This time the fighting was harder and the men suffered more. The Ninth Brigade lost its general, Fetherstonhaugh, wounded while leading. He had cantered up and down his fighting line attended by his staff, and so doing drew a severe fire from the enemy upon his men, who could not reply from fear of hitting him. At last a soldier in the ranks shouted in humorous indignation, says Mr. Kinnear, "---- thee! Get thee to----, and let's fire!" Mont Blanc was stormed by the 1st Coldstreams with splendid dash, while the Northamptons and Northumberlands attacked a high ridge to the south of it. Here Chaplain Hill, of the Ninth Brigade, covered himself with honour. He followed the fighting line and administered the last consolation of the Sacrament to the dying, standing erect where no man dared to show himself amidst the hail of bullets. It was a noble and inspiring picture; the fallen soldier prone in the grip of death; the priest upright and serene; around on every side the tumult of battle and the rush of the storming line. "Get down," shouted an officer to the chaplain; "you have no right to risk your life." "This is my place and I am doing my special business," was the answer. And the bullets left him unscathed. [Illustration: _A. Morrow._] DAVID ST. JOHN KILLED WHILE BAYONETTING A BOER.] [Sidenote: Contraventions of usages of war.] [Sidenote: [NOV. 23, 1899.] As the ridge of the second position was gained, the Boers once more took to flight, carrying with them, for the most part, their killed and wounded. A few small parties were, however, cut off and made prisoners. At this juncture there was the usual and apparently inevitable abuse of the white flag. One was raised when the British storming line was only fifty yards away. Our men at once ceased fire, whereupon a shot was fired at our men by one of the party which had raised the white flag. Nor was this an isolated incident. Colonel Crabbe, of the 3rd Grenadiers, and Lieutenant Willoughby were slightly wounded by men who fired upon them under cover of the white flag; Mr. Knight, the gallant correspondent of the Morning Post, was shot in the arm with an explosive bullet in the same manner. But even more horrible treachery was displayed by a wounded Boer to Lieutenant Blundell. That officer stooped to give his disabled enemy a drink of water, when the Boer shot him, inflicting a mortal wound.