THE MYSTERY OF SASASSA
VALLEY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE
Do I know why Tom Donahue is called "Lucky Tom"? Yes, I do; and
that is more than one in ten of those who call him so can say. I have
knocked about a deal in my time, and seen some strange sights, but none
stranger than the way in which Tom gained that sobriquet, and his fortune
with it. For I was with him at the time. Tell it? Oh, certainly; but it is a
longish story and a very strange one; so fill up your glass again, and light
another cigar, while I try to reel it off. Yes, a very strange one; beats some
fairy stories I have heard; but it\'s true, sir, every word of it. There are men
alive at Cape Colony now who\'ll remember it and confirm what I say.
Many a time has the tale been told round the fire in Boers\' cabins from
Orange state to Griqualand; yes, and out in the bush and at the diamondfields
too.
I\'m roughish now, sir; but I was entered at the Middle Temple once,
and studied for the bar. Tom--worse luck!--was one of my fellow- students;
and a wildish time we had of it, until at last our finances ran short, and we
were compelled to give up our so-called studies, and look about for some
part of the world where two young fellows with strong arms and sound
constitutions might make their mark. In those days the tide of emigration
had scarcely begun to set in toward Africa, and so we thought our best
chance would be down at Cape Colony. Well,--to make a long story short,-
-we set sail, and were deposited in Cape Town with less than five pounds
in our pockets; and there we parted. We each tried our hands at many
things, and had ups and downs; but when, at the end of three years, chance
led each of us up-country and we met again, we were, I regret to say, in
almost as bad a plight as when we started.