But the Araucanians had little faith in Spanish promises, and an
old warrior who stood near ended the matter by raising his war-club and
dashing out the captive's brains. Thus tragically ended the career of one
of the least cruel of the Spanish conquerors. He paid the penalty of his
disdain of Indian courage.
Lantaro, the boy hero, had the blood of chiefs in his veins, and was
endowed by nature with beauty of person, nobleness of character, and
intrepidity of soul. His people honored him highly in the festival with
which they celebrated their victory, and Caupolican appointed him his
special lieutenant, raising him to a rank in the army nearly equal to his
own.
There was fighting still to be done. The leader of the Spaniards was dead,
but he had left many behind him, and there were still strongholds in the
Indian country held by Spanish arms. On hearing of the terrible disaster
to their cause, the Spaniards hastily evacuated their forts beyond the
Biobio and retired to the towns of Imperial and Valdivia. Here they were
besieged by Caupolican, while Lantaro was given the difficult task of
defending the border-land about the frontier stream.
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