
In the bustling world of a 19th‑century light cavalry regiment, a young private named Mick navigates the rigid routines of drill, the camaraderie of the barracks, and the restless yearning of his heart. He’s a spirited soldier, notorious for brief absences and a fondness for a good pint, yet beneath his roguish exterior lies a sincere love for a shopkeeper’s daughter on the city’s edge.
When Mick finally gathers the courage to ask for leave to marry, his request collides with the stern hierarchy of his commanding officers, who view matrimony as a luxury the army cannot afford. The colonel’s blunt refusal sets off a chain of mischievous plans by the sergeant‑major and adjutant, turning the simple longing for a wedding into a comic tug‑of‑war between duty and desire. Listeners will be drawn into the lively banter, the colorful military life, and the universal struggle of a soldier hoping love might triumph over orders.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (466K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2015-03-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1900
A pioneering war correspondent, he brought nineteenth-century battlefields to life for readers with speed, nerve, and vivid detail. His reporting from major European conflicts helped shape modern journalism.
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