What to do now? The populace refuses to fight. The Reform Committee resolved to carry on the revolution by the means of GOLD. This is the golden city. We are all gold kings, we will let our gold fight our battles, and when everything is gained, we shall get our gold back a thousandfold. Thus they argued, and the result was, one pound sterling a day was offered to any and everybody who would take up arms and fight against the Government.

It is true a few corps—small corps, too—were raised without pay, but with the avowed object only to protect life and property and not to fight against the Government. It seems the conspirators had foreseen this apathy or want of interest on the part of the populace in their artificial revolution, for which reason they had arranged the Jameson Raid. Whoever had first thought of this arrangement, viz., Jameson’s Raid? Was it the Reform Committee, or was it the arch conspirator himself? Certain it is, it was a short-sighted policy, for Jameson’s failure, as we shall see, ruined all their hopes. But we are inclined towards the belief that, although the Reform Committee sent the invitation to Jameson, it was done by the suggestion of the arch conspirator himself—Rhodes. Of course the chief conspirators on the Rand, the originators of the so-called revolution, were nothing but the agents of their chief in Cape Town, and all they did and suggested (it must be taken for granted) emanated from their leader. And we can understand his policy. If he had left the whole conduct of the affair to the Johannesburg Committee, they might take the bit in their mouth, and strike out for themselves, and leave him out in the cold, once success was assured. They might disown him, and take all the fruits of success for themselves, and possession being ten points of the law in such a case, he would be nicely sold. To guard against this, he must have decided to have a force of his own on the spot at any cost, by which means he hoped to hold the trump cards, in case his friends tried to play him false. And his fears were not unfounded by any means, as the majority of the conspirators who joined later, and especially those who were not in all the secrets of the organisation, were in favour of retaining the republican form of government in the event of success. This was evidenced by the fact that the Committee felt themselves compelled to confess to only wishing for a reformed Republic, and not for any other form of government. This was even carried so far that (whether in good faith or not we cannot say) the Transvaal flag was hoisted on the Gold Fields Office, the headquarters of the Reform Committee. This must have caused gnashing of teeth in the private cabinet of a certain prime minister in the Cape Colony when he received the news, and even his faithful agents on the Rand must have felt terrified and troubled when they saw the prize slipping through their fingers. What account will they be able to give to their lord and master of their stewardship in case of failure? One only hope was left them—Jameson. If Jameson came they would work together harmoniously, and together subdue and conquer the Boer, after which it would be time enough, and opportunity enough, with the aid of Jameson and his victorious troopers, to enforce their views and objects on the people of the Rand.

The eyes of all the conspirators were now fixed on Jameson.

It seems Jameson had started a little too ‘previous.’ Something had gone wrong. What that something was has not as yet been revealed. However, Jameson’s premature advance precipitated matters. Everything was hurried forward. Guns and ammunition were dragged forth to the light of day from the places of concealment, where they had lain since being smuggled into the country during full six months. Enlistment at one pound sterling a day went merrily on. Twenty shillings a day for being drilled and carrying guns about in a martial way was not to be refused by the riff-raff, and even those who did not care to fight at first accepted the pay and enlisted for the sake of the pay. Drilling and enlisting went on openly in the streets of Johannesburg, and the Government, who still hoped for better counsels to prevail, and was anxious to avoid needless bloodshed, instructed the officials to withdraw the police altogether, to avoid a collision with the newly-enlisted soldiers.

The public of Johannesburg, who were indifferent and apathetic before, on the news of Jameson’s advance became enthusiastic. Here was a hero; and who does not delight in worshipping a hero? Those who were neutral and indifferent before, were neutral no longer. Those who were enthusiastic before became more so now. Here was a hero to worship. The few women who had not fled the pestilence of war, took up the cry, ‘A hero! A hero!’ Poor women, they could not afford to pay their passage from Johannesburg to fly the horrors to come, but they could still manage to find a gay bonnet and a showy dress to wear to welcome their new hero. Every garden was robbed to obtain flowers to strew the path of Jameson and his brave troopers with blossoms. ‘Jameson is coming! Jameson is coming! and will soon be here; out and meet him!’ The balconies were covered with spectators; the streets were crowded with enthusiastic men and women, all to welcome their hero. ‘He is coming. Did not our self-elected leaders declare that he had forced his way through the Boers against tremendous odds, and that he would soon be here? Nay, have not our own brave pound-a-day troops gone out to meet him and bring him in in triumph. Ladies, hold your bouquets ready to cast before his feet as he passes; men, keep your throats clear to cheer.’

‘Ah, here he comes! here he comes! Hurrah! No, it is our men leading; he is sure to be behind them. But see how their horses sweat; they must have ridden hard. Where is Jameson? Where is Jameson? Alas! their hero was but clay. They had failed him. He had tried not to fail them, but fate was stronger; justice and right were against him; while they were waiting to give him a glorious and triumphal welcome, he was a prisoner. On inquiry, it was found that the brave (?) Johannesburg troops, who had gone forth to aid Jameson, had seen a few Burghers in the distance, and thinking prudence the better part of valour, had retired.

Amidst all this revolutionary turmoil, the friends of the Government in the city of gold kept calm and cool. For the Government had yet many thousands of friends in this city. But they were quiet and calm. They had offered their full assistance to the representatives of the Government, but had been requested to keep quiet and cool—they would be called upon only when it became necessary, not before. It is believed that the Government possessed friends and strength sufficient in Johannesburg alone (without calling in the aid of any outside Burghers) to crush the rebellion. But the Government wished to avoid a collision and the consequent bloodshed as long as peace was possible, and if a stronger force was displayed around Johannesburg and Pretoria than was necessary, it was only to guard against outside interference, as well as to show Johannesburg the folly of its ways of seeking reform by force. This display of force was one of the chief factors which brought about a peaceful ending to the revolution.

CHAPTER XVII
THE FOLLY OF C. LEONARD AND HIS CLIQUE

Johannesburg, or rather the Reform Committee pretending to represent Johannesburg, did many inexplicable things during these few days of excitement.