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第24部分（第1页）

The　wind　rose　in　the　night　and　at　three　oclock　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。

〃Its　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。

〃