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"I'alleon captured by Drake Most reports put the ship lost at sea on its way back to England But according to your account of Thomas Cuttill, it was carried into a rain forest on the crest of a tidal wave"

"That's quite true," replied Bender "I'd have looked for her htest chance of finding anything But the jungle where she disappeared is so thick you'd literally have to stumble and fall on the wreck before you'd see it"

"You're that positive the Portuguese account of finding Cuttill is not just a fabrication or a myth?"

"It is historical fact There is no doubt about that"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I own the source"

Perlmutter was momentarily confused "I'm sorry, Mr Bender I miss your point"

"The point is, Mr Perlmutter, I have in my possession the journal of Thomas Cuttill"

"The hell you say?" Perlmutter blurted

"Indeed," Bender answered triuuese survey party with the request that it be sent to London The Portuguese, however, turned it over to the viceroy at Macapa He included it with dispatches he forwarded to Lisbon, where it passed through any nu up in an antique bookstore, where I bought it for the equivalent of thirty-six dollars

That was a lot of money back in 1937, at least to a lad of twenty-three andering the globe on a shoestring"

"The journal must be worth considerably more than thirty-six dollars today"

"I'm sure of it A dealer once offered me ten thousand for it"

"You turned him down?"

"I've never sold mementos of my journeys so someone else could profit"