His son was dead. His men were unruly and murmuring ... but yet the four refiners' houses, and they were the best houses. Keymis had the governor's servant in his hands, Keymis was within eight miles of the mine: gallant was the death his son had died.... (Would God he were there in person within eight miles of the mine!) He turned to Peter Andrews and the Indian pilot and began to question them eagerly. From them he learned the details of the expedition, since their start on the 10th of December. They came in sight of Point Araya on New Year's Day, and soldiers were landed before sunset. Ralegh frowned to hear that the Spaniards at the newly raised village--San Thome they called it,--were in readiness, and that an ambuscade had been prepared. Palomeque de Acuna had been forewarned by despatch from Madrid--Ah! the accursed delay and the still more accursed disloyalty of his King--Ralegh learned of the treachery and the disaster--slowly, for his heart and mind were heavy at the bad news of his son's death, and Peter Andrews was often interrupted in his confused story by the impatience of his admiral. But this is the gist of what had happened. The Englishmen had encamped by the river bank. As soon as night fell on the land, Geronimo de Grados led his men from their ambuscade in front of the village down upon the English, who were taken completely at unawares. The common sort were panic-stricken, and had not the captains and some valiant gentlemen, among whom was one John Hampden (a staunch admirer of Ralegh and famous in history), set a valiant example, the whole company would have been cut to pieces. As it was, the Spaniards were at last driven back. They were driven right back to the village of St. Thomas, the position of which was not known. There the retreating men of Geronimo de Grados were joined by a fresh force under Diego Palomeque, the governor, and then the English were checked in their pursuit. They began to waver. But young Walter Ralegh cried out cheerily to the pikemen, who were ahead of the musketeers, to advance after him, and waving his sword he led them to the fight afresh. Straight for Palomeque, the governor, he dashed and slew him. A hand to hand jabbing fight ensued, and muskets were fired at very close quarters. Young Ralegh was wounded. He paid no heed to his wound; with blood streaming from his wound he advanced against a Spaniard named Erinetta. But his quickness had lessened, as his strength ebbed from him. Erinetta swung his musket and the stock crashed on young Ralegh's skull: but Erinetta could not recover himself and he was immediately beaten to the ground. The Spaniards began to give way again. They fled. They fled for refuge to a monastery of St. Francis; the soldiers under George Ralegh and Keymis stormed the monastery and drove the Spaniards into the woods, and finally for refuge into their last stronghold where the women and children had been taken from St. Thomas. The battle was at an end.