mong them General de la Rey, who is a member of the
Legislative Assembly, would be in Cape Town for the session of the
Parliament.

Everything made the 15th of September look like an auspicious date for
the conspirators and those who believed in van Rensburg. But General de
la Rey still remained the storm centre. He was the factor which upset
all plans. He was the most difficult obstacle. A large personality, his
influence could never be discounted. If he could be induced to join the
conspiracy the cause was as good as won. Should he oppose the movement
it was lost, for neither Beyers nor Major Kemp, a leader in his district
in West Transvaal, could hope to do anything against General de la Rey
in the west.

General de la Rey believed in the Lichtenburg prophet. A strong man, of
extraordinary force and intelligence, the whole course of his plans
might be altered by a new vision from van Rensburg. Beyers knew this,
says the report, and saw the way by which he should win the General to
the conspiracy.

There is evidence to prove that General Beyers set himself
systematically to work in General de la Rey's mind in order to
induce him to join the conspiracy.

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 woul