第23部分(第5/7 頁)

　said；　〃in　the　old　days　the　Austrians　were　always　whipped　in　the　quadrilateral　around　Verona。　They　let　them　e　down　onto　the　plain　and　whipped　them　there。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Gino。　〃But　those　were　Frenchmen　and　you　can　work　out　military　problems　clearly　when　you　are　fighting　in　somebody　else's　country。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　agreed；　〃when　it　is　your　own　country　you　cannot　use　it　so　scientifically。〃

〃The　Russians　did；　to　trap　Napoleon。〃

〃Yes；　but　they　had　plenty　of　country。　If　you　tried　to　retreat　to　trap　Napoleon　in　Italy　you　would　find　yourself　in　Brindisi。〃

〃A　terrible　place；〃　said　Gino。　〃Have　you　ever　been　there？〃

〃Not　to　stay。〃

〃I　am　a　patriot；〃　Gino　said。　〃But　I　cannot　love　Brindisi　or　Taranto。〃

〃Do　you　love　the　Bainsizza？〃　I　asked。

〃The　soil　is　sacred；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　wish　it　grew　more　potatoes。　You　know　when　we　came　here　we　found　fields　of　potatoes　the　Austrians　had　planted。〃

〃Has　the　food　really　been　short？〃

〃I　myself　have　never　had　enough　to　eat　but　I　am　a　big　eater　and　I　have　not　starved。　The　mess　is　average。　The　regiments　in　the　line　get　pretty　good　food　but　those　in　support　don't　get　so　much。　Something　is　wrong　somewhere。　There　should　be　plenty　of　food。〃

〃The　dogfish　are　selling　it　somewhere　else。〃

〃Yes；　they　give　the　battalions　in　the　front　line　as　much　as　they　can　but　the　ones　in　back　are　very　short。　They　have　eaten　all　the　Austrians'　potatoes　and　chestnuts　from　the　woods。　They　ought　to　feed　them　better。　We　are　big　eaters。　I　am　sure　there　is　plenty　of　food。　It　is　very　bad　for　the　soldiers　to　be　short　of　food。　Have　you　ever　noticed　the　difference　it　makes　in　the　way　you　think？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It　can't　win　a　war　but　it　can　lose　one。〃

〃We　won't　talk　about　losing。　There　is　en