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。

〃How　do　you　feel；　Tenente？〃　Piani　asked。　We　were　going　along　the　side　of　a　road　crowded　with　vehicles　and　troops。

〃Fine。〃

〃I'm　tired　of　this　walking。〃

〃Well；　all　we　have　to　do　is　walk　now。　We　don't　have　to　worry。〃

〃Bonello　was　a　fool。〃

〃He　was　a　fool　all　right。〃

〃What　will　you　do　about　him；　Tenente？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃Can't　you　just　put　him　down　as　taken　prisoner？〃

〃I　don't　know。〃

〃You　see　if　the　war　went　on　they　would　make　bad　trouble　for　his　family。〃

〃The　war　won't　go　on；〃　a　soldier　said。　〃We're　going　home。　The　war　is　over。〃

〃Everybody's　going　home。〃

〃We're　all　going　home。〃

〃e　on；　Tenente；〃　Piani　said。　He　wanted　to　get　past　them。

〃Tenente？　Who's　a　Tenente？　A　basso　gli　ufficiali！　Down　with　the　officers！〃

Piani　took　me　by　the　arm。　〃I　better　call　you　by　your　name；〃　he　said。　〃They　might　try　and　make　trouble。　They've　shot　some　officers。〃　We　work