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 56 A HISTORY OF CHILE about the Biobio, and, immediately assuming the hazardous task, fortified himself on the precipitous mountain of Mariguenu, one of the strongest natural defences in the south. About this time, Lincoyan fell upon a party of four- teen Spanish horsemen on their way from Imperial to Tucapel and so destructive was the slaughter that but seven of the cavaliers made their escape. Tidings of these reverses, reached Concepcion, as well as the two Promaucians who had escaped from the battle of Tucapel, and, as we may suppose, filled the hearts of the inhabitants with terror, stout hearted Spaniards though they were. Valdivia having been slain, the secret instructions which he had left were opened by the magistrates. He had signified that, in the event of his death, the successors in the government of Chile should be Alderete, Aguirre and Villagran. Alderete, as we have seen, was at this time in Europe; Aguirre was conquering the province of Cujo on the other side of the mountains ; Villagran alone, there- fore, was prepared to assume the reins of government. Making careful preparations, Villagran crossed the Biobio with a small Spanish army and a body of Indian auxiliaries and began a march against the Araucanians. In a narrow pass at the Mariguenu mountain, a strong force of Lautaro's men fell upon him and gave him three hours of hard fighting, at the end of which time the Indians withdrew to the moun- tain, where Lautaro commanded in person behind a strong palisade. A body of Spanish horsemen under- took to force a passage up the side of the steep moun- tain, but were met near the summit with such a shower of missiles that Villagran ordered the musket- eers and artillerymen to advance to their support. Lautaro had dispatched a body of his warriors to