第1部分(第2/7 頁)

en　the　rains　came　the　leaves　all　fell　from　the　chestnut　trees　and　the　branches　were　bare　and　the　trunks　black　with　rain。　The　vineyards　were　thin　and　bare…branched　too　and　all　the　country　wet　and　brown　and　dead　with　the　autumn。　There　were　mists　over　the　river　and　clouds　on　the　mountain　and　the　trucks　splashed　mud　on　the　road　and　the　troops　were　muddy　and　wet　in　their　capes；　their　rifles　were　wet　and　under　their　capes　the　two　leather　cartridge…boxes　on　the　front　of　the　belts；　gray　leather　boxes　heavy　with　the　packs　of　clips　of　thin；　long　6。5　mm。　cartridges；　bulged　forward　under　the　capes　so　that　the　men；　passing　on　the　road；　marched　as　though　they　were　six　months　gone　with　child。

There　were　small　gray　motor　cars　that　passed　going　very　fast；　usually　there　was　an　officer　on　the　seat　with　the　driver　and　more　officers　in　the　back　seat。　They　splashed　more　mud　than　the　camions　even　and　if　one　of　the　officers　in　the　back　was　very　small　and　sitting　between　two　generals；　he　himself　so　small　that　you　could　not　see　his　face　but　only　the　top　of　his　cap　and　his　narrow　back；　and　if　the　car　went　especially　fast　it　was　probably　the　King。　He　lived　in　Udine　and　came　out　in　this　way　nearly　every　day　to　see　how　things　were　going；　and　things　went　very　badly。

At　the　start　of　the　winter　came　the　permanent　rain　and　with　the　rain　came　the　cholera。　But　it　was　checked　and　in　the　end　only　seven　thousand　died　of　it　in　the　army。

2

The　next　year　there　were　many　victories。　The　mountain　that　was　beyond　the　valley　and　the　hillside　where　the　chestnut　forest　grew　was　captured　and　there　were　victories　beyond　the　plain　on　the　plateau　to　the　south　and　we　crossed　the　river　in　August　and　lived　in　a　house　in　Gorizia　that　had　a　fountain　and　many　thick　shady　trees　in　a　walled　garden　and