〃I'll try not to。〃
〃Good…night； priest。〃
〃Good…night； Signor Maggiore。〃
He went off into his office。
26
I went to the door and looked out。 It had stopped raining but there was a mist。
〃Should we go upstairs？〃 I asked the priest。
〃I can only stay a little while。〃
〃e on up。〃
We climbed the stairs and went into my room。 I lay down on Rinaldi's bed。 The priest sat on my cot that the orderly had set up。 It was dark in the room。
〃Well；〃 he said； 〃how are you really？〃
〃I'm all right。 I'm tired to…night。〃
〃I'm tired too； but from no cause。〃
〃What about the war？〃
〃I think it will be over soon。 I don't know why； but I feel it。〃
〃How do you feel it？〃
〃You know how your major is？ Gentle？ Many people are like that now。〃
〃I feel that way myself；〃 I said。
〃It has been a terrible summer；〃 said the priest。 He was surer of himself now than when I had gone away。 〃You cannot believe how it has been。 Except that you have been there and you know how it can be。 Many people have realized the war this summer。 Officers whom I thought could never realize it realize it now。〃
〃What will happen？〃 Istroked the blanket with my hand。
〃I do not know but I do not think it can go on much longer。〃
〃What will happen？〃
〃They will stop fighting。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Both sides。〃
〃I hope so；〃 I said。
〃You don't believe it？〃
〃I don't believe both sides will stop fighting at once。〃
〃I suppose not。 It is too much to expect。 But when I see the changes in men I do not think it can go on。〃
〃Who won the fighting this summer？〃
〃No one。〃
〃The Austrians won；〃 I said。 〃They kept them from taking San Gabriele。 They've won。 They won't stop fighting。〃
〃If they feel as we feel they may stop。 They have gone through the same thing。〃
〃No one ever stopped when they were winning。〃
〃You discourage me。〃
〃I can only say what I think。〃
〃Then you think it will go on and on？ Nothing will ever happen？〃
〃I don't know。 I only think the Austrians will not stop when they have won a victory。 It is in defeat that we bee Christian。〃
〃The Austrians are Christians……except for the Bosnians。〃
〃I don't mean technically Christian。 I mean like Our Lord。〃
He said nothing。
〃We are all gentler now because we are beaten。 How would Our Lord have been if Peter had rescued him in the Garden？〃
〃He would have been just the same。〃
〃I don't think so；〃 I said。
〃You discourage me；〃 he said。 〃I believe and I pray that something will happen。 I have felt it very close。〃
〃Something may happen；〃 I said。 〃But it will happen only to us。 If they felt the way we do； it would be all right。 But they have beaten us。 They feel another way。〃
〃Many of the soldiers have always felt this way。 It is not because they were beaten。〃
〃They were beaten to start with。 They were beaten when they took them from their farms and put them in the army。 That is why the peasant has wisdom； because he is defeated from the start。 Put him in power and see how wise he is。〃
He did not say anything。 He was thinking。
〃Now I am depressed myself；〃 I said。 〃That's why I never think about these things。 I never think and yet when I begin to talk I say the things I have found out in my mind without thinking。〃
〃I had hoped for something。〃
〃Defeat？〃
〃No。 Something more。〃
〃There isn't anything more。 Except victory。 It may be worse。〃
〃I hoped for a long time for victory。〃
〃Me too。〃
〃Now I don't know。〃
〃It has to be one or the other。〃
〃I don't believe in victory any more。〃
〃I don't。 But I don't believe in defeat。 Though it may be better。〃
〃What do you believe in？〃
〃In sleep；〃 I said。 He stood up。
〃I am very sorry to have stayed so long。 But I like so to talk with you。〃
〃It is very nice to talk again。 I said that about sleeping； meaning nothing。〃
We stood up and shook hands in the dark。
〃I sleep at 307 now；〃 he said。
〃I go out on post early to…morrow。〃
〃I'll see you when you e hack。〃
〃We'll have a walk and talk together。〃 I walked with him to the door。
〃Don't go down；〃 he said。 〃It is very nice that you are back。 Though not so nice for you。〃 He put his hand on my shoulder。
〃It's all right for me；〃 I said。 〃Good…night。〃
〃Good…night。 Ciaou！〃
〃Ciaou！〃 I said。 I was deadly sleepy。
27
I woke when Rinaldi came in but he did not talk and I went back to sleep again。 In the morning I was dressed and gone before it was light。 Rinaldi did not wake when I left。
I had not seen the Bainsizza before and it was strange to go up the slope where the Austrians had been； beyond the place on the river where I had been wounded。 There was a steep new road and many trucks。 Beyond； the road flattened out and I saw woods and steep hills in the mist。 There were woods that had been taken quickly and not smashed。 Then beyond where the road was not protected by the hills it was screened by matting on the sides and over the top。 The road ended in a wrecked village。 The lines were up beyond。 There was much artillery around。 The houses were badly smashed but things were very well organized and there were signboards everywhere。 We found Gino and he got us some coffee and later I went with him and met various people and saw the posts。 Gino said the British cars were working further down the Bainsizza at Ravne。 He had great admiration for the British。 There was still a certain amount of shelling； he said； but not many wounded。 There would be many sick now the rains had started。 The Austrians were supposed to attack but he did not believe it。 We were supposed to attack too； but they had not brought up any new troops so he thought that was off too。 Food was scarce and he would be glad to get a full meal in Gorizia。 What kind of supper had I had？ I told him and he said that would be wonderful。 He was especially impressed by the dolce。 I did not describe it in detail； only said it was a dolce； and I think he believed it was something more elaborate than bread pudding。
Did I know where he was going to go？ I said I didn't but that some of the other cars were at Caporetto。 He hoped he would go up that way。 It was a nice little place and he liked the high mountain hauling up beyond。 He was a nice boy and every one seemed to like him。 He said where it really had been hell was at San Gabriele and the attack beyond Lom that had gone bad。 He said the Austrians had a great amount of artillery in the woods along Ternova ridge beyond and above us； and shelled the roads badly at night。 There was a battery of naval guns that had gotten on his nerves。 I would recognize them because of their flat trajectory。 You heard the report and then the shriek menced almost instantly。 They usually fired two guns at once； one right after the other； and the fragments from the burst were enormous。 He showed me one； a smoothly jagged piece of metal over a foot long。 It looked like babbitting metal。
〃I don't suppose they are so effective；〃 Gino said。 〃But they scare me。 They all sound as though they came directly for you。 There is the boom； then instantly the shriek and burst。 What's the use of not being wounded if they scare you to death？〃
He said there were Croats in the lines opposite us now and some Magyars。 Our troops were still in the attacking positions。 There was no wire to speak of and no place to fall back to if there should be an Austrian attack。 There were fine positions for defense along the low mountains that came up out of the plateau but nothing had been done about organizing them for defense。 What did I think about the Bainsizza anyway？
I had expected it to be flatter； more like a plateau。 I had not realized it was so broken up。
〃Alto piano；〃 Gino said； 〃but no piano。〃
We went back to the cellar of the house where he lived。 I said I thought a ridge that flattened out on top and had a little depth would be easier and more practical to hold than a succession of small mountains。 It was no harder to attack up a mountain than on the level； I argued。 〃That depends on the mountains；〃 he said。 〃Look at San Gabriele。〃
〃Yes；〃 I said； 〃but where they had trouble was at the top where it was flat。 They got up to the top easy enough。〃
〃Not so easy；〃 he said。
〃Yes；〃 I said； 〃but that was a special case because it was a fortress rather than a mountain； anyway。 The 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 ca