第3部分(第5/7 頁)

s　to　the　pontoon　bridge　and　it　was　under　machine…gun　and　shell　fire　for　nearly　a　mile。　It　was　not　wide　enough　either　to　carry　all　the　transport　for　an　offensive　and　the　Austrians　could　make　a　shambles　out　of　it。　But　the　Italians　had　crossed　and　spread　out　a　little　way　on　the　far　side　to　hold　about　a　mile　and　a　half　on　the　Austrian　side　of　the　river。　It　was　a　nasty　place　and　the　Austrians　should　not　have　let　them　hold　it。　I　suppose　it　was　mutual　tolerance　because　the　Austrians　still　kept　a　bridgehead　further　down　the　river。　The　Austrian　trenches　were　above　on　the　hillside　only　a　few　yards　from　the　Italian　lines。　There　had　been　a　little　town　but　it　was　all　rubble。　There　was　what　was　left　of　a　railway　station　and　a　smashed　permanent　bridge　that　could　not　be　repaired　and　used　because　it　was　in　plain　sight。

I　went　along　the　narrow　road　down　toward　the　river；　left　the　car　at　the　dressing　station　under　the　hill；　crossed　the　pontoon　bridge；　which　was　protected　by　a　shoulder　of　the　mountain；　and　went　through　the　trenches　in　the　smashed…down　town　and　along　the　edge　of　the　slope。　Everybody　was　in　the　dugouts。　There　were　racks　of　rockets　standing　to　be　touched　off　to　call　for　help　from　the　artillery　or　to　signal　with　if　the　telephone　wires　were　cut。　It　was　quiet；　hot　and　dirty。　I　looked　across　the　wire　at　the　Austrian　lines。　Nobody　was　in　sight。　I　had　a　drink　with　a　captain　that　I　knew　in　one　of　the　dugouts　and　went　back　across　the　bridge。

A　new　wide　road　was　being　finished　that　would　go　over　the　mountain　and　zig…zag　down　to　the　bridge。　When　this　road　was　finished　the　offensive　would　start。　It　came　down　through　the　forest　in　sharp　turns。　The　system　was　to　bring　everything　down　the　new　road　and　take　the　empty　trucks；　carts　and　loaded　ambulances　and　all　returning　traffi