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Chapter 5

           "Arivederci,Tenente."

           "Arivederla."Isalutedandwentout.ItwasimpossibletosaluteforeignersasanItalian,withoutembarrassment.TheItaliansaluteneverseemedmadeforexport.

           Thedayhadbeenhot.IhadbeenuptherivertothebridgeheadatPlava.Itwastherethattheoffensivewastobegin.Ithadbeenimpossibletoadvanceonthefarsidetheyearbeforebecausetherewasonlyoneroadleadingdownfromthepasstothepontoonbridgeanditwasundermachine-gunandshellfirefornearlyamile.ItwasnotwideenougheithertocarryallthetransportforanoffensiveandtheAustrianscouldmakeashamblesoutofit.ButtheItalianshadcrossedandspreadoutalittlewayonthefarsidetoholdaboutamileandahalfontheAustriansideoftheriver.ItwasanastyplaceandtheAustriansshouldnothaveletthemholdit.IsupposeitwasmutualtolerancebecausetheAustriansstillkeptabridgeheadfurtherdowntheriver.TheAustriantrencheswereaboveonthehillsideonlyafewyardsfromtheItalianlines.Therehadbeenalittletownbutitwasallrubble.Therewaswhatwasleftofarailwaystationandasmashedpermanentbridgethatcouldnotberepairedandusedbecauseitwasinplainsight.

           Iwentalongthenarrowroaddowntowardtheriver,leftthecaratthedressingstationunderthehill,crossedthepontoonbridge,whichwasprotectedbyashoulderofthemountain,andwentthroughthetrenchesinthesmashed-downtownandalongtheedgeoftheslope.Everybodywasinthedugouts.Therewereracksofrocketsstandingtobetouchedofftocallforhelpfromtheartilleryortosignalwithifthetelephonewireswerecut.Itwasquiet,hotanddirty.IlookedacrossthewireattheAustrianlines.Nobodywasinsight.IhadadrinkwithacaptainthatIknewinoneofthedugoutsandwentbackacrossthebridge.

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