Richard,
Of the six editions that I have looked at (as
yesterday plus The Wordsworth Poetry Library 'Complete
Verse' , 1994), all but one use "bricky-dry" to rhyme
with "Harry By!" on the previous line. The exception
is the 'One Volume Kipling Authorised' of Doubleday,
Doran of 1928 which uses "brick-dry". Nevertheless, I
agree with you that it is probably a typo.
"front-files" appears in Methuen 1896, Methuen 1915, H
M Caldwell 1911 and Doubleday, Doran 1928.
"front-ranks" is used in the 1926 Hodder & Stoughton
Inclusive Edition, and the Wordsworth Poetry Library
'Complete Verse' , 1994. My view is that "front-ranks"
is easier to say aloud than "front-files" (as sith
slippy versus slippery).
With best regards
David Page
Harrow UK
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