Chapter 9 of A Man in the Open is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of A Man in the Open is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me. Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life. "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers. Shucks! Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
Chapter 9 of A Man in the Open is here in full — 109 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/21 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
third-person singular of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading “LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.”
show off
From this reading “LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.”
tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa
From this reading “"Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading “Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.”
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading “Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."”
something of little value
From this reading “Shucks!”
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading “Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.”
In this reading “Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
third-person singular of “argue” — present reasons and arguments
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
show off
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
steal goods; take as spoils
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
something of little value
From this reading Shucks!
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading LOVE _Kate's Narrative_ Jesse argues that there's nothing to boast of in the way he saved me.
which person or people
From this reading Skill and courage are things to shame the man who hasn't got them."
in the company of; together with
From this reading Horse and rifle are like feet to run with, hands to fight with, part of his life.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now, if I'd rode a giraffe and harpooned you, I'd have my name in all the papers.
Chapter 9 of A Man in the Open by Roger Pocock holds 109 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 9 holds 109 sentences of A Man in the Open, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of A Man in the Open by Roger Pocock exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 109 sentences, grouped into 22 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Man in the Open by Roger Pocock on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4400 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #33423 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #33423, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 366 minutes of reading across 880 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Man in the Open section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 26 chapters of A Man in the Open to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Man in the Open, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
