Chapter 7 of Back to God's Country and Other Stories is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VII
Chapter 7 of Back to God's Country and Other Stories is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried. "My God, don't strike now! I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow. "Don't strike!" he almost shrieked. "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
Chapter 7 of Back to God's Country and Other Stories is here in full — 406 sentences across 82 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/81 · 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.
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading “"Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.”
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading “"Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.”
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading “I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.”
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading “"Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried.”
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading “"Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.”
uttered in a shrill scream as of pain or terror
From this reading “"Don't strike!" he almost shrieked.”
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading “I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.”
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading “"Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.”
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 I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Don't strike!" he almost shrieked.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
exhale hard
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried.
past form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
the blow that kills (usually mercifully)
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "My God, don't strike now!
-ing form of “expect” — regard something as probable or likely
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "My God, don't strike now!
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
the first month of the year; begins 10 days after the winter solstice
From this reading "Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Jan--Jan Larose--" he cried.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "My God, don't strike now!
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "My God, don't strike now!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
uttered in a shrill scream as of pain or terror
From this reading "Don't strike!" he almost shrieked.
past form of “stagger” — walk as if unable to control one's movements
From this reading I'm blind--blind--" He staggered back, as if expecting a blow.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading "My God, don't strike now!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another
From this reading "Mother of Heaven--my eyes are burned out--I'm blind--blind--" He backed to the wall, his huge form crouched, his hands reaching out as if to ward off the deathblow.
Chapter 7 of Back to God's Country and Other Stories by James Oliver Curwood holds 406 sentences, grouped into 82 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 7 holds 406 sentences of Back to God's Country and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 82 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 7 of Back to God's Country and Other Stories by James Oliver Curwood exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 406 sentences, grouped into 82 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 82 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 82 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 7 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 Back to God's Country and Other Stories by James Oliver Curwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4596 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4539 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4539, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 383 minutes of reading across 920 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Back to God's Country and Other Stories section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Back to God's Country and Other Stories 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 Back to God's Country and Other Stories, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
