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A Modern Mercenary
A Modern Mercenary

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.
The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.
Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.
It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.
To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Modern Mercenary

Chapter IX · Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.
Line 2
The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.
Line 3
Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.
Line 4
It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.
/ɪt ɪz ə lænd wer ˈiːvɪn ˈsʌmər dwelz ˈkoʊldli/
Line 5
To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

Learner Dictionary

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.

broadly adverb US /ˈbrɔːdli/

without regard to specific details or exceptions

From this reading “The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.”

consist verb US /kənˈsɪst/

originate

From this reading “Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.”

dominates verb US /ˈdɑːməneɪts/

third-person singular of “dominate” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading “To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.”

dwells verb US /dwelz/

third-person singular of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading “It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.”

enclosing noun US /enˈkloʊzɪŋ/

the act of enclosing something inside something else

From this reading “Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.”

inhospitable adjective US /ɪnˈhɑːspətəbəl/

unfavorable to life or growth

From this reading “To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.”

jutting adjective US /ˈdʒʌtɪŋ/

extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary

From this reading “To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.”

wastes noun US /weɪsts/

plural of “waste” — any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading “Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.”

All words in this reading · 64

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

armnounUS /ɑːrm/

a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

blackadjectiveUS /blæk/

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

bleakadjectiveUS /bliːk/

offering little or no hope

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

boldlyadverbUS /ˈboʊldli/

with boldness, in a bold manner

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

boundarynounUS /ˈbaʊn.də.ri/

A line that marks the limits of an area.

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

broadlyadverbUS /ˈbrɔːdli/

without regard to specific details or exceptions

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

CASTLEnounUS /ˈkæsəl/

a large and stately mansion

From this reading THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.

chainnounUS /tʃeɪn/

a series of things depending on each other as if linked together

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

coldlyadverbUS /ˈkoʊldli/

lacking warmth of feeling; in a cold, unemotional manner

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

consistverbUS /kənˈsɪst/

originate

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

darknounUS /dɑːrk/

absence of light or illumination

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

dominatesverbUS /ˈdɑːməneɪts/

third-person singular of “dominate” — be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

dwellsverbUS /dwelz/

third-person singular of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

enclosingnounUS /enˈkloʊzɪŋ/

the act of enclosing something inside something else

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

flingverbUS /flɪŋ/

throw with force or recklessness

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

flowingnounUS /ˈfloʊɪŋ/

the motion characteristic of fluids (liquids or gases)

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

formsnounUS /fɔːrmz/

plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

frownverbUS /fraʊn/

look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

gorgeverbUS /ɡɔːrdʒ/

overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

hillsnounUS /hɪlz/

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

inhospitableadjectiveUS /ɪnˈhɑːspətəbəl/

unfavorable to life or growth

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

ItsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

juttingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌtɪŋ/

extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

Kofn

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

landscapenounUS /ˈlændskeɪp/

an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

Maasau

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

marshesnounUS /ˈmɑːrʃəz/

plural of “marsh” — low-lying wet land with grassy vegetation; usually is a transition zone between land and water

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

northnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

north-eastern

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/

plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/

plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

rushverbUS /rʌʃ/

move hurridly

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

SAGAN

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

sinisteradjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪstər/

threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

spurnounUS /spɜːr/

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading The broadly flowing Kofn forms part of the north-eastern boundary of the State of Maasau.

summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE CASTLE OF SAGAN.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

ToparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

tumultuouslyadverb

in a tumultuous and riotous manner

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading To the north a chain of hills rises black against the sky, and there, set upon a boldly jutting spur, the Castle of Sagan dominates the inhospitable landscape like a frown upon a sinister face.

vastadjectiveUS /væst/

unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

wastesnounUS /weɪsts/

plural of “waste” — any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

watersnounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/

United States actress and singer (1896-1977)

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading It is a land where even summer dwells coldly.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Its dark waters rush tumultuously from the gorge below the Castle of Sagan, and fling a vast enclosing arm about the bleak plains and marshes of which the wastes of the frontier consist.

Chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary by K. (Kate) Prichard holds 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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.

What does chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary contain?

Chapter 9 holds 164 sentences of A Modern Mercenary, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary by K. (Kate) Prichard exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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.

How do I study chapter 9 of A Modern Mercenary?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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.

Can chapter 9 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading A Modern Mercenary

Common questions about reading A Modern Mercenary by K. (Kate) Prichard on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Modern Mercenary?

Yes. All 4480 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #28167 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Modern Mercenary is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #28167, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Modern Mercenary take to read?

About 373 minutes of reading across 896 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Modern Mercenary section by section

How to work through A Modern Mercenary section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Modern Mercenary

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Modern Mercenary, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Doubleday
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
During
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Months
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Independent
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Modern Mercenary; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.