When the fighting commenced just over two months ago the government forces numbered at the lowest estimate 85,000 men, while Tang Chi-yao, the victor, had a force of about 3,000 to 5,000 he former were, equipped for the most part with mountain artillery and some modern rifles, while it is reported that the latter had no artillery of any Kind, with the possible exception of a few mule guns. At the finish, however, the tables were completely turned and ang has now at least 25,000 well equipped men, all seasoned fighters and most of them desperate because their lives are forfeit should they suffer defeat. They are for the most part erstwhile bandits filled with a lust for slaughter and vengeance, and so in the fighting they were cager to be at the forefront of the battle, while it is reported that Wu Hsiohhsien, the robber chief, offered to forfeit his head if he did not capture the provincial capital within a given time, and now the remnants of Ku's army are wandering aimlessly round the country secking fo escape the vengeance that has overtaken their commander and his staff.
"The first disaster to Ku occurred between Kaibua and Mengtze when an army of 5,000 murdered their general and went over to Tang in a body. Tt would appear as though the whole affair had been pre-arranged, though the excuse given by the authorities is that the government soldiers could not stand the terrific firing of the enemy and Jost heart and mutinied.
The second disaster took place a few weeks Jater when another army of several thousand men, who had been sent to oppose Tang's advance on Mengtze, also revolted and the majority of them went over to the enemy, and after this the advance of Tang became practically a triumphal procession, and in a few days he was welcomed into Mengtze by the people who regarded him as a deliverer from the fear of the bandits who had already occupied the city in Tang's name.
There was desultory fighting between Pisehchai and Amicheo, and in spite of the fact that Ku Ping-chen had given orders that the latter city was to be held at all costs, it was surrendered by his soldiers, who appeared to be panic-stricken at the approach of Wu Hsieh-hsien, the bandit general. They stamped into the waiting trains and hardly had Ku himself reached Pohsi—the next city on his line of retreat—before his cowardly army arrived and got ready to clear out as soon as possible.
Ku Ping-chen, seeing that his men were unwilling to fight, had perforce to order another retreat to Sukistu, where a stand was made and a battle fought resulting in another defeat for his army, and a eneral retreat towards Yunnanfu ordered as a matter of course t first was orderly enough. But it soon became apparent that the soldiers had no stomach for real ~hting and ere long they became disorganized and degenerated into a disorder] lob making for Yihang, had established his head Here, it was hoped that the troops, being stiff fenned by new brigades from Yunnanfu, would be willing to make another stand and at least attempt to stem the triumphal march of Tang Chi-yao and his men, until some sort of an armistice could be arranged with a view to surrender and peace. What, however, happened at other places was repeated at Yiliang, for Ku within an hour of the arrival of his enemies was still at Yiliang and alone, his army having fled in all directions leaving their commander-in-chief _practically deserted.
It is difficult to explain why this happened for it is certain that he only had a small bodyguard when he was captured a day later in the hills just a little distance from the town. It is possible that he depended too much on the ability of the Consuls to arrange an armistice for already delegates had left Yunnanfu to meet him and talk matters over, and if this is a true view of the position, then his credulity cost him dear, for he had scarcely left the town when the opposing forces entered it under Hu Reh-yn and Wu Hsieh-hsien, and the latter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.