unded　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。

〃Where's　Bonello？〃　I　asked。

〃I'll　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。

〃Where's　Bonello？〃　I　asked。

Piani　looked　at　me。

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

I　did　not　say　a