. Collecting an army of 4,000 warriors, he sent one half of it against Concepcion under the command of his able vice-toqui, Antunecul. With the other division he marched against the fort in Arauco, which was garrisoned by troops under Lorenzo Bernal. Antunecul with his division defeated the governor, Pedro, in two attacks, and then began the siege of Concepcion which he continued for two months. The Spaniards received provisions by way of the sea,