第29部分(第4/7 頁)

h　his　hat　off；　a　carabinieri　on　either　side。　I　did　not　watch　them　shoot　him　but　I　heard　the　shots。　They　were　questioning　some　one　else。　This　officer　too　was　separated　from　his　troops。　He　was　not　allowed　to　make　an　explanation。　He　cried　when　they　read　the　sentence　from　the　pad　of　paper；　and　they　were　questioning　another　when　they　shot　him。　They　made　a　point　of　being　intent　on　questioning　the　next　man　while　the　man　who　had　been　questioned　before　was　being　shot。　In　this　way　there　was　obviously　nothing　they　could　do　about　it。　I　did　not　know　whether　I　should　wait　to　be　questioned　or　make　a　break　now。　I　was　obviously　a　German　in　Italian　uniform。　I　saw　how　their　minds　worked；　if　they　had　minds　and　if　they　worked。　They　were　all　young　men　and　they　were　saving　their　country。　The　second　army　was　being　re…formed　beyond　the　Tagliamento。　They　were　executing　officers　of　the　rank　of　major　and　above　who　were　separated　from　their　troops。　They　were　also　dealing　summarily　with　German　agitators　in　Italian　uniform。　They　wore　steel　helmets。　Only　two　of　us　had　steel　helmets。　Some　of　the　carabinieri　had　them。　The　other　carabinieri　wore　the　wide　hat。　Airplanes　we　called　them。　We　stood　in　the　rain　and　were　taken　out　one　at　a　time　to　be　questioned　and　shot。　So　far　they　had　shot　every　one　they　had　questioned。　The　questioners　had　that　beautiful　detachment　and　devotion　to　stern　justice　of　men　dealing　in　death　without　being　in　any　danger　of　it。　They　were　questioning　a　full　colonel　of　a　line　regiment。　Three　more　officers　had　just　been　put　in　with　us。

〃Where　was　his　regiment？〃

I　looked　at　the　carabinieri。　They　were　looking　at　the　newers。　The　others　were　looking　at　the　colonel。　I　ducked　down；　pushed　between　two　men；　and　ran　for　the　river；　my　head　down。　I　tripped　at　the　edge　and　went　in　with