SUCCESS OF THE INDIANS. 



205 



carried off by the murderous robbers, but all the images and 

 religious emblems were sacrilegiously destroyed before the Indians 

 fled to the country. 



Fajardo once more despatched Juan Barraza, with three hundred 

 Spanish soldiers and some Indians against the rebel Tarahumares. 

 But the tribe had, in its intercourse with the foreigners, acquired 

 some little knowledge of the art of war and consequently did not 

 await the expected attack in the open or level fields, where the 

 Spanish cavalry could act powerfully against them. They re- 

 tired, accordingly, to a rocky pass, flanked by two streams, 

 which they fortified, at all points, with stone walls and other 

 formidable impediments. Here they rested in security until the 

 Spanish forces approached them ; nor did they, even then abandon 

 their defensive warfare. Barraza, finding the Indians thus skil- 

 fully entrenched behind barriers and ready to repel his attack, was 

 unable, after numerous efforts, to dislodge them from their position. 

 Indeed, he appears to have suffered serious losses in his vain 

 assaults ; so that, instead of routing the natives entirely, he found 

 it necessary to withdraw his troops who were greatly weakened by 

 losses, whilst the daring insurgents continually received auxiliary 

 reinforcements. In this untoward state of affairs, Barraza resolved 

 to make his escape, during the night, from such dangerous 

 quarters, and, ordering his Indian allies to light the usual watch- 

 fires, and keep up the ordinary bustle of a camp, he silently but 

 gradually withdrew all his Spanish and native forces, so that at 

 daybreak the Tarahumares found the country cleared of their foes. 



As soon as Fajardo heard of the forced retreat of Barraza he 

 determined to take the management of the campaign in his own 

 hands. But his military efforts were as unsuccessful as those of 

 his unfortunate captain. The rainy season came on before he 

 could make a successful lodgement in the heart of the enemy's 

 country, and his march was impeded by floods which destroyed the 

 roads and rendered the streams impassable. Accordingly he 

 retired to Parral, where he received orders from the viceroy to 

 establish a garrison in Papigochi. 



The Spaniards found that their cruelty in the first campaign 

 against these untamed savages had inflamed their minds against 

 the viceroyal troops. They attempted, therefore, to use, once 

 more, the language of persuasion, and, offering the insurgents a 

 perfect amnesty for the past, prevailed upon the old inhabitants 

 of the vale of Papigochi to return to their former residences, 



27 



