第24部分(第3/8 頁)

　here　I　work　under　you。　Naturally　when　you　tell　me　to　go　I　will　go。　But　get　the　orders　straight。〃

〃The　orders　are　that　we　stay　here。　You　clear　the　wounded　from　here　to　the　clearing　station。〃

〃Sometimes　we　clear　from　the　clearing　station　to　the　field　hospitals　too；〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me；　I　have　never　seen　a　retreat……if　there　is　a　retreat　how　are　all　the　wounded　evacuated？〃

〃They　are　not。　They　take　as　many　as　they　can　and　leave　the　rest。〃

〃What　will　I　take　in　the　cars？〃

〃Hospital　equipment。〃

〃All　right；〃　I　said。

The　next　night　the　retreat　started。　We　heard　that　Germans　and　Austrians　had　broken　through　in　the　north　and　were　ing　down　the　mountain　valleys　toward　Cividale　and　Udine。　The　retreat　was　orderly；　wet　and　sullen。　In　the　night；　going　slowly　along　the　crowded　roads　we　passed　troops　marching　under　the　rain；　guns；　horses　pulling　wagons；　mules；　motor　trucks；　all　moving　away　from　the　front。　There　was　no　more　disorder　than　in　an　advance。

That　night　we　helped　empty　the　field　hospitals　that　had　been　set　up　in　the　least　ruined　villages　of　the　plateau；　taking　the　wounded　down　to　Plava　on　the　river…bed：　and　the　next　day　hauled　all　day　in　the　rain　to　evacuate　the　hospitals　and　clearing　station　at　Plava。　It　rained　steadily　and　the　army　of　the　Bainsizza　moved　down　off　the　plateau　in　the　October　rain　and　across　the　river　where　the　great　victories　had　menced　in　the　spring　of　that　year。　We　came　into　Gorizia　in　the　middle　of　the　next　day。