第27部分(第6/7 頁)

ss　the　fields　with　thick　trees　on　each　side。　I　thought　we　had　better　cut　to　the　south　and　work　around　the　town　that　way　and　across　country　toward　Campoformio　and　the　main　road　to　the　Tagliamento。　We　could　avoid　the　main　line　of　the　retreat　by　keeping　to　the　secondary　roads　beyond　Udine。　I　knew　there　were　plenty　of　side…roads　across　the　plain。　I　started　down　the　embankment。

〃e　on；〃　I　said。　We　would　make　for　the　side…road　and　work　to　the　south　of　the　town。　We　all　started　down　the　embankment。　A　shot　was　fired　at　us　from　the　side…road。　The　bullet　went　into　the　mud　of　the　embankment。

〃Go　on　back；〃　I　shouted。　I　started　up　the　embankment；　slipping　in　the　mud。　The　drivers　were　ahead　of　me。　I　went　up　the　embankment　as　fast　as　I　could　go。　Two　more　shots　came　from　the　thick　brush　and　Aymo；　as　he　was　crossing　the　tracks；　lurched；　tripped　and　fell　face　down。　We　pulled　him　down　on　the　other　side　and　turned　him　over。　〃His　head　ought　to　be　uphill；〃　I　said。　Piani　moved　him　around。　He　lay　in　the　mud　on　the　side　of　the　embankment；　his　feet　pointing　downhill；　breathing　blood　irregularly。　The　three　of　us　squatted　over　him　in　the　rain。　He　was　hit　low　in　the　back　of　the　neck　and　the　bullet　had　ranged　upward　and　e　out　under　the　right　eye。　He　died　while　I　was　stopping　up　the　two　holes。　Piani　laid　his　head　down；　wiped　at　his　face；　with　a　piece　of　the　emergency　dressing；　then　let　it　alone。

〃The　……；〃　he　said。

〃They　weren't　Germans；〃　I　said。　〃There　can't　be　any　Germans　over　there。〃

〃Italians；〃　Piani　said；　using　the　word　as　an　epithet；　〃Italiani！〃　Bonello　said　nothing。　He　was　sitting　beside　Aymo；　not　looking　at　him。　Piani　picked　up　Aymo's　cap　where　it　had　rolled　down　the　embankment　and　put　it　over　his　face。　He　took　out　his　canteen。

〃Do　you　want　a　drink？〃　Pia