Inés de Suarez, and would then return to his post. The natives, angered by the Spaniard’s relentless resistance, set fire to the nearby hay farms. The defenders couldn’t try to extinguish the flames without abandoning the trenches, and the Mapuche would not have let them, either. They had to withdraw to the plaza, which became the last and only point of resistance. The account is given that Pedro Sancho de la Hoz left his prison dragging his shackles behind him and, waving around a spear, took a place amid the defense. With a warning from Alonso de Monroy, he was allowed to remove his shackles and he fought briefly until the end of the encounter. A clergyman, Father Lobo, also helped in the battle, fighting as "a wolf amongst sheep" at the front of a cavalry charge. The Plan of Inés de Suarez After fighting for nearly 12 hours, the Spanish resistance was being defeated. Two men had already died, almost everyone was wounded, and after endless fighting with spears and sabers, the exhaustion was beginning to overwhelm them. But Inés de Suarez, the mistress of Pedro de Valdivia, had an idea that would save the lives of the Spanish conquistadors. Seeing the death of the seven captive caciques as the only hope for salvation, Inés proposed decapitating them and throwing their heads among the natives in order to cause panic. Many men thought defeat was inevitable and opposed the plan, arguing that keeping the native leaders alive was their only chance for survival. But Inés insisted in moving forward with her plan and she set off for the house where the leaders were being held. It was protected by Francisco Rubio and Hernando de la Torre, to whom she gave the orders of execution. Witnesses of the event narrate that de la Torre, upon asking in what manner they should kill the prisoners, received as his answer from Inés, “in this manner.” She then took the sword from the guard and decapitated Quilicanta and subsequently all of the caciques taken as hostages. She then, by her own hand, threw their heads among the attackers. This gesture was interpreted by the natives as a warning that if they did not retreat, they would suffer the same fate as their chiefs. Incredibly, they turned around and started the retreat even though they had victory in their hands. Consequences Almost all of