Truly this man must have been sent to me by the divine Providence. In
our last attempt we had not succeeded in passing because none of us
could swim well enough to face so turbulent a stream. But, with the
help of the sergeant I was certain to succeed. I could be useful to him
as a guide for I knew a place where we could cross and then I would
trust to the strength of his robust arms to carry us across. But the
other men would be in the way, for experience had taught me that in
ventures of such a nature the group must be small. I, therefore, called
Italo aside and briefly explained to him that I was an Italian officer,
that I knew the road to the Piave very well and that I could obtain
some civilian clothes or an Austrian uniform for him, according to what
disguise he would decide to wear. My physical condition then was such
that I could not travel so I begged him not to abandon me but to wait a
few days. We would then complete the details of our plan and let the
others journey alone and try their luck. I hesitated for a long time
before forsaking them but at times the necessities of war are cruel. I
had no way of getting either the food or the clothing necessary for
enabling them to attempt the venture. To journey with them in their
actual condition would have meant certain seizure. On the other hand by
placing my services at the disposal of Italo I was certain I could
bring him and myself to safety. The sergeant accepted at once and
placed himself at my disposal. We dressed him in civilian clothes and
he wandered about with me for several days while we waited until the
uniform of an Austrian soldier was prepared for him.
At the last moment we changed our plan; my sergeant was to be dressed
as a civilian and was to follow behind me so that if we were to meet a
gendarme he, who did not know German, would pretend he was a prisoner,
and I, dressed as an Austrian soldier, would pretend I was the gendarme
who had arrested him.
XX