LITMIR.BIZ

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arm, the stump of his leg twitching.

      “Porta feriti!” I shouted holding my hands cupped. “Porta Feriti!” I tried to get closer to Passini to try to put a tourniquet on the legs but I could not move. I tried again and my legs moved a little. I could pull backward along with my arms and elbows. Passini was quiet now. I sat beside him, undid my tunic and tried to rip the tail of my shirt. It would not rip and I bit the edge of the cloth to start it. Then I thought of his puttees. I had on wool stockings but Passini wore puttees. All the drivers wore puttees but Passini had only one leg. I unwound the puttee and while I was doing it I saw there was no need to try and make a tourniquet because he was dead already. I made sure he was dead. There were three others to locate. I sat up straight and as I did so something inside my head moved like the weights on a doll’s eyes and it hit me inside in back of my eyeballs. My legs felt warm and wet and my shoes were wet and warm inside. I knew that I was hit and leaned over and put my hand on my knee. My knee wasn’t there. My hand went in and my knee was down on my shin. I wiped my hand on my shirt and another floating light came very slowly down and I looked at my leg and was very afraid. Oh, God, I said, get me out of here. I knew, however, that there had been three others. There were four drivers. Passini was dead. That left three. Some one took hold of me under the arms and somebody else lifted my legs.

      “There are three others,” I said. “One is dead.”

      “It’s Manera. We went for a stretcher but there wasn’t any. How are you, Tenente?”

      “Where is Gordini and Gavuzzi?”

      “Gordini’s at the post getting bandaged. Gavuzzi has your legs. Hold on to my neck, Tenente. Are you badly hit?”

      “In the leg. How is Gordini?”

      “He’s all right. It was a big trench-mortar shell.”

      “Passini’s dead.”

      “Yes. He’s dead.”

      A shell fell close and they both dropped to the ground and dropped me. “I’m sorry, Tenente,” said Manera. “Hang onto my neck.”

      “If you drop me again.”

      “It was because we were scared.”

      “Are you unwounded?”

      “We are both wounded a little.”

      “Can Gordini drive?”

      “I don’t think so.”

      They dropped me once more before we reached the post.

      “You sons of bitches,” I said.

      “I am sorry, Tenente,” Manera said. “We won’t drop you again.”

      Outside the post a great many of us lay on the ground in the dark. They carried wounded in and brought them out. I could see the light come out from the dressing station when the curtain opened and they brought some one in or out. The dead were off to one side. The doctors were working with their sleeves up to their shoulders and were red as butchers. There were not enough stretchers. Some of the wounded were noisy but most were quiet. The wind blew the leaves in the bower over the door of the dressing station and the night was getting cold. Stretcher-bearers came in all the time, put their stretchers down, unloaded them and went away. As soon as I got to the dressing station Manera brought a medical sergeant out and he put bandages on both my legs. He said there was so much dirt blown into the wound that there had not been much hemorrhage. They would take me as soon as possible. He went back inside. Gordini could not drive, Manera said. His shoulder was smashed and his head was hurt. He had not felt bad but now the shoulder had stiffened. He was sitting up beside one of the brick walls. Manera and Gavuzzi each went off with a load of wounded. They could drive all right. The British had come with three ambulances and they had two men on each ambulance. One of their drivers came over to me, brought by Gordini who looked very white and sick. The Britisher leaned over.

      “Are you hit badly?” he asked. He was a tall man and wore steel-rimmed spectacles.

      “In the legs.”

      “It’s not serious I hope. Will you have a cigarette?”

      “Thanks.”

      “They tell me you’ve lost two drivers.”

      “Yes. One killed and the fellow that brought you.”

      “What rotten luck. Would you like us to take the cars?”

      “That’s what I wanted to ask you.”

      “We’d take quite good care of them and return them to the Villa. 206 aren’t you?”

      “Yes.”

      “It’s a charming place. I’ve seen you about. They tell me you’re an American.”

      “Yes.”

      “I’m English.”

      “No!”

      “Yes, English. Did you think I was Italian? There were some Italians with one of our units.”

      “It would be fine if you would take the cars,” I said.

      “We’ll be most careful of them,” he straightened up. “This chap of yours was very anxious for me to see you.” He patted Gordini on the shoulder. Gordini winced and smiled. The Englishman broke into voluble and perfect Italian. “Now everything is arranged. I’ve seen your Tenente. We will take over the two cars. You won’t worry now.” He broke off, “I must do something about getting you out of here. I’ll see the medical wallahs. We’ll take you back with us.”

      He walked across to the dressing station, stepping carefully among the wounded. I saw the blanket open, the light came out and he went in.

      “He will look after you, Tenente,” Gordini said.

      “How are you, Franco?”

      “I am all right.” He sat down beside me. In a moment the blanket in front of the dressing station opened and two stretcher-bearers came out followed by the tall Englishman. He brought them over to me.

      “Here is the American Tenente,” he said in Italian.

      “I’d rather wait,” I said. “There are much worse wounded than me. I’m all right.”

      “Come come,” he said. “Don’t be a bloody hero.” Then in Italian: “Lift him very carefully about the legs. His legs are very painful. He is the legitimate son of President Wilson.” They picked me up and took me into the dressing room. Inside they were operating on all the tables. The little major looked at us furious. He recognized me and waved a forceps.

      “Ça va bien?”

      “Ça va.”

      “I have brought him in,” the tall Englishman said in Italian. “The only son of the American Ambassador. He can be here until you are ready to take him. Then I will take him with my first load.” He bent over me. “I’ll look up their adjutant to do your papers and it will all go much faster.” He stooped to go under the doorway and went out. The major was unhooking the forceps now, dropping them in a basin. I followed his hands with my eyes. Now he was bandaging. Then the stretcher-bearers took the man off the table.

      “I’ll take the American Tenente,” one of the captains said. They lifted me onto the table. It was hard and slippery. There were many strong smells, chemical smells and the sweet smell of blood. They took off my trousers and the medical captain commenced dictating to the sergeant-adjutant while he worked, “Multiple superficial wounds of the left and right thigh and left and right knee and right foot. Profound wounds of right knee and foot. Lacerations of the scalp (he probed — Does that hurt? — Christ, yes!) with possible fracture of the skull. Incurred in the line of duty. That’s what keeps you from being court-martialled for self-inflicted wounds,” he said. “Would you like a drink of brandy? How did you run into this thing anyway? What were you trying to do? Commit suicide? Anti-tetanus please, and mark a cross on both legs. Thank you. I’ll

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