第6部分(第5/7 頁)

anes；　and　then　there　were　mountains　far　off　beyond　all　these　that　you　could　hardly　tell　if　you　really　saw。　Those　were　all　the　Austrians'　mountains　and　we　had　nothing　like　them。　Ahead　there　was　a　rounded　turn…off　in　the　road　to　the　right　and　looking　down　I　could　see　the　road　dropping　through　the　trees。　There　were　troops　on　this　road　and　motor　trucks　and　mules　with　mountain　guns　and　as　we　went　down；　keeping　to　the　side；　I　could　see　the　river　far　down　below；　the　line　of　ties　and　rails　running　along　it；　the　old　bridge　where　the　railway　crossed　to　the　other　side　and　across；　under　a　hill　beyond　the　river；　the　broken　houses　of　the　little　town　that　was　to　be　taken。

It　was　nearly　dark　when　we　came　down　and　turned　onto　the　main　road　that　ran　beside　the　river。

9

The　road　was　crowded　and　there　were　screens　of　corn…stalk　and　straw　matting　on　both　sides　and　matting　over　the　top　so　that　it　was　like　the　entrance　at　a　circus　or　a　native　village。　We　drove　slowly　in　this　matting…covered　tunnel　and　came　out　onto　a　bare　cleared　space　where　the　railway　station　had　been。　The　road　here　was　below　the　level　of　the　river　bank　and　all　along　the　side　of　the　sunken　road　there　were　holes　dug　in　the　bank　with　infantry　in　them。　The　sun　was　going　down　and　looking　up　along　the　bank　as　we　drove　I　saw　the　Austrian　observation　balloons　above　the　hills　on　the　other　side　dark　against　the　sunset。　We　parked　the　cars　beyond　a　brickyard。　The　ovens　and　some　deep　holes　had　been　equipped　as　dressing　stations。　There　were　three　doctors　that　I　knew。　I　talked　with　the　major　and　learned　that　when　it　should　start　and　our　cars　should　be　loaded　we　would　drive　them　back　along　the　screened　road　and　up　to　the　main　road　along　the　ridge　where　there　would　be　a　post　and　other　cars　to　clear　them。　He　hoped　the　r