第11部分(第1/7 頁)

g　city　and　have　your　English　there　to　cuddle　you。　Why　don't　I　get　wounded？　Maybe　you　will；　I　said。　We　must　go；　said　the　major。　We　drink　and　make　noise　and　disturb　Federico。　Don't　go。　Yes；　we　must　go。　Good…by。　Good　luck。　Many　things。　Ciaou。　Ciaou。　Ciaou。　e　back　quickly；　baby。　Rinaldi　kissed　me。　You　smell　of　lysol。　Good…by；　baby。　Good…by。　Many　things。　The　major　patted　my　shoulder。　They　tiptoed　out。　I　found　I　was　quite　drunk　but　went　to　sleep。

The　next　day　in　the　morning　we　left　for　Milan　and　arrived　forty…eight　hours　later。　It　was　a　bad　trip。　We　were　sidetracked　for　a　long　time　this　side　of　Mestre　and　children　came　and　peeked　in。　I　got　a　little　boy　to　go　for　a　bottle　of　cognac　but　he　came　back　and　said　he　could　only　get　grappa。　I　told　him　to　get　it　and　when　it　came　I　gave　him　the　change　and　the　man　beside　me　and　I　got　drunk　and　slept　until　past　Vicenza　where　I　woke　up　and　was　very　sick　on　the　floor。　It　did　not　matter　because　the　man　on　that　side　had　been　very　sick　on　the　floor　several　times　before。　Afterward　I　thought　I　could　not　stand　the　thirst　and　in　the　yards　outside　of　Verona　I　called　to　a　soldier　who　was　walking　up　and　down　beside　the　train　and　he　got　me　a　drink　of　water。　I　woke　Georgetti；　the　other　boy　who　was　drunk；　and　offered　him　some　water。　He　said　to　pour　it　on　his　shoulder　and　went　back　to　sleep。　The　soldier　would　not　take　the　penny　I　offered　him　and　brought　me　a　pulpy　orange。　I　sucked　on　that　and　spit　out　the　pith　and　watched　the　soldier　pass　up　and　down　past　a　freight…car　outside　and　after　a　while　the　train　gave　a　jerk　and　started。

BOOK　TWO

13

We　got　into　Milan　early　in　the　morning　and　they　unloaded　us　in　the　freight　yard。　An　ambulance　took　me　to　the　American　hospital。　Riding　in　the　ambulance　on　a　stretcher　I　could　not　tell　w