ence. A number of
the Spaniards had fallen, and were instantly despatched and trampled on
by the infuriated Indians. At last a few, by desperate efforts, again
united, and fought their way up to the house; when some of the garrison,
who had been anxiously watching them, made a sortie by a side door, and
succeeded in keeping the enemy at bay, while the greater number,
desperately wounded, retired inside. For a minute, from the rush the
Indians made towards the door, I thought that they had succeeded in
entering at the same time, and I expected to hear the sounds of strife
below me; but the soldiers drove them back, and once more shut
themselves in.

Meantime the assault on the front of the house was going on vigorously.
An attempt was made to bring the battering-ram into play; but so many of
the people working it were shot, that it was allowed to drop close to
the wall. It served, however, as a sort of platform, from whence some
of the Indians could throw their spears into the crevices of the
windows, while others attempted to force them open with their clubs, and
those armed with muskets continued a hot fire from the walls, and from
every spot where they could find shelter. From the groans I heard from
below, it was evident that many of the shots had pierced the shutters
and wounded the defenders of the house.

While the scenes I have described were going on in my immediate
vicinity, I observed that in the distance the main body of the Indians
were engaged in a hot engagement with the troops who had marched towards
the pass. The light artillery of the former, though of no use for
distant firing, had been judiciously placed in commanding positions, and
masked with breastworks of stone and earth hastily thrown up. Their
fire was reserved till the Spaniards got close to them; then from each
battery the iron shower went forth, sweeping through the ranks of the
Spanish troops. I could see them waver and attempt to turn back; but
urged on by their officers, they again advanced. A portion attempted to
storm the heights on which the cannon were posted; but thousands of
Indians were behind the batteries, and they were driven back with great
slaughter. Still the rest marched on. Sometimes they were concealed
from my sight, and I could only judge by the movements of the Indians on
the higher ground that the fight was continuing; then again a turn of
the path brought them once more in view. Their numbers were fast
dim