After a brief skirmish, the two forces raced toward the ford.

I was surprised but pleased by how little human blood had been spilled in the brief skirmish.

But except for a brief skirmish between the police and workers near the hotel entrance, nothing happened.

After a brief skirmish, they withdrew, leaving two of their number dead.

The militia was forced to retreat after a very brief skirmish.

I fought a brief skirmish in my mind, and, as usual, common sense lost.

A brief skirmish, a few deaths, and the American public will be screaming for a withdrawal.

Neither, certainly, had been the two brief skirmishes with bandits.

Their fight had been, after all, only the first, brief skirmish in a long, long war.

There is very little combat to be seen beyond brief skirmishes between bands of soldiers.