151 De Carli who probably will soon attempt a similar feat5 stands near me. There is in the eyes of all such great anxiety, emotion so deep that I ask myself why I too, should not feel moved. Lieutenant6 Simoni asks me if I feel as calm as at other times when I am about to leave for a war flight, and I answer him that I am certain I should not feel so calm if I were seeing another leaving in my place. Many of the pilots of chasing machines of the 77th squadron are present and among them Lieutenant Marazzani, one of our aces7 who has brought with him his little fox terrier.
“Before starting on a flight,” he tells me, “I always touch the nose of Bobby, and, as you see, I have always returned. You do the same, and you’ll see it will bring you good luck.”
He does not have to beg me twice, and I pass my hand over the damp nose of Bobby who looks at me with his intelligent eyes as though to ask me what unusual thing 152 is happening, for he is not accustomed to seeing planes leave at night. Everything is ready. I have the money in a small roll. Bottecchia has in his pocket a bar of chocolate, and I have brought with me my talisman8 which has been with me in every undertaking9, an old crucifix of silver, a family heirloom which has been in many wars and many battles with my ancestors. We are in the plane and in place of the small observer’s seat they have fastened a small wooden board on which two of us must manage to sit. But the place is very narrow, and both Bottecchia and myself are not very comfortable. The inside of our “cabane” is lighted by blue lamps upon the dashboard and I hold in my hand a small lamp fastened to a long wire with which to watch the manometer which marks the oil pressure and the gasoline feed tube. The motor is hitting in all cylinders10. Gelmetti advances and retards11 the accelerator and the machine pulses and vibrates, held back by 153 the wedges under the wheels and the mechanics who are holding it by the shaking wings. The “Voisin” seems to have found again its youth and seems eager to start the flight. The indicator12 marks 1300 revolutions. Everything seems to be proceeding13 regularly.
“Are we ready?” I ask Gelmetti. We button up our overcoats and buckle14 our helmets under our chins. Many hands are extended towards us. Some of the men clamber up on the large springs of the wheels to embrace me, and although the wool of my helmet covers nearly all my face, still I feel something moist on my skin. They surely are not my tears!... Bobby, jubilant at the sound of the motor going at full speed, begins to bark, and his master throws a stone down the field for Bobby to chase so that he will not disturb us, and so that I may exchange in quiet a few more words with Colonel Smaniotto.
“Above all I urge you to specify15 the sector16 154 and the day of the offensive, and secondly17 the location of troops.”
Gelmetti slackens the motor, the mechanics remove the wedges from under the wheels and the plane is free and ready for the flight. We rise to our feet to give a final salute18, and an indescribable emotion comes into the faces of all. The plane begins to move and our cry of “Viva L’Italia,” is drowned by the roar of the motor whose pulsations grow ever quicker and faster. The grass flits rapidly under the wheels. A slight jerk, a slight start, and we are in the air. What were living persons near us, what were houses, have become specks19, have become infinitesimal statuettes against the dark background of the earth.
I see certain small red lamps on the tops of trees, I see the red lamp which marks the chimney of the furnace near the field. The great scaffolding from which the searchlights usually hurl20 upward the streams of their light, is lost in the night’s 155 darkness. The little canal which passes near the hangars glitters distinctly and along the plain traversed by roads and streams of water, many tranquil21 lamps are glowing. Along the road which leads from the field to the highway of Mogliano the searchlights of the automobiles23 leaving the field follow us. We turn slowly, and—as is always the case when in a plane—we feel as if we were still. We are now traveling towards Mestre and beyond we see the mirror of the glittering lagoon24 which the moon silvers with a thousand tiny flames, and in the background where sky and sea mingle25 in a dark gray mist, we can imagine Venice arising from the water.
The conditions of visibility are not good, and the fog instead of diminishing as we ascend26 becomes gradually more opaque27. A swift, boisterous28 wind shakes the wings of the plane which slopes to the right and to the left according to the movements of the pilot. At times the entire machine vibrates 156 and we feel ourselves so closely bound in its flight that often we believe its wings are attached to our very shoulders. As I look back at the oil guides I see the sparks from the exhaust tube escaping rapidly like a swarm29 of fireflies swept by the wind. The tube of the silencer which is fastened onto the motor, although the exhaust remains30 at present completely open, is red and incandescent31. I ask myself anxiously what will happen, when, having crossed the enemy’s lines, we shall have to make use of the silencer. I look at the altimeter; we have already arisen to a height of three thousand feet, and beneath us are outlined the walls and towers of Treviso. The tracks of the Treviso-Venice railroad sparkle in the light of the moon, and on the fields in the small pools of stagnant32 water, the light is reflected. Several searchlights placed about the city turn like sentinels of the air, but their rays do not strike us for they are not searching in our direction. The white 157 clouds slide above our heads hiding at intervals33 the moon which appears again and again between the wings of the aeroplane. The fog becomes ever denser35. The wind increases, changing at times into sudden gusts36, rapid vortices, and brief eddies37. I hold my head low so as to offer as little resistance as possible to the blowing currents, and Bottecchia does likewise, pressing close to me. The calm hands of the pilot tightly gripped on the “joy-stick” move from right to left with automatic gestures. The motor does not seem to be operating well, and I whose sense of smell has become extremely sensitive to the odor of burning rubber—since the day when following an encounter my plane took fire near the ground—sniff about attentively38 to discover if there is anything burning. The indicator still marks 1400 revolutions. This is a reassuring39 sign. We are at 6900 feet. I do not believe we have to climb any higher, and tapping Gelmetti 158 on the shoulder, I point out to him the direction of the front.
Beneath us towards the Piave, which glimmers40 indistinctly in the east, the fireworks of our troops on guard in the trenches41 shower forth42. Occasionally a ray with a parachute falls more slowly and vividly43 illuminates44 a small tract45 beneath us. A few flashes and unexpected streaks46 tell us that our artillery48 is firing prohibited shots. The sky about us is thick with the flashes of many shrapnel which shoot up in the air like fireworks. An anti-aircraft battery is firing at us. The rain of fire approaches and recedes49 according to the moment, and occasionally the explosion of a well-aimed shot is heard as it hisses50 past the plane. The pilot changes his course so as not to be hit. I am curious to know who is firing. I bend forward in my seat and beneath us in our territory, I see the parting flashes of several anti-aircraft shots which have begun a barrage51 fire. Immediately after, in the direction 159 of Treviso I see huge flashes on the ground as if large projectiles52 had fallen on the city. Now I understand! Our batteries are not firing against us, for they have certainly been informed by the observation posts that an Italian plane is flying over them, but their fire is directed against the enemy planes which are bombarding Treviso. We must be on the alert, for evidently there are many enemy planes about, and I should not care to run into a plane with the cross designed on it.
We are passing over Montello, all bent53 and shriveled, which reminds me of the configuration54 of the Carso. At the foot of the mountain I recognize Giavera and almost on the banks of the Piave, Narvesa shimmers55. We are about to enter enemy territory. The broad flow of the Piave, which separates into various currents among the whitish masses of the islands, clearly outlines to us the flow of its impetuous waters. The supports torn from the bridge of the 160 Priola arise towards us like the stumps56 of a mutilated arm and farther down, the river widens its course towards the Grave di Pappadopoli and the sector of the front where the Bersaglieri of the 8th Regiment57 are stationed. Even Bottecchia recognizes the places in which he fought recently and points out to me Isola Maggiore, separated from Isola Caserta by a short, narrow current. All these strips of land which formerly58 were nought59 but unformed heaps of stones, now have a history, and on every one of them both the belligerent60 nations have tried to establish defenses, to construct outposts and small stations for machine guns.
“Oh rare, delightful61 sweetheart” ... the familiar melody is recalled by the buzzing of the motor and repeats itself continually in my ears. At times while listening to the powerful voice of the “Isotta” I feel as if there were many instruments playing in the night and the alternating melodies 161 and varying modulations in the orchestration recall the classic symphonies in which the greatest artists of sound have expressed with majestic62 power the rhythmic63 significance of their thought and the fury of their passions.
The Castle of Saint Salvador appears on top of the hills and although our guns must have fired at it frequently it still preserves its original structure and the heavy tower, which has something German about it, still rests on the high sloping roof. This castle belongs to an Austrian and, perhaps because his countrymen have spared it, undeviating justice has loosed against it the fury of our guns. The reverse of the hills which point towards Conegliano slopes slowly towards the hills of Pieve di Soligo, while the broad road of Susegana and Conegliano glimmers distinctly beneath us.
Gelmetti has inserted the handle of the silencer, and as though by magic the concert of the marvelous instruments which had 162 echoed many distant songs in my mind ceases. We now feel as if we were sliding through air, the same impression one feels while coasting in an automobile22 whose engine has been shut off.
The enemy territory is less illuminated64 than ours. The lights in the villages are scarce, and there are few searchlights turned towards us. As though by magic the enemy anti-aircraft batteries become silent. The reason for their silence is obvious; the Austrians have many of their own bombing planes in the sky and they certainly have not noticed the slight humming of our motor. Along the road of Susegana to Conegliano Pordenone, great green lights are lit from which many colored rays shoot forth at intervals. It is the first time I have observed those lights in enemy territory but I have heard about them from Lieutenant Ancilotto who often goes on nocturnal flights to try to down some enemy bombing plane which finds in the obscurity of the 163 night the courage to attempt what it dares not in the daytime. These signals are placed at convenient intervals so that if some enemy plane loses its way in the fog and cannot find its bearings, all it need do is to fly low over the lights which often indicate a safe place for a landing.
There is Conegliano.... The large tower and cypresses66 of the castle look small and flat and do not convey to me that feeling of reality which I felt as I looked at them from the bank of the Piave. Near the great stone quarry67, from which even before our retreat powerful dredges had taken abundant construction material, there lies a large mansion68 with its lights aglow69 and surrounded by a vast garden. It is my own house! I recognize the tennis-court, the paths and barns, and I know who those are who are permitting themselves the luxury of so costly70 an illumination at this late hour. They are the surviving Austrian aviators71 of the 7th chasing squadron who miraculously72 164 escaped the fire of our guns. They who cannot allow themselves the joy of combat and do not dare face us by day in the sky are trying perhaps other struggles against the weaker, against the women who succumb73. What a pity that I have not a bomb. I am certain I would not miss my aim! The long path which leads from Vittorio to the inn at Gai is outlined clearly against the green fields and the Villa65 of Querini Stampalia on the top of the hill unfolds in the night its huge arches. The Austrians have built a new connection on the railroad line, Sacile-Conegliano, which will enable their trains to arrive directly at the station of Ceneda without passing through Conegliano.
The altimeter marks 7500 feet. I think we can begin to descend74 because there is not more than about ten miles between us and the field on which we have decided75 to land. The fog which at first was dense34 has thinned out gradually and we can now recognize 165 every detail on the ground beneath us as though it were daytime. The moon which is now high in the heavens follows its course, tipped up on one side. The vegetation beneath us changes gradually and in place of the cultivated fields, vineyards and rows of mulberry trees there is a flat, grassy76 region divided by many small streams of water lined with willow77 trees. The Meschio, a tributary78 of the Livenza, has already disappeared beneath the wing, and beyond glitter the tumultuous falls of the Livenza near Sacile. The river forms a huge “S” around the towers of this city whose sharp gables rise towards us. The streets are deserted79 and it seems as if no important movement had ever stained their whiteness. The still wing continues to descend. 4500 feet.... I stand up to inspect the ground because we must lean slightly towards the left in order to leave the road which leads from Sacile to Pordenone and take the road from Fontana Fredda to Aviano. The 166 field on which we have decided to descend is called “Praterie Forcate” and is about a mile from the enemy flying field at Aviano. I strain my eyes to try to recognize the little trenches to the left of our field, trenches which I have seen in photographs of this region made by Gelmetti from his “Spad.” There they are, right in front of us! I examine the field beneath us and there does not seem to be anything abnormal about it. The sections where the grass has been cut and those where it is still high form little splotches which resemble camouflaged80 military works. We are about 3000 feet above ground and Gelmetti begins spiraling so that I lose my equilibrium81 for a moment, but when the plane resumes its horizontal position I suddenly see flashing on the ground beneath us one of those green lights which I had previously82 noticed from on high and which are accustomed to indicate directions to enemy planes. Three colored stars rise up towards us and tremblingly 167 fall slowly back on the plain. There is no time to lose. We must at once modify all our plans because if in the field where we had decided to land there is a green light it means that nearby there are Austrians and if we do not wish to be captured at once we must attempt a landing in some other place. We describe a wide curve and resume our original route with our nose towards the camp of Aviano. Two searchlights suddenly blaze out on the ground and by their light we clearly see a “T” which is the sign used by the Austrians to indicate to their pilots the spot where they should place their wheels marked on the field. For a second we believe all is lost, we fear we must renounce83 our enterprise forever. If the rays of the searchlight succeed in enveloping84 us in their light we shall be discovered, fired at, and shall have to turn homeward. But instead of turning their lights towards us they concentrate the power of their rays on the ground, so that 168 the field beneath us seems to tremble with a myriad85 sparks which dance in their broad embrace. The searchlights cross and intersect over the “T” of the landing spot. Through the air there passes a swift vision; a few yards from us an enemy plane which I have recognized from the flashes of the exhaust, cuts across us but swiftly withdraws and its light disappears towards the higher strata86 of air. Therefore, the enemy planes must be departing, their motors must be going and they must be making an infernal noise.
Suddenly a wild plan occurs to me. What if, instead of landing on the field near the one which we had picked out, we should land right on the outskirts87 of the enemy’s flying field? In the first place we should be certain of the favorable character of the land, and secondly we could not be discovered by the Austrians because they have the light of the searchlights in their eyes; they would not hear the indistinct noise of 169 our motor because it is so slight that it would be drowned by the noise of their departing planes. Furthermore, the audacity88 of the project fascinates me; the risk tempts89 me; it would be too beautiful to be able to land right on their own field without having them notice it. In a second I unfold my plan to Gelmetti. He does not answer, but as a response he lessens90 still further the flow of gas. The earth rapidly approaches us. It seems as if it were coming towards us; with the rapidity of lightning everything retakes its just proportions. We are a few feet above a road; I am bent double so as not to hamper91 in the least the movements of the pilot. He concentrates all his efforts so as to make a safe landing, but perhaps because he is deceived by the distant light which, instead of helping92, hinders us, he touches land too soon with his back wheels and the plane jerks forward suddenly; in a second he straightens it with great dexterity94 and we touch the ground 170 gently and glide95 swiftly towards the end of the field.
“Good, excellent!” I had time to say to Gelmetti and he answered, “Up to the very last moment you want to make fun of me.”
I jumped to the ground with my bundle of civilian97 clothes under my arm, and without waiting a moment I bent to kiss the ground for which I had suffered so much. My comrade also descended98 without uttering a word. We looked anxiously about but the searchlights continued to glow in their regular fashion as though no alarm had been given. Above us we heard the deep grinding noise of a “Gotha.” Not a moment to be lost. I went towards the tail and Bottecchia stood by the wing. The propeller revolved99 slowly and with a light, cadenced100 rustling101 moved the high grass and bent with its breeze the branches of the trees and the stalks of the flowers near it. I pushed all my weight against the triangular102 trellis of the tail of the “Voisin” and by 171 making the front wheels of the plane rise, I caused it to circle on its hind93 wheels while Bottecchia helped me by pushing on the side of the wing. Quickly we removed our fur coats and helmets and I jumped on the plane to throw them in the bottom of the car. Gelmetti was moved and I could not say a word. I whispered in his ear, “Remember what you have promised; remember to come back for me after a month.” He nodded affirmatively and kissed me. I barely had time to place my feet back on the ground before he had fed the motor with gas and in the twinkling of an eye had disappeared. The dear old “Voisin” had again taken flight and we could only distinguish it by the rumbling103 of the silencer which was red-hot and resembled a red lamp wandering in the sky. For a few seconds we could still follow its glitter and then it disappeared....
* * * * *
We were alone! The moment which I 172 had thought about so often, which I had so often dreaded104, was come! The aeroplane, the last advanced sentinel of our country, the last safe refuge, had left us, but I did not tremble. There was within me all that calm which comes to us in most trying moments, all the faith I had ever felt in the success of my mission. Above us the tranquil stars twinkled and the vast plain beneath trembled as though an invisible hand were moving the flowers and stars which surrounded us. In the background the still profiles of the mountains lent to the picture a meek105 aspect of peace and we, who had passed from sudden motion to calm, from a great struggle to the silence of nature, found again in the wilderness106 of that broad plain the significance of deep things, the intimate feeling of life. Never as in that moment had I ever experienced the sensation that something within me had been cut short, that a new life was commencing for me; I felt like a sailor who, wrested107 from 173 the current, has with difficulty reached the bank of a turbulent stream and looks anxiously towards the other bank to which he no longer has the strength or the courage to return. So I felt that the past was worth nothing and that I lived only for the strength of the present, that I lived only for the strength of the future.
We began to walk rapidly. I had taken Bottecchia by the arm and had clasped his hand with great emotion that he might feel we were now one, that a single, firm, indissoluble bond now bound us for the future. He too answered me with a prolonged, affectionate clasp, without uttering a word. Almost as if there had opened before us a mysterious way, unseen before, we hurried and ran towards the mountain guided by a sure instinct of direction. In moments of such great concentration it almost seems as if nature, through an egotistical strength of conservation gives to the organism an unimaginable calm. My impression was not 174 of walking through a deserted field, but of following the track of a known path, and when we reached a small country road on whose rocky bed an enemy tractor had left the marks of its broad tracks, I had the impression of having already seen those marks, I felt as if I was reliving in a new life an old adventure.... We were happy! With us sang the voices of the insects. All the loves which breathe in the country about us seemed to raise a hosannah of glory in one single glorious melody. In my ears rang the chords of a Beethoven sonata108 which sings of the joys of the awakening109. Without stopping we ran across a long expanse of field until we reached a file of poplars which rose in front of us. There we paused a moment for breath; to turn around and take stock of the real things about us.... The small roll of enemy money weighed in my hand, but I did not put it away because I wished to have it at hand to throw away at the first provocation110. Beyond the file of 175 trees there extended before us another field, as vast as the first. But the ground was less level, there were little grassy mounds111, heaps of rocks, and occasional holes. With great satisfaction I reflected on the good fortune which guided us to land where the ground was level whereas we might have selected the ground we were now passing over, in which case a disaster would have been inevitable112. At intervals we listened with our ears close to the ground to discern if there were any suspicious noises about. The only indications of the enemy and of the war were the beams of the searchlights which were still lit and the uninterrupted buzzing of the numerous enemy planes furrowing113 the paths of the sky. A small truck passed along the road which we had crossed and we heard its rumbling lose itself in the distance. We had now arrived in a cultivated region and large fields of wheat were swaying their stalks in the night breeze. We did not cross the field, but preferred to 176 circle around it, because the stalks as they divide always leave a trace of the passing and if anyone were to have followed us, or had noticed our presence he could easily reach us by following our track through the wheat field. I did not expect the land to be so extensively cultivated. Even in the smallest patches of ground the little plants of wheat lifted up their heads and everywhere were the signs of the indefatigable114 hand of man. We followed a labyrinth115 of cultivated vines and every time we were about to step out into an opening, we looked anxiously about us to make sure there was no living creature near us. We threw ourselves prostrate116 on the ground at the slightest suspicious noise. We had traversed a great deal of road, but the distance between us and the mountain was still great and would be more difficult to cover because the dawn was not distant and because we were approaching a region where there were dwellings117. The far-off 177 voice of a dog barking at the moon reached us as we stepped out onto a road and this was the first indication that the presence of man was near. We passed a region cultivated with fruit trees and from behind a hedge which separated the field from the road there rose the outline of a small farmhouse118.
We had to be on our guard so as not to fall in the jaws119 of the wolf when least expected. We were bound to travel more slowly and try to stay as far as possible from dwellings. Had we been dressed in civilian clothes we should have been less conspicuous120, but if anyone were to see us in Italian uniforms, with our healthy appearance and clothes not badly worn, he might suspect us at once and spread the news. Furthermore we had to be very careful not to meet Austrian soldiers. We had to avoid the roads where the gendarmes121 usually walk.
The languid melody of night had been 178 superseded122 by the brisker melody of the morning. It seemed as if all the voices of the country were of one accord to tell us the tale of the light which was about to rise, to celebrate the praises of the great light-giver which, having traversed the starry123 deserts, returns to us with the joys of the awakening. The air had become colder, there was in it something sharper, something which invigorates one for the struggle of the day. Towards the east, towards the distant aviation fields where the searchlight faded in the first greenish lights of dawn, a thin, pale, wan96 light penetrated124 and followed the grave majesty125 of night, the grave, deep azure126 vault127 in which Venus had lit her torch.
The houses became more frequent and from them there sounded occasional confused noise of voices. Something common and familiar was awakened128 in our consciences. The wonder of sleep was interrupted by the little necessities of every hour, 179 and these needs were revealed to us by the noise of wooden shoes running downstairs, by a virile129 voice, or by the bellowing130 or mooing of an animal as it awakened. The roosters raised their silvery voices towards the sun and their joyous131 chants multiplied and increased along the plain with the light. Life was being reborn again in a multitude of ways and we had not reached a safe spot as yet, we had not reached the mountain where we should be able to change our clothes. We were compelled to quicken our steps, lest we be discovered unexpectedly, and since in the many noises we had heard nothing abnormal, nothing which indicated the presence of the enemy, we hastened all the more to reach the hills embossed in the thick foliage132 of the chestnut133 trees.
A small village extended at a short distance to our right and the tranquil houses with their sloping roofs of wood clustered about the church like little devout134 women who wished to enter. Our progress was now 180 more difficult because at times our path was crossed by wire railings, by low walls which must be jumped, and every now and then there was no alternative but to travel along stretches of road where we were likely to have unpleasant encounters. A bluish smoke rose from the chimneys and through a thick curtain of leaves I got a glimpse of a peasant who having collected his heifers, urged them on with the tip of his staff. There was only a short distance left for us to cross and having followed for a few moments a wall along the road, and having crossed a small ditch, we again found ourselves in open country and fronting hills sloping toward the plain. We began to ascend and nature at once became wilder, the cultivation135 less cared for, and thick entanglements136 of shrubs137 and thorns encircled the sturdy, knotted trunks of the chestnut trees. These gently sloping hills followed one another in rapid succession, so that no sooner had the climber reached the top of one of them than 181 up shot another elevation138 which required further ascent139. But we had to descend again towards the bottom of the valley from which there rose a sudden cloud of smoke. Between the backs of two mountains which outlined their sharp shapes against the sky there appeared the square imposing140 mass of the Castle of Polcenigo. We quickened our pace while descending141 and passed near a small clearing in which a few trenches had been dug and above which projected several targets of cardboard. This must have been a practice field for the enemy, and therefore we could not delay long in its vicinity; for directly the sun rose, there would probably arrive enemy soldiers. Rapidly we traversed the distance which still separated us from the river and without removing our shoes or turning up our trousers we plunged142 into the water, which reached to our knees, and which separated us from another hill where the wood was so thick and compact 182 that it would serve as a safe refuge in which to change our clothing.
A small rocky path rose towards the summit of the hill and the water of a brook143 eddied144 and leaped down through the rocks. The vegetation about us was composed largely of shrubs, and the climbing vines about the massive trunks of the chestnut trees formed intricate labyrinths145 which it was not easy to enter. At intervals a small clearing opened before us and we chose one of these, not too distant from the top of the hill, as a suitable place in which to make the necessary changes.
This was really a streak47 of luck because we were thoroughly146 wet, and it would do us no harm to change into dry clothes. The only thing we wanted to change was our shoes but on certain occasions one cannot afford to be too particular. We undressed and put on the coarse underwear and our heavy peasant suits. I glanced at the front of my uniform on which the three blue medal ribbons, 183 which I did not wish to leave behind me even when I left my country, were pinned. Bottecchia made a bundle of our cast-off clothing and threw it under a tree which could be recognized at once for its height. Those suits might prove useful. If at a future date we should be found and made prisoners we could show our tallies147 and call ourselves Italian aviation officers who had been compelled to land in a camp near Aviano, because of a sudden damage to the motor. We could say we had ordered the pilot to destroy the plane and that we had obtained civilian clothes from some peasants in which we attempted to reach our own lines. The pilot instead of destroying the plane perhaps had succeeded in adjusting the magneto and had departed leaving us in enemy territory. To prove the truth of our tale we could show them our uniforms which we had left under the tree where they were at present. This version seemed plausible148 184 and I hoped that in case of necessity I should be able to convince the Austrians.
We stood up. The resplendent sun was already high in the heavens and all the plain was flooded with its light. The fields which we had traversed extended across the background of the picture and we recognized the rows of poplar trees towards which we had sped when we first alighted. Then we saw again all the cultivated district, the scattered149 houses we had encountered at the beginning and finally the compact mass of houses of Budoia which we miraculously passed without unpleasant rencontres. Everything about us seemed marvelous. The plants, the flowers, the bushes, the grass seemed to have a new fascination150 for us. The very rising of the sun astonished us, as though the sun should arise otherwise than in our own territory. Finally we began to consider the insurmountable barrier which separated us from our people, and looking towards the west we sought for a sign of 185 something from the other side. Everywhere we were surrounded by enemy territory. Delay in this spot however was dangerous. We should try to get our bearings more definitely in mind; waiting then in some secluded151 nook until night fell once more.
It would be interesting to be able to watch from an elevated point the movement on the Sarone-Polcenigo road and we therefore continued our walk towards the other side of the hill; that side which dominated the road. I threw a last glance towards the tree beneath which our uniforms rested, hoping I should never need to see them again. The wood was so thick and tangled152 that it was difficult to open a passageway among the dense foliage. At length we emerged on a large clearing. In the center the heavy walls of a large house arose. The chimney was tranquilly153 exhaling154 a bluish smoke which faded away in the clear atmosphere of the morning. We barely had time to hide before we saw a young woman carrying 186 a large pail of milk come out from the half-open door. How we should have liked to step out and talk with her; how we should have liked to drink a glass of milk! But dared we do it when in that house there might be billeted some enemy soldiers? We turned away and resumed our weary march through the contorted coils of the climbing vines. Occasionally a lizard155 glided156 swiftly through the low juniper-bushes which were in bud and we turned, fearful that some suspicious person was following us. The wood became gradually thinner and the hill descended rapidly towards the road. We stopped in a sort of cave surrounded by shrubs from which we could see everything without being seen. In front of us rose the stony157 wall of the Cansiglio which is almost without vegetation; the sections nearer the lowland however, seemed more cultivated than in previous years. On one side the Livenza, which from its very source forms wide turns over a vast sloping tract of 187 ground, divided our hill from the mountain in front of us. The Church of the Santissima could be distinguished158 on the further side of the valley and a few houses were scattered here and there over the slopes. We tried to get our bearings so as to study what road to follow as soon as night should fall. That village which we saw about two miles away in the gap between the hills and the Cansiglio was Sarone. Yes, certainly, because lower down, before the long zigzagging159 of the ascending160 road, I recognized the great furnaces which are marked on the map. We had to decide whether it would be more convenient to pass to the right or to the left of the village, and both of us decided to pass by way of the mountain where the dwellings are less frequent. For, by that way it would be easier for us to pass unobserved. I thought it would be better to follow a little mule-path which seemed to pass over several small precipices161 where, one could guess, there was a quarry, and thence, 188 by keeping always towards the center, we should arrive at Belvedere.
The hours followed each other slowly; the sun was high and the noise of the cicadas made itself heard about us. The fields in front of us were peopled with workers and the furrows162 in which the wheat was planted glistened163 distinctly. Several women, easily identifiable from the black kerchiefs tied about their heads and the traditional full skirt, were hoeing near us. So far there had been no sign of the enemy, yet from what I heard at Sarone, there should be the command of a brigade of Honwed nearby and therefore also the command of the gendarmes. Several hours had passed and still not a single wagon164 nor a single soldier had been seen. Suddenly we heard the buzzing of a motor overhead. We raised our eyes and over us an enemy plane flew low, clearly distinguishable by the crosses on its wings. We now had to resign ourselves to the sight of seeing those colors, which we 189 often fought on our front, pass over our heads. Here the machines which would fly at great height and would be followed by bursts of shrapnel would be the planes with the tricolor of our friends and comrades.
Noon had now passed. We inferred this from the position of the sun for we had no watch with us. Subdued165 whisperings were heard from among the rustling leaves as though persons were passing through the wood which we had crossed. They were the sweet sounds of children’s voices. We left the small clearings at once so as not to be espied166 and from the wood there came two little boys searching for strawberries. They took the road which led to the house on the top of the hill; after a few seconds every sound ceased. How we should have liked to stop them; how we wished to kiss them, to express to them all our love and how many questions we wished to ask them. But we did not deem it advisable to confide167 in little children who might talk and so focus 190 on us the attention of soldiers who could not be far distant.
A slight noise of firing reached us from the other side of the valley. It must be, we thought, the Austrians practicing in the firing camp which we crossed. The time did not seem to pass, and although each of us had rested for a few hours while the other stood on guard, it seemed as if the great solar disk were always in the same spot in the heavens and had decided never to disappear behind the summits of the hills. A military cart drawn168 by four horses passed near us with heavy tread. The cart was full of knapsacks and munitions169 and this was the first sign, this was the first enemy we had encountered. Immediately afterward170 we heard a bugle171, and a truck passed by noisily, the reverberation172 of its motor growing and then fading away among the mountain echoes. The sun at last was about to set and the women who were working in the fields took their children in their arms, and 191 with the farming implements173 on their shoulders, wended their way towards home. Then followed the groups of peasants ascending slowly the road which leads to Sarone. A great calm seemed to rest over all; peace in a smile seemed to descend from heaven, and in the failing light it seemed as if all worries, all cares, became drowsy174. The sunset hour passed quickly and the purple sky became tinged175 with violet in the higher regions.
Era già l’ora che volge il desio
Ai naviganti e intenerisce il core
La, di, che han deteo ai dolci amici addio.
—Dante Purgatorio
The melancholy176 of night enveloped177 my soul and albeit178 no chimes from a bell wept for the dying day, yet a throng179 of memories crowded my mind during the first silences and shadows of the night.
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1
aviator
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| n.飞行家，飞行员 | |
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propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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aces
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| abbr.adjustable convertible-rate equity security (units) 可调节的股本证券兑换率；aircraft ejection seat 飞机弹射座椅；automatic control evaluation simulator 自动控制评估模拟器n.擅长…的人( ace的名词复数 )；精于…的人；（ 网球 ）（对手接不到发球的）发球得分；爱司球 | |
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talisman
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| n.避邪物，护身符 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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cylinders
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| n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物 | |
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retards
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| 使减速( retard的第三人称单数 )； 妨碍； 阻止； 推迟 | |
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indicator
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| n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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14
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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specify
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| vt.指定，详细说明 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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21
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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26
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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opaque
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| adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的 | |
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boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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incandescent
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| adj.遇热发光的， 白炽的，感情强烈的 | |
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32
stagnant
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| adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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glimmers
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| n.微光，闪光( glimmer的名词复数 )v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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44
illuminates
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| v.使明亮( illuminate的第三人称单数 )；照亮；装饰；说明 | |
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45
tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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46
streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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47
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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48
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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49
recedes
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的第三人称单数 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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50
hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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51
barrage
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| n.火力网，弹幕 | |
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52
projectiles
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| n.抛射体( projectile的名词复数 )；（炮弹、子弹等）射弹，（火箭等）自动推进的武器 | |
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53
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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54
configuration
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| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
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55
shimmers
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| n.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的名词复数 )v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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56
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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57
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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58
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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59
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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60
belligerent
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| adj.好战的，挑起战争的；n.交战国，交战者 | |
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61
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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65
villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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66
cypresses
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| n.柏属植物，柏树( cypress的名词复数 ) | |
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67
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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68
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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69
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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aviators
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| 飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 ) | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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73
succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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74
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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76
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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77
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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78
tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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camouflaged
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| v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰 | |
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81
equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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82
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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83
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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84
enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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85
myriad
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| adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量 | |
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86
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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87
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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88
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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89
tempts
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| v.引诱或怂恿（某人）干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 )；使想要 | |
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90
lessens
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| 变少( lessen的第三人称单数 )； 减少（某事物） | |
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91
hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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92
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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wan
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| (wide area network)广域网 | |
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civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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cadenced
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| adj.音调整齐的，有节奏的 | |
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101
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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102
triangular
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| adj.三角（形）的，三者间的 | |
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103
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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104
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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105
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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106
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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107
wrested
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| （用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去… | |
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108
sonata
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| n.奏鸣曲 | |
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109
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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110
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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111
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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112
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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113
furrowing
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的现在分词 ) | |
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114
indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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115
labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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116
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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117
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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118
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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119
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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120
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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121
gendarmes
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| n.宪兵，警官( gendarme的名词复数 ) | |
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122
superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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123
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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124
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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125
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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126
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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127
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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128
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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129
virile
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| adj.男性的；有男性生殖力的；有男子气概的；强有力的 | |
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130
bellowing
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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131
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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132
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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133
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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134
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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135
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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136
entanglements
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| n.瓜葛( entanglement的名词复数 )；牵连；纠缠；缠住 | |
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137
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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138
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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139
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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140
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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142
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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143
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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144
eddied
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| 起漩涡，旋转( eddy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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145
labyrinths
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| 迷宫( labyrinth的名词复数 )； （文字，建筑）错综复杂的 | |
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146
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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147
tallies
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| n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合 | |
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148
plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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149
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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150
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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151
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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152
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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153
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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154
exhaling
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的现在分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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155
lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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156
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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157
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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158
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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159
zigzagging
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| v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的现在分词 )；盘陀 | |
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160
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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161
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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162
furrows
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| n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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163
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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164
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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165
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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166
espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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167
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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168
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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169
munitions
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| n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品 | |
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170
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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171
bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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172
reverberation
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| 反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物 | |
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173
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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174
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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175
tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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176
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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177
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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178
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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179
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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