wd.

Careful inquiries by other local officers brought to light the
following facts:

Veld Kornet, I.E. Claassen, and Commandant F.G.A. Wolmarans of
Ward Onder Hartsrivier had been commandeering their own
burghers as well as their political friends since the first
week of August to come to the meeting which was to be held at
Treurfontein on the 15th. The instructions given to these men
were that they were to come with rifle, horse, saddle and
bridle, and as much ammunitions and provisions as they could
manage to bring.

The meeting was to be addressed by General de la Rey, and it
was generally believed that the assembled burghers would march
on Potchefstroom immediately after the meeting.

None doubted the truth of the seer's prophecy now. The Western Transvaal
took it for its guide with implicit confidence.

The strange vision of the number 15, which had long been
common knowledge, was now discussed with intense interest. The
15, it was said, signified the 15th of August, the day of the
meeting. That would be the day which had been so long
expected--the day of liberation.

Van Rensburg was now the oracle. His prophecies with regard to
the great war had been signally fulfilled. Germany was at
grips with England, and her triumph was looked upon as
inevitable.

The day had arrived to strike a blow for their lost
independence. Van Rensburg assured his following that the
Union Government was "finished." Not a shot would be fired.
The revolution would be complete and bloodless.

Between the 10th and the 15th the plotters in Lichtenburg were
actively preparing for the day. There is evidence that German
secret agents were working in concert with them. When doubters
asked how they could be so certain that the 15 signified a day
of the month--and of the month of August in particular--they
were scornfully if illogically told that "in God's time a
month sooner or later made no difference."

Of course, General de la Rey was the storm centre. He had been mentioned
in the same vision with the number 15 and it was taken for granted that
he would play the chief role in the Treurfontein meeting. De la Rey was
the unquestioned ruler of the Western Transvaal. The report states:

He possessed an unrivaled influence and was looked up to as
the uncrowned k