第6部分(第4/7 頁)

　the　country。　We　were　in　the　foothills　on　the　near　side　of　the　river　and　as　the　road　mounted　there　were　the　high　mountains　off　to　the　north　with　snow　still　on　the　tops。　I　looked　back　and　saw　the　three　cars　all　climbing；　spaced　by　the　interval　of　their　dust。　We　passed　a　long　column　of　loaded　mules；　the　drivers　walking　along　beside　the　mules　wearing　red　fezzes。　They　were　bersaglieri。

Beyond　the　mule　train　the　road　was　empty　and　we　climbed　through　the　hills　and　then　went　down　over　the　shoulder　of　a　long　hill　into　a　river…valley。　There　were　trees　along　both　sides　of　the　road　and　through　the　right　line　of　trees　I　saw　the　river；　the　water　clear；　fast　and　shallow。　The　river　was　low　and　there　were　stretches　of　sand　and　pebbles　with　a　narrow　channel　of　water　and　sometimes　the　water　spread　like　a　sheen　over　the　pebbly　bed。　Close　to　the　bank　I　saw　deep　pools；　the　water　blue　like　the　sky。　I　saw　arched　stone　bridges　over　the　river　where　tracks　turned　off　from　the　road　and　we　passed　stone　farmhouses　with　pear　trees　candelabraed　against　their　south　walls　and　low　stone　walls　in　the　fields。　The　road　went　up　the　valley　a　long　way　and　then　we　turned　off　and　menced　to　climb　into　the　hills　again。　The　road　climbed　steeply　going　up　and　back　and　forth　through　chestnut　woods　to　level　finally　along　a　ridge。　I　could　look　down　through　the　woods　and　see；　far　below；　with　the　sun　on　it；　the　line　of　the　river　that　separated　the　two　armies。　We　went　along　the　rough　new　military　road　that　followed　the　crest　of　the　ridge　and　I　looked　to　the　north　at　the　two　ranges　of　mountains；　green　and　dark　to　the　snow…line　and　then　white　and　lovely　in　the　sun。　Then；　as　the　road　mounted　along　the　ridge；　I　saw　a　third　range　of　mountains；　higher　snow　mountains；　that　looked　chalky　white　and　furrowed；　with　strange　pl