第24部分(第2/7 页)

　retreat。　The　captain　at　the　post　told　me　this。　He　had　it　from　the　Brigade。　A　little　while　later　he　came　from　the　telephone　and　said　it　was　a　lie。　The　Brigade　had　received　orders　that　the　line　of　the　Bainsizza　should　be　held　no　matter　what　happened。　I　asked　about　the　break　through　and　he　said　that　he　had　heard　at　the　Brigade　that　the　Austrians　had　broken　through　the　twenty…seventh　army　corps　up　toward　Caporetto。　There　had　been　a　great　battle　in　the　north　all　day。

〃If　those　bastards　let　them　through　we　are　cooked；〃　he　said。

〃It's　Germans　that　are　attacking；〃　one　of　the　medical　officers　said。　The　word　Germans　was　something　to　be　frightened　of。　We　did　not　want　to　have　anything　to　do　with　the　Germans。

〃There　are　fifteen　divisions　of　Germans；〃　the　medical　officer　said。　〃They　have　broken　through　and　we　will　be　cut　off。〃

〃At　the　Brigade；　they　say　this　line　is　to　be　held。　They　say　they　have　not　broken　through　badly　and　that　we　will　hold　a　line　across　the　mountains　from　Monte　Maggiore。〃

〃Where　do　they　hear　this？〃

〃From　the　Division。〃

〃The　word　that　we　were　to　retreat　came　from　the　Division。〃

〃We　work　under　the　Army　Corps；〃　I　said。　〃But　here　I　work　under　you。　Naturally　when　you　tell　me　to　go　I　will　go。　But　get　the　orders　straight。〃

〃The　orders　are　that　we　stay　here。　You　clear　the　wounded　from　here　to　the　clearing　station。〃

〃Sometimes　we　clear　from　the　clearing　station　to　the　field　hospitals　too；〃　I　said。　〃Tell　me；　I　have　never　seen　a　retreat……if　there　is　a　retreat　how　are　all　the　wounded　evacuated？〃

〃They　are　not。　They　take　as　many　as　they　can　and　leave　the　rest。〃

〃What　will　I　take　in　the　cars？〃

〃Hospital　equipment。〃

〃All　right；〃　I　said。

The　next　night　the　retreat　started。　We