第23部分(第4/7 頁)

f　and　no　place　to　fall　back　to　if　there　should　be　an　Austrian　attack。　There　were　fine　positions　for　defense　along　the　low　mountains　that　came　up　out　of　the　plateau　but　nothing　had　been　done　about　organizing　them　for　defense。　What　did　I　think　about　the　Bainsizza　anyway？

I　had　expected　it　to　be　flatter；　more　like　a　plateau。　I　had　not　realized　it　was　so　broken　up。

〃Alto　piano；〃　Gino　said；　〃but　no　piano。〃

We　went　back　to　the　cellar　of　the　house　where　he　lived。　I　said　I　thought　a　ridge　that　flattened　out　on　top　and　had　a　little　depth　would　be　easier　and　more　practical　to　hold　than　a　succession　of　small　mountains。　It　was　no　harder　to　attack　up　a　mountain　than　on　the　level；　I　argued。　〃That　depends　on　the　mountains；〃　he　said。　〃Look　at　San　Gabriele。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　where　they　had　trouble　was　at　the　top　where　it　was　flat。　They　got　up　to　the　top　easy　enough。〃

〃Not　so　easy；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　that　was　a　special　case　because　it　was　a　fortress　rather　than　a　mountain；　anyway。　The　Austrians　had　been　fortifying　it　for　years。〃　I　meant　tactically　speaking　in　a　war　where　there　was　some　movement　a　succession　of　mountains　were　nothing　to　hold　as　a　line　because　it　was　too　easy　to　turn　them。　You　should　have　possible　mobility　and　a　mountain　is　not　very　mobile。　Also；　people　always　over…shoot　downhill。　If　the　flank　were　turned；　the　best　men　would　be　left　on　the　highest　mountains。　I　did　not　believe　in　a　war　in　mountains。　I　had　thought　about　it　a　lot；　I　said。　You　pinched　off　one　mountain　and　they　pinched　off　another　but　when　something　really　started　every　one　had　to　get　down　off　the　mountains。

What　were　you　going　to　do　if　you　had　a　mountain　frontier？　he　asked。

I　had　not　worked　that　out　yet；　I　said；　and　we　both　laughed。　〃But；〃　I