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"And hoe do that? It h"

"We could try pole-vaulting over it"

Giordino looked at Pitt queerly "You "

"I am" Pitt pulled a coil of rope from his knapsack "Can you still climb a tree or does your arthritis limit any physical activity?"

"My aging joints aren't half as stiff as yours"

Pitt slapped his old friend on the shoulder "Then let's see if two old fogeys can still perforility"

After breakfast at the lodge, and true to their ith Rathbone, Pitt and Giordino had latched on to a tour guide as leading a dozen tourists through the wildlife reserve, and took a nature hike They hung in the back of the group, talking between the the abundance of wildly colored birds and strange animals

When they returned to the lodge, Pitt made some discreet inquiries about the old e said that as far as they knew, Rathbone was siistered If he owned a chain of lodges up and down the river, it was news to them

At noon, they loaded up the Greek Angel with their gear and a few sandwiches froht on the first flick of the starter and they headed out of the lagoon into the ave way tohills, with trees neatly spaced as if planted by a landscaper in a vast park

El Castillo was only six kilohtly above idle, rounding the final bend an hour later before passing under the colonial fortress that loomed above the town Moss spread over the ancient lava rock ruins, giving it the appearance of an ugly blot on an otherwise gorgeous landscape, while the picturesque little town beloith its roofs of red tin and colorfully painted pangas littering the riverbank, see oasis

Except for river traffic, the village of El Castillo was completely detached from the rest of the world There were no roads in or out, no cars and no airport The residents subsisted by far in the sawmill or palm oil factory twenty kilometers up the river

Pitt and Giordino wanted to be seen co community as they continued their cruise up the river toward Lake Nicaragua, so they tied up the panga at a small dock and walked about fifty yards up a dirt road toward a little hotel with a bar and restaurant They passed several gaily painted wooden houses and waved to three freshly scrub

bed little girls in yellow dresses ere playing barefoot on a porch

They saved their sandwiches froht excursion and ordered a lunch of fresh fish from the river, downed by the local beer

The owner, whose naaspar It's not often caught, and when prepared with reat delicacy"