Litchfield enquirer., 1879-11-13
THE MYSTERY OE SASASSA e.art VALLEY. s2E5
A SOUTH AFRICAN STORY.

| !, s ! ia SOUTH AFRICAN STORY.
 Do Isknow why Tom Donahue is called
 "Lucky Tom ?" Yes; do ; and that is more I than one in ten of those who call him so can l say1 have knocked about a deal in my time
 and seen some strange sights, but none stranger
 than the way in which Tom gained that sobri. quet and his fortune with it. For was with ! him at the time. Tell it? Oh, certainly; but l it is longish story and very strange one i;
 so fill up your glass again, and light another l cigar while try to reel it off. Yes; very
 strange one; beats some fairy stories have heard but it's true, sir, every word of it.
 There are men in Cape Colony now who'll re-
 member it and confirm what 1 say. Many l time has tlIe tale been told round the fire in Boers' cabin from Orange Stafe'to Griqualand; l yes, and out in the Bush and at the Diamond l Fields too. | I'm roughish now, sir; but was entered at 1 the Middle Temple once, and studied for the Bar Tom-worse luck twas one of my fel- l low students; and wildsh time we had of it, 1 until at last our finances ran short, and we
 were compelled to give up our so-called stud l ies, and look about for some part of the world where two young fellows with strong arms and
 sound constitutions might make their mark. l In those days the tide of emigration had
 scarcely begun to set in towards Africa and | so we thought our best chance would be down
 1t Cape Colony. Well-to make long story | short-we set sail, and were depositedin Cape Town with less than five pounds in our pock- cts; and there we parted. We each tried our | hands at many things, and hadups and downs; l but when, at the end of three years, chance | led each of us up-country and we met again, we were, regret to say. in almost as bad a l plight as when we started.
 We'll, this was not much of commence | n1ent; and very dshearted we were, so dls- | hearted that Tom spoke of going back to En- gland and getting a cerkship. For you see we didn't know that we had played out all our small cards, and that the trumps were go- | ing to turn up. No; we thought our ''hands"
 were bad all through. It was very lonely
 part of the country that we were in, inhabited by a few scattered farmers, whose houses were
 stockaded and fenced in to defend them against the Kaffirs. Tom Donahue and had little right, out in the Bush but we were
 known to possess nothing, and to be handy with cur revolvers, so we had little to fear. There we waited, doing odd jobs, and hoping something would turn up. Well, after we
 had been there a month something did turn up upon a certain night, something which was the making of both of us and it's about that
 night sir, that Pm going to tell you. remem-
 Der it well. The wind was bowling past our cabin, and the rain threatened to burst in our rude window. We had great woodfire cracking and sputtering on the hearth, by
 which I was sitting mending whip, while Tom was lying in his bunk grooming disconso- lately at the chance which had led him to such place.
 ''Cheer up, Tom-cheer up," said l. 'No man ever knows what may be awaiting him. '
 "Ill-luck, ill-luck, Jack," he answered. "I always was an unlucky dog. Here have l I,oop in oh oh and see laGs fresh from England jingling the
 money in their pockets, while am as poor as when landed. An, Jack, if you want to keep your head above water, old friend you must try your fortune a,uay from me-"
 Nonsense, Tom; you're down on your luck tonight. But hark Here's some one com ing outside Dick Wharton, by the tread he'll rouse you, if any man can"
 Even as spoke, the door was flung open, and honest Dick Wharton, with the water pouring from him, stepped in, his hearty red face looming through the haze like harvest moon. He shook himself, and after greeting us sat down by the fire to warm himself
 "Whereaway, Dick n6d op tbs sueh eThbanmatsm nGhn as worse foe, than the Kat6rs, unless you keep more regular hours" < ''.' iI3 fs'. 34$
 Dick was looking unusually serious, almost frightened. one would say,if one did not know the man. Had to go." he replied-'had to go. One of Madison's cattle was seen straying down Sasassa Valley, and of course none of our blacks would go down that Valley at night; and if we had waited till morning, the brute would have been in Kafirland,"
 "Why wouldd't they go down Sasassa Val ley at night" asked Tom.
 "Kafirs l suppose" said l.
 "Ghosts," sad Dick.
 We both laughed.
 tsT cuppoca thpv didn't oiva Supl, matter of-fact fellow as you sight of their charms?' said Tom from the bunk. ,. .. ....., .- s.
 "Yes," said Dick seriously-"yes l saw what the niggers talk about; and promise you, lads l don't want ever to see it again"
 Tom sat up in his bed "Nonsense. Dick; you're joking, man! Come, tell us all about it. The legend first, and your own experience afterwards. Pass him over the bottle, Jack.
 Well. as to the legend, began Dick-''it down to them that that Sasassa Valley is haunted by frightful tiend. Hunters and wanderers passing down the defile, have seen it's glowing eyes under the shadows of the cliff and the story goes that whoever has chanced | to encounter that baleful glare, has had his af- terrific blighted by the malignant power of this creature. Whether that be true or not, continued Dick ruefully, II may have an op portunity to know for myself" @''-@t
 'OO on, Dck-SO on, Crleu lOin Lev hear about what you saw"
 '.Wel I was groping down the Valley, look
 ing for that COW of Madison's, and I had, l | suppose, got halfway down, where black l craggy cliff juts into the ravine on The right, | when halted to have pull at my flask. l had my eye fixed at the time upon the pro- l jecting cliff have mentioned, and noticed | something unusual aboatHits"~-E then put aupH my flask and took step or two forward, when in moment tliere burstiapp pparently the | base of tac rock, about eight feet from the | lurid glare. fckering and oscillating, gradually dying away and then reappearing agan- No, | no; Pyeseens many q glow worm and fre, fly; | nothing of that sort. There 1t was, burning | away, and supposed gazed at it trembling | in every limb, for fully ten minutes. Then 1 | took step forwards, when instantly it van ] ished,, vanished, like 8, candle blown, out. l l stepped back again; but itwas sometime be- 1 fore could find the exact spot and position ] from which it was visible At les.,ssasss U as before. Then screwed up my courage, | and made for the rock but the ground was SO uneven thatyi was impossible ito steer l straight; and though r walked along the l whole base of the cliff, could see nothing: l Then I made tracks for home; and can tell 1 you, boys that uptl yonremarkedsi sit, lneyer fsss xas s ssrsS se & tea1 Eao,e %, Eay aaas What indeed2 Tom was now sitting with his legs over the side of the bunk, and his whole face -betraying excitement SC, intense as to be alnost painful. t. Ule Ifend would have two eyes. How many lights did you see, Dick2 Speak out!" I "Only one." 'I16 E "Hurrah l" cried Tom-'' that's betterv' IWhereupon he kicked the blankets into the middle of the room, and began pacing up and down with long feverish strides. Suddenly he stopped opposite Dick, and laid hand upon his shoulder:t' II say, Dick, could we get to Sasassa Valley before sunrise?"
 Scarcely said Dick. IA 1
 sWell, look here; we are old friends, Dick Wharton, you and I. Now. don't you tell any other man what you have told us for a week. You'll promise that won't you?"
 Ie0gfd seebythe look en- Dicks faceas.hed acquiesced that he considering poor Tom to be mad and indeed was myself completely sc-l l--l |