第8部分(第6/7 頁)

ve　la　France。〃

〃He's　an　American；〃　one　of　the　other　captains　said。

〃I　thought　you　said　he　was　a　Frenchman。　He　talks　French；〃　the　captain　said。　〃I've　known　him　before。　I　always　thought　he　was　French。〃　He　drank　a　half　tumbler　of　cognac。　〃Bring　on　something　serious。　Get　some　more　of　that　Antitetanus。〃　The　captain　waved　to　me。　They　lifted　me　and　the　blanket…flap　went　across　my　face　as　we　went　out。　Outside　the　sergeant…adjutant　knelt　down　beside　me　where　I　lay；　〃Name？〃　he　asked　softly。　〃Middle　name？　First　name？　Rank？　Where　born？　What　class？　What　corps？〃　and　so　on。　〃I'm　sorry　for　your　head；　Tenente。　I　hope　you　feel　better。　I'm　sending　you　now　with　the　English　ambulance。〃

〃I'm　all　right；〃　I　said。　〃Thank　you　very　much。〃　The　pain　that　the　major　had　spoken　about　had　started　and　all　that　was　happening　was　without　interest　or　relation。　After　a　while　the　English　ambulance　came　up　and　they　put　me　onto　a　stretcher　and　lifted　the　stretcher　up　to　the　ambulance　level　and　shoved　it　in。　There　was　another　stretcher　by　the　side　with　a　man　on　it　whose　nose　I　could　see；　waxy…looking；　out　of　the　bandages。　He　breathed　very　heavily。　There　were　stretchers　lifted　and　slid　into　the　slings　above。　The　tall　English　driver　came　around　and　looked　in；　〃I'll　take　it　very　easily；〃　he　said。　〃I　hope　you'll　be　fy。〃　I　felt　the　engine　start；　felt　him　climb　up　into　the　front　seat；　felt　the　brake　e　off　and　the　clutch　go　in；　then　we　started。　I　lay　still　and　let　the　pain　ride。

As　the　ambulance　climbed　along　the　road；　it　was　slow　in　the　traffic；　sometimes　it　stopped；　sometimes　it　backed　on　a　turn；　then　finally　it　climbed　quite　fast。　I　felt　something　dripping。　At　first　it　dropped　slowly　and　regularly；　then　it　pattered　into　a　stream。　I　shouted　to　the　driver。　He　stopped　the　car　and　looked　in