l in this direction
was felt all over Cape Colony. Their aim was to reduce the register in
order to bring about a considerable falling off of voters for the
Afrikander Bond, and thereby substantially influence the results of the
next election to the Cape Parliament.

At this period certain overtures were made once again to the Bond party.
They proceeded apparently from men supposed to act on their own
initiative, but who were known to be in favour at Groote Schuur. These
advances met with no response, but when the rumour that they had been made
spread among the public owing to an indiscretion, Rhodes hastened to deny
that he had been a party to the plan--as was his wont when he failed to
achieve. All the same, it is a fact that members of the House of Assembly
belonging to the Afrikander party visited Groote Schuur in the course of
that last winter which Rhodes spent there, and were warmly welcomed.
Rhodes showed himself unusually gracious. He hoped these forerunners would
rally his former friends to his side once more. But Rhodes was expecting
too much, considering ail the circumstances. Faithful to his usual
tactics, even whilst his Afrikander guests were being persuaded to lend
themselves to an intrigue from which they had hoped to win something,
Rhodes was making himself responsible for another step likely to render
the always strong hatred even more acute than ever. More than that, he was
advocating, through certain underground channels, the suspension of the
Constitution in Cape Colony.

[Illustration: THE RT. HON. SIR W.F. HELY-HUTCHINSON]

The particulars of this incident were only disclosed after the war was
over. The whole thing was thrashed out in Parliament and its details
communicated to the public by Mr. David de Waal, one of the truest friends
Mr. Rhodes ever had. The discussion took place after Sir Alfred Milner had
been transferred to Johannesburg and Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson had taken
his place in Cape Town. The South African League had become more active
than ever, and was using all its influence to secure a majority for its
members at the next general election. The Bond, on its side, had numerous
adherents up country, and the stout Dutch farmers had remained faithful to
their old allegiance, so there was no hope that they would be induced,
even through the influence of money, to give their votes to the
Progressives. The only things which remained were: a redistribution of
seats, then a clearing o