The Solid Muldoon by Rudyard Kipling. Short summary

5 seconds

Once upon a time, when Private Melvaney was still a corporal, he managed to survive a fight with a woman, a battle with a man, and a fight with a ghost in one evening.

1 minute

Private Terence Melvaney tells his friends the story of how he fought a ghost. It was many years ago, when Terence was still a corporal. The soldier was young and hungry for the female sex. Somehow Melvaney began courting the beautiful Annie Bregin, wife of Sergeant Bregin. The woman paid no attention to Terence, but he did not give up and was constantly hanging around the family’s apartments.

One day Terence and Annie were standing near the porch talking. Melvaneus started to pester the girl and she sharply put him down. Suddenly a man walked by. Annie was frightened, and Melvaney decided to show his prowess and chase the stranger away. When the soldier struck his opponent in the head, his arm went like a fog. Annie fainted, and Mulvaney ran to her.

Just then her husband appeared and saw his wife with Terence. A fight ensued, but then the ghost reappeared. Bregin recognized him — it was Corporal Flechi, whose wife had died of cholera. After the funeral, the guy went crazy and started looking everywhere for her.