slapped　my　arms　to　keep　the　circulation　going。　I　had　woven　underwear　and　I　did　not　think　I　would　catch　cold　if　I　kept　moving。　They　had　taken　my　pistol　at　the　road　and　I　put　the　holster　under　my　coat。　I　had　no　cape　and　it　was　cold　in　the　rain。　I　started　up　the　bank　of　the　canal。　It　was　daylight　and　the　country　was　wet；　low　and　dismal　looking。　The　fields　were　bare　and　wet；　a　long　way　away　I　could　see　a　campanile　rising　out　of　the　plain。　I　came　up　onto　a　road。　Ahead　I　saw　some　troops　ing　down　the　road。　I　limped　along　the　side　of　the　road　and　they　passed　me　and　paid　no　attention　to　me。　They　were　a　machine…gun　detachment　going　up　toward　the　river。　I　went　on　down　the　road。

That　day　I　crossed　the　Venetian　plain。　It　is　a　low　level　country　and　under　the　rain　it　is　even　flatter。　Toward　the　sea　there　are　salt　marshes　and　very　few　roads。　The　roads　all　go　along　the　river　mouths　to　the　sea　and　to　cross　the　country　you　must　go　along　the　paths　beside　the　canals。　I　was　working　across　the　country　from　the　north　to　the　south　and　had　crossed　two　railway　lines　and　many　roads　and　finally　I　came　out　at　the　end　of　a　path　onto　a　railway　line　where　it　ran　beside　a　marsh。　It　was　the　main　line　from　Venice　to　Trieste；　with　a　high　solid　embankment；　a　solid　roadbed　and　double　track。　Down　the　tracks　a　way　was　a　flag…station　and　I　could　see　soldiers　on　guard。　Up　the　line　there　was　a　bridge　over　a　stream　that　flowed　into　the　marsh。　I　could　see　a　guard　too　at　the　bridge。　Crossing　the　fields　to　the　north　I　had　seen　a　train　pass　on　this　railroad；　visible　a　long　way　across　the　flat　plain；　and　I　thought　a　train　might　e　from　Portogruaro。　I　watched　the　guards　and　lay　down　on　the　embankment　so　that　I　could　see　both　ways　along　the　track。　The　guard　at　the　bridge　walked　a　way　up　the　line　toward　where　fl