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Dear Kaori First and foremost, the story within a story takes place in India. Mulvaney says, "We was quartered in a big cantonment ...", which implies India, since, had they been in England or Ireland, he would have said "barracks" - "cantonment" was a word which was not used outside India (though I stand to be corrected on that point - but I've never heard it used elsewhere). Another pointer (about a page further on) is that Mulvaney says "'Twas in the Cath'lic Chapel I saw her first ..." In Ireland, it would have been more likely to be "in the Catholic Church". Furthermore, at the end of the story, Mulvaney gives Father Victor (the regimental chaplain) one rupee "to say a mass for Flahy's soul". Had it been in Ireland, he would have given him a florin, or half-a-crown. But your point about the last words in the story is interesting. It's fourteen years since the events in the ghost story took place, when Mulvaney must have been serving with the regiment for at least four years to have become a corporal. So it's eighteen years since he first enlisted, and he's still a private, though he had been a corporal "- I was rejuced aftherwards ..". In theory he shouldn't have been able to re-enlist after his first seven years (though it happened often enough - see Kipling's piece of verse "Back to the Army Again"). But having done it once, he shouldn't have been able to do it a second time. Again, there's little doubt that there were real 'old sweats' who remained private soldiers up to the age of forty or so, and Mulvaney is clearly one of those. I expect one of our ex-army members will be able to speak more authoritatively on this point. "Cork's own city .." refers to the city of Cork in Ireland. In those days it was the third largest city in Ireland, after Dublin and Belfast. It lies more or less in the middle of Ireland's southern coast (it is actually about ten miles up a river estuary, and its port is Cobh (pronounced 'Cove')). This is Mulvaney being nostalgic for times past when he was a young man (either before he joined the army, or more likely, while he was a young recruit in barracks there), and could chase the girls, without the temptations of married women. For the unmarried private soldier in India, there were few accessible white women - which is why Mulvaney 'went after' Annie Bragin. Yours, Alastair Wilson ----- Original Message ----- From: kn6 To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 2:55 AM Subject: The Solid Muldoon Dear all I am finishing my Ph.D in a week, and I really need somebody to help me with one question. Kipling's story, 'The Solid Muldoon' has an Indian setting. But the 'ghost'-story which Mulvaney tells within the story, did it take place in India? I first thought the episode took place in India for it seems that Mulvaney was already with the Old Regiment, but then I do not understand the last sentence, 'An' tha's fourteen years gone! Eyah! Cork's own city an' the blue sky above ut - an' the times that was - the times that was'. It sounds like the whole story took place in Ireland! Where does this 'Cork' come from? Was he in Ireland? Chorela is mentioned in the story, but there was plenty of them both in India and Ireland at that time. I need to read the story again, but if anybody knows the answer please let me know. best wishes Kaori Nagai