Chapter XIX

Difficulties Italians have still to contend with on way to
Trieste—Italian superior in fighting quality—Dash and reckless
courage—Success reckoned by yards—Total number of prisoners
taken—A huge seine net—The “call of the wild”—A visit to San
Martino del Carso—My companion—Our route—The attraction of the
road—Early morning motoring—On our own—The unconventional quarters
of the divisional general—The Rubbia-Savogna railway station—The
signalman’s cabin—An interesting chat with the General—At our
own risk—The big camp on Monte San Michele—The desolate waste
of the Carso—An incident—Nothing to sketch—“Ecco San Martino
del Carso”—Shapeless dust-covered rubble—The Austrian trenches
amongst the ruins—Under fire—Back to Udine—A pleasant little
episode—Déjeuner to Colonel Barbarich at Grado—A “day’s outing”—The
little “Human” touch—The “funk-hole” in the dining room—A trip in
a submarine chaser—Things quiet in Udine—A period of comparative
inactivity 269