第5部分(第3/8 頁)

mpty　car　to　find　the　man　from　Pittsburgh。　First　we　passed　the　regiment；　hotter　and　slower　than　ever：　then　the　stragglers。　Then　we　saw　a　horse　ambulance　stopped　by　the　road。　Two　men　were　lifting　the　hernia　man　to　put　him　in。　They　had　e　back　for　him。　He　shook　his　head　at　me。　His　helmet　was　off　and　his　forehead　was　bleeding　below　the　hair　line。　His　nose　was　skinned　and　there　was　dust　on　the　bloody　patch　and　dust　in　his　hair。

〃Look　at　the　bump；　lieutenant！〃　he　shouted。　〃Nothing　to　do。　They　e　back　for　me。〃

When　I　got　back　to　the　villa　it　was　five　o'clock　and　I　went　out　where　we　washed　the　cars；　to　take　a　shower。　Then　I　made　out　my　report　in　my　room；　sitting　in　my　trousers　and　an　undershirt　in　front　of　the　open　window。　In　two　days　the　offensive　was　to　start　and　I　would　go　with　the　cars　to　Plava。　It　was　a　long　time　since　I　had　written　to　the　States　and　I　knew　I　should　write　but　I　had　let　it　go　so　long　that　it　was　almost　impossible　to　write　now。　There　was　nothing　to　write　about。　I　sent　a　couple　of　army　Zona　di　Guerra　post…cards；　crossing　out　everything　except；　I　am　well。　That　should　handle　them。　Those　post…cards　would　be　very　fine　in　America；　strange　and　mysterious。　This　was　a　strange　and　mysterious　war　zone　but　I　supposed　it　was　quite　well　run　and　grim　pared　to　other　wars　with　the　Austrians。　The　Austrian　army　was　created　to　give　Napoleon　victories；　any　Napoleon。　I　wished　we　had　a　Napoleon；　but　instead　we　had　Ii　Generale　Cadorna；　fat　and　prosperous　and　Vittorio　Emmanuel