General de la Rey was known to hold strong religious views, which colored his whole outlook.  The seer, van Rensburg, who was always full of religious talk, had in this way acquired a considerable amount of influence over General de la Rey.

     There is the best of evidence (General Beyers’s own statement)
     for the belief that he himself did not scruple to work on
     General de la Rey’s mind through his religious feelings.

Just how Beyers accomplished this has not yet been revealed, but there was material enough to his hand.  The news from Europe was disquieting.  The German drive to Paris seemed irresistible.  It looked as if in a week or two Germany would have the Allies at her mercy.

The prophet saw visions in which 40,000 German soldiers were marching up and down the streets of London.  He predicted significantly that the new South African State would have at its head “a man who feared God.”  The Government of Premier Botha and General Smuts, the Minister of Finance and Defense, was “finished.”  He had seen the English leaving the Transvaal and moving down toward Natal.  When they had gone far away, a vulture flew from among them and returned to the Boers and settled down among them.  That was Botha.  As for Smuts, he would flee desperately to England and would never be seen in South Africa again.  Through it all ran the strange number 15.

This was excellent material for the conspirators.  But the problem was to get General de la Rey away from the Parliament session at Cape Town and into the Potchefstroom camp at the psychological moment.  Beyers sent a series of urgent telegrams to Cape Town hinting at important business.  He emphasized the need for General de la Rey’s immediate presence in Potchefstroom.  He had evidently not yet broached the conspiracy to the General, but hoped only to get him to the camp at the critical moment when his presence would prove the deciding factor.

[Illustration:  [map of South Africa]]

Everything in Potchefstroom was in readiness.  The Active Citizen Force concentrated here—­about 1,600 men—­was to start the uprising.  The movement was to be promptly seconded throughout the Western Transvaal.  The “Vierkleur” was to be hoisted, and a march made on Pretoria, men and horses being commandeered on the way.  This was to take place on Tuesday, the 15th.  There was an attempt to line up the prophet to add to the theatric effect, says the report.

On the night of the 14th the “Prophet” himself was specially sent for by motor car to be personally present on the 15th to witness the consummation of his prophecy.  The conspirators hoped to profit by the impression he would undoubtedly make on those who still hesitated.

     Unfortunately for them, however, the seer refused to leave his
     home, saying that “it was not yet clear to him that that was
     his path.”