The Yunnan soldiers had not travelled far when they encountered the Kuangsi troops and small skirmishes took place in "which the Kuangsi forces were defeated and fell back. This desultory warfare continued for several days with the same result and it looked as if the Kuangsi men were falling back on. Tsienkiang, which was the base of operations at that time. As a matter' of fact, they were trying to lead the Yunnan soldiers into a trap, for several thousand Kuangsi men were in hiding in the city of Laiping, off the main road, half-aday's journey, and these were trying to get around behind the Yunnan army, to attack them in the rear. Their plain of campaign teaked out, however, and so, instead of following the retreating Kuangsi soldiers, the Yunnan forces wheeled suddenly to the lef+ and, after a brisk half-day's marci, surrounded the city of Laiping. The Kuangsi troops slowly withdrew to the city and finally entered and closed the gates and fought from the city wall. Seeing. however, that they were outclassed, they asked for peace terms and negotia tions were in progress when suddenly the city gates were thrown open, the Kuangsi troops rushed cut and a terrific hand-to-hand encounter took place, in which the Euangsi men were badly worsted. The Yunnan guards at the city gates, unable to use their rifles to good advantage, stood their ground znd with their' bayonets slashed right and left, killing a great number while others managed to escape across the river. The victory for the Yunnan forces was so decisive that for a time a halt was called. The Kuangsi soldiers were now away from the river and orders were: given for the remaining Yunnan troops stationed at Liuchow to commence their journey end join their comrades at Shih-jung, half-way down the river.
Eight motor launches and about 100 native junks were cummandeered to carry rice, ammunition, artillery and wounded soldiers and, fearing lest they might be attacked en route, two large companies of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.