>>42353263But the wind continued to call to him. And DeFago became more tense and more restless.
''Da-Faaaaaaaaay-go!'' it called. ''Da-faaaaaaaaay-go!'' Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, and he began to run from the tent. But the hunter grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground.
''You can't leave me out here," the hunger shouted.
Then the wind called again, and DeFago broke loose and ran into the darkness. The hunter could hear him screaming as he went. Again and again he cried, "Oh, my fiery feet, my burning feet of fire& '' Then his voice faded away, and the wind died down.
At daybreak, the hunter followed DeFago's tracks in the snow. They went through the woods, down toward the lake, then out onto the ice.
But soon he noticed something strange. The steps DeFago had taken got longer and longer. They were so long no human being could have taken them. It was as if comething had helped him to hurry away.
The hunter followed the tracks out to the middle of the lake, but there they disappeared. At first, he thought that DeFago had fallen through the ice, but there wasn't any hole. Then he thought that something had pulled him off the ice into the sky. But that made no sense.
As he stood wondering what had happened, the wind picked up again. Soon it was howling as it had the night before. Then he heard DeFago's voice. It was coming from up above, and again he heard DeFago screaming, ''& My fiery feet, my burning feet& '' But there was nothing to be seen.
Now the hunted wanted to leave that place as fast as he could. He went back to camp and packed. Then he left some food for DeFago, and he started out. Weeks later he reached civilization.