the attack The setting of this story is northern Italy during World War I; an Italian town has been attacked by an Austrian military offensive.
haversacks bags carried over only one shoulder to transport supplies.
stick bombs hand grenades with handles.
mustard gas an oily, highly flammable liquid; it was used during World War I as a chemical weapon.
shrapnel an artillery shell filled with metal balls that explode in the air and rip into flesh.
