〃Here it is a great thing；〃 Aymo said。 〃A bicycle is a splendid thing。〃
〃I wish to Christ we had bicycles；〃 Bonello said。 〃I'm no walker。〃
〃Is that firing？〃 I asked。 I thought I could hear firing a long way away。
〃I don't know；〃 Aymo said。 He listened。
〃I think so；〃 I said。
〃The first thing we will see will be the cavalry；〃 Piani said。
〃I don't think they've got any cavalry。〃
〃I hope to Christ not；〃 Bonello said。 〃I don't want to be stuck on a lance by any……cavalry。〃
〃You certainly shot that sergeant； Tenente；〃 Piani said。 We were walking fast。
〃I killed him；〃 Bonello said。 〃I never killed anybody in this war； and all my life I've wanted to kill a sergeant。〃
〃You killed him on the sit all right；〃 Piani said。 〃He wasn't flying very fast when you killed him。〃
〃Never mind。 That's one thing I can always remember。 I killed that……of a sergeant。〃
〃What will you say in confession？〃 Aymo asked。
〃I'll say； 'Bless me； father； I killed a sergeant。〃 They all laughed。
〃He's an anarchist；〃 Piani said。 〃He doesn't go to church。〃
〃Piani's an anarchist too；〃 Bonello said。
〃Are you really anarchists？〃 I asked。
〃No； Tenente。 We're socialists。 We e from Imola。〃
〃Haven't you ever been there？〃
〃No。〃
〃By Christ it's a fine place； Tenente。 You e there after the war and we'll show you something。〃
〃Are you all socialists？〃
〃Everybody。〃
〃Is it a fine town？〃
〃Wonderful。 You never saw a town like that。〃
〃How did you get to be socialists？〃
〃We're all socialists。 Everybody is a socialist。 We've always been socialists。〃
〃You e； Tenente。 We'll make you a socialist too。〃
Ahead the road turned off to the left and there was a little hill and； beyond a stone wall； an apple orchard。 As the road went uphill they ceased talking。 We walked along together all going fast against time。
30
Later we were on a road that led to a river。 There was a long line of abandoned trucks and carts on the road leading up to the bridge。 No one was in sight。 The river was high and the bridge had been blown up in the centre； the stone arch was fallen into the river and the brown water was going over it。 We went on up the bank looking for a place to cross。 Up ahead I knew there was a railway bridge and I thought we might be able to get across there。 The path was wet and muddy。 We did not see any troops； only abandoned trucks and stores。 Along the river bank there was nothing and no one but the wet brush and muddy ground。 We went up to the bank and finally we saw the railway bridge。
〃What a beautiful bridge；〃 Aymo said。 It was a long plain iron bridge across what was usually a dry river…bed。
〃We'd better hurry and get across before they blow it up；〃 I said。
〃There's nobody to blow it up；〃 Piani said。 〃They're all gone。〃
〃It's probably mined；〃 Bonello said。 〃You cross first； Tenente。〃
〃Listen to the anarchist；〃 Aymo said。 〃Make him go first。〃
〃I'll go；〃 I said。 〃It won't be mined to blow up with one man。〃
〃You see；〃 Piani said。 〃That is brains。 Why haven't you brains； anarchist？〃
〃If I had brains I wouldn't be here；〃 Bonello said。
〃That's pretty good； Tenente；〃 Aymo said。
〃That's pretty good；〃 I said。 We were close to the bridge now。 The sky had clouded over again and it was raining a little。 The bridge looked long and solid。 We climbed up the embankment。
〃e one at a time；〃 I said and started across the bridge。 I watched the ties and the rails for any trip…wires or signs of explosive but I saw nothing。 Down below the gaps in the ties the river ran muddy and fast。 Ahead across the wet countryside I could see Udine in the rain。 Across the bridge I looked back。 Just up the river was another bridge。 As I watched； a yellow mud…colored motor car crossed it。 The sides of the bridge were high and the body of the car； once on； was out of sight。 But I saw the heads of the driver； the man on the seat with him； and the two men on the rear seat。 They all wore German helmets。 Then the car was over the bridge and out of sight behind the trees and the abandoned vehicles on the road。 I waved to Aymo who was crossing and to the others to e on。 I climbed down and crouched beside the railway embankment。 Aymo came down with me。
〃Did you see the car？〃 I asked。
〃No。 We were watching you。〃
〃A German staff car crossed on the upper bridge。〃
〃A staff car？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Holy Mary。〃
The others came and we all crouched in the mud behind the embankment； looking across the rails at the bridge； the line of trees； the ditch and the road。
〃Do you think we're cut off then； Tenente？〃
〃I don't know。 All I know is a German staff car went along that road。〃
〃You don't feel funny； Tenente？ You haven't got strange feelings in the head？〃
〃Don't be funny； Bonello。〃
〃What about a drink？〃 Piani asked。 〃If we're cut off we might as well have a drink。〃 He unhooked his canteen and uncorked it。
〃Look！ Look！〃 Aymo said and pointed toward the road。 Along the top of the stone bridge we could see German helmets moving。 They were bent forward and moved smoothly； almost supernatu rally； along。 As they came off the bridge we saw them。 They were bicycle troops。 I saw the faces of the first two。 They were ruddy and healthy…looking。 Their helmets came iow down over their foreheads and the side of their faces。 Their carbines were clipped to the frame of the bicycles。 Stick bombs hung handle down from their belts。 Their helmets and their gray uniforms were wet and they rode easily； looking ahead and to both sides。 There were two……then four in line； then two； then almost a dozen； then another dozen…… then one alone。 They did not talk but we could not have heard them because of the noise from the river。 They were gone out of sight up the road。
〃Holy Mary；〃 Aymo said。
〃They were Germans；〃 Piani said。 〃Those weren't Austrians。〃
〃Why isn't there somebody here to stop them？〃 I said。 〃Why haven't they blown the bridge up？ Why aren't there machine…guns along this embankment？〃
〃You tell us； Tenente；〃 Bonello said。
I was very angry。
〃The whole bloody thing is crazy。 Down below they blow up a little bridge。 Here they leave a bridge on the main road。 Where is everybody？ Don't they try and stop them at all？〃
〃You tell us； Tenente；〃 Bonello said。 I shut up。 It was none of my business； all I had to do was to get to Pordenone with three ambulances。 I had failed at that。 All I had to do now was get to Pordenone。 I probably could not even get to Udine。 The hell I couldn't。 The thing to do was to be calm and not get shot or captured。
〃Didn't you have a canteen open？〃 I asked Piani。 He handed it to me。 I took a long drink。 〃We might as well start；〃 I said。 〃There's no hurry though。 Do you want to eat something？〃
〃This is no place to stay；〃 Bonello said。
〃All right。 We'll start。〃
〃Should we keep on this side……out of sight？〃
〃We'd be better off on top。 They may e along this bridge too。 We don't want them on top of us before we see them。〃
We walked along the railroad track。 On both sides of us stretched the wet plain。 Ahead across the plain was the hill of Udine。 The roofs fell away from the castle on the hill。 We could see the campanile and the clock…tower。 There were many mulberry trees in the fields。 Ahead I saw a place where the rails were torn up。 The ties had been dug out too and thrown down the embankment。
〃Down！ down！〃 Aymo said。 We dropped down beside the embankment。 There was another group of bicyclists passing along the road。 I looked over the edge and saw them go on。
〃They saw us but they went on；〃 Aymo said。
〃We'll get killed up there； Tenente；〃 Bonello said。
〃They don't want us；〃 I said。 〃They're after something else。 We're in more danger if they should e on us suddenly。〃
〃I'd rather walk here out of sight；〃 Bonello said。
〃All right。 We'll walk along the tracks。〃
〃Do you think we can get through？〃 Aymo asked。
〃Sure。 There aren't very many of them yet。 We'll go through in the dark。〃
〃What was that staff car doing？〃
〃Christ knows；〃 I said。 We kept on up the tracks。 Bonello tired of walking in the mud of the embankment and came up with the rest of us。 The railway moved south away from the highway now and we could not see what passed along the road。 A short bridge over a canal was blown up but we climbed across on what was left of the span。 We heard firing ahead of us。
We came up on the railway beyond the canal。 It went on straight toward the town across the low fields。 We could see the line of the other railway ahead of us。 To the north was the main road where we had seen the cyclists； to the south there was a small branch…road across the fields with thick trees on each side。 I thought we had better cut to the south and work around the town that way and across country toward Campoformio and the main road to the Tagliamento。 We could avoid the main line of the retreat by keeping to the secondary roads beyond Udine。 I knew there were plenty of side…roads across the plain。 I started down the embankment。
〃e on；〃 I said。 We would make for the side…road and work to the south of the town。 We all started down the embankment。 A shot was fired at us from the side…road。 The bullet went into the mud of the embankment。
〃Go on back；〃 I shouted。 I started up the embankment； slipping in the mud。 The drivers were ahead of me。 I went up the embankment as fast as I could go。 Two more shots came from the thick brush and Aymo； as he was crossing the tracks； lurched； tripped and fell face down。 We pulled him down on the other side and turned him over。 〃His head ought to be uphill；〃 I said。 Piani moved him around。 He lay in the mud on the side of the embankment； his feet pointing downhill； breathing blood irregularly。 The three of us squatted over him in the rain。 He was hit low in the back of the neck and the bullet had ranged upward and e out under the right eye。 He died while I was stopping up the two holes。 Piani laid his head down； wiped at his face； with a piece of the emergency dressing； then let it alone。
〃The ……；〃 he said。
〃They weren't Germans；〃 I said。 〃There can't be any Germans over there。〃
〃Italians；〃 Piani said； using the word as an epithet； 〃Italiani！〃 Bonello said nothing。 He was sitting beside Aymo； not looking at him。 Piani picked up Aymo's cap where it had rolled down the embankment and put it over his face。 He took out his canteen。
〃Do you want a drink？〃 Piani handed Bonello the canteen。
〃No；〃 Bonello said。 He turned to me。 〃That might have happened to us any time on the railway tracks。〃
〃No；〃 I said。 〃It was because we started across the field。〃
Bonello shook his head。 〃Aymo's dead；〃 he said。 〃Who's dead next； Tenente？ Where do we go now？〃
〃Those were Italians that shot；〃 I said。 〃They weren't Germans。〃
〃I suppose if they were Germans they'd have killed all of us；〃 Bonello said。
〃We are in more danger from Italians than Germans；〃 I said。 〃The rear guard are afraid of everything。 The Germans know what they're after。〃
〃You reason it out； Tenente；〃 Bonello said。
〃Where do we go now？〃 Piani asked。
〃We better lie up some place till it's dark。 If we could get south we'd be all right。〃
〃They'd have to shoot us all to prove they were right the first time；〃 Bonello said。 〃I'm not going to try them。〃
〃We'll find a place to lie up as near to Udine as we can get and then go through when it's dark。〃
〃Le