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4
trenches and prepared to dispute any attempt to
cross the river.
6.
During the latter part of November, when these manoeuvres were in progress, the Kwangsi commanders were mobilizing their forces and moving them down the West River, while Cheung Fat-fui transferred his army from Hunan through Kwangsi to the border of Kwangtung. On December 1st the latter crossed the border and by December 4th had reached the North River at Tsing-yuen. By this time reinforcements
from Nanking had reached Kwangtung and the Cantonese changed their original plan of defence. They now felt themselves strong enough to risk a decisive
engagement and accordingly abandoning any attempt to defend the line of the North River, they withdrew to
entrenched positions extending from Kwan Tin on the Canton-Hankow railway to Kwun Iu in the direction of
Sam Shui, allowing both Cheung's "Ironsides" and the Kwangsi army to cross unmolested. The former marched
across country to Fa Yuen before turning South
towards Canton, while the latter kept to the West
of the railway. On the evening of December 8th the Kwangsi troops began an attack on the Cantonese
positions at Kwan Tin, which continued at intervals
for several days without meeting with any success.
Meanwhile the ironsides had penetrated the defences on
the North East side of Canton, which had been less
carefully prepared; but they were driven back by
reinforcements brought across from the Western Sector.
On