
Three men of the British regiment—Mulvaney, the tall and quick‑witted private; Ortheris, his loyal companion; and a third whose presence steadies the trio—share the rough‑and‑ready world of frontier service. Their adventures begin with a raucous ball in a dusty cantonment, where champagne flows, jokes fly, and even a modest ham becomes the talk of the night. Through their banter and occasional mischief, listeners hear the everyday rhythms of soldiers far from home, from makeshift celebrations to the small battles of pride and appetite.
Beyond the revelry, the story follows the three as they navigate the challenges of duty, the quirks of colonial life, and the bonds that keep them sane amid unfamiliar lands. Their camaraderie is both humorous and heartfelt, offering glimpses of loyalty, courage, and the occasional misadventure that defines life on the edge of empire. The narrative’s lively voice draws you into a world where friendship and folly go hand in hand.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (476K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Text file produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team HTML file produced by David Widger
Release date
2004-07-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1865–1936
Best known for The Jungle Book, Kim, and poems like “If—,” he wrote adventure stories and verse that helped shape English-language reading for both children and adults. His work is still lively and memorable, even as readers continue to debate the imperial ideas woven through much of it.
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