第5部分(第3/7 頁)

　the　cars；　to　take　a　shower。　Then　I　made　out　my　report　in　my　room；　sitting　in　my　trousers　and　an　undershirt　in　front　of　the　open　window。　In　two　days　the　offensive　was　to　start　and　I　would　go　with　the　cars　to　Plava。　It　was　a　long　time　since　I　had　written　to　the　States　and　I　knew　I　should　write　but　I　had　let　it　go　so　long　that　it　was　almost　impossible　to　write　now。　There　was　nothing　to　write　about。　I　sent　a　couple　of　army　Zona　di　Guerra　post…cards；　crossing　out　everything　except；　I　am　well。　That　should　handle　them。　Those　post…cards　would　be　very　fine　in　America；　strange　and　mysterious。　This　was　a　strange　and　mysterious　war　zone　but　I　supposed　it　was　quite　well　run　and　grim　pared　to　other　wars　with　the　Austrians。　The　Austrian　army　was　created　to　give　Napoleon　victories；　any　Napoleon。　I　wished　we　had　a　Napoleon；　but　instead　we　had　Ii　Generale　Cadorna；　fat　and　prosperous　and　Vittorio　Emmanuele；　the　tiny　man　with　the　long　thin　neck　and　the　goat　beard。　Over　on　the　right　they　had　the　Duke　of　Aosta。　Maybe　he　was　too　good…looking　to　be　a。　great　general　but　he　looked　like　a　man。　Lots　of　them　would　have　liked　him　to　be　king。　He　looked　like　a　king。　He　was　the　King's　uncle　and　manded　the　third　army。　We　were　in　the　second　army。　There　were　some　British　batteries　up　with　the　third　army。　I　had　met　two　gunners　from　that　lot；　in　Milan。　They　were　very　nice　and　we　had　a　big　evening。　They　were　big　and　shy　and　embarrassed　and　very　appreciative　together　of　anything　that　happened。　I　wish　that　I　was　with　the　British。　It　would　have　been　much　simpler。　Still　I　would　probably　have　been　killed。　Not　in　this　ambulance　business。　Yes；　even　in　the　ambulance　business。　British　ambulance　drivers　were　killed　sometimes。　Well；　I　knew　I　would　not　be　killed。　Not　in　this　war。　It　did　not　have　anything　to　do　with　me。