小说妹妹网

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第28部分（第1页）

〃Well　find　a　place　to　lie　up　as　near　to　Udine　as　we　can　get　and　then　go　through　when　its　dark。〃

〃Lets　go　then；〃　Bonello　said。　We　went　down　the　north　side　of　the　embankment。　I　looked　back。　Aymo　lay　in　the　mud　with　the　angle　of　the　embankment。　He　was　quite　small　and　his　arms　were　by　his　side；　his　puttee…wrapped　legs　and　muddy　boots　together；　his　cap　over　his　face。　He　looked　very　dead。　It　was　raining。　I　had　liked　him　as　well　as　any　one　I　ever　knew。　I　had　his　papers　in　my　pocket　and　would　write　to　his　family。　Ahead　across　the　fields　was　a　farmhouse。　There　were　trees　around　it　and　the　farm　buildings　were　built　against　the　house。　There　was　a　balcony　along　the　second　floor　held　up　by　columns。

〃We　better　keep　a　little　way　apart；〃　I　said。　〃Ill　go　ahead。〃　I　started　toward　the　farmhouse。　There　was　a　path　across　the　field。

Crossing　the　field；　I　did　not　know　but　that　some　one　would　fire　on　us　from　the　trees　near　the　farmhouse　or　from　the　farmhouse　itself。　I　walked　toward　it；　seeing　it　very　clearly。　The　balcony　of　the　second　floor　merged　into　the　barn　and　there　was　hay　ing　Out　between　the　columns。　The　courtyard　was　of　stone　blocks　and　all　the　trees　were　dripping　with　the　rain。　There　was　a　big　empty　twowheeled　cart；　the　shafts　tipped　high　up　in　the　rain。　I　came　to　the　courtyard；　crossed　it；　and　stood　under　the　shelter　of　the　balcony。　The　door　of　the　house　was　open　and　I　went　in。　Bonello　and　Piani　came　in　after　me。　It　was　dark　inside。　I　went　back　to　the　kitchen。　There　were　ashes　of　a　fire　on　the　big　open　hearth。　The　pots　hung　over　the　ashes；　but　they　were　empty。　I　looked　around　but　I　could　not　find　anything　to　eat。

〃We　ought　to　lie　up　in　the　barn；〃　I　said。　〃Do　you　think　you　could　find　anything　to　eat；　Piani；　and　bring　it　up　there？〃

〃Ill　look；〃　Piani　said。

〃Ill　look　too；〃　Bonello　said。

〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃Ill　go　up　and　look　at　the　barn。〃　I　found　a　stone　stairway　that　went　up　from　the　stable　underneath。　The　stable　smelt　dry　and　pleasant　in　the　rain。　The　cattle　were　all　gone；　probably　driven　off　when　they　left。　The　barn　was　half　full　of　hay。　There　were　two　windows　in　the　roof；　one　was　blocked　with　boards；　the　other　was　a　narrow　dormer　window　on　the　north　side。　There　was　a　chute　so　that　hay　might　be　pitched　down　to　the　cattle。　Beams　crossed　the　opening　down　into　the　main　floor　where　the　hay…carts　drove　in　when　the　hay　was　hauled　in　to　be　pitched　up。　I　heard　the　rain　on　the　roof　and　smelled　the　hay　and；　when　I　went　down；　the　clean　smell　of　dried　dung　in　the　stable。　We　could　pry　a　board　loose　and　see　out　of　the　south　window　down　into　the　courtyard。　The　other　window　looked　out　on　the　field　toward　the　north。　We　could　get　out　of　either　window　onto　the　roof　and　down；　or　go　down　the　hay　chute　if　the　stairs　were　impractical。　It　was　a　big　barn　and　we　could　hide　in　the　hay　if　we　heard　any　one。　It　seemed　like　a　good　place。　I　was　sure　we　could　have　gotten　through　to　the　south　if　they　had　not　fired　on　us。　It　was　impossible　that　there　were　Germans　there。　They　were　ing　from　the　north　and　down　the　road　from　Cividale。　They　could　not　have　e　through　from　the　south。　The　Italians　were　even　more　dangerous。　They　were　frightened　and　firing　on　anything　they　saw。　Last　night　on　the　retreat　we　had　heard　that　there　had　been　many　Germans　in　Italian　uniforms　mixing　with　the　retreat　in　the　north。　I　did　not　believe　it。　That　was　one　of　those　things　you　always　heard　in　the　war。　It　was　one　of　the　things　the　enemy　always　did　to　you。　You　did　not　know　any　one　who　went　over　in　German　uniform　to　confuse　them。　Maybe　they　did　but　it　sounded　difficult。　I　did　not　believe　the　Germans　did　it。

I　did　not　believe　they　had　to。　There　was　no　need　to　confuse　our　retreat。　The　size　of　the　army　and　the　fewness　of　the　roads　did　that。　Nobody　gave　any　orders；　let　alone　Germans。　Still；　they　would　shoot　us　for　Germans。　They　shot　Aymo。　The　hay　smelled　good　and　lying　in　a　barn　in　the　hay　took　away　all　the　years　in　between。　We　had　lain　in　hay　and　talked　and　shot　sparrows　with　an　air…rifle　when　they　perched　in　the　triangle　cut　high　up　in　the　wall　of　the　barn。　The　barn　was　gone　now　and　one　year　they　had　cut　the　hemlock　woods　and　there　were　only　stumps；　dried　tree…tops；　branches　and　fireweed　where　the　woods　had　been。　You　could　not　go　back。　If　you　did　not　go　forward　what　happened？　You　never　got　back　to　Milan。　And　if　you　got　back　to　Milan　what　happened？　I　listened　to　the　firing　to　the　north　toward　Udine。　I　could　hear　machine…gun　firing。　There　was　no　shelling。　That　was　something。　They　must　have　gotten　some　troops　along　the　road。　I　looked　down　in　the　half…light　of　the　hay…barn　and　saw　Piani　standing　on　the　hauling　floor。　He　had　a　long　sausage；　a　jar　of　something　and　two　bottles　of　wine　under　his　arm。

〃e　up；〃　I　said。　〃There　is　the　ladder。〃　Then　I　realized　that　I　should　help　him　with　the　things　and　went　down。　I　was　vague　in　the　head　from　lying　in　the　hay。　I　had　been　nearly　asleep。

〃Wheres　Bonello？〃　I　asked。

〃Ill　tell　you；〃　Piani　said。　We　went　up　the　ladder。　Up　on　the　hay　we　set　the　things　down。　Piani　took　out　his　knife　with　the　corkscrew　and　drew　the　cork　on　a　wine　bottle。

〃They　have　sealing…wax　on　it；〃　he　said。　〃It　must　be　good。〃　He　smiled。

〃Wheres　Bonello？〃　I　asked。

Piani　looked　at　me。

〃He　went　away；　Tenente；〃　he　said。　〃He　wanted　to　be　a　prisoner。〃

I　did　not　say　anything。

〃He　was　afraid　we　would　get　killed。〃

I　held　the　bottle　of　wine　and　did　not　say　anything。

〃You　see　we　dont　believe　in　the　war　anyway；　Tenente。〃

〃Why　didnt　you　go？〃　I　asked。

〃I　did　not　want　to　leave　you。〃

〃Where　did　he　go？〃

〃I　dont　know；　Tenente。　He　went　away。〃

〃All　right；〃　I　said。　〃Will　you　cut　the　sausage？〃

Piani　looked　at　me　in　the　half…light。

〃I　cut　it　while　we　were　talking；〃　he　said。　We　sat　in　the　hay　and　ate　the　sausage　and　drank　the　wine。　It　must　have　been　wine　they　had　saved　for　a　wedding。　It　was　so　old　that　it　was　losing　its　color。

〃You　look　out　of　this　window；　Luigi；〃　I　said。　〃Ill　go　look　out　the　other　window。〃

We　had　each　been　drinking　out　of　one　of　the　bottles　and　I　took　my　bottle　with　me　and　went　over　and　lay　flat　on　the　hay　and　looked　out　the　narrow　window　at　the　wet　country。　I　do　not　know　what　I　expected　to　see　but　I　did　not　see　anything　except　the　fields　and　the　bare　mulberry　trees　and　the　rain　falling。　I　drank　the　wine　and　it　did　not　make　me　feel　good。　They　had　kept　it　too　long　and　it　had　gone　to　pieces　and　lost　its　quality　and　color。　I　watched　it　get　dark　outside；　the　darkness　came　very　quickly。　It　would　be　a　black　night　with　the　rain。　When　it　was　dark　there　was　no　use　watching　any　more；　so　I　went　over　to　Piani。　He　was　lying　asleep　and　I　did　not　wake　him　but　sat　down　beside　him　for　a　while。　He　was　a　big　man　and　he　slept　heavily。　After　a　while　I　woke　him　and　we　started。

That　was　a　very　strange　night。　I　do　not　know　what　I　had　expected；　death　perhaps　and　shooting　in　the　dark　and　running；　but　nothing　happened。　We　waited；　lying　flat　beyond　the　ditch　along　the　main　road　while　a　German　battalion　passed；　then　when　they　were　gone　we　crossed　the　road　and　went　on　to　the　north。　We　were　very　close　to　Germans　twice　in　the　rain　but　they　did　not　see　us。　We　got　past　the　town　to　the　north　without　seeing　any　Italians；　then　after　a　while　came　on　the　main　channels　of　the　retreat　and　walked　all　night　toward　the　Tagliamento。　I　had　not　realized　how　gigantic　the　retreat　was。　The　whole　country　was　moving；　as　well　as　the　army。　We　walked　all　night；　making　better　time　than　the　vehicles。　My　leg　ached　and　I　was　tired　but　we　made　good　time。　It　seemed　so　silly　for　Bonello　to　have　decided　to　be　taken　prisoner。　There　was　no　danger。　We　had　walked　through　two　armies　without　incident。　If　Aymo　had　not　been　killed　there　would　never　have　seemed　to　be　any　danger。　No　one　had　bothered　us　when　we　were　in　plain　sight　along　the　railway。　The　killing　came　suddenly　and　unreasonably。　I　wondered　where　Bonello　was。

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