Chapter 14 of Black Jack is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of Black Jack is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush. They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls. And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them. "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand. What is it?"
Chapter 14 of Black Jack is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/30 · 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.
plural of “divide” — a serious disagreement between two groups of people (typically producing tension or hostility)
From this reading “They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.”
deficient in amount or quality or extent
From this reading “They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.”
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading “And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.”
past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading “They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.”
move hurridly
From this reading “Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.”
separate into parts or portions
From this reading “Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.”
plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions
From this reading “They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.”
plural of “swirl” — the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading “They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.”
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 They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
the quality of being worthy of esteem or respect
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
plural of “divide” — a serious disagreement between two groups of people (typically producing tension or hostility)
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
one or the other of two
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What is it?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading What is it?"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
deficient in amount or quality or extent
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
past form of “recall” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
past form of “recoil” — draw back, as with fear or pain
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
move hurridly
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
separate into parts or portions
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
plural of “strike” — a group's refusal to work in protest against low pay or bad work conditions
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
plural of “swirl” — the shape of something rotating rapidly
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Gainor's dignity split the force of their rush.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Boys, there seems to be a little game on hand.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading They recoiled as water strikes on a rock and divides into two meager swirls.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What is it?"
at the time that
From this reading And when one or two went past him on either side, he recalled them.
Chapter 14 of Black Jack by Max Brand holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 14 holds 154 sentences of Black Jack, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of Black Jack by Max Brand exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 31 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 14 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 Black Jack by Max Brand on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6131 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9925 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9925, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 510 minutes of reading across 1227 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Black Jack section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 37 chapters of Black Jack 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 Black Jack, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
