he Austrians had been fortifying it for years。〃 I meant tactically speaking in a war where there was some movement a succession of mountains were nothing to hold as a line because it was too easy to turn them。 You should have possible mobility and a mountain is not very mobile。 Also； people always over…shoot downhill。 If the flank were turned； the best men would be left on the highest mountains。 I did not believe in a war in mountains。 I had thought about it a lot； I said。 You pinched off one mountain and they pinched off another but when something really started every one had to get down off the mountains。
What were you going to do if you had a mountain frontier？ he asked。
I had not worked that out yet； I said； and we both laughed。 〃But；〃 I said； 〃in the old days the Austrians were always whipped in the quadrilateral around Verona。 They let them e down onto the plain and whipped them there。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Gino。 〃But those were Frenchmen and you can work out military problems clearly when you are fighting in somebody else's country。〃
〃Yes；〃 I agreed； 〃when it is your own country you cannot use it so scientifically。〃
〃The Russians did； to trap Napoleon。〃
〃Yes； but they had plenty of country。 If you tried to retreat to trap Napoleon in Italy you would find yourself in Brindisi。〃
〃A terrible place；〃 said Gino。 〃Have you ever been there？〃
〃Not to stay。〃
〃I am a patriot；〃 Gino said。 〃But I cannot love Brindisi or Taranto。〃
〃Do you love the Bainsizza？〃 I asked。
〃The soil is sacred；〃 he said。 〃But I wish it grew more potatoes。 You know when we came here we found fields of potatoes the Austrians had planted。〃
〃Has the food really been short？〃
〃I myself have never had enough to eat but I am a big eater and I have not starved。 The mess is average。 The regiments in the line get pretty good food but those in support don't get so much。 Something is wrong somewhere。 There should be plenty of food。〃
〃The dogfish are selling it somewhere else。〃
〃Yes； they give the battalions in the front line as much as they can but the ones in back are very short。 They have eaten all the Austrians' potatoes and chestnuts from the woods。 They ought to feed them better。 We are big eaters。 I am sure there is plenty of food。 It is very bad for the soldiers to be short of food。 Have you ever noticed the difference it makes in the way you think？〃
〃Yes；〃 I said。 〃It can't win a war but it can lose one。〃
〃We won't talk about losing。 There is enough talk about losing。 What has been done this summer cannot have been done in vain。〃
I did not say anything。 I was always embarrassed by the words sacred； glorious； and sacrifice and the expression in vain。 We had heard them； sometimes standing in the rain almost out of earshot； so that only the shouted words came through； and had read them； on proclamations that were slapped up by billposters over other proclamations； now for a long time； and I had seen nothing sacred； and the things that were glorious had no glory and the sacrifices were like the stockyards at Chicago if nothing was done with the meat except to bury it。 There were many words that you could not stand to hear and finally only the names of places had dignity。 Certain numbers were the same way and certain dates and these with the names of the places were all you could say and have them mean anything。 Abstract words such as glory； honor； courage； or hallow were obscene beside the concrete names of villages； the numbers of roads； the names of rivers； the numbers of regiments and the dates。 Gino was a patriot； so he said things that separated us sometimes； but he was also a fine boy and I understood his being a patriot。 He was born one。 He left with Peduzzi in the car to go back to Gorizia。
It stormed all that day。 The wind drove down the rain and everywhere there was standing water and mud。 The plaster of the broken houses was gray and wet。 Late in the afternoon the rain stopped and from out number two post I saw the bare wet autumn country with clouds over the tops of the hills and the straw screening over the roads wet and dripping。 The sun came out once before it went down and shone on the bare woods beyond the ridge。 There were many Austrian guns in the woods on that ridge but only a few fired。 I watched the sudden round puffs of shrapnel smoke in the sky above a broken farmhouse near where the line was； soft puffs with a yellow white flash in the centre。 You saw the flash； then heard the crack； then saw the smoke ball distort and thin in the wind。 There were many iron shrapnel balls in the rubble of the houses and on the road beside the broken house where the post was； but they did not shell near the post that afternoon。 We loaded two cars and drove down the road that was screened with wet mats and the last of the sun came through in the breaks between the strips of mattings。 Before we were out on the clear road behind the hill the sun was down。 We went on down the clear road and as it turned a corner into the open and went into the square arched tunnel of matting the rain started again。
The wind rose in the night and at three o'clock in the morning with the rain ing in sheets there was a bombardment and the Croatians came over across the mountain meadows and through patches of woods and into the front line。 They fought in the dark in the rain and a counter…attack of scared men from the second line drove them back。 There was much shelling and many rockets in the rain and machine…gun and rifle fire all along the line。 They did not e again and it was quieter and between the gusts of wind and rain we could hear the sound of a great bombardment far to the north。
The wounded were ing into the post； some were carried on stretchers； some walking and some were brought on the backs of men that came across the field。 They were wet to the skin and all were scared。 We filled two cars with stretcher cases as they came up from the cellar of the post and as I shut the door of the second car and fastened it I felt the rain on my face turn to snow。 The flakes were ing heavy and fast in the rain。
When daylight came the storm was still blowing but the snow had stopped。 It had melted as it fell on the wet ground and now it was raining again。 There was another attack just after daylight but it was unsuccessful。 We expected an attack all day but it did not e until the sun was going down。 The bombardment started to the south below the long wooded ridge where the Austrian guns were concentrated。 We expected a bombardment but it did not e。 It was getting dark。 Guns were firing from the field behind the village and the shells； going away； had a fortable sound。
We heard that the attack to the south had been unsuccessful。 They did not attack that night but we heard that they had broken through to the north。 In the night word came that we were to prepare to 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 hospita