"Where is that thing?" Winters stopped a villager at the entrance of the village, asking anxiously, "Who lit the smoke signal?"
Seeing a thick plume of smoke rising from the direction of the Nanxin Protestant Village, Winters immediately rushed over with two borrowed fire guns.
All the way there, he harshly spurred his red-maned horse, fearing he was too late. The horse broke into a frantic gallop, swiftly arriving at Nanxin Village.
The frightened farm girl he stopped meekly led the way and took Winters to a yard at the south side of the village. A group of villagers had already gathered inside and outside the yard, whispering and discussing among themselves.
Winters's heart tightened: Had someone already fallen victim?
He rode his horse closer to the yard with quick steps, and the villagers around moved aside. Winters asked the village head straight away, "Are there any casualties? Where is that thing? Which way did it run?"