Page 95 (2/2)

Morales shook his head "It's a ways He will spend the night and come back tomorrow"

Thinking of Ga he could do The farmer's wife packed food in a cotton, sack, and her husband clioodbye to his farand adventure Trout watched the burro plod down a trail and prayed the unsteady animal would last the trip The farmer's wife offered the use of her hoht with relatives She was back by the time Trout and the pilot returned to the but to see if Morales ake Then she prepared tortillas and beans for everyone

After breakfast Trout took some tortillas out to Ruiz Morales unlocked the chiclero's cuffs but kept his legs bound Ruiz noisily devoured the tortillas, and Morales gave hiratefully The crash had wiped the cocky sneer off his face, and he was more than cooperative when Morales asked a series of questions

"He started working with this gang of looters about six ather chime sap before that, but I don't believe hiain,"It is as I thought He is a thief He used to steal fro to Merida A friend told hi artifacts The work is harder, but the pay is better and there is less risk"

:Ask hiested

Ruiz shrugged when the question was presented to him Morales said, "He worked for athe ruins There is a s trenches The jades and the pots with the black lines are the best, he says Maybe two hundred to five hundred dollars for one pot His boss takes his cut and arranges transport"

"Transport to where?" Trout said

"He's not sure," Morales translated "He thinks his boss was connected with people operating out of the Petan, just over the border in Guatemala"

"How does he get the artifacts there?"

"He says they would oods down the river in the so to Carmelita or probably across the border to Belize I have heard what happens then The artifacts go on planes or ships to Belgiulanced, almost with pity, at Ruiz "If this toothless idiot only knew these people make hundreds of thousands of dollars and he takes all the risks" He chuckled Ruiz, sensing a joke but not understanding with his lirinned his toothless grin

Trout turned the information over in hisoperation They escaped on the river, using the same ro

ute as the set ahen the helicopter found the spot was from the rapids

"Couple of nights on the river, he says He doesn't know the distance in oes dry, in places sometimes, and they work it after the rainy season"

At Trout's request, the pilot dug athe information from Ruiz There was no way to trace the course Gamay would take

The interrogation was interrupted by a co across the cornfield, shouting in his highpitched voice He rushed up to the helicopter and announced breathlessly that his father was home They retied Ruiz and went back to the hut