Though the assailants were departed, the minds of the inhabitants were far from being in a state of tranquillity. Next day, the market-place resounded with the screams of women, lamenting their husbands and sons, who had gone out under pretext of hunting, as slain by the confederate savages: but their speedy return to the colony dissipated the alarm excited by this false report. Our joy for their safety was equalled by their grief at hearing how many excellent horses had been carried off by the enemy. To indemnify themselves, however, for the loss, was a matter of little time and trouble; for, by a dexterous use of twenty horses, given them by their friend Oaherkaikin, and of many others which they had used on their journey, they soon after took a drove of four hundred from the Mocobios, which subsequently proved the means of acquiring still more. In the course of a few months, such was the abundance of horses in the colony, it seemed impossible that any could have been lost. The Governor Fulgentio, who had been informed by me of the danger of the colony, at length appointed ten regular soldiers for the defence of it; but as men of this description are always slow in their obedience to orders, and often refuse to comply with them altogether, they landed with us two days after the hostile incursion that I have related took place. I was greatly rejoiced at the arrival of the Spaniards, as it secured me from being left alone should fear again induce the inhabitants to desert the town; for fresh assaults were shortly to be apprehended, the Tobas being neither appeased nor satisfied with plundering horses, since they had been disappointed of an opportunity of slaying their owners. They resolved upon a fresh incursion, repeatedly exclaiming, that blood could only be repaid by blood; which being conveyed to our ears by good authority, we were under the necessity of watching day and night. The women, dreading the cruelty of the minacious Tobas, sought security in the remotest lurking places, and persuaded their sons and husbands to accompany them thither; so that in a few weeks the little town was stripped of inhabitants. The Governor continually promised to go out against the Tobas for the purpose of revenging the blood I had shed, but he did not stand to his word till six months after; meantime the hordes of Tobas had removed to more distant places: in consequence of this long delay, the joint expedition of the Spaniards and Abipones, though attended with an amazing deal of inconvenience, proved totally fruitless, the Tobas remaining undiscovered, and reckoning this vain journey of the Spaniards amongst their victories.