第27部分(第5/7 頁)

y　e　along　this　bridge　too。　We　don't　want　them　on　top　of　us　before　we　see　them。〃

We　walked　along　the　railroad　track。　On　both　sides　of　us　stretched　the　wet　plain。　Ahead　across　the　plain　was　the　hill　of　Udine。　The　roofs　fell　away　from　the　castle　on　the　hill。　We　could　see　the　campanile　and　the　clock…tower。　There　were　many　mulberry　trees　in　the　fields。　Ahead　I　saw　a　place　where　the　rails　were　torn　up。　The　ties　had　been　dug　out　too　and　thrown　down　the　embankment。

〃Down！　down！〃　Aymo　said。　We　dropped　down　beside　the　embankment。　There　was　another　group　of　bicyclists　passing　along　the　road。　I　looked　over　the　edge　and　saw　them　go　on。

〃They　saw　us　but　they　went　on；〃　Aymo　said。

〃We'll　get　killed　up　there；　Tenente；〃　Bonello　said。

〃They　don't　want　us；〃　I　said。　〃They're　after　something　else。　We're　in　more　danger　if　they　should　e　on　us　suddenly。〃

〃I'd　rather　walk　here　out　of　sight；〃　Bonello　said。

〃All　right。　We'll　walk　along　the　tracks。〃

〃Do　you　think　we　can　get　through？〃　Aymo　asked。

〃Sure。　There　aren't　very　many　of　them　yet。　We'll　go　through　in　the　dark。〃

〃What　was　that　staff　car　doing？〃

〃Christ　knows；〃　I　said。　We　kept　on　up　the　tracks。　Bonello　tired　of　walking　in　the　mud　of　the　embankment　and　came　up　with　the　rest　of　us。　The　railway　moved　south　away　from　the　highway　now　and　we　could　not　see　what　passed　along　the　road。　A　short　bridge　over　a　canal　was　blown　up　but　we　climbed　across　on　what　was　left　of　the　span。　We　heard　firing　ahead　of　us。

We　came　up　on　the　railway　beyond　the　canal。　It　went　on　straight　toward　the　town　across　the　low　fields。　We　could　see　the　line　of　the　other　railway　ahead　of　us。　To　the　north　was　the　main　road　where　we　had　seen　the　cyclists；　to　the　south　there　was　a　small　branch…road　acro